~Can't Wait Wednesday: Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass #7)~

                Can't Wait Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Wishful Endings.  Basically books that are not yet out that we are dying to get our hands on.  This week’s pick is:

Kingdom of Ash (Throne of Glass #7) by Sarah J. Maas

Out:  10/23

From Goodreads:

                The FINAL installment to the Throne of Glass series.

                Captured by the Queen of the Fae, Aelin is trapped inside an iron box in a secret location, with seemingly no hope for escape.  As she endures months of torture, her friends scatter to different fates.  Without Aelin to protect them, soldier Aedion and shapeshifter Lysandra need to defend their homeland at all costs.  Also left to forge their own paths in order to change history are Chaol, the witch Manon, and the golden boy Dorian-while Aelin’s mate, the fae male Rowan, searches the world over for his lost love.

                As Aelin gathers the strength to save herself and fight the ultimate battle of her life, all of their destinies hang in the balance.  Some ties will bond even tighter together, others will be severed forever, and mysteries will be revealed in this action-packed, heart wrenching series finale.

Why I’m Waiting:

                 MONTHS?????? Okay so yes I love this series and this is where it all ends.  I need to know what happens next after how Empire of Storms left off but then I finally got to read the summary and again….MONTHS!!!!!!!  NO!!!!  I have so so so many needs in this book.  I need it ASAP of course but in the book itself I have so many things I need to happen and I am not please it’s going to take at least MONTHS to happen. But yeah the cover dropped finally and I knew this was next and my most anticipated book of this year!

                What are you waiting on?  Tell me below what you think of this title and leave a link to your CWW as well so I can check it out.

Tower of Dawn (Throne of Glass #6)

                Hello happy readers!  I hope you all had a great weekend.  First I'd like to announce the winner of my latest giveaway that closed the other day (Epic Reads tote and signed ARC) and the winner is Meigan.  Congrats!  Today I'd also like to share my thoughts and feels about a relative new release from last month, Tower of Dawn (Throne of Glass #6) by Sarah J. Maas.  Now this is the 6th book in the series so there will be spoilers for the previous books so read on at your own peril. 

Rating:  5 Stars

                This book is all about Chaol's journey.  Well him and Nesryn.  I was totally team Chaol in the first three books before I finally moved on but I was happy to do so as the characters grew into different people.  That said I still loved my Chaol.  He has his faults but I adore him and was thrilled this would be his book.  Now timeline wise this book takes place after Queen of Shadows but during Empire of Storms.  Basically while Empire of Storms is happening with the rest of our characters this is what is happening on the other side of the world with Chaol.  I would recommend reading this after Empire of Storms though as parts of it are mentioned and it would ruin things.  So yes read it as book 6 as intended!

                Chaol was nearly killed but some hidden protection and some quick patch work saved his life just not his mobility.  Chaol, former Captain of the Guard, is stuck in a chair, one of the worst kinds of torture for an active man who is used to being able to take care of and defend others.  Dorian has made him part of his new court and his first order of business is to travel to the healers of the Torre Cesme in Antica and seek out help to heal his body.  While there he is also to work with Nesryn to try and convince the rulers in Antica to join their cause and fight with them.  However, as Chaol and Nesryn spend time in Antica they discover the place will change them both and may be more vital to saving Erilea than anyone ever dreamed.

                Chaol being injured and in this chair is hard.  He is such a vibrant, active, and yes proud man and to see him struggling to do basic tasks and need so much help is hard.  Though being in his mind we know its more than the body weighing on him its all that he has witnessed and all that has happened that he was unable to stop.  He feels he has let others down and it weighs on his soul.  He still wants to help his king though and that means keeping up as much as possible and trying to play the games of Antica.  Nesryn has family in town and is eager to see them and see this place she is from but doesn't know as well, but she has a mission.  She spends much time with one of the princes, Sartaq who also commands the Rukhin.  I adored learning all about the Rukhin as well the subsets and how they had their own set of politics was kind of great. 

