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The Best Fantasy Fiction So Far This Year

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Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a good day today. Following on from last week where I shared the top ten crime fiction books I have read so far this year, today I am doing the same thing but this time it is with Fantasy books. Crime and Fantasy are my top two genres to read, I do read books from other genres but these two are my favourite.

So far this year I have read 22 fantasy book (actually 23 because I am currently reading Ignite Me by Taherah Mafi but when I made this list I hadn’t started this book yet). My least favourite of those 22 so far was To Sway A Bard. This is a short novel about a thief who is planning a heist and the Sheriff who is trying to stop her. Hoesntly, the premise sounded amazing, exactly what I love to read but the actual book did not go the way I hoped so it’s down at the bottom with my least favourite reads of the year.

So, the top 10 fantasy books I have read so far this year are:

In number 10:

The Ballad of Never After by Stephanie Garber. This is the second book in the Once Upon A Broken Heart series. The first book was okay, I didn’t love it but I did love Stephanie Garber’s writing and her other series, Caraval, is one of my all time favourite series, so I wanted to keep reading. This second book was much better than the first. I enjoyed how the characters developed and that there seemed to be a more engaging plot in this book. I did not like the ending, that’s why it’s in tenth place here, it has a trope that I really hate to see so I am hesitant about going into reading the third and final book in this series.

In number 9:

Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros. I won’t write any thoughts here, I will put them altogether with the other books in the series which (spoiler alert) are higher up on this list.

In number 8:

Way of the Argosi by Sebastien de Castell. This is the first in the spin off, prequel series, that goes with Castell’s Spellslinger series – another of my all time favourite series’. In Way of the Argosi we follow a young Ferrius and we see how she starts on the path to becoming an Argosi. I really enjoy how the writer builds the layers for characters in this series. She starts out as a scared young girl and we really get to go along on the journey with her as she figures out how strong she is and as she learns what is the best thing to do. I thought without Kellen in it I would not enjoy this series as much, I don’t usually enjoy prequel’s because I sort of know how they end but this one surprised me, I loved it and I hope to finish all three books by the end of the year.

In number 7:

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J Maas. I started this year with the idea that I was going to finish ALL of the Sarah J Maas books on my shelves, because I own all of them and I had only read the first book in each of her series’ – A Court of Thorns and Roses, Throne of Glass and Crescent City House of Earth and Blood. So, I had big goals for this year to get through all 13 other books that I owned in these series’. At this point, it is August and I am making progress in this goal but I’m not sure I’m going to make it but hey, we shall see. I did read Crown of Midnight. Which, to begin with was very slow going. It was a little boring with all the information you get at the beginning but then once the action gets started it hooks you in and I started to really enjoy it and I am excited to get around to Heir of Fire next.

In number 6:

Unravel Me by Taherah Mafi. This is the second book in the Shatter Me series which follows Juliette, a girl who has been in prison for a long time because if she touches you then you die is basically the premise. I enjoyed the first book but I loved the second book. The writing is done in a way that you really feel like you are inside Juliette’s head, feeling what she is feeling and there are so many parts that are absolutely heartbreaking.

In number 5:

Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros. I did warn you this one was coming and yes, the first book in the series is up higher on the list and I will give my thoughts with that one.

In number 4:

Throne of Secrets by Kerri Maniscalco. This is the second book in the princes of sin series, the spin off of the Kingdom of the Wicked trilogy. This one follows Prince Gluttony and his rivalry with a newspaper journalist. I did enjoy this one, it wasn’t as good as the rest of Kerri’s books in my opinion, a bit too cinderella-y for me but I still enjoyed the tension and the way the mysteries are done in the plot. Also, it has dragons. The next book in this series follows Prince Sloth and I cannot wait for this book to come out, I will devour it the day I get it. Unfortunately that won’t be until February.

In number 3:

A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J Maas. As I was saying, I planned to read all of her books that I had not read yet, this year. So, I have currently read four out of five of the ACOTAR series and ACOWAR is so far my favourite out of the series. I like the balance between battle and romance within this book, although I do kind of think the series could have ended nicely here I appreciate getting to spend more books with the characters.

In number 2:

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros. Here it is. Okay, honesty. I spent two years refusing to read this book, I didn’t think I would like it and it got so popular so quickly I was cautious about it. Then I got a cheap copy of the first book and I absolutely loved it. And now I have multiple t-shirts, seven dragon soft toys, a bunch of pins and other merchandise and I have read all three books in the series… I might like the series a little bit.

In the top spot, number 1 is:

Capturing the Devil by Kerri Maniscalco. This is the fourth and final book in the Stalking Jack the Ripper series. It follows Audrey Rose Wadsworth and Thomas Cresswell as they uncover different mysteries like Jack the Ripper, a killer who mimics Dracula, a circus with Houdini in it and this final book they come up against the serial killer H H Holmes. I adore this series. I love everything about it.

