Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a good day today.
I have seen a lot of different videos on youtube of people choosing books to try and make themselves read them that year and if they don’t then they have to unhaul them. This sounds like a great idea to me because it might help with getting me to read the books that I have been putting off.
these books are going to be:
The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon – I have the whole series and it still interests me so I hope to get around to it in 2023
The City Beautiful by Aden Polydoros because I see it on my shelves but I can’t remember anything from the story or what it is about
Set Fire to the Gods by Sara Raasch and Kristen Simmons – this is another book that I have the two books from the series and I have put it in my TBRs all the time but never gotten around to reading it so maybe this will make me read it.
The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater – the second book in the raven boys series, I read the first one and I didn’t love it so I either need to continue the series or give them to someone else who would enjoy them.
Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor because it is another book I have had for years and wanted to read and just never gotten to it.
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard, the longer it takes me to read this series the more things I see about it that make me put it off more.
Where Dreams Descend – I love the cover of this book and it is all about the circus so I am pretty sure I will love it but I just need to read it to find out for sure.
The Damned by Renee Ahdieh, I liked the first book in the series but the ending ruined it for me so I haven’t wanted to keep reading but I own the series so I think I should.
The Sisters Grimm by Menna Van Praag – I started to read this book but I couldn’t get into it so I am hoping if I come back to it I will enjoy it more.
Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo – I definitely need to continue this series with the second season of the show coming.
So, that’s it, that is the ten books I either need to read or unhaul by the end of next year.
Happy Monday bookish people! And Happy Valentine’s day! Today I wanted to bring you some of my opinions on the couples – or characters that are often shipped together in some cases- in some of the books that I have previously read.
There may be spoilers in this post so read at your own risk.
Dangerous Remedy by Kat Dunn – Camille and Ada
Camille and Ada are already dating when the book begins and there is a lot of tension growing between them throughout the book and I enjoyed the relationship because they seemed to be struggling through real problems that readers can relate to even though it is a fantasy book.
The Beautiful by Renee Ahdieh – Celine and Sebastian
These two have an enemies to lovers thing going on which I really enjoyed. They are both very strong and feisty characters that bounce off each other. I think their relationship fits well within the plot and doesn’t take over. I am looking forward to seeing how these two characters develop in the rest of the series.
Optimists Die First by Susin Nielsen – Petula and Jacob
This was one of the first books I read that fit properly within the contemporary romance genre. It has a simple enough story but it is full of heartache and delving into characters with mental health issues that are also trying to navigate a relationship. I liked the build up to Petula and Jacob getting together but their relationship throughout the rest of the book was difficult to read about because I didn’t completely understand the struggles they were experiencing.
The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton – Ned and Cecelia
Again these two characters start off as enemies which I love in books, also the reason they meet was one of my favourites in the books that I read last year. Their personalities lend to some very sassy dialogue and I enjoyed their pairing. The only thing is that both of them love their freedom and don’t seem the type to be in committed long relationships.
To Kill A Kingdom by Alexandra Christo – Lira and Elian
To be honest this book didn’t get much emotion from me, it was an average rating from me and so I didn’t feel that much for either of these characters or their relationship. I feel that the two characters were thrown together to make it into a Little Mermaid retelling but actually neither of them fit together well in my opinion.
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern – Zachary and Dorian
I don’t feel like I saw enough of this couple. The Starless Sea is my favourite book ever and I would enjoy any couple that was written into it. It was great to see LGBTQ representation in this book and the only way to describe the way this couple was portrayed is enchanting.
Not Here To Be Liked by Michelle Quach – Eliza and Len
This is another book that I struggled to get any enjoyment from. I felt that the whole romance was forgotten generally or just used to forward the author’s views on feminism and the place it has in relationships. I really like Len as a character but I didn’t feel that Eliza was fleshed out more than a 2D character.
The Upside of Unrequieted by Becky Albertalli – Molly and Reid
I love this pairing. Reid was one of my favourite male characters until I properly started reading fantasy and he’s nerdy and sweet and exactly the type of man I like in books, and in reality actually. Molly is a very interesting character and I enjoyed being taken along with her as she discovered so much about herself and what she wanted.
Stalking Jack the Ripper by Kerri Maniscalco – Thomas Cresswell and Audrey Rose Wadsworth
One of my all time favourite couples. Thomas Cresswell is charming and intelligent and completely annoying but I love him. Audrey Rose is also incredibly intelligent and full of fire and personality, she lets nobody stand in her way and that sets them up for very interesting moments.