"Nesryn supposed that was why she liked the queen:  there were plans so long in the making that for someone who let the world deem her unchecked and brash, Aelin showed a great deal of restraint in keeping it all hidden."

*****

"You would be surprised by how closely the healing of physical wounds is tied to the healing of emotional ones." 

                Antica has some very different and unique politics.  The system for heirs is very interesting , and very harsh.  The princes and princesses don't know who will be the next in line.  Some are favorited of course but you never know so everyone plays to keep in favor and power.  All of the siblings were pretty awesome though to read about be it that I wanted to strangle them or I enjoyed them.  Some both at once, it was never dull.  They are currently mourning the loss of one of the princesses who died, or as one of her brothers believes was murdered.  Chaol is asked to help uncover any hidden darkness in exchange for help backing his request for aid.  The search is slow, as is his healing with the spirited and angry healer assigned to help him, Yrene Towers.  Yep you guessed it another resurgence from the novellas.  Can I just take a moment to say how much I love all these novellas coming back into play?  I mean I love how full circle all of this has become. 

                Basically the rest would be spoiler material but lets just say there is lots happening.  Murder, mystery, theft/kidnapping, chases, fights, brewing romance, panic, political balancing act, internal character struggles, and so much more to keep the story going.  I loved the journey we were taken on.  I loved every moment of it.  I didn’t want to stop listening for a second.  We got to see a whole new side of this beautiful world of the South.  The new people both friends and foes and journeys we went on….it was a wild ride.  That isn't all though this book is important to the series in so many ways.  Not only does it tie in the novella again and work on handling Chaol and his healing as it is or just bring in a new force in the battle but the information that we learn is just epic.  Small little pieces throughout that come together and when tied into the larger story just blew me away.  I had to stop at one point to just think about some past books and the experiences within them and have my mind blown as it all came together when you have the right information. 

"What did Aelin promise you?"

 "A better world."

                It was amazing and now I need the next book so much.  Right now.  I have so many thoughts and theories about how things will go down.  I seriously had a dream about one part in particular and how it might play out, it was so vivid I can't wait to see how right I am.  It has to do with a certain meeting.  I am nervous about the coming war/battle because well things are not the best right now (end of Empire of Storms) for some but the coming together of all the different good guys I am beyond excited to see this play out.  Going to be crossing my fingers and listening clutching a pillow to mu chest I'm sure praying for my favorites to make it through.   I'd love to hear what everyone else thought.  None of my friends are currently caught up on this series and its killing me not to talk about it.

                Until next time…

Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass #5)

                Hello happy readers!  So I spent the weekend helping out my family but I was with very very slow internet so I wasn’t able to really get on and respond to any Stacking the Shelves posts until today because well…I gave up.  Seriously it was a nice weekend but it made me miss and appreciate my internet speed so much more.  Anywho that said I was excited to get back so I could post my thoughts and feels on Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass #5) by the lovely Sarah J. Maas.  I reviewed the previous books here, Throne of Glass, Crown of Midnight, Heir ofFire, and Queen of Shadows.

               

Rating: 5 Stars

                So first let me say it took me a while to catch up with the last two books and not because they are in fact massive but because I was nervous about reading on which I mentioned in my Queen of Shadows review.  Then after that I was finally able to see other reviews and thoughts on it but still avoided spoilers for Empire of Storms like the plague.  Still from what I gathered about the series so many people who love the series and whose opinion usually melds with mine pretty well thought it was the least favorite of the series and a little bit of a let-down.  Also had some people mention it was focused too much on the sexy scenes than the rest of the story.  I find all of this was in no way true for me.

As always I love flip of the back!