What are some of your favourite fantasy books you have read so far this year?

Monthly TBRs

August TBR!

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Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you are all having a wonderful day today. It is August, the middle of the summer holidays in the UK, and time to pick what books I will be reading this month. Or hopefully reading at least. I have a few things to be doing during the month: my PhD work, redecorating the dining room, taking a trip to see family in Hampshire, it is going to be a busy month. Which means I need some good books to get me through it. For some reason, summer months I get really into reading fantasy, their covers give Autumn vibes, but I love reading them in summer so you won’t be surprised to know the bulk of my reading is fantasy this month.

A Curse For True Love by Stephanie Garber

Fearless by Lauren Roberts

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins

This Monster of Mine

Knife Skills for Beginners by Orlando Murrin

A Novel Murder

How To Seal Your Own Fate by Kristen Perrin

I have also put together a small list of books I would also like to get to but only if I have time, which are: Heir of Fire by Sarah J Maas which was on July’s TBR but I ran out of time, A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J Maas, Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent, The Stolen Heir by Holly Black, A Gift of Poison by Bella Ellis and the Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping.

What are you planning on reading in August?

Monthly Wrap Ups

July Wrap Up!

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Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you are all having a good day today, it is the first of August and that means it is time for my monthly wrap up of what I did and what I read in July.

I don’t know about any of you but July was crazy busy for me, every time I thought I would have a day to myself to relax it got filled with something else and so heading into August I’m pretty much exhausted constantly. And now it is the summer holidays, so I’ll be even busier. Anyway, nevermind. I still managed to get some good books read in July and hopefully I will be able to do the same in August.

From my July TBR:

  • Us In Ruins by Rachel Moore – I have not read this. I am at the end of the month and it is this and one other book left on my TBR, I just don’t have enough time to get to it this month.
  • Ignite Me by Taherah Mafi – I am currently reading, and enjoying this book. Actually as I am writing this I plan on finishing this book tonight.
  • A Corruption of Blood by Ambrose Parry – I did read this. The third book in the series following Dr Will Raven in Edinburgh, The series has taken a turn I was not expecting and I am currently unsure if I like where this seems to be going or not but I guess we will see.
  • Heir of Fire by Sarah J Maas – I did not read this. I have kept it on my book cart because there is still a chance I will get to it by the end of this month but if not I might find time next month.
  • A Deadly Night At The Theatre by Katy Watson – I did read this. The next installment in the Three Dahlias series. I enjoyed how this time we saw the three women a bit at odds with each other, it made them seem more human in a way which I liked although some of the plot felt a little forced it was still a great book.
  • The Painted Dragon by Katherine Woodfine – I did read this and I did not really enjoy it. This is the third book in the series, there is a fourth but I don’t think I am going to read it.
  • Murder at the Village Fair by Helena Dixon – I did read this. This is book 12? maybe? of the Miss Underhay series and as with all the others, a thoroughly enjoyable read.

Outside of my TBR I also read Murder at the Highland Castle by Helena Dixon. This means I have read six books this month which I am pretty pleased about, it could have been better and I could have rushed those last two books but I hope to enjoy both of them so, perhaps I will read them in August.

One thing I have been doing recently is I have a book journal where I write down what books I have read and when and this new one that I got online has monthly pages that you fill in which books are your favourite and least favourite of the month which then goes into a chart to show the best book of the year.

My favourite book this month was….. A Deadly Night at the Theatre by Katy Watson

My least favourite book was….. The Painted Dragon by Katherine Woodfine, unfortunately I just do not get the same enjoyment from this series as I used to.

What were your favourite reads of this month?

Monthly TBRs

July TBR!

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Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a good day today and a lovely summer. I can’t believe it is summer already, half the year is gone.

Today I am sharing my TBR for the month of July, there are so many books that I want to read right now it was hard to choose. What are you looking forward to reading in July?

Us In Ruins by Rachel Moore

Ignite Me by Taherah Mafi

A Corruption Of Blood by Ambrose Parry

Heir Of Fire by Sarah J Maas

A Deadly Night At The Theatre by Katy Watson

The Painted Dragon by Katherine Woodfine

Murder At The Village Fair by Helena Dixon

Book Reviews

Crown Of Midnight by Sarah J Maas Book Review

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Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a lovely day today. I am bringing you my book review for Crown Of Midnight, the second (or maybe third if you include The Assassin’s Blade) in the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J Maas.

Blurb/Synopsis:

“A line that should never be crossed is about to be breached.

It puts this entire castle in jeopardy—and the life of your friend.”

