Review: Frozen Tides by Morgan Rhodes

Title: Frozen Tides

Author: Morgan Rhodes

Publication Date: 12.15.2015

Series: Falling Kingdoms #4

Source:  Finished copy from publisher

Rating: 4 ½ Stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

Rebels, royals, and monsters wage war over the Mytican throne in the shocking fourth book of the Falling Kingdoms series, from New York Times bestselling author Morgan Rhodes.

CLEO: Reeling after a bloody showdown in Limeros ending with Amara’s abduction of the water crystal, and a vacancy in the Mytican throne, Princess Cleo must cast aside her feelings and look toward her kingdom with the eyes of a Queen.

MAGNUS: With the kingdom in chaos, Princess Lucia still missing and quite possibly in danger, and a shocking realization about Cleo, the steely prince is once again torn between love and duty, leaving him wondering whether he’s strong enough to rule his people.

LUCIA: The young sorcercess has had her vengeance after the cruel death of her first and only love. Heartbroken and unable to trust anyone, she allies with the awoken Fire god, who also seeks revenge.

JONAS: After escaping death by the skin of his teeth, the defeated rebel—along with a mysterious stranger–leader reunites with Princess Cleo, only to find himself a mere pawn in a dangerous hunt for the elusive Kindred.

KING GAIUS: Abandoned by Melenia and betrayed by his own children, Gaius flees Mytica and sails to Kraeshia, where he attempts to ally with the famously brutal emperor across the Silver Sea.

Review:

I swear, this series just gets better and better with every book. The fact that it’s book 4 and I’m still heavily invested (you guys know I have an issue reading series’), is a testament to the awesomeness that is Falling Kingdoms and Morgan Rhodes.

FROZEN TIDES picks up shortly where Gathering Darkness left off. Without giving away too much of the plot from past books, FROZEN TIDES seriously ups the ante. I loved traveling beyond the shores of Mytica to Kraesha with Amara. Amara completely caught me off guard. Her intelligence and ruthlessness absolutely stunned me in the best ways possible and she is truly set up as a force to be reckoned with in FROZEN TIDES. I can’t wait to see her in the next book!

I have loved watching the evolution of Magnus, Jonas, and Cleo. These three are my absolutely faves (OK, Magnus is #1), and their growth from book 1 to book 4 is incredible. They’ve learned and adapted and persevered and refused to give up.

Fans of Falling Kingdoms are going to be hopelessly entranced by FROZEN TIDES. Rhodes once again bests herself in the storytelling game, weaving a masterful tale of secrets, deceit and love. 

Review: Clariel by Garth Nix

Title: Clariel

Author: Garth Nix

Publisher: HarperCollins

Publication Date: 10.14.2014

Pages: 382

Genre: Young Adult, High Fantasy

Series: Abhorsen #4

Source: Finished copy from publisher

Rating: 4 Stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

Sixteen-year-old Clariel is not adjusting well to her new life in the city of Belisaere, the capital of the Old Kingdom. She misses roaming freely within the forests of Estwael, and she feels trapped within the stone city walls. And in Belisaere she is forced to follow the plans, plots and demands of everyone, from her parents to her maid, to the sinister Guildmaster Kilp. Clariel can see her freedom slipping away. It seems too that the city itself is descending into chaos, as the ancient rules binding Abhorsen, King and Clayr appear to be disintegrating.

With the discovery of a dangerous Free Magic creature loose in the city, Clariel is given the chance both to prove her worth and make her escape. But events spin rapidly out of control. Clariel finds herself more trapped than ever, until help comes from an unlikely source. But the help comes at a terrible cost. Clariel must question the motivations and secret hearts of everyone around her - and it is herself she must question most of all.

Review:

I was totally excited to read this. It sounded like such a great story with a beautiful world and Clariel herself sounded like someone I would love in this book.

There was so much to absorb in this book. The Abhorsens, free magic, charter magic, and their respective mages. And all of the mechanics that went along with them.

Bel was probably my favorite character. He just seems so full of energy and ready to go and help when needed. And he most certainly wasn't afraid to step up when the time came. Clariel was certainly determined. She wanted so much to get back and out of the city that she succeeded, just not in the way she ever thought.

I haven't the Old Kingdom series so I wasn't sure what exactly I would expect. It certainly made me want to read them!  Although this was the prequel, I definitely felt like I was missing something. With all of that going on, I was left with the question of what is the significance of  the magics and what exactly do the Abhorsens do?

Overall, it was a good book with some very good imagery and a cat who I haven't quite figured out. I am definitely going to getting the Old Kingdom series.

