KEEP CALM AND LOVE BOOKS: war

Pages: 624

Publication Date: May 3rd 2016

Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens

ISBN: 1619634465 (ISBN13: 9781619634466)

Feyre survived Amarantha's clutches to return to the Spring Court—but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can't forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin's people.

Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms—and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future—and the future of a world cleaved in two.

With more than a million copies sold of her beloved Throne of Glass series, Sarah J. Maas's masterful storytelling brings this second book in her seductive and action-packed series to new heights.

Now, What I Thought:

“No one was my master— but I might be master of everything, if I wished. If I dared.”

Amen. Ok. I've been debating how to express in this review how *excuse my language* FUCKING AMAZING THIS WAS. I don't say this lightly but this might actually be my favourite book I have EVER read. The fact that the ratings for this book is literally 4.77/5 from 19, 818 people's rating on Goodreads is absolutely ridiculous. If that does not tell you to go, either, start this series or read this sequel then I honestly am baffled at your ignorance. I am still in a state of shock from just finishing reading this novel. I read this via iBooks but rest assured, tomorrow (considering it is 4:30 am right now) I will be picking up the hardcopy. Where to begin with this masterpiece? Lets start with the amount of action/love/despair/fighting/capability all stuffed into 624 pages. I've always loved Maas, right from Throne of Glass but wow. She really did outdo herself in this novel. The amount of heart-wrenching despair and strength in this novel is just overwhelming. One of the main reasons it took me from May 3rd till now, May 27th to finish this book; Let me put it into perspective, I finished City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare, a 725 page book in less than 5 days. DO YOU GET WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY? This book was so jam packed with knowledge and character growth that it took a hell of a long time to read. Also, another reason is because the next book comes out May 4th, 2017. Excuse me? Um, a year. A fucking full year for the next novel.... I don't even think I can physically and/or emotionally do that. I can't begin to tell you guys how amazing the transformation and alliances took place from ACOTAR to ACOMAF. I was definitely team Tamlin in ACOTAR but now..... Hello, when you read this book you'll realize why anyone who says they're not team Rhysand will probably get murdered on sight. Just saying. The fact Maas was able to turn the ferocious team Tamlin group all into team Rhysand is just proof of amazingness. I really do aspire to be an author one day, and I can now say that I will definitely look to Maas and her writing skills that are just impeccable.

“I was not a pet, not a doll, not an animal.
I was a survivor, and I was strong.
I would not be weak, or helpless again
I would not, could not be broken. Tamed.”

You say it girl! God, Feyre was just such a strong character in this. I'm pretty sure she's stronger than Caelana/Aelin even. Feyre is the epitome of strength and grace all at once. She would be the most fair, just, and glorious queen anyone would worship. Maas wrote this easily manipulated, weak minded girl in ACOTAR who was totally out of place being the minority around everyone and turned her into a strong-willed, fighting badass women who can conquer the world in a short amount of time. Feyre was and is still growing as we continue on in the story but I feel that she matured all she could in the last book and now this novel, we see her embrace that new found maturity and smartness with the decisions she made day to day. Without giving too much away, Feyre felt trapped and ultimately, like she wasn't being used for what she was great in, strategy. She's smart, she always had been and she new survival instincts very well, with what she had to endure as a mortal. She was the one who fended and fed her family daily, then became the lover with a great destiny to a man so powerful it hurt, THEN she managed to not only kill but release the hold of treachery and evilness that came from Amarantha's ruling and STILL managed to die and become immortally powerful. Like damn. Feyre deserves an award for the most endured yet still alive creature on this planet. She really outshone in this novel and I just can't express my love for her in words to you guys.

“I was not prey any longer, I decided as I eased up to that door.
And I was not a mouse.
I was a wolf.”