From the throne of glass rules a king with a fist of iron and a soul as black as pitch. Assassin Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become his Champion. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown. She hides her secret vigilantly; she knows that the man she serves is bent on evil.

Keeping up the deadly charade becomes increasingly difficult when Celaena realizes she is not the only one seeking justice. As she tries to untangle the mysteries buried deep within the glass castle, her closest relationships suffer. It seems no one is above questioning her allegiances—not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a foreign princess with a rebel heart.

Then one terrible night, the secrets they have all been keeping lead to an unspeakable tragedy. As Celaena’s world shatters, she will be forced to give up the very thing most precious to her and decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie… and whom she is ultimately willing to fight for.

My book review:

Okay, it has taken my years to get around to this book. I read Throne of Glass a while ago and I never carried on, for good reason really because I was trying to get hold of hardback copies of the books so it would be easier for me to read and now I have got the whole series in hardback. I’ll be reading them around one a month until the end of the year.

I remember thinking that Throne of Glass was good, I liked the trials element of it, not as keen on the love triangle but it was tolerable. But this book was better. I did think that the first half of the novel dragged a little bit, it felt half like a recap of the first book and half a set up for this one but once the action got started there was so much going on that I had to keep reading. I liked the way that Caelena didn’t just immediately start on her destiny, she fought against it a little bit and I liked that. I felt sorry for Chaol in this book, with how he is battling against what he wants and his loyalty to the crown – i think that is going to be an intriguing plot to develop throughout the next books.

Have you read this book? What did you think of it?

Monthly Wrap Ups

May Wrap Up!

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Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a lovely day today. It is the end of June. I honestly don’t know where this month went. I have been so busy trying to meet my PhD deadlines that the month has flown by. How has the month been for all of you?

I did manage to read a bit this month, not as much as last month but I got through some pretty good books and I did manage to finish my TBR so I’m happy with that.

From my TBR I read:

  • The Ballad Of Never After by Stephanie Garber – I enjoyed this book a lot more than Once Upon A Broken Heart so I’m glad about that because I loved her Caraval series then when I wasn’t sure on Once Upon A Broken Heart I was worried, but unnecessarily because the second book was much better.
  • Crown of Midnight by Sarah J Maas – I finally got around to reading this book after far too long. I have to say the first half of the book was dragging a little bit but once the action started kicking in I was more intrigued, and I got sucked into the story and I can’t wait to keep going with the next book in the series. I will be posting a book review on the 23rd June.
  • Library Of Shadows by Rachel Moore – I wasn’t sure about this book going into it but I was pleasantly surprised. If you want to see all my thoughts about this book I will be posting a book review on the 13th June.
  • The Murder Hypothesis – again, another book that I wasn’t sure about when I picked it up but I thought it was good, for a YA mystery it was intriguing, nothing overly special or groundbreaking but an enjoyable read.
  • The Secret Service of Tea and Treason by India Holton – another book that has been on my shelf for a while that I have been meaning to get to, and of course I loved it. It was actually in line for my favourite book of the month, it just missed out on that accolade.
  • In Want of A Suspect by Tirzah Price – the continuation of Lizzie and Darcy’s story that started in Pride and Premeditation. I loved the first book, it was one of my favourite books that I read in that year, and this second book was just as good, I have to say that the romance in this novel wasn’t quite as good as in the first book in my opinion but it was still good. This was my favourite read of May.

Outside of my TBR I also read: The Mysterious Affair of Styles by Agatha Christie which I was a little bit underwhelmed with, it was okay but not the best of her novels. And I also read Murder At The Charity Ball by Helena Dixon which is maybe the tenth book in the Miss Underhay series? A solidly good book all round.

So, that means this month I read 8 books which is a pretty good effort with how my month has been going. How many books did you get through this month? Which book that you read was your favourite?

Monthly TBRs

May TBR!

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Happy Monday bookish people! How are you all doing today? It is May and that means it is time to share the books I hope to read this month. May is full of all sorts of things happening so I have chosen books that I am very excited to read and I have only chosen a few so that it doesn’t feel too overwhelming. I am hoping that six will be the perfect amount.

What are you planning on reading in May?

MAY TBR:

The Ballad of Never After by Stephanie Garber

Crown Of Midnight by Sarah J Maas

Library Of Shadows by Rachel Moore

The Murder Hypothesis by Sarah Wishart

The Secret Service of Tea And Treason by India Holton

In Want Of A Suspect by Tirzah Price

Monthly Wrap Ups

March Wrap Up!

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Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a good day today. Today I’m bringing you my March Wrap Up.

I set myself a longer TBR for this month because I have been doing so well the past couple of months finishing the TBRs I set so I thought I would add a few more. So, as I am writing this I have just over a week left of March and two books left to read which SHOULD be possible but we shall see on that count.

