April Books Ranked!

A Court of Mist and Fury

A Court of Wings and Ruin

Heart of Iron

Annihilation

Geekerella

The Heart’s Invisible Furies

Shiver

Wonder Woman: Warbringer

Wires and Nerve

The Lost World

Daughter of the Siren Queen

Fairest

Every Last Lie

My April Read Books Rating! The one at the top is my highest rated, and the one at the bottom is my lowest. My ratings might be a bit surprising, considering I have some serious heart eyes for Wonder Woman, or because I gave the first ACOTAR book such a low rating. So lemme explain these a bit:

First, I’ll start with “Every Last Lie” by Mary Kubica. Although this is by no means a crappy book, I really only read it because I won it and because I had nothing else to read during a hair appointment. That being said, many aspects of it had me on the edge of my seat. However, I’ve read better thrillers and I thought the ending was cliche and kind of tired.

Fairest was not at all what I expected. It wasn’t really a real novel, obviously, so there was less of a narrative arc, and more just backstory. That’s really the reason it can’t be rated higher. I did genuinely enjoy this one. 

DotSQ might be an upset as well--don’t get me wrong. I love Tricia Levenseller. I think

she’s a talented storyteller and a great person who I now consider a friend. However, this book just didn’t stack up when compared with some of the other stuff I read this month. It’s hard to beat high fae sex, okay? This novel, while fun, felt rushed (and I know there was explanation for that, but that’s not an excuse), and seemed a little more forced. This didn't stop me from reading it in practically one sitting though, so it's nothing to scoff at.

The Lost World. Crichton isn’t known for his incredible writing, but I will say, I can’t turn down a good dinosaur thriller. This one had me excited, and I always love the philosophical aspects of his approach to science. But like I said, occasionally the writing isn’t up to snuff for me.

Wires and Nerve is the first graphic novel I’ve ever read, and I thought it was absolutely delightful. I’ll read anything Marissa Meyer does, and I loved revisiting the characters here. However, it wasn’t really anything all that original, but it was really fun.

Wonder Woman: Warbringer. Okay, mixed feelings about this one. I love WW with my pathetic fangirl heart, and Leigh Bardugo is my queen. But, like some of her books, I felt it took me a while to get into this one. Of course, once I got into it, I was hooked on the story. She’s an excellent character writer, but it never detracts from her excellent skill with story.

Shiver. This was a reread for me, which is a rarity. But I needed some Maggie Stiefvater in my life, and I needed it immediately. I do love this book, but I’m aware that it has serious flaws. It’s one of her earlier books, and it has this Twilighty feel to it, but in my opinion the much healthier relationship helps a lot. Plus she writes characters like no one else.

The Heart’s Invisible Furies was a hard one to rate. On the one hand, the first two hundred pages or so, minus the first fifty about Cyril’s mother, were so boring and strange I couldn’t quite get through them. I wanted to gag a little at the mind of a seven year old or fifteen year old on sex. No thanks. I don’t mind when characters have sex. But I don’t want to read pages of descriptions of that being all he thinks of. Nonetheless, the story picked up quite a bit around page 250, and I found myself absolutely enamored with Cyril and his life. I even cried at the end.

Geekerella appeals so hard to the fangirl in me. I could read sweet, adorable geek girl books any day. Ashley Poston’s writing improved in Heart of Iron, but I think it’s easier to forgive a book it’s so-so writing when the writing is still compulsively readable.

Annihilation was a mind-bending sci-fi thriller that took me to a very strange and contemplative place. I love love loved this book, and it kind of blew my mind and stretched my brain. I think fans of Poe and science fiction will love this, so if that’s your thing, read it. If not, the prose style might get tedious. It did a little bit for me.

Heart of Iron. Be still my history nerd heart. Heart of Iron combines Anastasia with space, and it works so well for me. I love the stars and the planets, and I love royal mysteries. Like I said, this is better than Poston’s Geekerella in terms of writing, although it took me about fifty pages to decide I liked this one. Once I got hooked though I was in for the long haul. Can’t wait for the sequel.

ACOWAR. Although this might be other people’s favorite of the books, I think I got a little bit stressed during certain scenes. I don’t enjoy books about war, so that might be why I had a hard time with some of the scenes here. But that was maybe my only complaint, except that I wanted so much more. Also though, that Suriel scene is burned into my brain and heart and I cried like a baby.