Rhysand and Tamlin. I have to say, Maas really did a 180 on us with Tamlin. Again, without spoiling anything, lets just say you won't be too impressed with him once you read this book. Rhys was..........almost as amazing as Feyre. Rhys in his own way really grew in the time he spent with Feyre. I mean, Rhys being the most powerful fae in history and ancient, obviously matured a very long time ago but with Feyre he grew into this character that was just astoundingly handsome, strong, caring, loving, emotional and fighting lover. Not getting into too much detail, Rhys really proved himself worthy of not only Feyre, but the whole realm and a possible King for all of the fae, in the future. I have no idea what Maas has in store for Rhys but the way in the end, with his last words in the book, was so amazing that I can't even fathom having to wait a full year before reading those thoughts and words again. But of course, where there is Rhys there is Mor, Cassian, Azrial, and Amren. We get introduced to some of the most amazing companion characters ever in the history of books I've ever read. The clear connection they all have towards and between one another is truly something special. It's so strong and I love when they take in Feyre and they not only show her what it feels like to have people have her back but how willing to lay their lives down in a fight to save one another. The theme, friendship, really shone through this book and I'm so happy Feyre is FINALLY in an environment where she can trust the people indefinitely around her and trust that they'll keep her safe and vice versa.

“Hello, Feyre darling,” he purred.”

There are some beautiful and lovely lines in this book and I can't even begin to quote all of them right now. The amount of time I spent just rereading lines and pausing to think about how the hell Maas managed to come up with these words was a lot. LOL a whole months worth of time.

“I’m thinking that I was a lonely, hopeless person, and I might have fallen in love with the first thing that showed me a hint of kindness and safety. And I’m thinking maybe he knew that—maybe not actively, but maybe he wanted to be that person for someone. And maybe that worked for who I was before. Maybe it doesn’t work for who—what I am now.”

I really wish I could go into detail and explain the sheer amount of shock and despair towards the ending I felt but unfortunately for spoiler sake, I cannot :( To say the least, the novel was absolutely amazing and worth every dime and nickel. Again, I can't wait for May 4th, 2017 to read this next book in the series currently named Untitled. Yeah, it's so early that the name hasn't even been released ... Oh God help me. But in the mean time, here are more wonderful quotes from this wonderful novel!!!!!

“Did you enjoy the sight of me kneeling before you?”

"He braced a hand on either side of me, gripping the dresser. I refused to shrink away. “You have one task here, Feyre. One task that no one can know about. So do anything you have to in order to accomplish it. ... And do not get caught.” I wasn’t some simpering fool. I knew the risks. And that tone, that look he always gave me … “Anything?” His brows rose. I breathed, “If I fucked him for it, what would you do?” His pupils flared, and his gaze dropped to my mouth. The wood dresser groaned beneath his hands."

“To the stars who listen—and the dreams that are answered.”

“When you spend so long trapped in darkness, you find that the darkness begins to stare back.”

2016 - 4:35:00 AM

A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses #2) by Sarah J. Maas | Review

Pages: 624 Publication Date: May 3rd 2016 Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens ISBN: 1619634465 (ISBN13: 9781619634466 ) Fe...

Pages: 352

Publication Date: September 20th 2011

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

ISBN: 1408816032 (ISBN13: 9781408816035)

Genre: Historical Fiction & Greek Mythology

Greece in the age of heroes. Patroclus, an awkward young prince, has been exiled to the court of King Peleus and his perfect son Achilles. Despite their difference, Achilles befriends the shamed prince, and as they grow into young men skilled in the arts of war and medicine, their bond blossoms into something deeper - despite the displeasure of Achilles' mother Thetis, a cruel sea goddess.

But when word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, Achilles must go to war in distant Troy and fulfill his destiny. Torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus goes with him, little knowing that the years that follow will test everything they hold dear.