                I loved this book.  I continued where I left off with Queen of Shadows listening to the audiobook because it was amazing and I listened to it mostly on my way to and from ApollyCon and then the Crown of Wishes launch event so I did most of it in large chunks.  I loved it.  The story has gotten so much larger than we first thought when starting Throne of Glass.  We have so many different characters and story lines that all have become so deeply important and vital not just to the reader wanting to know more but to the larger overall story.  I wasn’t the biggest fan when we first started learning about Manon and even Rowan because I wanted my original core group but then as the story unfolded I started to enjoy their stories and can’t imagine the story without them now.  We also don’t see any Chaol just mention of where he went at the end of the previous book.  This makes since as we will see more of him with his own book of stories this year!

                Aelin is of course our star and I love how she has progressed through the series.  She has really come into herself.  While she does make some mistakes still, she is young after all, she keeps going and keeps fighting, learning with every step.  Rowan really took me by storm.  I went from liking him as a character but not a romantic interest to thinking seriously about him in that way to….OMG I LOVE him!  Seriously Rowan and Aelin are so on point.  Seriously their connection and back and forth alone was priceless but wow true equals and I love it.  They just have this way of understanding one another.  Dorian is still recovering from what he’d been through, not something that will ever fully leave him but he is fighting to push forward.  He has some really great moments, some great quotes that I wish I had been able to write down in the moment because they gave me goosebumps.  Manon really came around for me in the last book first with her affection for Abraxos and then her Thirteen.  When she took in little Elide and helping her and helping save Dorian in the previous book she was one of my favorites.  Elide was a different break as well, she is so much different than the other characters we know.  She is determined and strong of heart but she has no training in combat or strategy and is actually permanently injured.  Still she is determined to find her Queen and do whatever she can to help her and that is something that is refreshing.  I also loved getting to know more about Rowan’s old Cadre Gavriel, Fenrys, and Lorcan.  We have seen them before, Lorcan for sure as he was none too happy with our Aelin or Rowan.  Seeing a different side of him was nice and getting to know more about the others now that we know who Gavriel really is.  All the feels for all the characters.

                 So anyways we have so many stories and things happening.  Things are never easy for our people that is for sure.  Aelin is en route to her home with her new court, a different court to change the world.  Still while she may be Queen by name and birth she has been away and thought dead for some time.  Politics isn’t the best game to play with the war on the cusp of tearing the world apart.  Many doubt her as a ruler given her time as Celaena Sardothien the assassin and her choice of court.  She’s different and not a normal type of queen and that is why we love her.  She has been through so much and yet no matter the odds she keeps fighting for the people she loves and the whole world.  She has one Wyrdkey and has two more to recover and find some way to destroy them, not an easy task when you are also fighting Erawan and his evil hoards of Vlag creatures and Queen Maeve of the Fae. 

                We really get to see so much more of the world in this one.  We even get to re-visit people and places from her past including those from the novellas.  This I enjoyed it was a way to bring in all the different stories and tie in everything.  Showing that everything had a purpose.  I was on the edge of my seat through most of the book and had it not been for cruise control probably would have had a lead foot.  There are constant twists and turns but we also learn even more about the past and things that have been vague and only slightly on the edge of our senses are explained.

                 There was always something happening to keep you guessing.  Action and death everywhere and no one is safe.  That’s the hardest part is loving so many of these characters and knowing they could all die.  Romances bloom or develop which had me even more excited because some have been brewing for a while and others were new and interesting and things. I could sit here and discuss every detail of every part of the book for hours and still have so many more questions and theories.  I want things to work out for everyone but with the information we have and the seriousness of the story I don’t think everyone will make it out alive.  Given how we left things off…fyi heads up HUGE cliffhanger that will leave you completely lost and reeling…I’m nervous and excited for more but 2018 is SO FAR!

                I love this book and this series as a whole and highly recommend everyone get caught up before the last book comes out next year.  This gives you plenty of time to devour them though! 

Heir of Fire by Sarah J Maas need I say more?

                Hello again.  I hope you all enjoyed the fun on the blog yesterday with the interview with wonderful author Aileen Erin and other goodies for the release of her new book.  If you missed it click here.  Lots of goodies and I have some more fun things like that scheduled in the coming weeks I'm excited to share with you.  Today though I'm excited to be talking about my Heir of Fire review.  Yes I have been building up through the books that I have loved oh so much getting closer to the newest beauty.