ACOMAF takes the cake here, friends. I loved every moment of this epic, epic romance. I expected so much less, honestly. I loved the Feyre Rhys fun, the sex, the love, the romance, the adventure. I love this book not only because it drastically changed my opinion about Sarah J. Maas, but because it felt so real. The slow-bloom of romance is something I die for. I loved meeting the characters, seeing Feyre’s inner strength, and going on this adventure with characters I now love so much.

There you have it, friends. I can’t wait to do this again next month!

A Court of Frost and Starlight Predictions

Like everybody else in the book world, I read and finished “A Court of Frost and Starlight” yesterday, and I don’t think I’m alone in wanting the next book to be out already. 2019 is really far away, and as much as I like living in the present, I wish 2019 would hurry up already. I remarked on this yesterday when I was deciding which books I plan on buying, which I plan on borrowing from the library, and I realized I was planning books I would want to buy in January 2019, which just feels insane. (Such as, The Wicked King, and King of Scars) But, such is the life of a book worm.

I really enjoyed it ACOFAS, so I’m going to write a quick spoiler-free review of the book, as well as put some of my predictions and ideas out there for what might happen in the future of this series.

By way of review: It’s possible other people were expecting more from this book, but it was exactly what I wanted and expected it to be. I gave it a four star review, because it wasn’t groundbreaking enough to deserve five stars. Nonetheless, I appreciated that it was more of a “slice of life” book, than it was a real book. I didn’t want or need a true adventure in this book, I just wanted to see the characters again and get a glimpse of where the story was going. I loved the varying POVs, the clues we got into the feelings and personalities of characters that we normally don’t get as much information on. I love Feyre and Rhysand, don’t get me wrong. But it’s not like there’s much more to tell about their stories. Sure, they’ll have new adventures, and they’ll likely start a family, but they’ve already gone through so much and experienced so many things together, it just doesn’t feel like there’s a need for another story centered on them. I am, however, fascinated by the rest of their little family and the stories they still have to tell. I loved that this book hinted at so many new storylines, although I wish it had been a little more clear the direction it was going. The sneak peek of the next book was seriously exciting though. If you haven’t, be sure to read that sneak peek. I have a feeling a few members of the fandom will be ecstatic when they read it. We’re certainly in for a wild ride.

And now, predictions for the next bit of the series!

Credit: @maggiepalmiter Instagram 

1. I think Mor will be confronted with her sexuality, and that this will be the first time the person with the gift for truth will actually have to tell the truth. I feel genuine apprehension for the moment that Mor and Azriel have to have that conversation. He’s loving and kind, but I can only imagine the hurt he will feel knowing she purposefully flaunted men in his face for years rather than telling him she wasn’t interested. I hope we get to see some conclusion to the Mor/Eris storyline too. Her father too, although I’d be happiest if he just died.
   
   

   

   Credit: @artofviccolatte

   
   
2. Cassian, in my opinion, has the deepest heart and the most sensitive soul. He plays tough, but he’s a softy down deep. Remember, he and Feyre were the quickest to become true friends when she joined their inner circle. We get some clues about the background of some of his deep-seated beliefs in this book, which is nice, and it opened up a lot of possibilities for what we will see in future books for him. My hope is that future storylines for him aren’t focused just on Nesta and their potential. I want to see some growth in him--I want to see him learn to trust and open up with people, especially his friends. I want to see him acknowledge the depth of his feelings. I don’t even know if I want him and Nesta together, because she can be a bit tough to love for me.
   
   

   

   Credit: ak-draws.tumblr.com

   
   
3. I have a feeling, based on some clues from the book and the sneak peek, that we’re going to learn a lot about Nesta in these next few books. I have mixed feelings about this. I like seeing the mental struggle she goes through, because she’s not nearly as icy as she believes. But for someone who has so many people who love her, she’s a bit of a pill, in my opinion. I think at the moment, even if I don’t love her as much as I love other people in the series, I would enjoy a series about her if only to see her humbled a bit. I look forward to the continuation with her of what we see in the sneak peek.
   
