House of Sky and Breath - Sarah J. Maas

 

Book: House of Sky and Breath (Crescent City #2)

Author: Sarah J. Maas 

Releasedate: 15th of February, 2022

OH… MY … SOCKS… 

I wrote that I wasn’t very enthusiastic about the first book in this series, but second one has blown me away!

I mean, I even coerced my husband to start reading the books so I can squeal with him over the ending of this book. 

I was much more invested in this story then I was in the first one. It felt like it finally fell into place and it was much easier for me to read instead of getting lost in the infodump. None of that was really needed now. 

It was sligthly daunting for me to start this book, because I was so underwhelmed by the start of the first book, but it was totally worth it getting into it. The books are one of the thickest on my bookshelves, but you really need all the pages for the story. It was quite a heavy book to take with me on the subway, lol, And I even have the hardcover so that’s extra weight and mass. But I didn’t regret it and I read it pretty quickly. Sarah’s writing style is so easy to read. I was surprised in the first book and the second with all the profanity, but given that this isn’t YA anymore, I guess that suits the purpose for the story.

If you are planning on reading this series, I highly recommend that you read the Actorar series first and possibly even the Throne of Glass series as well, because there is a big plan afoot in Sarah’s worlds and you want to be there to see it unfold! 

House of Earth and Blood - Sarah J. Maas

 

Book: House of Earth and Blood

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Releasedate: 3rd of March, 2020

Oh boy. I really love the books Sarah writes but this one really took me way to long to get into. I even made a post in our facebook group looking for support on how to get into this book. 

And people kept telling me “Read on, it will get better!” 

And it did, fortunately.

When you start this book, prepared to get infodumped. I really was lost at the start at so many new locations and people that it almost was to much for me. Heck, I still haven’t properly read the Game of Thrones series because of all the POI switching. 

But okay, I kept reading on and I quite liked the book. I still love the Acotar series more then this book, but it was okay for me. Maybe if I read it a second time, it will be better now I know the personas and what happens next. 

I do like the modern day worldbuilding in a world filled with Fae though. I mean, they have cellphones and watch Sunball games on big screen tv’s. That’s really cool. The magic in the story doesn’t feel obsolete, but it enhances each other and I think that’s a really cool job that Sarah did there. 

So, on to number 2! 

Crooked Kingdom - Leigh Bardugo

 

Book: Crooked Kingdom (#2 Six of Crows)

Author: Leigh Bardugo

Releasedate: September 27, 2016

If you liked the first book, you are definitely going to love the second book. For me, this story had so much more depth then the first one and it was a real joy to see how everything unfolds in the story. We also get to see more of Kaz’s mind and why he is like he is and you almost get the shivers for him for what happened to him.

The ending is really satisfying, but throughout the story you are constantly wondering if everything is going to be allright. Because sometimes things won’t be allright and that’s allright in itself. 

You really feel anxious for what happens in the story and it all seems to be a big mindfuck until you understand it all. And that really had an Ocean’s Eleven feel to it for me. 

This book was a nominee for best YA Fantasy back in 2016 and I can totally understand that. It still has it’s darkness and it’s plots and twist and I really do like that! 

Six of Crows - Leigh Bardugo

 

Book: Six of Crows

Author: Leigh Bardugo

Releasedate: September 29, 2015

Well, the recommendation to read this book came from quite a weird place. I really love playing Guild Wars 2 and I saw someone there with a name that resembled one of the characters in the Throne of Glass series of Sarah J. Maas. (I’ve read those too also in the past, all of them are in my bookcase!)

We started talking and she recommended me this book with it’s successor as well. So, I still had some birthday money left and ordered them. They have a pretty spot in my bookcase now.

Okay, remember Ocean’s Eleven? It’s like that and nothing like that at all. It’s fantasy, dark and brutal. You get to know several characters in the story and whereas I was afraid it was going to be a multi person story with several storylines, it wasn’t that bad at all. The story flows with the different characters and just shows you different point of views. 

I really like the way the Grisha work in this world and I find it fascinating how Leigh made it so human still. Kaz is a really intriguing person to follow and you never quite know what’s going on in that dark head of his. The story is daring, exciting and thrilling. And I really like the scenery because it’s mostly Dutch inspired (however some of the names elude me why those were chosen as “Dutch”), but hey, it was pretty well executed. It’s really weird for me to read Dutch names in an English story, so my head was switching back and forth to Dutch and English, but that didn’t bother me. 

Leigh’s storytelling is a hard to put down kinda style and it reads very easily. So, if you like dark, brooding and a criminal mastermind, I’d definitely recommend reading this one! 