                Heir of Fire is the third book in the series so there will be some spoilers from the previous books, sorry.  Read, catch up, and come back!   To see my previous reviews see Throne of Glass and Crown of Midnight.

Rating: 5 Stars

The back!

                Okay so Celaena is in a bad place when we pick up with her.  Stuck between her oath and everything else in her life.  She is worrying about those she left behind, like Chaol, and how he reacted when he figured out what her parting whisper meant, that she is fae.  She is Aelin Galathynius .  She is back in a part of the world where magic is free and ready to discover the secrets of her heritage that will change everything.  While back at the palace things are never dull and darkness is spreading and taking over. 

                I liked that we saw things happening from several different points and as they were so spread out over the world it gave a global image.  We even got a new POV of Manon.  She is a witch, one of the thirteen bad ass ironteeth.  I admit I wasn't a huge fan of the Manon chapters at first.  They were a bit out there for me.  I think to get introduced to a new characters POV, particularly one that isn't easy to like, they could have been a bit shorter.  Because when they started I got annoyed only wanting to get back to my main peeps.  But as the story progressed I grew to enjoy them and I know they will probably play a big part in the stories to come.  We also got to meet Rowan!  He is a pretty bad ass fae and basically he gets to kick Celaena's behind and be her fae Mr. Miyagi.  He also turns into a Hawk, which as I generally don't like birds on principle, I thought was pretty bad ass for him.  I liked getting to know him and the other fae we meet.  Such a different way of life and something needed for her while she is still suffering and dealing with losing Nehemia.  We also got to see more of Aedion and learn more of his story.  He seems like a pompous ass, just like the king but as we get closer the truth is so much more fun to uncover.  Plus his interaction with Chaol is priceless. 

                Then back on the home front Dorian finds new love!  Again while I'm totally Team Chaol I still love Dorian and was sad that he was hurt by Celaena and Chaol in Crown of Midnight.  So when he started to get to know and fall for the healer, I figured it would have some trouble attached given everything but I loved them.  They were so cute together the way she was nervous and didn't want to be hurt but he was so sweet and genuine and pulled in by her eagerness to help him.  She didn’t shy away that he has magic.  I think she helped him more than anything else could have just by being there and supporting him.  He has magic, that's a fact of his dangerous life now.  I also loved the conversations Dorian and Chaol have still in an awkward place.  Neither of them is good at communicating.  Men, meh.  Chaol doesn't want Dorian to know about Celaena's secret at first but eventually he does.  After that Dorian sees he had been trying to help her get away, but he knew she would return she had after all promised.  They work together and eventually slowly find a way back to their friendship, not the same but still there.  I liked that they were about to work through most of their issues and go back to working together and that Celaena was there with them in a way.  I liked that we saw more of what each saw in her and how talking about her made them both realize things about her.  I loved one line in particular that Dorian told Chaol, "You cannot pick and choose which parts of her to love."

               We also learn more about the darkness and evil coming into the world.  Both sides are working to figure out ways to stop it but still don't know they are working towards the same goal.  Also with the witches we get a chance to see more from the evil prospective, what's being planned.  Also note to self never piss them off…okay just avoid at all costs.  I really enjoyed Abraxos too and that is about the time when her chapters started to be more fun and interesting to me, he humanized her in a way.  A small way at least but enough to show me she had depth.  There are tons of battles and adventure and mystery and everything we come to love and expect from this series.  It also leaves you with such a huge hole in your heart when you finish it that you NEED MORE ASAP!!!

                One last thing, I realize that many people ship Celaena and Dorian over her and Chaol.  I realize she's not with either of them currently but still.  I'm on Team Chaol and I will go down with my ship.  Though again I wasn't totally against the other.  Still with how Heir of Fire progresses and things laid that set my little head to spinning with theories and such I am a tad bit nervous about what may happen to my Chaol. 