   

   

   Credit: unknown 

   
   
4. Lucien is a character I love with my autumn-loving heart, so I do hope I get some of him in the future. I think eventually he will make up with Tamlin, but it won’t be the same. I think through his new friendships he will find the confidence to declare his independence and become a stronger person. I love that he’s kind of the unspoken of victim. That he went through so much, and his realization of how different life can be is just beginning. He’s finally learning who he is without Tamlin, and that’s a journey I think we’ll get lots of in the next books. I can’t decide if I love him with Elain, or if I love Azriel and Elain, so let’s not talk about this yet.

There is obviously a lot more to be predicted, so I can’t really give an exhaustive list of what I think might happen. But I really hope we just get more and more of my favorite high fae.

Ginger

The ceiling above my bed

Was cracked the night we met

By the storm that turned this

House onto an x axis.

I couldn’t stop staring,

Freckle-counting and still caring

For the constellation-faced

Boy with impeccable taste.

I piled my books up high from the floor,

Fortress walls, like I’d always done before.

Do you remember laying like stars

On the concrete, comparing our scars?

I remember singing Billie Holiday

Classics, and dreaming one day

We’d fall asleep on each other

The way you always said we would.

We Need to Talk about "The Darkling"

Photo cred: wendyoghurt 

I've been there before. Back when I first read Twilight, just like every other fourteen year old girl. I ended up being Team Jacob. But at first, I was, without a doubt, Team Edward. It was sexy how he told her forcefully that he loved her, and that he wanted to keep her safe at all times. Stalked her, watched her at night. Followed her down a dark alley only to miraculously save her from the rapists. I mean, we all know it's a contemporary paranormal romance, so rationally, we all realize that's actually unbelievably creepy in real life. Right? 

Maybe. 

But the whole, bad boy who loves you theme is maybe not so easy to shake. Think of the Vampire Diaries, where girls had to decide between Stefan and Damon Salvatore, one of whom enjoys killing his victims.

Or in The 100, when tons of fans ship Bellarke, despite the fact that Bellamy is a morally gray ant/protagonist who frequently treats people as dispensable. (I'm only on the first season, but the shipping is a little mind-blowing right now. He's truly horrible.)

But I think the worst one is The Darkling. And yes, I get the appeal. He's dark, he's mysterious, he's obviously into Alina, who seems more than willing to accept his attention. (Mind you, it's been about three months since I read the books and I don't have them in front of me, so apologies for anything that isn't perfectly accurate.) And, there's the fact that he seems to really, truly understand Alina, the way that no one else does. Never mind the fact that he willingly murders multiple people to further his plans. Never mind the fact that he slaughters her friends and refuses to see reason. None of that matters. Because he's the sexy, dark bad boy, and he's the one who taps into the passion that Alina never knew she had. 

I won't deny it's a little bit sexy, the way he speaks to her. In an emotionally fraught moment he actually says to her "Fine, make me your villain", and that is easily one of the sexiest lines I've heard in all of literature. Taken out of context, that is. In context I'm pretty sure he's just a zealot for his cause who believes that Alina is his perfect, powerful, counterpart. 

I know that Mal might be a little bit boring at times. And he's also the guy who "holds her back", for lack of better phrase here. But he's the guy who's known her since they were kids. The guy who was forced to grow over the course of the books. The guy who saw that she had to sacrifice him for a cause he wasn't completely sure of himself, and walked into that fire for her. Meanwhile, The Darkling is a brooding, angry, murderous man-child who literally uses every power he has to manipulate her. The Darkling makes her selfish and manipulative, and power-hungry, while Mal makes her a better, calmer, kinder person. 

If we're being real here, the man who was most perfect for Alina was Nikolai, but only because her personality took a nose-dive when she got so powerful. 

And if we're digging into the text even more, Alina was clearly not supposed to end up with The Darkling, because he is representative of the seduction of power. He's not really a person here. He's Alina's desire to take the power that is being presented to her, and using it to her own advantage, just the way The Darkling does. And by eventually choosing Mal, she's not really choosing Mal. She's choosing to be a hero, a normal person who sacrifices everything she loves for what she knows is right, even if it means giving up the power that has taken such a strong hold on her. 

The truth is, I won't judge you angrily for shipping a main character with a murderous psychopath, or a stalker. I actually don't really care who you ship, or which characters you like. That's up to you. And I sometimes do it too. We all do! So, friends, keep on shipping, keep on reading, and don't date murderous psychopaths in real life. 

Love,

Sarai

Shop the Grisha trilogy here

Blind Rabbit Books is a Go!

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Love,

Sarai