When Women Were Dragons - Kelly Barnhill

 

Book: When Women Were Dragons

Author: Kelly Barnhill

Releasedate: 3rd of May 2022

Well, let me say. I saw this book in my local bookstore and was instantly intrigued. I mean, women and dragons? I’ve read several books containing dragons, but this looked like a whole new take on the subject and I was absolutely right.

You really feel the time it is set in. So many ambiguous people and definitely something people would do when they encounter something they don’t understand. Just hide it and don’t talk about it.

Well, I do need to talk about this book. I really like it! I find it fascinating and you can almost believe it has happened in the past, weren’t it for the fact that there are no dragons in real life. 

For the better part of the book I did wonder how it was going to end. But as soon as it was nearing it’s ending, it totally made sense. Kelly’s writing style is easygoing with an academic touch to the story and I really admire her for that view she put in her story. So, if you’re into a fantasy filled historic story with a feelgood ending, this is your go to. And apparently several people agree with me since this book was nominated for the Best Fantasy in 2022! 

Gilded - Marissa Meyer

Book: Gilded
Author: Marissa Meyer
Releasedate: 2nd of November, 2021

Long ago cursed by the god of lies, a poor miller's daughter has developed a talent for spinning stories that are fantastical and spellbinding and entirely untrue.

Or so everyone believes.

When one of Serilda's outlandish tales draws the attention of the sinister Erlking and his undead hunters, she finds herself swept away into a grim world where ghouls and phantoms prowl the earth and hollow-eyed ravens track her every move. The king orders Serilda to complete the impossible task of spinning straw into gold, or be killed for telling falsehoods. In her desperation, Serilda unwittingly summons a mysterious boy to her aid. He agrees to help her . . . for a price.

Soon Serilda realizes that there is more than one secret hidden in the castle walls, including an ancient curse that must be broken if she hopes to end the tyranny of the king and his wild hunt forever.

Ooooh boy... If you have been following my reviews for a while, you must know that I love the way Marissa alters the fairytales and makes them into her own splendid versions. And she has done it again!

This story has the base of the fairytale of Rumpelstiltskin. And it took me quite some time to figure out how this fairytale fitted in her story, but as the story progresses the puzzle pieces slowly fall into their place. We see Marissa conjuring up a story with so much more detail and worldbuilding then the original story beholds and I think that is magnificent.

The only, really only thing that bugged me was... Why did she use German and Dutch names as a mix in this story? Isn't the story of Rumpelstiltskin of German origin? I am aware, as a Dutch person myself, that Americans tend to mix up Germans and Dutch people, which is still highly affronting for most of us. *cough WWII* So I was confused to read German and Dutch names in the story. I don't know if it was done deliberilately, because I can't imagine not getting your research straight if you start writing. 

But, overall, I really loved it and I am genuinly frustrated that I need to wait until November to read the next book! She left us on such a cliffhanger! Her writing style is easy as always and it was really hard for me to put the book down.

Remember the Butterfly - Rebecca L. Marsh

Book: Remember the Butterfly
Author: Rebecca L. Marsh
Releasedate: February 10th, 2022 

I was and am thankful for Rebecca that she involved me in her tour to tell you about her latest  book 'Remember the Butterfly'. So really, really thank you, Rebecca! 

--

What if you had to give up what you treasured most?

Something unexpected changes the course of Jillian’s life.

After witnessing her sister’s murder, she’s been tormented by survivor’s guilt. Her desperate longing for a child compounds her grief, while endless fertility treatments weigh down her soul.

Just when hope seems beyond her grasp, her dream of motherhood comes true. All Jillian’s pain is washed away and joy fills her heart.

But when someone shows up threatening to take it all away, Jillian must choose between holding on to her newfound happiness or giving it all up for the sake of someone she loves.

--

First and foremost; if you're going to read this book, prepare to get heartbroken. The emotions I felt whilst reading this book were all over the place. I felt endeared, shocked, angry, happy and satisfied. And that all in one book. Rebecca has done it again to capture my emotions and drag them along through the story she's written. We get to know Jillian and what heartbreaking decisions she has to make for love, for herself, for everyone around her. I really felt for her after reading what happened with her sister. And even more so when they failed to conceive. 

I have to be honest. I have debated to throw out my ereader out the window several times. And not because I didn't like the book. No, because what it did to me. At points I was so sad, and so angry at what happened. It is a form of art to take hold of someones emotions and take them with you in the book just through words. As always Rebecca's writing style is easy to read and that makes it even harder to put the book down. 

I cried at the ending of the book and not many books can do that to me. I was really satisfied with how it ended. Remember the Butterfly is a real pageturner filled with emotions you didn't know you could experience them through words.