Crooked Kingdom - Review

Book Review:
Title: Crooked Kingdom
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Publisher: Orion's Children's Book

“I would have come for you. And if I couldn't walk, I'd crawl to you, and no matter how broken we were, we'd fight our way out together-knives drawn, pistols blazing. Because that's what we do. We never stop fighting.”

Kaz Brekker and his crew have just pulled off a heist so daring even they didn't think they'd survive. But instead of divvying up a fat reward, they're right back to fighting for their lives. Double-crossed and left crippled by the kidnapping of a valuable team member, the crew is low on resources, allies, and hope. As powerful forces from around the world descend on Ketterdam to root out the secrets of the dangerous drug known as jurda parem, old rivals and new enemies emerge to challenge Kaz's cunning and test the team's fragile loyalties. A war will be waged on the city's dark and twisting streets―a battle for revenge and redemption that will decide the fate of magic in the Grisha world.

It has taken me two months to be able to write this review. Two months. Now, part of that reason is because I have been swamped with college work, but mostly it's because I honestly have no idea to how to review this book. It's actually ridiculous. You know when you love something so much that there are simply no words to completely do it justice? That's how I feel writing this review. I can rave about this book for hours on hours, yet nothing I say can really express how amazing this book was.

In my opinion, this book is faultless. If I had to name something I didn't like about this book, the only thing that comes to mind is the fact that it ended. I wanted moreeee!!! This is one of the rare series where the author could release a million books and I would read and devour every single one of them. And the main reason for that is because of the characters. I don't think I've ever loved a group of characters as much as I love the Dregs; they're my little Cinnamon Rolls. I fell in love with them during Six of Crows, and then I fell even more during the sequel.

Crooked Kingdom picks up roughly where we left off from. Inej has been taken and the rest of the Dregs are formulating a plan in order to get her back and get the money that they rightfully earned.
And then of course, once they start carrying out their plan, shit goes down! No joke, this book gave me heart palpitations! At one point, I'd be letting out a squeal of victory, and then, I would suddenly be screaming in frustration. At one point I'd be crying tears of joy, but then I'd be crying tears of sadness. My emotions were played like a fiddle.
I just wanted my Dregs to be happy. And safe. And well-fed. And getting enough sleep.
But honestly, even though this book messed with me, I wouldn't of had it any other way. I believe that the truly amazing books are the ones that can evoke raw emotions from the reader.

(sits for 10 minutes and tries to think about what I can write about without spoiling the entire book. sighhh...)

Okay...lets talk romance!
I find that with most YA novels there's always a hint of insta-love *shudders* and for me, insta-love can really ruin my reading experience. Personally I love a good slow-burn romance, where you can feel the build up of passion; well in Crooked Kingdom, I got exactly what I love. All of the romances in this book progressed beautifully and I constantly found myself swooning (you know, at the few times when shit wasn't hitting the fan.) All of the relationships in this book were beautiful in their own way. Nina & Matthias had a passionate romance. Wylan & Jesper had a banter-filled and adorable romance. Kaz & Inej had a angsty and intense romance. All different, yet they were all just as equally as precious to me.
Also, props to Leigh Bardugo for keeping the relationship between Kaz and Inej realistic. As much as I would have loved seeing them doing all the typical romancy stuff, I'm glad they didn't and that their relationship is progressing at a slow pace. And you know what, even though their relationship is moving at the slowest place, I without a doubt swooned at their moments the most *remembers that one scene...sighs blissfully*

Well, I think I've rambled on enough.
Basically, in short, I absolutely loved this book and I hope that at some point in the future Leigh decides to revisit this world and these characters, because I can never have enough!
 
Without a doubt, one of my Top 10 Reads of 2016 (or even possibly ever!!)
5+ Stars (ALL THE STARS) 
Goodreads

5 reasons to pre-Order CARAVAL & GIVEAWAY [CLOSED]

So, a couple of months ago, I was lucky enough to receive an (two) early proof(s) of CARAVAL by Stephanie Garber. It was, without a doubt, the prettiest proof I had EVER received. Far more prettier than even some finished copies of books. I was in AWE! (If you don't believe me, look at these pictures!)

GORGEOUS, I KNOW!
I was immediately tempted to pick it up and devour it straight away, but then I realised that the release date was quite a while away (Jan 2017,) so I managed to restrain myself...for two months.
I succumbed to the temptation and I DON'T REGRET IT AT ALL! This book was glorious!
After finishing it, I was going to write a review, but it felt too soon for that, so instead I'm going to give you 5 reasons why I loved this book so much and hopefully persuade you to pre-order a copy for yourself.

Before I begin, here's the synopsis:

Scarlett has never left the tiny island where she and her beloved sister, Tella, live with their ruthless father. Now Scarlett’s father has arranged a marriage for her, and Scarlett thinks her dreams of seeing Caraval, the legendary, once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show, are over.
Then, Scarlett’s long-dreamt of invitation to Caraval finally arrives. So, Tella enlists a mysterious sailor’s help to whisk Scarlett away to this year’s show. But as soon as the trio arrives, Tella is kidnapped by Caraval’s mastermind organiser, Legend.
Scarlett has been told that everything that happens during Caraval is only an elaborate performance. But she nonetheless soon becomes enmeshed in a game of love, heartbreak, and magic with her sister, with Legend, and with the other players in the game. And whether Caraval is real or not, she must find Tella before the five nights of the game are over, a dangerous domino effect of consequences is set off, and her sister disappears forever.

