Lady Midnight by @Cassandra_Clare

 

 

This book. was. amazing. I had this sitting on my counter for 5 weeks! It was due back at the library in 4 days and I decided to pick it up and give it a try before returning it. I have a HUGE love for the Mortal Instruments and the Infernal Devices. I own all the books and will back them up til the day I die. I just love, love this world that Cassandra Clare has made. When I saw that she was making another series, I was worried. How could you not be worried? Is it going to be as good as the previous books?  I am beyond excited to say that this just might be her best one yet.


This book is intimidating, especially for a YA novel. It's a whopping 668 pages, plus and epilogue. It was a huge time commitment, in a time when I'm obsessed with Netflix and Hulu. I know, it's so bad. Anyways, I picked this up and decided to give it a try before returning it to the good ol' library. I usually can tell whether I'm going to enjoy a book between 50-100 pages. I started this book today and finished it today. I could not put it down. Cassandra did it again and spun an amazing story that had me from the beginning.
I honestly think this is her best writing yet. This book felt like it had so much more emotional punch and just captured you into the story. I would be reading and didn't even know two hours had passed! The flow of the story is just packed with adventure and you never, ever get bored. There are so many things going on that you really have to pay attention though. The attention to detail she ads to this story is just amazing. I am completely convinced that she has a thing for forbidden love. I actually really love her take on it, in this series.


The character development in this book is outstanding! I loved how Ty's character is so different and there's so much going on there that makes you see how complex he is. The character growth of all the characters is very well done. By the time that you finish this book, you will love them all. Mark's character has a lot to go through and I love how she didn't rush it. She really made you see the struggle and the growth. It was real and hard. It's hard for me to say because I loved Clary but I think I like Emma much more. She is just pure greatness and you get to see her depth in the first book! This is just the first book! I also like Julian more than Jace or Will. WHAT?! I know.. I don't know if it's due to growth in Cassandra's writing or the story itself. The depth and growth of these characters in this first book alone is so great. She did a beautiful job making them all individuals and real.
I also loved the relationships between most of the characters. There's so much going on and so many people involved but she didn't lose the emotion, tension, love and dedication from all these characters relationships. There's a maturity to this book, I didn't see much of, in the previous books from characters.

I did like to see the little parts where the previous characters were included but I liked how it was just a little. They had their time in the sun and although, I love them, it's time to move on. I appreciated the small instances but so glad that they didn't outshine the main characters in this book.

I'm totally team Julian. There HAS to be a way for this to work, HAS TO BE. There is a loophole or something because love is everything. Especially, the love they have for each other. I'm worried though. I really hope that Clare isn't going to throw in a love triangle again. I detest love triangles. I understand it but hate it. So I'm just getting ready for it.. TEAM JULIAN! lol

I LOVED this book. I went through a lot of emotions with this one. I also didn't waste my day, so that's a MAJOR plus. I highly recommend it and I'm not lying when I say that it's her best written book yet. The story is original, fresh and there's a lot of realness to it. The only thing I didn't like was that it was a bit slow to start off, but hang in there, it's worth it. I did love that most things were wrapped up in the first book, so you aren't completely left hanging, until the next book. Don't get me wrong, there's a larger story that needs explored, but there's a semi-ending. I really cannot wait for the next book! Kudos, Clare. I'm sorry that I doubted you.

Lazy Crafternoon by @Stella_Fields

Lazy Crafternoon by Stella Fields
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was expecting more from this because most of these things I have seen in other books or on pinterest. I would say that if you have bored teens at home, this would be good. A lot of these projects are pretty easy and things they would like. I love crafts and I've done most of these on my own. It's a good book if you have teens, otherwise I would just skip out on this one.

I did like that it does have instructions. A lot of books these days, just have pictures and you are on your own. I do want to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a temporary download to read and review this book.

The Most Magnificent Thing by @Ashley_Spires

The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Ah, this book is too cute! I loved this. I think it's a great message to never give up and I love how her dog knows just how to cool off her anger. Such a sweet message and shows that hard work ALWAYS pays off! Great book. Recommend it for sure. The illustrations are also so cute. Simple but precise. Kids will love this!

