Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you are all having a good day today. Today I am bringing you my August TBR, there’s a lot of fantasy on it this month which I haven’t been reading a lot of in the past few months so we will have to see how that goes but overall I am pretty excited about the books on my TBR for the month.
August TBR
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
A Perilous Undertaking by Deanna Raybourn
Library of the Unwritten by A J Hackwith
A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer
Kingdom of The Cursed by Kerri Maniscalco
Assassins Apprentice by Robin Hobb
Crownbreaker by Sebastien De Castell
Six Tudor Queens by Alison Weir
House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J Maas
By the Book by Amanda Sellet
The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett
Crown of Midnight by Sarah J Maas
Small Favours by Erin A Craig
The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller
Last Chance Books by Kelsey Rodkey
The Falconer by Elizabeth May
That’s it for my August TBR, I hope you all enjoyed it!
Happy Tuesday bookish people! merry Bookmas day 21! This month is speeding by. I’m bringing you another book tag. Today’s is the Christmas Cuisine Book Tag which I thought was a very interesting idea to turn into a book tag. I found this tag on narrativeparadise.com
Yule Log – A beautiful edition of a book
For this one I chose the Shadow and Bone Collectors edition because I already had two copies of this book but it was so beautiful that I had to buy this one as well.
Gingerbread House – A struggle to read but worth it
For this one I chose A Curse so Dark and Lonely because the first 50 pages I had no interest in it at all, I was bored to be honest but once I got into the story i was much more engaged and I gave the book five stars.
Roasted Chestnuts – read fondly at Christmas
I chose A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett because it has that hopefulness that I always associate with Christmas so it’s a book I like to read around this time of year.
Turkey – A character everyone else loved but you only pretended to
Tella in caraval. I did not like her character and even in Legendary where she was more bearable I still didn’t like her.
Pavlova – A book you’re most looking forward to reading next
I have to say House of Sky and Breath the next book in the Crescent City series because I loved the first book and I am very intrigued as to where the author is going to take the series next.
Ham – A book that makes the ordinary extraordinary
I can only think of one book for this and that is Miss Peregrines Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs.
Christmas cake – A book that had everything in it
And here I will put Crescent City by Sarah J Maas because it really does have everything, magic, intriguing plots, werewolves, angels, brilliant characters, romance. there’s so much in this book.
Prawns – The most popular book you read this year
I think the most popular book I’ve read this year is A Court of Thorns and Roses – so many people are always talking about this book and I am glad that I finally got around to reading it.
Sachertorte – An intimidating book
I have to choose City of Brass for this one because I was so intimidated by it that I read 200 pages and stopped reading, I definitely intend on going back to it sometime soon though.
Vitel Tone – Sceptical but surprised
Get a Life Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert was the book that surprised me the most this year.
Stollen – Same old plot line but did it better
I think the Postscript murders works for this one because it has the same premise as a lot of mystery books that came out at the same time but it was still such a good book that made itself stand out against the others.
Parkanalaatiko – A book you need right now
Play of Shadows by Sebastien De Castell, I want everything he has ever and will ever write right now.
Ciorba De Perisoare – A book you bought without needing to read the blurb
Once Upon A Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber, she is an instant buy author for me. Plus the book is beautiful.
Risalamande – A book with a surprising plot twist
The Appeal. I won’t say any more than that.
Mince Pies – A book you would never sell even if you don’t re-read it
Happy Monday bookish people! And Merry Bookmas day 6. Are you getting excited for Christmas yet? I’m starting to feel the excitement but I’m not fully there yet but making all these blog posts is helping to raise my Christmas cheer, I hope they are doing the same for all of you! Today I am bringing you my answers to the Christmas Stocking Tag, the unfortunate thing is I can’t remember whose blog I saw this tag on.
You get up on Christmas morning and your stocking is full. You take it down and start to unwrap the treats inside. The first thing you see is…
An orange – Which book is refreshing and vibrant both inside and out?
For this I have to go for Caraval by Stephanie Garber because the world is just so magical and entrancing and as the question says, refreshing.
2. A bag of chocolate coins – which book have you bought recently that was expensive but totally worth the price?
I chose the special edition of The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V E Schwab because I only bought it last week and I couldn’t help myself, this edition is so beautiful I would have regretted it if I hadn’t bought it.