                That's all for today.  As usual comments are food to the soul.  Share your thoughts below.  What did you think of Heir of Fire?  Did you like the gang being split up for this one and seeing more of the world?  Did you secretly wish you could fly on Abraxos?  Tell me below.  Until next time…remember

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J Maas

And this cover!

                Hi there!  So I admit I probably won't get much done, after this I have a few things to take care of then I am spending the weekend celebrating my birthday!  Well mine and my two friends little one's first birthday, but they're cute so I'll share!  But before I disappear into that I wanted to continue my thoughts on the beautiful Throne of Glass series by Sarah J Maas continuing on with Crown of Midnight.  My Throne of Glass review can be found here.

                Crown of Midnight picks up where we left off so I there will be some spoilers if you haven't finished book one yet.  Sorry but catch up and come back! 

Rating: 5 Stars

The back image, love that dress!

                That being said we have Celaena won the brutal contest and is now the kings Champion, more like his personal assassin.  She isn't the perfect loyal assassin she should be, but she must hide her actions to keep her life because the king is downright evil.  Keepings things balanced gets harder as she finds allies.  There are still mysteries buried deep in the castle and no one is immune from suffering.  Everyone is questioning her intentions, Crown Prince and ex something Dorian, Captain of the Guard Chaol, even her friend Nehemia the foreign princess.  Secrets lead to tragedy and Celaena's world comes apart.  She is forced to make a decision of her loyalties and who she is fighting for.  Her decision could change everything.

                It's pretty insane.  There is lots of political intrigue.  I really liked how double agent it felt all the secrets meetings and hidden agendas.  It was all so mysterious.  Everyone is fighting for power, to overthrow the evil king and trying to figure out the mysterious Wyndmarks. That alone would have filled the story but Maas is able to add in the perfect amounts of action as well to always remind up Celaena is a bad ass assassin who will take on as many as it takes.  When she loves she is in 100% and if you mess with her, her dark side is vengeful and swift. 

                I really enjoyed the story.  Now in the last review I mentioned I was on the fence for her relationship status.  She and Dorian had a small thing but all the while I felt that Chaol seemed like he might be better for her.  Then in Crown of Midnight I just totally fell in love with Chaol and I am on Team Chaol for sure.  Everything was just spot on.  They shared so much one another.  They could be together and be themselves, she still held some secrets but she opened up so much with him.  He understands her need to battle and can see the balance of well groomed diva to full on warrior, she is a balance.  I love what he is able to bring out in her.  He pushes her physically in training keeping her on her toes but he is also able to see what she is and what it has done to her.  I liked seeing more to both of them. 

                 Now as I never disliked Dorian I hated that he was hurt but it.  He was jealous.  I got that.  I understood but he was able to be friends with her still.  We also got to see him come into his own secrets and Celaena protected them.  They make good friends.  I could see them as a couple maybe, it wouldn't be horrible, but the issue is I love her with Chaol.  Plus Dorian and Chaol are best buddies and this puts a strain on their relationship for sure but I'm confident they will work through it.  True friends are like that.  Even Nehemia and Celaena.  They argue about most things but when they talk, it is something that Celaena needed.  I think she is still coming back to herself after her ordeal in the mines and having a girlfriend to talk about crushes with was just, the scenes were so well worked into the storyline that they played from one to the next seamlessly. 

                The mix of her missions to kill but all the while trying to save her soul.  I love the inner battle she faces each time.  She risks so much each time.  It broke my heart over and over again.  I had to stop reading for bits of time because I was so emotionally invested and Sarah J. Maas just ripped my heart out over and over.  I needed more but I was scared I couldn’t stand it.  Truth.  I was concerned for my characters lives every step through the length of this book.  I was worried something would happen to them at every turn.  No one was safe.  Emotional pull for the story.  I was connected. 