 

Winter by @Marissa_Meyer

Winter by Marissa Meyer
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the last book in the Lunar Chronicles series. We get to delve deeper into Princess Winter’s character. She’s stuck on Lunar with her evil stepmother, Levana, and can’t get away. She’s also battling her attraction to Thorne, her longtime childhood friend. In the previous books, we get the hints that Winter is weak and scarred. She is most definitely scarred but she is not weak. Together with the rest of the crew, they come together to fight the war we have been waiting for.

When I first grabbed this book, I was shocked at how big this book was. It is one of the longest YA books that I’ve read in a while. It made me really nervous because if a book is too much over 400 pages, I tend to get lost and bored. Fortunately, that never happened with this book. I started this and could not put it down the whole day. That’s right, I started and finished it in one day! I understand why this was so long. With the previous characters, we get their story and their relationship and some of the bigger plot. With this book, she had to do this and finish the story.

I have loved this story since the beginning. Cinder will always be my favorite because she is clearly the leader. She is so strong and will do whatever it takes to help all the people/friends that she loves. She doesn’t even want to be queen but fights so hard, just to get the people away from Levana’s teirney. I loved Thorne’s character as well. He adds so much fun to this book that you find yourself laughing a lot. His banter with the group, mostly Cinder, is just great.

Winter might be the strongest one of them all. She’s seen as the weak one who has the scarred face and can’t do anything on her own. It’s mostly because Levana will not let her do anything. Levana is scared of her because she knows the truth. Everyone loves Winter for who she is. She’s sweet, caring, and very strong. She decides not to use her Lunar gift and is suffering because of it. She’s going a bit crazy but it’s all because she refuses to use it. To me, that makes her one of the strongest characters in this whole book.

Now, some issues I had with this book… First, the size… I totally understand what she was trying to accomplish but it was a little too much. There are times in this story that there are too many things going on at once. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed this book immensely. I just think there are things that were a bit overkill. Second, the ending was just a little blah. It drug out a bit too much and everyone’s story cleaned up so nicely. I know, I know. It’s a fairytale teen book. Was I wrong to expect so much more?

Overall, I loved this book and really enjoyed it. I cannot wait for her next one. She has some pretty hefty shoes to fill because she did a fabulous job with this whole series. Way to go, Meyer!

The Winner's Kiss by @Marie_Rutkoski

The Winner's Kiss by Marie Rutkoski
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is the third and final installment of the Winner’s Trilogy. This book starts us off at beginning of the war between the East and the West. We also have Arin and Kestrel on two different paths. Kestrel has been caught and captured. We find her on her way to a brutal work camp. Then we find Arin in the thick of the war. He’s leading ship battles and mostly, trying to convince himself that he doesn’t love Kestrel anymore. He believes that she has betrayed him.

I absolutely loved the first book but then the second book fell flat for me. I had high hopes for this book and it did not disappoint! There’s a lot going on in this book. We have the two main characters both vying for their lives on different parts of the country. We also have the war raging on. I loved Kestrel in this book. She is the absolute definition of a fighter. She fights to her very best and tries so hard to stay alive. Then later in the book, I love how she never just gives into what everyone is telling her. Even though, there are many frustrating points when you just want Arin and her to be together, I respect what the author did here. The characters in this series are just so amazing. I particularly, loved Roshar in this book. His commentary and character growth in this book were refreshing and surprising. I really didn’t think I was going to like him as much as I did. I almost liked him more than Arin.

Once we get to the middle of the book, this book grips you and does not let go. I loved the times when Kestrel is trying to find herself and how caring he is. He is so patient with her and you can feel how much he loves her. I really enjoy the fact that Rutkoski, really made their relationship realistic. They are going through ups and downs that are so much more like real situations, lack of communication and personal struggles. These are things that everyday couples experience and it was nice to see her add some reality to it. She really had a run with my emotions in this book. Rutkoski, really had a gift with her writing.

Really, the only complaint I have is that this book was a bit long. There are times that it drug out a bit but that’s okay. It wasn’t terrible and it never lost me.