3. A bath bomb – tell us about a book with explosive action scenes?
For this I instantly thought of A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer and I’m not completely sure why. There are lots of big action scenes in this series and it’s the main thing that I remember from the first book. I haven’t read the rest of the series yet.
4. A pack of playing cards – a series that won you over?
The Invisible Library series by Genevieve Cogman. I read the first book and though I enjoyed it I still wasn’t too sure whether I would enjoy the whole series or not, then I read the second book – The Masked City and I realised I would love this series.
5. A candle – A character who is a symbol of hops? I will be honest here, my brain went completely foggy and I couldn’t think of any character that is a symbol of hope to me.
6. Socks – a book that encompasses all the distinctive tropes of it’s genre?
I think Take A Hint Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert encompasses a lot of the tropes of it’s genre, I’m not very up on my contemporary adult romance tropes but I know a big one is fake dating and that is definitely in this book.
7. A Notebook – An authors writing process you find interesting? For me it is Sebastien de Castell, his books are so fantastical and interesting that his writing process must be the same.
8. A bedside clock – Took you a long time to pick up but was worth it?
I had to pick A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas for this because it took me forever to pick it up but once I did, I couldn’t put it down.
That’s it for this book tag. I hope you all enjoyed it! Tomorrow I am bringing you my favourite book covers of 2021.
Happy Friday bookish people! I have been seeing a few different videos on BookTube where people look at the book series’ they have started and not finished yet. It got me thinking about how many series’ I’ve started and so I am making this post to share them with all of you! As you can tell by the title, there’s quite a few of them.. 25 actually which seems like a lot, well, it IS a lot but I honestly thought there would be more.
Let’s get onto the book series’ I’ve started and not finished!
The Spellslinger Series by Sebastien De Castell
I don’t know if there is a title for the series overall but I’ve just called it the Spellslinger series because the first book is called Spellslinger. My progress on this series is pretty good actually, I’ve read Spellslinger, Shadowblack, Charmcaster and Soulbinder so I only have two more books in the series left to read. And then I can start on the Way of the Argosi series which is like a spin-off series. I really like the blend of serious fantasy and comedy in these books and I find I can read them very quickly and enjoy every page. Also, on Monday I won the chance to be part of a zoom meet and greet with Sebastien De Castell which I am so excited for!
The Invisible Library Series by Genevieve Cogman
Again, I don’t know if The Invisible Library series is what these books are called but the first one in the series is called The Invisible Library. I haven’t read as many of this series as I would have liked to by now. I have read The Invisible Library and The Masked City. I’ve had the Burning Page on my TBR before but I didn’t get around to reading it. This series follows Irene who is a librarian spy, it is such an interesting premise for a character and the books have a variety of other fantasy creatures like Fae and Dragons.
Shadow and Bone series by Leigh Bardugo
I think I read this in the wrong order because I read the Six of Crows duology first – and loved them! – so when I read Shadow and Bone I felt I knew the world quite well. I have only read the first book in this series so far but I did enjoy it, especially the villain of the series, I do think this is a series I will get to eventually but it’s not one I’m in the mood to finish right now.
A Darker Shade of Magic series by V E Schwab
I got the first book in this series from a special edition box that Illumicrate did and it is a beautiful edition of the book. I loved the idea of having four different Londons and being able to travel between them. I have only read the first book in this series because the second and third ones are quite long but I am hoping to get to A Gathering of Shadows soon.
The Way Of All Flesh by Ambrose Parry
This series is set in Edinburgh and is a dark mystery series. I have read The Way of All Flesh, the first book in this series. I loved the atmosphere the book had and the mystery was eerie and dark and the reader is thrown right into the centre of the tension when the novel opens. I am looking forward to continuing this series over the Winter months hopefully.
The Brown Sisters Trilogy by Talia Hibbert
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This series follows the three Brown sisters, Chloe, Dani and Eve and their romantic exploits. This is a genre I rarely read and if I do read it I don’t usually enjoy it. I read Get A Life Chloe Brown earlier this year and it surprised me with how much I enjoyed it. It wasn’t a five star read but it was still good. I have the second and third book in this series on my TBR for November so maybe I will get this series finished this month.
Ship Of Shadows by Maria Kuzniar
I was put on the book tour for the second book in this series, Secrets of the Stars so I bought the first book in the series Ship of Shadows as well and read that before the tour. I’ve put this series on the list because the way Secrets of the Stars ended I think there is going to be at least one more book in the series.
