Sarah Reviews: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Mass

Title: Throne of Glass

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Pages: 404

Publishing Company: Bloombury USA Children's

Publication Date: August 7, 2012

ISBN: 1599906953

My Rating:   
(or an 87%)

Synopsis:

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:

Wow! This book was definitely even better than I expected. I was originally wary and it took me a while to get into the writing style. The writing style was really unique and interesting. It was not written like many other YA books. Although the characters are snarky and sarcastic, the dialogue is written in a sort of sophisticated way. It's really cool! I loved Celaena a lot! She is so kickass and such a strong character. I mean she's an assassin! I love how the other characters underestimate her and then she's like BAM, watch my awesomeness! She is so strong and I love how both Chaol and Dorian, originally believing her to be evil, come to realize how she is an amazing person despite her "occupation". Everything in the story was revealed in a very clever way and kept the reader on their toes. It was suspenseful and crazy action packed! There is also a love triangle a-brewing, and I have no clue which side I'm on! I'm thinking Dorian, because he's so sweet and lovable, but Celaena doesn't seem to feel the same way...at least not yet *crosses fingers hopefully*. I loved the complexity of the characters and can't wait to see where their stories lead in the next book. I'm sure it will be just as action packed!!! Weird names and pronunciation problems aside, this book was definitely enjoyable. If you love assassins, fantasy, action, romance, or just kickass characters in general, pick up this book ASAP!!

Until next time fellow readers, watch out for those assassins! ;)

xoxo Sarah

Top Ten Books On My Spring TBR List

Time for another Top Ten Tuesday! Brought to you by The Broke and the Bookish. This weeks list is the top ten books I want to read this spring. Sarah will also be adding onto the list so yay! Here we go!

Molly:

Hollow City by Ransom Riggs - I absolutely LOVED Ms. Peregrine's so of course I have to read the sequel! I've already ordered this one so now I'm just waiting for it to come in the mail.

Frostbite by Richelle Mead - I really need to get reading this book because I read the first book about a year ago. I want to read the entire series so I better get a move on.

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins - I am so so so so excited to read this book! I've heard nothing but great things about it and I can't wait to start reading it!

The Maze Runner by James Dashner - The movie adaptation is coming out soon and I really want to read this book before then so that way I know what to espect beforehand.

Insurgent by Veronica Roth - Yeah, I've been putting this one off for a while and I really need to get on this one. I must finish the trilogy!!!!!

The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger - My friend Linda keeps telling me to read this book and I would really like to read it since it seems really good. Plus, I haven't read a book about time travel yet and this one seems as good as any.

The Odyssey by Homer - I LOVE Greek literature and mythology and I would love to read the entire epic poem. We started it in English class freshman year and I intend to finish it.

Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson - I've been meaning to read this book forever and I'm really excited to do so.

It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini - I'm finally getting around to read this book. I've owned it for about a year now and I would really like to read it at some point this year.

Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank - I've started reading this book several times in elementary school and now I would like to actually like to read the whole thing.


Sarah:

1. Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas - I just finished Throne of Glass and loved it!!! I can't wait to continue this stellar series!

2-4. The Shatter Me Series by Tahereh Mafi - I've been dying to read this series 5ever! It sounds super cool! 

5. Panic by Lauren Oliver - Lauren Oliver is one of my favorite writers and I've been dying to read her latest book. Plus, some booktubers over at @booksplosion are holding a read-along for this book! Woot!

6. The Archived by Victoria Schwab - This is another book I've been hearing people rave about on booktube. I don't know much about it, but there is another read-along for this book and the liveshow is this weekend. Yikes! I better get started...

7. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys - I really don't know much about this book either except that my friends loved it. That's good enough for me! And no, it is not related to 50 Shades of Gray, AT ALL!

8. Pivot Point by Kasie West - This book sounds super interesting! It's about a girl who can see her future or something like that. Sounds awesome!

9. Partials by Dan Wells - This is a dystopian I bought like a week ago because it was really cheap on the nook. I'm about one chapter in...

10. Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare - I feel like this needs no explanation. As a fan of The Mortal Instruments, I have no excuse for not reading this yet.

Molly Reviews: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Title: The Lightning Thief

Author: Rick Riordan

Pages: 377

Publishing Company: Disney Hyperion Books

Publication Date: March 1, 2008

ISBN: 0786838665

My Rating:    

Synopsis: Percy Jackson is about to be kicked out of boarding school... again. And that's the least of his troubles. Lately, mythological monsters and the gods of Mount Olympus seem to be walking straight out of the pages of Percy's Greek mythology textbook and into his life. And worse, he's angered a few of them. Zeus' master lightning bolt has been stolen, and Percy is the prime suspect.

Now Percy and his friends have just ten days to find and return Zeus' stolen property and bring peace to a warring Mount Olympus. But to succeed on his quest, Percy will have to do more than catch the true thief: he must come to terms with the father who abandoned him; solve the riddle of the Oracle, which warns him of betrayal by a friend; and unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves.

Review: This was one of my favorite books when I was younger, and now I remember why! I love Greek mythology and Percy Jackson is a great adaptation that is easy for everyone to understand! You don't have to know anything about Greek legends going into this book which is one of the reasons why I love it.