Caraval by Stephanie Garber – Julian and Scarlett/ Tella and Legend
Okay so there are two main couples in the Caraval series of books. The first is Julian and Scarlett, which I think are probably my favourite book couple ever. They start as enemies – do you see the trend starting here?- and develop feelings later but I love that Scarlett struggles to trust him, it fits perfectly with the plots and if there was a lot of tricks happening I would have trouble trusting him too.
Then there is Tella and Legend. Currently, I haven’t read the third book yet, I don’t love them as much. I think they would make a good pairing, he offers her the enchantment and the mystery that she craves but they don’t have as much of a spark in my opinion.
Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell – Cath and Levi
I don’t usually like romance books but this one I ended up loving. Cath reminds me of myself in a lot of ways, particularly her shyness and then Levi is cheeky and cute and I would honestly love to find a Levi in real life to be with, you just know that no matter what he would be there for her.
Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco – Wrath and Emilia
Emilia is a headstrong witch who, when her sister is murdered, decides to investigate for herself and summons a demon, Wrath. Wrath is so morally grey that I never know if he’s on the good side or the bad and this just draws me to him, the same as it does for Emilia and I think they challenge each other both physically and mentally which is great to see in book characters.
The Lady in the Tower by Marie Louise Jenson – Eleanor and Phillip Stanton
Another pairing that starts off as enemies, I really can’t help but have a type. I love the historical nature of the relationship, the bending of the boundaries. He is so charming and charismatic that I can’t help but like him even when the main character doesn’t. I liked the way this was a slow burn and you saw the moment when it all changed for Eleanor and she realised her feelings.
I am going to leave this post here as I have included a lot of great pairings but if everyone enjoys this I have plenty more couples to make a part 2 or part 3!
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! We are getting very close to the halfway point in this list. Today is numbers 70 – 61.
I’m going to get right into it, I hope you enjoy it!
At 70 we have a quote from one of my favourite books…
Crescent City by Sarah J Maas
70. “What blinds an oracle” – I love this quote because it kept me thinking about it all throughout the book.
At 69 is a quote from a book that I’m yet to read but is on my TBR this month…
Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin
69. “Our lives reflect our hearts”
68 is from a book that I read over a weekend readathon a few months ago…
The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh
68. “My soul sees it’s equal in you”
At 67 is a quote from a book series that I need to continue…
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
67. “The head is too wise, the heart is all fire” – I like this quote because of how real it is, the heart feels more emotion in the metaphorical sense.
Up next is from a book that I gave five stars…
The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
66. “Mornings are wiser than evenings” – I like this one simply because I’m always awake early in the morning.
At 65 is a quote from a very popular series…
Throne of Glass series by Sarah J Maas
65. “we are the thirteen. From now until the darkness claims us”
the next quote is from a spooky retelling..
House of Salt and Sorrow by Erin A Craig
64. “we are born of the salt, we live by the salt and to the salt we return” – I loved this book, it was spooky and wonderful and this quote sums the book up.
At 63 is another retelling, at least I think it’s classed as a retelling…
Spin the Dawn by Elizabeth Lim
63. “All legends have a spark of truth”
62 is from a book that has just been turned into a tv show…
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
62. “when people say impossible they usually mean improbable”
At 61 is from a book I haven’t got around to reading yet…
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
61. “all you children playing with fire looking surprised when the house burns down”
That’s it for this weeks group of quotes, I hope you all enjoyed it!
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 Friday bookish people! This post is going up later than I would have liked it to, this week has been super busy for me with my job, University, hospital etc.. and this morning I got my second Covid jab so hopefully I’ll get this written before any side effects kick in.
I’m starting a little series (in case you didn’t notice by the title of this post…) where I show and maybe talk about, depending on my mood, my 100 favourite quotes from books. But doing ALL 100 in one post might have been a bit much so I’m splitting it down into sections of ten. Also it will give it a bit of mystery, you’ll be thinking ooh I wonder what’s going to be on the next set of ten and I wonder what quote will take the top spot – no? Just me? Okay…
Well, with all that said lets go to the first set of ten.
In last place at 100 we have a classic from….
Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
100. “Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same” – I really dislike Wuthering Heights but this quote just managed to squeeze into my top 100.
Coming in at 99 we have a quote from….
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
99. “Fate […] is a very weighty word to throw around before breakfast” – I mean yes, it certainly is. I don’t usually eat breakfast so if you want to talk to me about fate you’re going to have to wait until after I’ve eaten something for lunch.