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas
This is a series I am very excited to continue with very soon. I own all the books in this series but so far I have only read the first one, A Court of Thorns and Roses. A Court of Mist and Fury is on my November TBR and I can’t wait to be back in the world of Feyre.
Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake
In this series I have read Three Dark Crowns, the first in the series and I liked it but I didn’t love it. I want to continue the series but it’s not very high on my priority list. I liked the sibling dynamic of the first book and the magic elements.
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series by Holly Jackson
A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder follows Pippa and Ravi, who she meets in the first book, as they try to solve mysteries that from what I can gather steadily get more intense as the series goes on. I loved the feel of the mystery in the first book and I am looking forward to diving back into this series with the second book sometime soon.
The Winternight Trilogy by Katherine Arden
This series is so dark and mysterious and filled with folklore and superstition. I loved the Bear and the Nightingale, the first book in the series and I have been waiting for the winter nights to come again to curl up with a hot chocolate and continue this series.
Scythe series by Neal Shusterman
I read Scythe, the first book in this series a few years ago and I remember really enjoying the worldbuilding and the competition element of the first book and I want to continue the series but as with a few of the others it’s not high on my priority list because I don’t anticipate it being a five star series for me.
The Old Kingdom series by Garth Nix
From this series I have read Lirael which is the second book in the series technically but Sabriel is sort of a prequel to the series. My partner was the one who got me to read this series and I ended up loving it. I don’t own them all yet but I am steadily buying up the series and looking for any chance to put them into my monthly TBR’s.
Caraval by Stephanie Garber
This is one of my favourite book series’ I have read so far. I loved the first book, Caraval, and then I liked the second book, Legendary but not as much and I am excited to read Finale and finish up this amazing series. I’m worried the ending of the series will disappoint me but I am hopeful it won’t.
The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter by Theodora Goss
For this series I have read the first book and I have started the second book, European Travels for the Monstrous Gentlewoman. I loved the different characters in this series and how the author has made it so the different characters are interjecting into the writing process.
Cursebreakers series by Brigid Kemmerer
I have read A Curse So Dark and Lonely from this series and I liked how it was a Beauty and the Beast retelling but it was so much more than that at the same time. I’m scared to read the rest of this series because of the reviews I have seen and how people say that it breaks their hearts. I cry so easily anyway so I will definitely cry at these books I think.
The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater
I have read the Raven Boys, the first book in this series and I didn’t enjoy it as much as I hoped I would. I still intend to read the rest of the series but I’m not in any rush to do so.
Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson
I have read Truly Devious, The Vanishing Stair and The Hand on the Wall which is the main three from this series and I thought that would be the series finished but then the fourth book, The Box in the Woods, came out recently and of course I bought it because I loved the series and I am excited to continue with it.
Stalking Jack the Ripper series by Kerri Maniscalco
This is another of my favourite series’ and I have read the first three books in it. I have read Stalking Jack the Ripper, Hunting Prince Dracula and Escaping from Houdini. My favourite of them was Hunting Prince Dracula and I didn’t enjoy Escaping from Houdini as much as the others but I am excited to finish the series soon.
The Prison Healer series by Lynette Noni
For this series I have read The Prison Healer and liked it and I think it has potential to be a great series. I own The Gilded Cage but I haven’t read it yet and Blood Traitor hasn’t been released yet.
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
I really enjoyed the mystery in the Thursday Murder Club and the original premise of a group of elderly people being the investigators. I love the comedy in the series too. I recently bought The Man Who Died Twice and I’m hoping to read it very soon.
The Kingdom of the Wicked series by Kerri Maniscalco
I loved Kingdom of the Wicked the first book in this series, especially the character of Wrath and the dialogue between him and Emilia. I am so looking forward to reading the second book in this series.
Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin
I read Serpent and Dove on my way to Hampshire earlier this year and I loved it, I gave it five stars but I haven’t gotten around to continuing the series yet.
Dangerous Remedy by Kat Dunn
I have read the first book in this series and I enjoyed the premise of it and the found family aspect. It slightly reminded me of Six of Crows in that way and with the heist. I am looking forward to reading the second book and I love the title of the third book in the series: Glorious Poison.
The Beautiful by Renee Ahdieh
This is the final series of my list of the book series’ I have started and haven’t finished yet. I read The Beautiful, the first book in the series and honestly I don’t remember a lot of what happened in the book but I do own the second book and I want to read it soon.