Overall, I think that Rutkoski did a fabulous job finishing up this series. I always dread the last book because most of the time, it’s a big miss. She drew me in and never let me go. I am sad to see this series go but at the same time glad it ended well. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next! Loved this series!

Queen of the Tearling by @Erika_Johansen

 

 

 

I wanted to love this book so bad. I did not love it. It was a lukewarm like. It took me almost a year to finish this book. Yep. It just sat in a stack of books that I needed to read and I could only read a little at a time before I had to stop.

 

This book had SO much potential but it fell flat for me at many points. Don't get me wrong, I really liked the story. I will most likely read the next book, hoping this was just a rough start. This definitely felt like it was a Game of thrones type of book.

 There are some really graphic instances in this book. One of the things that it reminds me of GOT is the abundance of characters. There are so many characters in this book that I sometimes felt lost and had to backtrack a bit. It could be that it just took me so long to read this.

 

Regardless, I feel like the story itself was great. I really liked Kelsea and her character. This is one thing the author got right. Kelsea is just a badass. She doesn't put up with anything and can take care of herself. I also loved her because she is a good person, truly. If she saw anything bad happen to anyone, she would do everything in her power to stop it or fix it. That's a great character and someone you want to root for.

 

Now, this is where this book dropped to just 3 stars.. For one, it is very slow, almost painful. Reasons I just had to walk away so many times. I'm not a quitter and I finally just forced myself to finish it. The last 150+ pages really pick up and drag you back into the story. At some points, the author just over does it on the details. I started to get lost and just feel my eyes glaze over. The last thing that I didn't like.. there are so many holes. I know, it's a series. I just didn't like that everything was introduced and nothing was explained. Especially, since this book was so long. I felt like she had so much detail on the things that didn't matter and not enough about the important things. For example, what happened in the past? What is going on with the stones?

 

I will most likely read the next book because I need to know all the answers. I'm being a bit more hopeful that it wont be as paintstakingly slow. We will see. I guess, I liked it enough to read the next at somet point.

 

Princess of Tyrone by @Katie_Hastead

 

 

 

 

 

 

I want to thank Katie Hamstead for providing me with a copy of this ebook to read and review. These are my own thoughts and opinions. Now, lets get to the book...

 

First, I want to point out that I love the cover! I didn't really get to see it when I got my ebook, so I was surprised when I went to add it to my goodreads account. Love it. I'm a huge Disney princess fan and have always been one. My favorite is The Little Mermaid but I love them all. I'm not saying this is Disney or princess-y but just stating my love for them and the fairytales. When I read the description of this book, it sounded like something right up my alley. It's loosely based on the story about Sleeping Beauty. I love retellings of fairytales.

 

The writing in this book is fantastic! I started this book and it immediately sucked me in. I'm not kidding. I could not put it down and I spent half the day reading this book. I had to know how it ended. I love how Apolline is on a different planet and we get to see how she grew. She becomes a strong, independent, funny women and it made it so easy for us to root for her. I like that we go her whole story and how she meets Allard. I really loved Apolline and Allard. As soon as, she meets him, I was so excited! You fall completely in love with them from the beginning. Especially, knowing who they are to each other when they do not. Hamstead does a wonderful job making sure this isn't just a "love at first sight" romance. You get to see them fall in love and not in just two seconds. That is SO refreshing to me and just so much more realistic. It's a journey and it was so sweet. They both know they are betrothed to someone else and fight their attraction so much. The secondary characters are also fantastic. I love Charlie and how protective he is of Apolline. The relationship between Apolline and the fairies was also a lot of fun. Even Beau and Nathanial are great and they only have a small part in this book. The characters are all what you want from any good book. They will not disappoint. I can't wait to see more about them later. :)

 

I love how Hamstead wrapped up the ending. All these little pieces throughout the book that you don't think mean much, make a huge impact in the end to save Apolline.

Even though this is a retelling, Hamstead does a wonderful job making it her own and added plenty of plot twists. It's full of action and flows really well. Her new world kind of reminded me of the Marissa Meyer, Lunar Chronicles series, which I adored.

 

If you like fairytales and want a fresh new take, this is definitely a must read for you! I really enjoyed this and I cannot wait to read the rest of the books in this series! Thank you so much for letting me read this to review!