Now, What I Thought:

Wow. Just wow. I literally just finished this masterpiece 5 minutes ago and knew I had to write a review on it! I stopped reading The Winner's Curse and ACOMAF just to read this quickly. I love Greek Mythology. Especially the famous Trojan War!!! This novel is basically a new take on Homer's Iliad, and it was amazing. I first heard that this book was going to be following Achille's best friend Patroclus through his journey in meeting Achilles and finally, his death. This book really was like Romeo and Juliet in a way, we all knew what was going to happen so to add a romance in this!!?? Damn. I first handedly thought this would turn into some over-kill fan fiction of a love between Patroclus and Achilles but boy was I wrong. It was so sweet. The romance in this was lovely! I wouldn't have it any other way. It was perfectly paced, some might say slow even. Yet, all I could think about was the fact they were both going to die. I really liked how Miller wrote it though. She made their deaths so comforting and I didn't feel like they were gone at all. A lot of this novel is true to fact. I was quite impressed with the accuracy of the mythology in this! We get some pretty big mythological characters such as, Odysseus, Apollo, Chiron, and Thetis was pretty big in this. I liked how Miller portrayed the Gods, she made them true. The world in Greek mythology is not a nice one and the Gods and Goddesses go with that statement as well. Too often in mythology books we get them with a caring side or a less-brutish aspect to their personality. Like. No. That is not how they were. Half of them were warriors, mean warriors that killed in battle and wars. The other half used other wits and attributes to get what they want and most of said things are not mortal-friendly. They were above mortals and they knew and showed it. Miller captured that and I was really grateful for it!

My favourite character had to be Patroclus, and not just because he was the main character. He was impulsive and unimpressive and really boring with what he can do. He brought nothing to the table and that was why his father hated him. I loved the fact that our protagonist was someone, even a prince, oppressed and unliked just because he wasn't a fast runner, good fighter etc. There were times when he would self-pity himself but that's when Achilles would come in and make sure he knew he was worth something. The romance between Achilles and Patroclus was just magical. I loved it from start to finish. They were inseparable and truly loved each other. I liked how Miller took us through their youth and manhood while they experimented with each other. It brought a vulnerability to the characters that I liked having because I felt like I could trust them more. Patroclus made an excellent narrator.

It's difficult to say anything about Achilles because I didn't feel like I knew him well enough. I knew he loved Patroclus with all his heart but he was written in a way that was closed off. Unless we got a P.O.V chapter from him, I didn't know what he was thinking most of the time. I did like reading about him though, through Patroclus's view. Miller made a brutish legend of myth and story turn into a well paced romance that payed tribute to mythology. It was well balanced and even then the romance did come on a shorter stick sometimes but it was always there. Whether it was a simple line with Patroclus saying, "Achilles hesitated and his eyes went to me, just the barest glance." You knew Achilles was always in love with Patroclus, maybe even from the moment he first saw him. Speaking of lines, there are some great quotes that are literally game changers.

"Instead, he rang each syllable: Pa-tro-clus."

"I conjure the boy I knew. Achilles, grinning as the figs blur in his hands. His green eyes laughing into mine. Catch, he says. Achilles, outlined against the sky, hanging from a branch over the river. The thick warmth of his sleepy breath against my ear. If you have to go, I will go with you. My fears forgotten in the golden harbor of his arms."

“Name one hero who was happy."
I considered. Heracles went mad and killed his family; Theseus lost his bride and father; Jason's children and new wife were murdered by his old; Bellerophon killed the Chimera but was crippled by the fall from Pegasus' back.
"You can't." He was sitting up now, leaning forward.
"I can't."
"I know. They never let you be famous AND happy." He lifted an eyebrow. "I'll tell you a secret."
"Tell me." I loved it when he was like this.
"I'm going to be the first."

That last one got to me. WOULD YOU NOT SWOON IF SOMEONE SAID THAT TO YOU!??!? In conclusion, the novel was simply amazing. I can't express how glad I am that I read this. It does not have a sad ending. I was worried that I would read this and go into mourning like usual YA books leave me in but it was sweet and a perfect end for Achilles and Patroclus. If you are a lover of Greek mythology, read this. Instantly. Now. Go. NOW, PLEASE. You will not regret it.