That’s it for this blog post, I hope you enjoyed reading about what series’ I have started and I haven’t finished reading yet, let me know if you have read any of these book series’!
Happy Friday bookish people! and welcome to my new Friday segments!
It feels good to be back this week, I wasn’t able to post on Monday and Wednesday this week like I usually would because there has been so much going on, including: a trip to A and E because my boyfriend slipped on a bottle and injured his wrist and ankle and… I found out I got onto the Creative Writing PhD course that I wanted. Now starts three years of hard but rewarding work.
Anyway, back to the exciting, new Friday segments. I was talking to a friend and we were laughing about how sentences from different books can create all new sentences and that gave me the idea for this segment. I will take two books and put together their first and last sentences to see what I get, whether it works or whether it doesn’t!
I would love to hear from you all what happens when you put together the first and last sentences of some of your books, let me know some down in the comments!
I also have some thoughts of maybe turning this into a giveaway once a month or something like that so let me know what you think of that idea down in the comments too!
Last week on my Instagram – @the_blind_scribe – I asked everyone for two numbers between 1 and 405 and today I am going to show you the first five sets of first and last sentences from books chosen by the numbers I was given.
The / is where the two different sentences are split.
Up first is…
One Of Us Is Next by Karen M McManus and The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
which gives us… My sister thinks I’m a slacker/Far above the stars are watching delighted.
This actually works! It’s not the clearest sentence but it does work which is great considering how different the two books that created it are.
The second one is…
A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer and Girl, Missing by Sophie McKenzie
which gives us… I miss knowing exactly what time it is/Girl found.
So, this one doesn’t work together which is a shame but of course, they won’t all work together but I’m still going to put them on here.
Next is…
Six Tudor Queens Kathryn Howard by Alison Weir and The Midnight Lie by Marie Rutkoski
Which gives us.. Kathryn was seven when her Mother died/ “I am a God” I tell them “and I am your Queen”.
This could work.. with a few tweaks such as changing the tense in the sentence so they are both the same which would give us – Kathryn was seven when her Mother died and “I am a God” she tells them “and I am your Queen” which would work much nicer.
The fourth one is…
Legendborn by Tracey Deonn and One Dark Throne by Kendare Blake
Which gives us… The police officer’s body goes blurry and then sharp again/there is only the sea, clear and sparkling
Like the last one, this one almost works – if the ‘and then sharp again’ part was taken out it would work much better.
Finally for today’s episode of Friday First and Lasts…
Optimists Die First by Susin Nielson and Pride and Premeditation by Tirzah Price
Which gives us… The first time I saw the bionic man I was covered in sparkles/they brought us together
This one works strangely well. It alludes to the characters being brought together by those sparkles and that sounds like a lovely thing to me.
So, that’s it for the first episode of this new segment. As I said above, comment down below with what you thought of it, any great ones you come across in your books and what you think of he giveaway idea and I’ll be back next week with some more!
Happy Friday bookish people! It’s finally time to reveal my top ten favourite quotes! I have been having so much fun getting the quotes together and deciding which order I’d place them in and getting to tell everyone about them. I hope you’ve all been enjoying it too.
So, without further ado let’s get to my top ten favourite book quotes!
At number ten is a quote from a duology…
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
10. “No mourners, no funerals” – this being said to show that the characters are a group is something that I really liked about this quote.
Next is a quote from my favourite book….
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
9. “We are all stardust and stories” – this is so whimsical and beautiful, as the whole book is and it reminds me why I love the book.
At number 8 is a quote from a book recently turned into a TV series…
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
8. “Fine, make me your villain” – I think I gasped when I read this line in the book, and it was so good that they kept it in the TV series.
At 7 is a quote from a classic…
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
7. “I am a free bird and no net ensnares me” – this has always been one of my favourite quotes.
Next, is a quote from a book with a beautiful green cover…
A Heart so Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer
6. “The most dangerous person at the party is always the girl sat alone with a book” – yes, I can imagine that this is true, I don’t go to parties but if I did I would take a book.
At the halfway point, the next quote is from a historical fiction novel…
White Princess by Philippa Gregory
5. “The white rose of York has been stabbed in it’s pure white heart and is bleeding scarlet red”
At number 4 is a quote from a book I read this year…
Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin
4. “Love makes fools of us all darling” – I love this quote, there’s just something about it.
At number 3 is a quote from a huge book..