Buy: Clariel by Garth Nix

Review: Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

Title: Heir of Fire

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Publication Date: 9.2.2014

Pages: 556

Genre: Young Adult, High Fantasy, Romance

Series: Throne of Glass #1

Source: ARC from BEA

Rating: 5 Stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

Lost and broken, Celaena Sardothien’s only thought is to avenge the savage death of her dearest friend: as the King of Adarlan’s Assassin, she is bound to serve this tyrant, but he will pay for what he did. Any hope Celaena has of destroying the king lies in answers to be found in Wendlyn. Sacrificing his future, Chaol, the Captain of the King’s Guard, has sent Celaena there to protect her, but her darkest demons lay in that same place. If she can overcome them, she will be Adarlan’s biggest threat – and his own toughest enemy. 

While Celaena learns of her true destiny, and the eyes of Erilea are on Wendlyn, a brutal and beastly force is preparing to take to the skies. Will Celaena find the strength not only to win her own battles, but to fight a war that could pit her loyalties to her own people against those she has grown to love?

Review:

I have grown so attached to Calaena that it was hard knowing this would be it for a while.  Maas has created such an in depth character that she, along with her adventures, feels real.

After CoM, I expected Calaena to be all put together with her mind set and a plan and all the good stuff. Well, she does, sort of. You can see her change of heart and how she is in complete denial, as if she hasn't been for the last ten years. As if she couldn't hate her current situation any more, in strolls Rowan. I like him. He is mine. The boundaries he pushes Calaena to are heartbreaking. He is perfect at what do does and his reasons for doing it.

The imagery is just jaw dropping. I wish this world, almost, existed. Maas certainly has a gift for describing something in such detail, and not overly so, that you get exactly what she wants you to see and there is this pretty, sometimes gruesome, picture of a world we can only imagine and would hope to see.

There is just so much in this book. Everything is coming together and you start to understand Calaena  and everything that has happened directly and indirectly to her.

Chaol, Dorian, and the newly met Aedion all have their stories. The plotting and secrecy and love and hate and it is all just amazing. It is nonstop action, breathtaking suspense and the best cliffhanger I have seen. I CANNOT believe the end. I was so surprised  that I let out a wonderful line of expletives at the King. He is yet another character whose thoughts and feelings become palatable in this story. I never knew a story could have so much feeling.

If you have followed Calaena's journey you can understand my love for her and all of her friends and foes. I cannot wait for Maas' next masterpiece.

Purchase: Heir of Fire

Review: Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

Title: Crown of Midnight

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Publication Date: 8.27.2013

Pages: 420

Genre: Young Adult, High Fantasy, Romance

Series: Throne of Glass #2

Source: ARC from BEA

Rating: 5 Stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

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.

Review:

She has done it again! Maas gives you so much in this story that I can't believe that the book is as short as it is. I love Calaena and Chaol and Dorian so much more after this. I just can't find the right words.

While most of this story is about Calaena, you grow closer to Choal and Dorian too. Calaena has grown a lot since the beginning but you really get a grasp of just how much. She is slowing starting to realize that what she is doing is not enough. When all that she has grown to love, and you know how hard that must be for her to admit, is slowing disappearing, she snaps. And with that she finally realizes what she has to do.

It heartbreaking to watch her grow as she finds out the truth. To see someone mourn in such a way lets you understand how deep those feelings were. Even if they were for more than one person and for different reasons. I just can't get over the depth Maas has given Calaena.

Chaol is an amazing man. What he gave up to be with Dorian and now what he is going back to for her is amazing. Only he knows her secret and is doing everything he can to protect her. Even if it goes against his current loyalties. His love is undeniable.

Maas has yet again blown me away with her words and imagination. I couldn't put this down. And at the end I was so happy to know that there is more. I just cannot put into words the awesomeness of Maas. This is the kind of writer I could only dream of being.

Buy: Amazon

Review: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Title: Throne of Glass

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Publication Date: 8.7.2012

Pages: 404

Genre: Young Adult, High Fantasy

Series: Throne of Glass #1

Source: Finished copy from publisher

Rating: 5 Stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin. Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom. 

Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she's bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it's the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best. 

Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. 

Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

Review:

Sarah J. Maas is a master at her craft. This book just blew me away. I caught myself gasping, whispering to myself "oh no", and getting mad along with the characters. I was definitely surprised by the turn of events.

The characters in this book are so amazing and have such depth that you can almost talk to them. Celaena is by far my favorite, as she should be. Maas did an amazing job getting you in her head, letting you in her heart. You think you know her, how she is, how she will react to something and then BAM! Your blown away by her. You begin to feel her scars and blush with her at the same time. Dorian and Chaol are no different. All of their personalities are so different yet you can relate and understand them and who they are. I love them all.

Maas has an eye for details. All of the little things she describes and inputs make this story that much more real. Exactly how Celaena was when she left camp, the fires, the glass castle, and the landscape give the perfect mental image and portray what Maas is giving you. I don't want to give to much away.