Last year, in English, we spent an entire marking period learning about Greek literature and coming back to this book after that led me to appreciate it even more (did anyone else notice Poseidon's mention of tragic heroes?). Not only does the book talk about Greek myths, but it also has quite a bit of sarcastic humor. I am SO glad my friend is making me reread the series. Even though this book is rather short and written for more middle grade audiences, I think that it is a good read for people of all ages!

Top Ten All Time Favorite Books in YA Fiction!!!

Hey y'all!

It's Molly here for another Top Ten Tuesday! This week was Top Ten Books in X Genre so I chose a somewhat broad topic but I read all different types of books so it was hard to pick one specific genre. So yeah! Here goes nothing!

1. Graceling - SUCH an amazing book. It's such a unique idea and just a great, entertaining story.

2. An Abundance of Katherines - This is my favorite John Green book. I love the characters and it's just a fun read. Highly recommend it.

3. Jellicoe Road - This is probably my favorite YA book of all time. I love the way the story is told and I just love everything about this book. It's definitely one of the best books out there.

4. The Spectacular Now - Tim Tharp knows how to write a book. Even though it doesn't have that many pages, it's a long read. It's extremely realistic and a must read for everyone.

5. Dash and Lily's Book of Dares - Yay Christmas! The varrying points of view are one of the things that made me fall in love with this book. It's adorable.

6. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculliar Children - Okay, this book is pretty creepy. The story is pretty weird and the photos could give some people nightmares but I love that sort of thing so this book obviously got a spot on the list. 

7. The Scorpio Races - If you love horses and the beach, you'll love this book. It deals with the myth of water horses and yeah. It's good.

8. Between Shades of Gray - Definitely my favorite historical fiction novel. It's sosososo good and you simply must read it.

9. The Giver - This is probably one of the most inspirational books I have ever read. It was very good and if you  haven't read it yet you totally should because the movie will be coming out soon!!!

10. The Perks of Being a Wallflower - *cries forever*

That's all for today!! Thanks so much for stopping in!

Love,

Molly

Sarah Reviews: The Iron Fey Series by Julie Kagawa

Hey guys! I know, 2 reviews in one week! It has to be a miracle...Anyway, the next series I'm reviewing is The Iron Fey Series by Julie Kagawa. This series is four books, The Iron King, The Iron Daughter, The Iron Queen, and The Iron Knight. The first 3 books are in Megan Chase's POV and the last one is in Ash's POV, but will get more into that later. Here's a summary of the first book:

Meghan Chase has a secret destiny—one she could never have imagined…

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school…or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.

But she could never have guessed the truth—that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face…and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

Review:

This series was very interesting. I had not really ever read a story that takes place in this kind of world. It is not about the types of fairies you are used to. These "faeries" are manipulative and not always trustworthy. You might recognize some familiar names such as Puck, Oberon, and Titania if you read "A Midsummer's Night Dream", but this is way more interesting! Meghan is such a strong character! Throughout the story, her growth was evident as was Prince Ash's. Ash is so mysterious and brooding (like most YA boys) yet Meghan brings out the best in him and helps show him that it is ok to show your feelings. I originally thought the loved story was rushed and unrealistic. In the beginning, I really wanted her to be with Puck. However, as the story progressed I realized how both Meghan and Ash needed each other. Not only are the character relationships great but the plot and writing style are so engaging. I could not put the book down and just flew threw this series! However, the 4th book was more of an in between/companion book to introduce the spin off series. I enjoyed seeing from Ash's POV but got bored quickly and wanted to see what Meghan was doing. However, I still really enjoyed the series. I laughed, I cried, and had a good time. These are really fast reads and if you are into fantasy or enjoy a good adventure don't hesitate to pick this up! You won't regret it. Here are my ratings for each of these books:

              

   

          

Until next time fellow readers, never trust a fey...

xoxo Sarah

Sarah Reviews: The Lux Series (#2-4) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Hey everyone! I'm so behind on reviews that I decided for series that I read I will do joint reviews. Yay!!! So today I'm review the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th books in the Lux Series. Onyx, Opal, and Origin. If you want to know the premise of the series, check out my review of Obsidian where I give a quick synopsis explaining the series.

*WARNING*

Mild spoilers if you have not read Obsidian or any of these books

I really enjoyed reading this series! It is so funny and action packed. I love the romance and the relationships. The characters are relatable and you grow so attached. This series definitely gets better as you go along. I love how Katy has grown throughout the series and her relationship with Dameon has grown too. I loved in the 2nd book that scene where he brought her dinner on thanksgiving and then they set up the Christmas tree. SO cute!!! However, my favorite scene would have to be in the 4th book when they are in Vegas. Those of you who read the book know what I'm talking about. I feel like this was a huge turning point in the series. By Katy and Dameon making that decision, it sealed their relationship but also sealed their fates. It showed how over the past year they have both grown and changed and throughout all the hardships they've endured, they wouldn't change a thing. I'm really excited to see where this series is headed and how the Luxen and Origins play into this "war" that has been insinuated. One downside to this series is a lot of ideas and explanations are open ended. I still don't really understand how hybrids work or what happened after Dameon healed Will or how it is even possible to become immune to onyx, but whatever, I can roll with it. I would recommend this to anyone who loves YA books. Don't let the aliens scare you away if you don't like sci-fi. It is so amazing and you won't regret picking it up. I can't wait for the 5th book! Here are my ratings for each book.
   



    





















Until next time fellow readers, to infinity, and beyond!

xoxo Sarah