Crescent City by Sarah J Maas
3. “Through love all is possible” – this would be a lovely quote to live by, and on top of that to know what this quote means to the characters in the book makes it even better.
At number 2 is a quote from a book I am excited to read soon…
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas
2. “Hello, Feyre darling” – Yes! I want this on everything, t-shirts, blankets, EVERYTHING.
Finally, we are at number one….
My favourite book quote is from the second book in a four book series…
Hunting Prince Dracula by Kerri Maniscalco
“catch me if I fall alright? A smile curved his lips in a most delightful manner “I’ve already fallen hard Wadsworth, perhaps you should have warned me sooner” – of course this had to be top, Thomas Cresswell has so many brilliant lines.
So, that’s it – This is my top ten favourite book quotes, and if you go back through my blog you can see my top 100 book quotes. I hope you have all enjoyed reading these!
It took a little while to decide on this next set of ten, there are so many great choices but I settled on them eventually, and by that I mean I rewrote my list of 100 quotes about twelve times… anyway, moving on quickly to number 90!
A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer
90. “Not all scars can be seen” – this quote really resonates with me for a lot of reasons that I wont go into here, but I have physical and mental scars that have effects on my life so it feels like a very important quote to include on this list.
At 89 is a quote from a book I read recently and I think it sums up how a lot of people, particularly some that I know, are feeling at the moment..
The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh
89. “You honestly expect me to breathe in a world without air” – I don’t think there is anything else I need to say about this quote.
The next quote is from a very popular fantasy series…
Throne of Glass series by Sarah J Maas
88. “She was the heir of ash and fire and she would bow to no-one” – I will admit I have not read this series yet although I do plan to soon but I have seen this quote on a few pieces of art and it intrigues me.
At 87 is a quote from one of my favourite female characters…
The Cruel Prince series by Holly Black
87. “If I cannot be better than them then I will become so much worse” – this is said by Jude, I think this quote really shows a lot about her character and where the story might be going.
The next quote is from another book I haven’t read yet (this is going to be a very common theme…)
Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte
86. “Let love guide your heart and everything else will fall into place” – this is just a lovely quote, whether that is love for a friend, a family member or a partner, I do believe love is an important part of life.
The next quote is from a unique sounding fantasy book…
All The Stars and Teeth by Adalyn Grace
85. “The mistakes I made in the past do not make me weak” – I can imagine a strong female lead saying this and it says so much in very few words.
At 84 is a quote from another popular series…
An Ember In The Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
84. “I’d rather die than live with no mercy, no honour, no soul” – I think this is a great quote because it shows so much about the character and what they stand for.
At 83 is a quote that I’ve really needed the past week…
Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte
83. “Sometimes we fail because we’re not meant to succeed” – everyone who knows me will know that I believe in fate and that things happen for a reason, this quote reminds me of this and as I said I’ve needed that this past week.
The next quote is from the final book in a series…
A Sky Beyond The Strom by Sabaa Tahir
82. “Broken things that are the sharpest. The deadliest” – this quote gives a great sense of atmosphere for this book.
And for the final quote of this installment is…
Queen of Volts by Amanda Foody
81. “What is buried is not always dead” – I have no idea why but this quote always gives me goosebumps.
So that’s it for this installment, come back next week for the next ten! I hope you all enjoyed it!
Happy Wednesday bookish people! It is the last day of March and today I’m bringing you my March wrap up! This was such a good reading month for me. February put me in a big reading slump and for the first half of March I was still feeling it a bit but I did manage to read some books and then there was the Becca and the Books 48 hour Bookopoly reading challenge where I read eight books in one weekend!
Also this month I had more appointments, I got a new teacher for my dramatic writing University module and he’s not much better than the previous one, I completed my first case study for my new job and I’ve started my second one so that’s going well and I still haven’t heard back about my PhD application so that’s a bit worrying but hopefully I’ll hear soon.