Reason One - The Premise

From reading the synopsis above, you can learn the basic gist of what this book is about. What really drew me into this book was the whole concept of a magical game where everything seems real, but isn't. I have never read anything like it. I mean I've heard some people (positively) compare it to The Night Circus, but I have not read that book, so this was such a unique and interesting read for me.
While reading I was constantly thinking to myself, 'wow, this is so cool.' 'Why can't this be a real thing?!' I've become so obsessed with the world of CARAVAL, all I want to do is read about previous games and see how they panned out.

Reason Two - Sister Relations

Another thing I love about this book is that although we do have some romance in this book, the main relationship we focus on is between the two sisters, which is very refreshing. In a lot of YA books, I find that the most common type of relationship we focus on is the romantic relationship rather than familial ties and that can sometimes become a bit frustrating. YA characters are usually about 16-17 years old, yet we hardly ever see any family which I don't understand, because strong family relations, like Scarlett and Tella's, are so beautiful to read about.

Reason Three - The Characters

Every character in this book, and I literally mean every character, was brilliant! Whether they had a major or minor role, whether they were a player or performer, they all added something extra to the story and were fascinating to read about. The main protagonist, Scarlett, was especially fantastic! She was brave. She never lost focus of the task at hand. And she was relatable! Everything you would want in a main character.

  

Reason Four - The Writing

Stephanie Garber has got a way with words. Her writing in this book is pretty much flawless. The story flowed excellently. It had vivid and imaginative imagery. And the world-building was phenomenal. 
Also, getting deeper into the story, I didn't feel like I was reading a book, I felt like I was actually part of the game, trying to uncover all the secrets and win, which is such a rare experience for me.
I honestly cannot fault the writing at all!

Reason Five - The Cover 

Now, I know people like to say 'don't judge a book by its cover' but let's be honest, we all do it. You're more likely to buy a book if it has an aesthetically pleasing cover because it draws you in and, if buying the physical copy, you want something that's going to look pretty on your bookshelf. 
Well let me just say that as well as having a glorious inside, this book also has a glorious outside.

Feast your eyes on the beautiful final covers!! 

US Cover

UK Cover

How can you not want this book?!

So, hopefully I've managed to persuade you to pre-order this magnificent book! It releases on the 31st January 2017! (Click one of the covers for an Amazon pre-order link!)
If you are unable to wait that long to get your hands on the book, here's your chance to win an UK ARC...
 

GIVEAWAY TIME! [CLOSED]

Since I somehow ended up with two ARCs of CARAVAL I have decided to give one away to one of you lucky people. 
This giveaway will unfortunately be UK only, since I will be paying for postage.
To be in with the chance of winning follow me on twitter HERE and RT this tweet HERE  
The Giveaway will end on October 14th. GOOD LUCK!

A Torch Against The Night - Review

Book Review:
Title: A Torch Against The Night
Author: Sabaa Tahir
Publisher: HarperVoyager
Release Date: 8th September (UK)
I received an early copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

“So long as you fight the darkness, you stand in the light.” 

A Torch Against the Night takes readers into the heart of the Empire as Laia and Elias fight their way north to liberate Laia’s brother from the horrors of Kauf Prison. Hunted by Empire soldiers, manipulated by the Commandant, and haunted by their pasts, Laia and Elias must outfox their enemies and confront the treacherousness of their own hearts.
In the city of Serra, Helene Aquilla finds herself bound to the will of the Empire’s twisted new leader, Marcus. When her loyalty is questioned, Helene finds herself taking on a mission to prove herself—a mission that might destroy her, instead.

An Ember in the Ashes was one of my favourite books of 2015, possibly even of all time, so going into the sequel I had extremely high expectations, but also wariness in case of second-book syndrome (nobody likes second-book syndrome.) But honestly, there was no need for the wariness, because this book matched - no wait - exceeded my expectations and was just as good as the first.

This book picks up right where we left off. Elias and Laia are on the run trying to escape the martial soldiers, as well as trying to break her brother out of prison. Like the first, we have both Elias' and Laia's POV, but we also have a new POV that belongs to Helene where we follow her journey as the new blood shrike. In AEITA, I liked Helene's character, but I didn't love her (her love and obsession(?) towards Elias irked me a bit). But after ATATN, I can say without any hesitation that I love Helene and that she is now definitely one of my favourite characters! I have so much respect for her. She is so brave and strong and a complete inspiration.

My feelings for Laia on the other hand were a bit different. I loved her in AEITA, and I do still love her, yet there were a few times where her actions and decisions annoyed me a bit. I mean I sort of understood her reasoning for these things, but they were still annoying. (I wish I could go into more detail, but I don't want to spoil anyone...)
And Elias? My love for Elias is eternal! He is such a great person. His choices are almost never to benefit himself, everything he does, he does for others. If I had only one word to describe Elias, I would choose 'selfless', because he is by far one of the most selfless characters I have ever read about.