Achilles - 8:48:00 PM

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller | Review

Pages: 352 Publication Date: September 20th 2011 Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing ISBN: 1408816032 (ISBN13: 9781408816035 )...

Pages: 355

Publication Date: March 4th 2014

Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux

ISBN: 0374384681 (ISBN13: 9780374384685)

Winning what you want may cost you everything you love...

As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions.

One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin.

But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined.

Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart.

Now, What I Thought:

I don't exactly know how I did it but I managed to read this whole book in about 4 hours... That is the BEST record time I have for reading a book. I'm pretty proud of myself and clearly this book lived up to it's hype by how fast I read it. I honestly just seemed to speed through it and ~~wanting~~ needing to know how this book will end! I really liked the world this was set in. I felt as if it was so different and unique that it was refreshing to read about. The politics, history and war in this world is just amazing. I LOVED reading all about the past and what happened with the war between Herrani and Valorians. It was interesting to read that the Herrani's were the ones on 'top' before the 'brutish' Valorians came and took it from them. Instead of causing excitation with the Herrani race, the Valorians took them as slaves. Pretty sad for the Herrani's. Obviously towards the end of the book I wasn't a big fan of the race but I get why both sides did what they did. The great thing about this book was that the politics, history and even the way the dystopian world was, was so logical. I actually made sense of what was law and the rituals/customs they had. I've never read anything by Rutkoski but I really like her writing and how she made this dystopia so believable and understandable. I didn't find myself confused at any of the 'ways of life' the Valorian's lived as well as the Herrani.

As for the characters!!!! Let's start with:

Kestrel: Absolutely amazing. I've always said my favourite protagonist from any book had to either be Celaena from Sara J. Mass's, Throne of Glass series or Taryn from Tijan's, A Whole New Crowd series. Well, Kestrel definitely tops those by a long shot! I was so impressed that Rutkoski managed to make her so strong and liked even though physically, she wasn't much of a fighter. Instead, her main weapon was her mind. In the beginning chapters her father even compliments her saying,

"Her father gave her a level look. “Your military strength has never been in combat.” Which was another way of saying that she was a poor fighter. More gently, he said, “You’re a strategist.” Kestrel shrugged. Her father said, “Who suggested I draw the Dacran barbarians into the mountains when they attacked the empire’s eastern border?”All she had done then was point out the obvious. The barbarians’ over reliance on cavalry had been clear. So, too, had been the fact that the dry eastern mountains would starve horses of water."

I mean... It's pretty clear she knows her shit and she's very talented in the sense that she knows how to think her way out of any problem! We do however get to see her physical strength get put to the test, which to be honest, was one of my favourite scenes in the WHOLE book. The fight she had with Irex was just laughable. She would have clearly lost if she hadn't used that strategist brain of hers and think her way out of being killed! I honestly think Kestrel was such a brilliant character, I can't wait to read her smart and witty mind in the next novel!

Arin: The first time we get introduced to him and Kestrel described him was basically when I knew that this rough around the edges, hot ass looking dude would be our love interest. I, at first, liked him a lot! I thought he was great and understandable considering he was just bought to be slave for a family, I would be pretty hostile as well. And finally when we get that knowledge that he's actually not all innocent as he seemed to be. AND. What he had been doing around the house was so not innocent AS WELL. Well....... I kind of freaked. I almost put the book away because I couldn't stand him anymore. I can say 100% having finished the book now, I still very much dislike Arin. Maybe the next book will change that but honestly, that betrayal and then for him to expect her to still be all lovey eyed with him.. As Cher would say from Clueless, AS IF.

Jess: From the beginning to the end, I always liked her. Her loyalty really showed towards the middle and that touching devotion Kestrel shows Jess at the end is truly touching. I LOVED Jess. She was such a breath of fresh air and seemed to be the perfect best friend Kestrel needed. It's no secret that Kestrel is a strange, non conforming to society norms, type of girl. And Jess is honest about that and even says so out loud about her friend. They are the two perfect duo that I'm sure we will be seeing a lot more of in the next book! Though, I wonder if the events that happened in the last chapter of this novel will throw a rift between them two, concerning Ronan. And speaking of Ronan...