It was my birthday in March! I’m now 22 and I keep forgetting and telling people I’m 21… I got a couple of books as presents so I’m happy with that, my sister got me an art set and my boyfriend got me an Alice in Wonderland teapot which I love! I didn’t do any reading on my actual birthday but I’ve read one or two books since – I actually skipped ahead and read one of the books of my April tbr already…
Anyway, I didn’t finish my March tbr but it has been my best reading month so far this year so I’m still pretty happy with how I did. This was my tbr:
What A Way To Go by Julia Forster – I did read
Uprooted by Niami Novik – I did not read
The Ravens by Kass Morgan and Danielle Paige – I did read
The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman – I did read
Rules for Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson – I did read
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater – I did read
The Once and Future Witches by Alix E Harrow – I did not read
Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty – I did not read
Map of Days by Ransom Riggs – I did not read
Lives of Saints by Leigh Bardugo – I did read
The Library of the Unwritten by A J Hackwith – I did not read
Ever Cursed by Corey Ann Haydu – I did read
Chain of gold by Cassandra Clare – I did not read
A Curse So Dark and Lonely – I did read
What I read: so from my TBR I managed to read eight books which is much better than February but I also read four books that were not from my March TBR which were: The Cousins by Karen M McManus, The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh, Bridge of Souls by Victoria Schwab and Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. I have put up the book reviews for all the books I read this month except for the Cousins and Lives of Saints so check those out if you’re interested in what I thought of them.
There were also two five star reads this month! Those were Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell which I didn’t expect to enjoy as much as I did and A Curse so Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer. They were my favourite reads this month.
Most disappointing reads: It’s actually been a really great month, there’s only one book I didn’t enjoy which was What A Way to go by Julia Forster. It just wasn’t for me.
Current reads: well I read the Cousins off my April tbr last night so today I’ll be choosing a new book off my April tbr to start reading and I’m very excited about it.
That’s it for my March wrap up I hope you enjoyed it!
Happy Monday Bookish People! Here is the book review for the second book that I read for the Becca and the Books 48 hour Bookopolathon challenge. The second prompt was a fantasy book and I chose A Curse so Dark and Lonely because, it was on my March TBR, and also I have the full trilogy on my shelf and I hadn’t yet read it. It was about time I finally read it, so many people have recommended it to me.
I will give star ratings for four categories and I will write a little about each one. I will try to keep it as spoiler free as possible. I hope you enjoy reading my book review.
Plot:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
This book is advertised as a Beauty and the Beast retelling, and it is one of the best retellings that I have read. I think the plot of this book is well constructed and builds the tension brilliantly. It starts with an event that is a catalyst for the rest of the novel and it is paced well so the novel has both exciting events and tension but also leaves enough room for character development. This book has a great plot for this book and it also sets up an over arching plot for the rest of the series which has made me very excited to read the rest of this series – soon!
Characters:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
I loved the characters in this book. The main protagonist is Harper and her personality is headstrong and fierce while being very caring. From the first page I had to know what would happen with her character, I was rooting for her. The two main male characters the first book follows is Prince Rhen and his loyal Guardsman Grey. Both of these are well developed interesting characters who I am very excited about seeing where their stories go. I felt that the ending of this book was slightly rushed with certain parts of it but still had a satisfying ending.
Dialogue and Writing:
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 4 out of 5.
The writing style in this book is a comfortable and easy read, it matches the genre of fantasy well. As for the dialogue I felt this novel had good dialogue between the characters that really cemented their relationships and helped create the mood for the novel overall.
Overall:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Overall I gave this book five stars because I really enjoyed it and instantly wished I could pick up the second one and read it immediately, unfortunately I couldn’t but that’s what I wanted to do. It was well written, well balanced between plot and character and a brilliantly clever retelling.
Blurb/Synopsis:
Fall in love, break the curse.
Cursed by a powerful enchantress to repeat the autumn of his eighteenth year, Prince Rhen, the heir of Emberfall, thought he could be saved easily if a girl fell for him. But that was before he turned into a vicious beast hell-bent on destruction. Before he destroyed his castle, his family, and every last shred of hope.
Nothing has ever been easy for Harper. With her father long gone, her mother dying, and her brother constantly underestimating her because of her cerebral palsy, Harper learned to be tough enough to survive. When she tries to save a stranger on the streets of Washington, DC, she’s pulled into a magical world.
Break the curse, save the kingdom.
Harper doesn’t know where she is or what to believe. A prince? A curse? A monster? As she spends time with Rhen in this enchanted land, she begins to understand what’s at stake. And as Rhen realizes Harper is not just another girl to charm, his hope comes flooding back. But powerful forces are standing against Emberfall . . . and it will take more than a broken curse to save Harper, Rhen, and his people from utter ruin.
That’s it for this book review. I hope you enjoyed it! If you’ve read this book, what did you think of it? Do you enjoy retellings?
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