Sabaa Tahir really knows how to write such brilliant and complex characters. And her world-building as well as story telling skills? Amazing! This book is essentially a journey book, of getting from point A to point B, and usually these kind of books feel filler-like and are 90% of time boring. But this book is in the other 10%! While getting from point A to point B, there was truly never a dull moment. We were constantly meeting new characters, finding out new information (some real crazy stuff!) and I loved it! The majority of the book was read in one sitting where I was literally at the edge of my seat. At one point in the story I literally closed the book and just sat there for 5 minutes thinking WHAT THE HELL! (To be fair, this happened about 3/4 times in total) My emotions were put into a blender and it was turned on full speed. I was happy, then angry, then sad, then shocked, then annoyed, then happy again. By the end of this book, I was emotionally drained - I think I still might be!

Before I wrap up this review, I want to quickly touch upon the romance aspect of this book. So, in AEITA, I shipped Elias & Laia together, but I wasn't completely invested into it, because there was a lot of room for things to change, which in turn could change my feelings. Now, after finishing ATATN, I have two firm ships that I'm positive I will stick with till the end of the series. I'm not sharing them because once again, spoilers, but I feel like the majority of people who also read this book will feel the same as me (or at least I hope they do.)

Overall, this was a fantastic sequel and I can't wait to see where Sabaa Tahir takes this story, because if you haven't heard already, AEITA is now going to be a FOUR book series! I'm so excited!

5 Stars
Goodreads

Nevernight - Review

Book Review:
Title: Nevernight
Author: Jay Kristoff
Publisher: HarperVoyager
I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

“I’m a rumour. A whisper. The thought that wakes the bastards of this world sweating in the nevernight.”

Destined to destroy empires, Mia Covere is only ten years old when she is given her first lesson in death.
Six years later, the child raised in shadows takes her first steps towards keeping the promise she made on the day that she lost everything.
But the chance to strike against such powerful enemies will be fleeting, so if she is to have her revenge, Mia must become a weapon without equal. She must prove herself against the deadliest of friends and enemies, and survive the tutelage of murderers, liars and demons at the heart of a murder cult.
The Red Church is no Hogwarts, but Mia is no ordinary student.
The shadows love her. And they drink her fear.

What a book!
When I first became aware of Nevernight, there were three key words I constantly heard over and over again that stuck with me. Three words that ultimately drew me into this book and made me realise that this is a book I NEED to read. What were those three words you say? Assassins, Revenge & Murder. Otherwise know as my kind of book. Honestly, what more could I even ask for?! (Okay, maybe some more romance because I'm a sucker for a good romance, but it still had basically everything I love)
This book managed to deliver on everything it pitched - there were assassins, there was revenge and there were a lot of murders, some of which are still a bit too raw to talk about *sobs* (Jay Kristoff is ruthless!)

So we have our main protagonist, Mia Covere, who at the tender age of 10 was made to stand and watch as her father was murdered right in front of her eyes. Since that life changing moment, six years ago, she has lived her life with one goal in mind, avenge her father's death. And once Mia sets her mind to something, she ensures that she sticks to it and doesn't let anything or anyone get in her way. And trust me when I say, you would not want to get in her way. She will cut you! It's one of the main things I admired about her; she was a head-strong and all-around intriguing, complex character. I mean, she has the power to control the shadows!! How cool is that?! I loved learning more about her ability throughout this book and seeing how she can command the shadows and bend them to her will. Forget flying, super strength & all those other powers, I want to control the shadows!

Also while we're on the topic of shadows, I just want to quickly share my love for Mister Kindly who is Mia's very own shadow cat and definitely one of my favourite characters of the book!
To be honest, I loved every character in this book. They were all so fascinating and each of them added something special to the story. We had Tric, Ashlinn and Jessamine to name a few.

As a whole, I really enjoyed this book, but there were two things that unfortunately stopped this book from being a 5 star read. (Bear in mind that these are my personal opinions and that they may differ from other people)

1. It took quite a bit of time to really get used to the writing and be able to fully immerse myself into the story. The ARC I had was 640 pages and I believe it took about 150 pages for it all to really click with me.
2. The footnotes didn't work for me. They were actually very interesting and funny at times, but every time I read one, especially the longer ones, it ended up distracting me and pulled me out of the story.  

But other than those two points, this was a fantastic read!

On a different note, I've seen a lot of discussion on whether this book should be classed as young-adult or adult. Everyone has their own different view points, which is great, but personally rather than classing this as one or the other all I'm going to say is, that this book is a dark & gritty read. It has graphic violence, sexual scenes and a lot of swearing. If these don't bother you, then I really recommend you pick this book up.
In my opinion, as a young-adult, I actually found it quite refreshing to see a teenage character swearing. So many authors when writing about a teenager tend to refrain from including swear words and dirty deeds, but in some ways, it makes the story unrealistic for me, because who are we kidding, teenagers swear a lot! (Though I do understand and respect that it may make some feel uncomfortable when reading)

Never Flinch. Never Fear. Never Forget.

4 Stars
Goodreads