From my TBR:

  • Powerful by Lauren Roberts – I did read this one, I originally wasn’t going to read this because I wasn’t sure about the character in Powerless but I decided it might have an impact on the rest of the series so I read it this month.
  • Murder In First Class by Helena Dixon – I read this one
  • The Village Library Demon Hunting Society by C M Waggoner – I read this book but I really disliked it.
  • The Last Word Is Death by Faith Martin – I read this – and it is a new favourite series.
  • The Dog Sitter Detective Takes The Lead by Antony Johnston – I did read this
  • A Court Of Silver Flames by Sarah J Maas – I have not read this yet but I am hoping I will have by the end of the month
  • Throne of Secrets by Kerri Maniscalco – I have started this novel but I haven’t finished it yet but again I hope to by the end of March

Outside of my TBR I also read Murder On The Marlow Belle by Robert Thorogood.

What did you all read in March?

Monthly TBRs

March TBR!

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Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you are all having a great start to the month of March.

It is time for me to share my TBR for the month and I have given myself some book choices this month because I am travelling with a friend to London for a weekend and I need some good books for travelling in the car. Onto the TBR!

A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J Maas

This is the fifth book in the ACOTAR series and it will bring me up to date with the series until the next book comes out and also it will tick off some of my 50 books to read this year list.

Powerful by Lauren Roberts

This is the novella that goes alongside the first book in the series, powerless, following one of the side characters and I am looking forward to reading it then reading Reckless in April before the final book comes out that month but I have to say I didn’t love the character this one follows so we shall see what I think of it.

Murder in First Class by Helena Dixon

The next book in the Miss Kitty Underhay mystery series, I am reading one of these every month so soon I will have finished the series which is heartbreaking but also quite satisfying.

Throne of Secrets by Kerri Maniscalco

This is the second book in the princes of sin series, the spin off series from Kingdom of the Wicked, these books are SO good. I can’t explain anything about this series as its a spin off of the other and it would spoil things but all I can say is everyone should read these books. I will read anything Kerri Maniscalco writes.

The Village Library Demon Hunting Society by

I have no idea what this book is about really but it said something about a mystery and it has the word library on the cover so I am intrigued to read this book.

The Last Word is Death by Faith Martin

After reading the first in the series, Murder by Candlelight, in February and devouring it in a night I am excited to jump straight into the next one in the series.

The Dog Sitter Detective Plays Dead by Antony Johnston

This is the third book in the Dog Sitter Detective, a modern cosy mystery series that I like, I am looking forward to reading this but I am hesitant because there is a side character who keeps appearing and I don’t really like him so I will see how I feel after this book.

What are you excited to read in March?

Monthly Wrap Ups

February Wrap Up!

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Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you’re all having a good day and a good start to the month of March. February is over and that means it is time to talk about all the books I read in February.

From my TBR:

  • Murder At The Wedding by Helena Dixon – I did read this. It is the seventh? I think, book in the series following Miss Kitty Underhay and her murder mystery adventures. It is a series set in the 1930s and it is a cosy mystery series. It’s so bingeable, fast paced and action packed.
  • A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J Maas – I did read this. Okay, so I loved it because it’s Feyre and Rhysand and everyone but as far as a book goes I don’t think it had enough to fully pull me in. I enjoyed it but I am glad it was only a short novella and I am excited to read the final book A Court of Silver Flames while waiting for the next book to be written and published.
  • The Diabolical Bones by Bella Ellis – I did read this. This is the second book in the Bronte mystery series. The three bronte sisters are the main characters and they trek all over the moors solving murder mysteries happening in their home town of Haworth. I love the almost gothic feel of these novels, they are dark and atmospheric and I can’t stop reading them. There’s two more in the series so far and I need to go out and buy them immediately.
  • The Veiled Kingdom by Holly Renee – I am currently reading this and planning on finishing it today, the day I am writing this which is the 20th February. It is the first in a series about a princess who is hiding her identity after escaping her cruel Father and she ends up in the rebellion. So far it is good, I find the writing a bit young even though the topics talked about make it firmly adult so I’d say I like it but currently it is not a new favourite.
  • Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros – I did read this. It is the second book in the Fourth Wing series.
  • Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros – I read this too. The third and most up to date book in the Fourth Wing series. I will be posting my full reviews of Fourth Wing, Iron Flame and Onyx Storm this month so keep an eye out for that!

So, from my TBR I read all 6 books (yay for me!) and then outside of my TBR I read: Murder by Candlelight by Faith Martin which I ended up LOVING, surprisingly. I also read The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter and This Is Not A Game by Kelly Mullins and the Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman.

Altogether that means I read 10 books in February which I am very happy with. How was your reading in February? What was your favourite read?