What I love most is Celaena's journey. How her priorities change and her heart seems to grow out of no where. And the hint of something deeper that she is keeping quiet and hidden. Also, the king. There are just question marks popping up all around and makes you weary for Celaena.

Maas has created an adventurous, mysterious tale that leaves you clueless, happy, hopeful and excited for what's to come.

Review: The Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas

Title: The Burning Sky

Author: Sherry Thomas

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Publication Date: 9.13.2013

Pages: 464

Genre: Young Adult, High Fantasy

Series: The Burning Sky #1

Source: ARC from BEA

Rating:

Summary (from Goodreads):

It all began with a ruined elixir and an accidental bolt of lightning…

Iolanthe Seabourne is the greatest elemental mage of her generation—or so she's being told. The one prophesied for years to be the savior of The Realm. It is her duty and destiny to face and defeat the Bane, the greatest mage tyrant the world has ever known. A suicide task for anyone let alone a sixteen-year-old girl with no training, facing a prophecy that foretells a fiery clash to the death.

Prince Titus of Elberon has sworn to protect Iolanthe at all costs but he's also a powerful mage committed to obliterating the Bane to avenge the death of his family—even if he must sacrifice both Iolanthe and himself to achieve his goal.

But Titus makes the terrifying mistake of falling in love with the girl who should have been only a means to an end. Now, with the servants of the Bane closing in, he must choose between his mission and her life.

Review:

Who doesn't love magic, adventure, and of course, love. Sherry Thomas made an amazing world, somewhat current but yet old at the same time. Princes and queens with their servants yet modern enough with trains and boarding schools.

Iolanthe is such an amazing girl, Thomas gave her so much devotion and courage that I was amazed by her and her adventures. She was so worried about keeping up appearances, in more ways than one, that she would let nothing get in her way of what she wanted or needed to do in order to keep herself and those that mattered to her safe.

Who knew that what she had to go through, at the hands of Titus, would be such an amazing adventure if not daunting on her part. When one thinks they have no destiny of any sort of measure and believes themselves to relatively normal only to have their whole world thrown upside down by exactly what you thought wouldn't be life changing, you might get a little mad.

Titus is confusing. He is distant and hard, yet soft at the same time. He does have feelings but shows them in the oddest ways sometimes. He never does anything without purpose and has plans for everything. Even if he doesn't expect something, in an instant he had a plan. He is quite comical when faced with a conundrum. He goes into a nervous mess while trying to help himself and sometimes it is best to trust your friends and let things happen.

Thomas created a magical world with adventures that set your mind spinning. I could read this fast enough and cannot wait for the next book.

Buy: Amazon

Review: The Kiss of Deception by Mary E. Pearson

Title: The Kiss of Deception

Author: Mary E. Pearson

Publisher: Henry Holt & Co.

Publication Date: 7.8.2014

Pages: 489

Genre: Young Adult, High Fantasy, Romance

Series: The Remnant Chronicles #1

Source: ARC from publisher

Rating: 5 Stars

Summary (from Goodreads):

In this timeless new trilogy about love and sacrifice, a princess must find her place in a reborn world.

In a society steeped in tradition, Princess Lia’s life follows a preordained course. As First Daughter, she is expected to have the revered gift of sight—but she doesn’t—and she knows her parents are perpetrating a sham when they arrange her marriage to secure an alliance with a neighboring kingdom—to a prince she has never met.

On the morning of her wedding, Lia flees to a distant village. She settles into a new life, hopeful when two mysterious and handsome strangers arrive—and unaware that one is the jilted prince and the other an assassin sent to kill her. Deception abounds, and Lia finds herself on the brink of unlocking perilous secrets—even as she finds herself falling in love. 

Review:

Oh to be a princess! Just for a little while though. I don't think I could handle all the political duties or an arranged marriage. She did exactly what I would have done, run.

I loved this book. The story was one adventure after another with imagery that no where else but right next to Lia. You learn a lot about her in just the first few pages. She wants so hard to do her duty but her heart wins over. She thrives to be just herself and not just a horse contracted over to a prince she knows nothing about. She wants a simple life and does just exactly that. She is so determined to leave her old palace life behind and create a new one in hopes of finding love. Lia has a passion for life like I have never seen. Even when hinges get tough, she puts her chin up and ferociously meets the situation with everything she has. Lia quickly learns her destiny and tries her damnedest to steel her heart and set her mind to what she must do. Even if it means her life.

Rafe and Kaden. Where to start. Well first of all, once they get acquainted it's hard to distinguish who is who, as the point of view changes often. But once the story gets along a bit you quickly figure out who is who and what each of them want. They are both so mysterious and it's hard to understand their motives. They war with themselves over their heart and duty.

Buy: Amazon