Ronan: Super hot. Super available. In love with Kestrel. What's not to love back!?!? Well the fact that Kestrel knows in her heart that he's not for her. Towards the end I really did think Ronan had a chance, I was actually routing for him more than Arin, since my hatred for him was stronger than ever, but poor Ronan. He does get shot down indefinitely and I'm sad to say that I'm pretty sure tat ship has sailed 100%. We know he's Jess's brother but we don't really touch on their family other than the siblings. I wonder if we will get to learn more of their family and how they are so close to the general's daughter.

General Trajan: I just wanted to touch upon this character because Rutkoski really did go all out with her characters and made the stereotypical father in charge not so typical in this book. It was a welcome refreshment when I realized that the general isn't all that mean and typical 'dad' like in many YA dystopia novels. I actually quite like Kestrel's father and I'm glad we'll get to read about him in the next book. After what's happened now, I hope we'll actually get to see more of him and understand him better! I liked how he could be nice and caring yet have that fatherly figure in him. He made sure that his daughter knew he was to be obeyed but not out of cruelty or oppressiveness, but out of caring and the love for his daughter and her safety. He was just another one of Rutkoski's great characters in this series.

The book ended with a satisfying cliff hanger for what is to come in the next book, but it wasn't unbearable. I quite like how abruptly this ended and I'm pretty glad I read this so late because now all 3 books are out, YAY. Time to get reading and hopefully I'll have read the whole series by the end of this week, or at the rate I'm going, by at least Friday. Also, the cover is just so impeccable, definitely a plus for me!!!!!!! LOVED THIS!

as if - 4:44:00 AM

The Winner's Curse (The Winner's Trilogy #1) by Marie Rutkoski | Review

Pages: 355 Publication Date: March 4th 2014 Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux ISBN: 0374384681 (ISBN13: 9780374384685 ) Wi...

Pages: 428 pages

Publication Date: August 18th 2015

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

ISBN: 0373211724 (ISBN13: 9780373211722)

Imagine a time when the gods turn a blind eye to the agony of men, when the last of the hellions roam the plains and evil stirs beyond the edges of the map. A time when cities burn, and in their ashes, empires rise.

Alexander, Macedonia’s sixteen-year-old heir, is on the brink of discovering his fated role in conquering the known world but finds himself drawn to a newcomer…

Katerina must navigate the dark secrets of court life while hiding her own mission: kill the Queen. But she doesn’t account for her first love…

Jacob will go to unthinkable lengths to win Katerina, even if it means having to compete for her heart with Hephaestion, a murderer sheltered by the prince.

And far across the sea, Zofia, a Persian princess and Alexander’s unmet betrothed, wants to alter her destiny by seeking the famed and deadly Spirit Eaters.

Weaving fantasy with the shocking details of real history, New York Times bestselling author of Sex with Kings Eleanor Herman reimagines the greatest emperor the world has ever known, Alexander the Great, in the first book of the Blood of Gods and Royals series.

Now, What I Thought:

This book follows Alexander the Great, yes the same one we learn about in high school, in his teenage years to becoming the king of Macedonia . It takes place in 360 BC, which is just crazy to read about in Herman's amazing descriptive text. This did take me a while to read and get into but that's only because of the amount of characters with crazy long ancient names. I needed time to remember the roles some of these people played in our protagonist's storylines. With that in mind, there were A LOT of different character arcs. I actually really liked Herman's writing and the distinguishing between the characters, it was really fun and different to read about this mysterious, unknown time period from a historian's (Eleanor Herman) mind.