                Okay without any spoilers, there is an 'event' that just turns the tables on everything.  This even hit me in the feels.  I balled my eyes out, not just for it but for the repercussions, the aftershocks.  Still nothing that happens changes my mind one bit.  I'm still solid in my team.  Then the end.  Such feels there.  Now we know one secret though I think everyone already knew, and has known since it was first mentioned in book one.  Still the confirmation is just…like a bomb. 

                Anywho that is all for this discussion.  I LOVED this story and I will have my Heir of Fire review coming up as well as we get closer to Queen of Shadows review time.  I have to finish and process all the thoughts and feels.  Share with me below your thoughts.  I'm dying to know what team everyone is on.  I know everyone seems to be rooting against me.  Share love and leave me a comment.  Until next time.

Throne of Glass by the wonderful Sarah J Maas

                Hello again my fellow book lovers.  Today I’m going to share my thoughts and feels for a book I’m sure most of you have if not read heard of, Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas.  I have finished the series up to the newest release Queen of Shadows which came out Tuesday September 1st.  I held off on reviewing this series for a while so I could do them through the next couple weeks as I work my way through this monster of a new book.  It’s over 600 pages and while I'd love to sit and marathon it my back still isn't 100% and not sure I'll be able to sit for that long but I'm going to try!

Rating: 5 Stars

                Anyways let's talk about where this all started, Throne of Glass.  For those of you living under a rock, Throne of Glass is about Celaena Sardothien 18-year-old assassin.  Once top of her profession now pulled from a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes and put before Crown Prince Dorian.  He makes her an offer, fight for him as his champion in a competition to be the royal assassin in exchange for being free of the mines and if she wins her freedom after her service term.  Seems like a no brainer.  Celaena has to fight past her opponents all men of different skill sets from across the empire each sponsored by a member of the kings council.  She was once the best, it should be easy but a year in the salt mines have taken their toll and she must train with the captain of the guard, Chaol.  Celaena must also face court life while competing.  Dull politics and ladies of court are livened up when the prince starts to show and interest in her even if Captain Chaol seems to understand her best. If that wasn't enough to keep a girl buys contestants start to turn up dead in vicious ways, leaving her to investigate the deaths and hope that by finding the killer she can keep herself alive.  Maybe even find her destiny along the way.

                Awesome high fantasy full of action and intrigue.  Need I say more?  I will say I read about 25% of Throne of Glass then read started reading the novellas bind-up, The Assassin's Blade, alongside it, like 1 every other day or so while I continued the series since I had heard mixed things about when to read them.  The novellas are not necessary but they are the full stories of things alluded to in Throne of Glass that I knew how they would end I enjoyed reading more detail on.  So my personal suggestion is to read Throne of Glass first or start it and get a feel for Celaena before you read the novellas because while she is the same character she changes a lot and I was able to appreciate glimpses of her past better knowing her character better.

Back image (UK cover w/ white background)

                Now Celaena!  I just love her.  She is such a kick ass heroin.  She's equal bits deadly and girly.  She's a mix of stubborn, prideful, confident, determined, and still with all of that still has a fragility to her.  The cover at least I know for hardcover, has the image of our Celaena all bad ass and assassin like on them, but on the back it has the same pose and such, the back image but instead of her battle attire Celaena is decked out in a gorgeous dress looking a whole different kind of deadly.  I love this aspect because she is both parts.  She can be gritty and down to the bone no care for her appearance to take care of what needs to be done but she can also deeply appreciate a spa day and pampering one's self with the finest of beauty products and clothing.  So to have covers that fit our heroine so well was just starting off right.  She has so much to relate to, not the assassin part of course or hope not anyways, but that she struggles with many different things in her life and trying to move on and make the most of what she has. 

                One of the things that she has is some boy trouble.  You have probably already heard about the teams, Team Dorian and Team Chaol by now.  When I was reading book one I was conflicted on the matter.  Because when she does flirt and have a connection with Prince Dorian, let's not forget his title there, I also liked the banter and connection she had with his friend and Captain of the Guard Chaol.  They both seemed to like a different side of her and, like the covers, she is more than one or the other.  I found myself enjoying both sides and honestly I could have been happy if she ended up with either of them, though I admit to silently rooting for Chaol.  For me, he just seemed to get who she was a bit more.  Maas does not make it easy in any of her books when all of her male characters are just so yummy and amazing.  Why can we not make them real for us fangirls again?