Speaking of food we have number 98…
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
98. “It was a well known fact that there were no calories in homemade cakes” – if only that was true.
Quote 97 is one that came from a series of books I read in my early years at Secondary school….
Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead
97. “Dreams, dreams. I walk them; I live them. I delude myself with them” – I can definitely relate to the deluding yourself with dreams part, I’m well known for daydreaming.
A much more serious quote at 96…
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
96. “The only way to learn is to live”
At the halfway point for this first installment of favourite quotes is one from a favourite series of mine…
Legendary by Stephanie Garber
95. “There were shipwrecks more graceful than Tella” – I am more graceful than Tella and I need more than ten fingers to count the amount of times I fall and trip each day.
At 94 is a quote that reminds me of a few people who I know….
King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo
94. “It’s not exciting if nothing can go wrong” – I completely disagree with this statement and that’s not at all because I’m scared of everything, including people. Some particular people.
Moving on quickly. 93 is a quote that I wrote down on a sticky note while I was reading the book because of how much it caught my attention….
Spin The Dawn by Elizabeth Lim
93. “Seize the wind, don’t become the kite that never flies” – as illogical as trying to catch hold of actual wind is, this is still a beautiful quote.
Up next is a quote from a book that has vampires in…
The Beautiful by Renee Ahdieh
92. “She was no lamb, she was a lion” – I won’t tell you the character name who says this but this quote sums up her character arc very well.
and the final quote of this first installment is…..
How The King Of Elfhame Learned To Hate Stories by Holly Black
91. “A heart of stone can still be broken” – simple and a little sad this quote tells you a lot about two characters – the one who says it and the one they are saying it to.
That’s it for this blog post, I hope you all enjoyed the first installment – have you seen any of your favourite quotes yet? Are there any quotes you are hoping might show up further up my list? Let me know in the comments.
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! This is the final book review for books I read during the Becca and the Books (YouTube) 48 hour Bookopoly reading challenge. The prompt for this one was POC rep and I was very excited to finally get around to reading the Wrath and the Dawn. I’d previously read The Beautiful by Renee Ahdieh and enjoyed it so I was anticipating good things.
In this book review I will give star ratings for four categories and I will write a little about each of these. I will try to keep it as spoiler free as possible. I hope you enjoy my book review.
Plot:
⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.
The overall premise of this book is one that really intrigued me however it’s execution didn’t live up to my expectations. Personally I felt that most of the big events of this book were not explored to their full potential. I enjoyed the beginning half of the book the most because the pace was slower and it helped to ramp up the tension.
Characters:
⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.
I did particularly enjoy the relationship between the two main characters Khalid and Sharzhad. Their storyline was one that I felt partially invested in. Most of the other characters in the book I felt were introduced just enough in this one so that they could have a place in the second book. That is how I felt throughout, that this book was mostly just a set up for the second book The Rose and the Dagger.
Writing and Dialogue:
⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.
Again, a three star rating because the writing was okay, it wasn’t bad or difficult to read and the dialogue was a useful plot device but there did feel to be something missing, just to take the dialogue up a notch.
Overall:
⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 3 out of 5.
Overall I gave this a three star, I might pick up the second book some time in the future but I also might not. I don’t have anything else to say about this book.
Blurb/Synopsis:
One Life to One Dawn.
In a land ruled by a murderous boy-king, each dawn brings heartache to a new family. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, is a monster. Each night he takes a new bride only to have a silk cord wrapped around her throat come morning. When sixteen-year-old Shahrzad’s dearest friend falls victim to Khalid, Shahrzad vows vengeance and volunteers to be his next bride. Shahrzad is determined not only to stay alive, but to end the caliph’s reign of terror once and for all.
Night after night, Shahrzad beguiles Khalid, weaving stories that enchant, ensuring her survival, though she knows each dawn could be her last. But something she never expected begins to happen: Khalid is nothing like what she’d imagined him to be. This monster is a boy with a tormented heart. Incredibly, Shahrzad finds herself falling in love. How is this possible? It’s an unforgivable betrayal. Still, Shahrzad has come to understand all is not as it seems in this palace of marble and stone. She resolves to uncover whatever secrets lurk and, despite her love, be ready to take Khalid’s life as retribution for the many lives he’s stolen. Can their love survive this world of stories and secrets?
That’s it for this book review, I hope you enjoyed it!
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