For everyone's storyline, we have 3 main plots: Alexander, Katerina and Zofia's. Among those we then have the minor plots with different P.O.V chapters: Jacob, Hephaestion, Cynane, and Olympia. It sounds really confusing but it wasn't! I liked how we heard from everyone's head and it gave us more perspective on the story and world we're set in. Speaking of the word, this takes place in, again, 360 BC, so the Gods and Goddesses from Greek mythology are pretty prominent in this. We always get references about how not long ago the Gods roamed the earth. I really liked the incorporation of mythology and how we frequently get references of Zeus, Ares, Oracle of Delphi, Athena etc. Again, Herman is a historian so it does not surprise me that she included history that's pretty accurate to today's knowledge.

This is a quote from the Author's Note at the end of the book:

"Though this is a work of fantasy with some fictional main characters—Katerina, Jacob, and Zofia—I wanted to make their world of 340 BC as historically accurate as possible... While Alexander’s half sister, Cynane, might feel too modern, she really did model herself on the Amazons and was known for her military prowess....His father, the king, was distant and harsh; his manipulative, ambitious mother was devoted to her snakes and widely regarded as a witch; his older half sister, Cynane, was a jealous, competitive Amazon; his younger half brother, Arrhideus, was mentally handicapped; and his tutor, Leonidas, employed educational methods that would today land him in jail for child abuse."

I loved how accurate this was and it really does make me want to read more of her work.

Now, for the actual characters and storylines, the only plot that really advanced in the beginning was Princess Zofia. Right away, her story just goes to the max with drama and she has to fight for what she wants and realize the dangers outside of her well protected and sheltered life in the palace. We left her story very open ended and I'm excited to see how her's will end in the sequel. I also just really want her to help with the war in Pella and meet everyone. We start the book off in Katerina's P.O.V and we can already tell she's not normal. She definitely has some strong magic coursing through her veins and I liked how the book ended with her owning her true self and I'm so excited to see her embrace herself fully. Heph, Alexander's best friend (even in history), was pretty dull, but I still liked hearing his thought. His one problem, which clearly states in the book, is his pride. I really found his pride annoying at times but towards the end, like everything, he was just getting better and I think he's going to be a great hero in the end.

My favourite storyline had to be between Kats and Cynane, Alexander's sister. Something about her abrasive manner and how she'll do anything to prove she doesn't want to be just a lady (GoT's Arya basically) was amazing. From the start of her P.O.V chapter, I knew I'd like her.

"As she slips through the crowd, she intentionally brushes against different men. She’s not sure why she does it—to remind herself of her power over them, perhaps? Or maybe because even through the coarse cloth of her dress, it feels kind of thrilling when they touch—as if anything could happen."

I just feel like there are so many great moments in this book that I need to quote them all for you guys. If you need convincing to read this book at all, just look at all of the glorious reviews it has. This book was amazing and I can say it is my favourite read in 2016 so far. I can't remember a book I read that just left me speechless and MAKE me want to search the web to find out more of the stuff that conspired in 360 BC. Guys, just read it. It's simply amazing and I am now going to read Eleanor Herman's other novels.

Here are some quotes to persuade you further:

Alexander's P.O.V:

"Down on the street, a man driving an empty cart is cursing bitterly, trying to back up his donkey and cart to make way for another vehicle. That’s how it is, Alex thinks. Someone always has to give in. But not for long. He has other plans, plans his father doesn’t know about. And if he succeeds, he’ll be the greatest leader this world has ever known."

Cynane's P.O.V:

"True loyalty—it’s almost unheard of. And it’s exactly what Cyn has been looking for all these years. Correction: it’s what she has been looking to destroy."

Katerina's P.O.V:

"“There was, long ago, in the time before time, a great battle between gods and monsters,” Ada begins, looking straight ahead. “The gods won but lost much of their power and became almost mortal, mating with humans.”"

Hephaestion's P.O.V:

"“Kat, you’re going to be all right,” he lies. She doesn’t answer. She’s looking in wonder at the sky, moving her pale lips. He turns to see what it is that so fascinates her. It’s the hellion, flying in wide lazy circles over the battlefield, howling as it rises higher and higher, and is gone."

I am so excited to read Herman's sequel to the Blood of Gods and Royals series, Empire of Dust.