I mean look at this quote!

                Now the story is about a whole lot more than some romance and sexual tension.   The meat of the story is not just characters but pushing them through the ringer with trials.  The competition was super interesting and it almost reminded me of a brutal and deadly version of the Apprentice (which I've never watched so I could be wrong) and an episode of CSI.  Watching as Celaena in the different trials and tasks was impressive and seeing the mystery unravel with each page flip was just magical.  There is literally so much to these books I couldn't even begin to scratch the surface without telling you everything blow for blow and ruining the discovering for you, but trust me it was awesome.  So much blended so well you don't realize the time passing as you immerse yourself. 

                Watching as Celaena deals with everything both physically and emotionally was such fun.  She has been through some serious stuff and she has to deal with it in her own way.  Part of that is with meeting a much needed girl friend, Nehemia.  While they might not always be on the same path they become fast friends and with everything else it was very nice to see Celaena have that small joy.  And it wouldn't be a complete review unless I mentioned Fleetfoot!  Oh I just adore that little pup, but then again who doesn't love dogs in books?

                 I highly recommend this series if you haven't started it yet.  Give it a go.  It's a high fantasy gold mine with royal intrigue and court drama, which is always fun.  Wars and rebellion, fae, magic, romance, action, adventure, mystery, basically everything you could want wrapped up with  pretty bow.  I'll be reviewing the other two books in the series the next two to three weeks and read Queen of Shadows to review it.  So stay turned.  

               That's all for today check back tomorrow for my Stacking Shelves post and find out what new goodies I've gotten in August.  Send some love in the comments below and let me know if you've read Throne of Glass or are reading it what your thoughts are.  Also if you have picked a team, which one are you

A Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) Review & Giveaway!

                Hello and welcome back on this wonderful Friday.  It’s hot as Hades outside and I’m avoiding it like the plague.  I would rather escape to the fantasy worlds on my shelves.  Today I have another fun review of a book I can’t say enough good things about and a Giveaway.  What amazing book am I talking about now, you ask?  A Court of Thorns and Roses (aka ACOTAR) by Sarah J Maas. 

Rating: 5 Stars

                This book came out a few months back and I read it instantly.  I have at this point read all of her books at this point.  She’s the brilliant mind behind the Throne of Glass series if you somehow didn’t know that.  I have not reviewed those yet, I know I’m working on it, but I’m planning to do so closer to the release of the next book in that series.  In the mean-time I’d like to discuss this first book in the new fantasy series.  First please note the beautiful cover.  I like the cut off faces, it gives you a vague image of the character but enough is blank you can image them yourselves.  Also that dress…

                Quick overview here:  Beauty and the Beast retelling with faerie lore blended in.  Our nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre is hunting in the woods and kills a wolf.  A faerie in the form of a wolf.  A beast-like creature arrives to demand she come live in his court as payment for her slight.  She is taken to a dangerous and magical land she only knows of through whispers and legends.  Feyre discovers soon that her captor is not a beast but Tamlin, an immortal faerie who rules the Spring Court.  As she adjusts to her new life on the estate Feyre’s feelings for Tamlin begin to shift from icy hostility into something much hotter.  The feelings hot enough to push aside all the wicked and terrible things she has been told of the Fae.  Things aren’t that easy though, as ancient and evil shadow grows over the faerie lands and she must find a way to stop it or leave Tamlin and his world. 

                Need I even say that first and foremost I was going to check this out no matter what?  Beauty and the Beast is one of my favorite Disney movies of all time.  I still adore it and watch it every few months just because I’m awesome and roll like that.  So a retelling, I have to check it out.  Add that it was by an author I already LOVE and you have a slam dunk.  I gave up sleep for this book.  I didn’t want to put it down at all but I was in a frenzy at the last quarter of the book and any interruption of my reading was done so at great risk to one’s physical wellbeing.  It was that good.

                Feyre is strong but from the very beginning we see that she has a bit of ice in her heart over some of the things in her life.  We are able to relate to her.  Her family kind of sucks.  They count on her to provide for them and she’s not the parent nor the oldest.  You get a sense of how her life is really quick and you want things to go well for her.  When Tamlin showed up to take her I was excited.  Okay yes, part was because it was a B&B retelling and I LOVED the beast but also it would put her into a different role in life and I wanted that for her.  Our heroine is also proud and does struggle with asking for help which I found endearing and relatable.  On the flip side we have Tamlin, who while he wasn’t a ‘Beast’ he had the power to change into a beast like creature.  He is nice to Feyre pretty much from the start.  He is awkward and messy about it, often times messing things up but he is adorable. 

                Tamlin is amazing.  Also we never really see his full face, or that of anyone on the Spring Court due to a curse put on them while attending a masked ball.  I loved this aspect because I love Masquerade masks, I collect them, but also because it added to the mysterious nature and the torment of never being able to remove it.  Great feature.  A physical representation that something is wrong in the world of Fae.  The first part of the book is a bit slower paced but it’s more about developing the characters and the world with little bits and pieces that come into play later on.  This is a love story after all.  I didn’t mind one bit I was completely encased in the world of the Spring Court.  I do want to learn more about the different courts though, they seem to have one for all seasons and then also for Day, Dawn, and Night.  How cool?  The world was just so full of different faerie types some good and some downright evil. 

                I got a bit off track talking about characters but one more I just adored from the start was Lucien.  I heart him.  He is so much fun.  He is a dick at the start but it’s understandable.  Still he is always honest about his feelings and tells it like it is.  He pushes Feyre and for me, I feel he was a huge part of the story and how she managed to warm to their world and Tamlin.  We only get a couple glimpses of Rhysand (Rhys) until the later part of the book when his character steps into a larger part of the story.  He’s dark, dangerous, and complex.  I liked the character himself but I didn’t love him like some people.  One of the things Maas does well is get everyone all excited and shipping couples.  I ship Feyre and Tamlin 100% while some have taken to shipping Feyre and Rhysand which I don’t understand at all.  I could write pages back and forth on my ship preference but not right now.  Like Rhysand we only meet Amarantha in person later in the story but her threat and power are present through the story but getting to place a face to the name, so to speak, was great.  She is wickedly evil.  I also loved her backstory.

                I was obsessed with this book while reading it.  I loved the way the romance between Tamlin and Feyre builds, the moments and tension leading up to them finally having a moment were both steamy and adorable.  Again Tamlin was so cute and she was straight up not having it, expecting him to be horrible.  Also his experience to humans is a bit limited and he has some rust there to clean up but watching it unfold was beautiful.  The way things came together and built through the story all paid off in the end.  Again the last part was just wow.  Serious action going on.  I will admit some things were a bit predictable and some would say a key part was a bit easy but when you work in a retelling that is bound to happen some.  Still there was so much happening that I was nervous about and wandering what would happen next.  I can’t really say much more than this without giving away any spoilers and discovering everything is half the fun. 

                So to end this review so you can get to checking out this book I’ll tell you about the giveaway.  I had the pleasure of meeting Sarah J Maas and her best friend Susan Dennard was a surprise guest at the ACOTAR release tour.  It was pretty amazing.  I already had my copy I had pre-ordered month before release that arrived the day of the signing and the wonderful little book stop that hosts these events does ask you to purchase a from the author from them to get in the signing line after the Q&A which is totally understandable.  So already having all of her books myself I thought it would be a great idea to get another copy of this one and get it signed for this very use.  I will leave this open until next Saturday night at midnight (EST), I’ll announce the winner next week and it’s open to anyone!  That’s all for now.  I’ll see you next week!

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