"Deadly beauty is the starkest variety. And you will never find a murderess more intoxicating, more entrancing, than the sea."
"Memory is often"Deadly beauty is the starkest variety. And you will never find a murderess more intoxicating, more entrancing, than the sea."
"Memory is often our only connection to who we used to be. Memories are fossils, the bones left by dead versions of ourselves."
Brandon Sanderson can never write a bad book. I already knew that but this book just strengthen my trust in him. Tress of the Emerald Sea have easily made it to the list of my favorites books of 2024. And Tress? This girl is in a word... Incredible. Definitely one my the best book heroines I've ever met.
Tress of the Emerald Sea is a whimsical epic fantasy standalone. Every aspect of this book mesmerized me. It was just so perfect. The world building was amazing. The characters were well fleshed and had distinct qualities. There's a cute romance at the center of this book. However, to me, the best part of Tress of the Emerald Sea was its magic system. Imagine oceans of something that isn't water, basically non-liquid oceans....Do I need to say more?? Please go and read this book if you haven't yet. Trust me you'll love this one.
"Danger is like icy water; you can get used to it if you take it slowly."
"Strange desperation is exactly the state that often leads to genius."
"We pretend that love is rational, if we can only see the pieces, the motivations."...more
"When the dead betray the living, the victims are memories."
"We were foolish to think the Fhrey were gods, but it was insanity for the Fhrey to
"When the dead betray the living, the victims are memories."
"We were foolish to think the Fhrey were gods, but it was insanity for the Fhrey to believe it, too. I’d rather be foolish than insane."
Back in 2021, I tried to read Theft of Sword, the first book of The Riyria Revelation, Sullivan's first and most famous work till date. Unfortunately, I wasn't a big fan. I ended up dnf'ing the book around 200 pages in. It was probably due to the lingering disappointment from the experience that it took me so long to pick up "Ages of Myth". Honestly, I had no plans to read it. Even after seeing everyone reading and loving The Riyria Chronicles, I had no intention of returning to this world known as Elan. However, Regan from PeruseProject finally convinced me to give it a go. We share very similar tastes when it comes to books. So, I decided trust her recommendation; her raving praises for this book had me intrigued. And now I'm so glad that I read this book, I am happy that I didn't give up on Sullivan. "Ages Of Myth" was fantastic in a word. I can't recall the last time I had so much fun reading an epic fantasy book...Marvellous and splendid. Going to start book two immediately.
"He had a hundred potential directions, a multitude of choices, and the enormity of the options left him paralyzed. Freedom, he discovered, had built a greater prison than his family or clan had."
Warm heart and cozy feelings. You're seriously missing out if you haven't read this book yet...
Like Real People Do is a sports romance between AleWarm heart and cozy feelings. You're seriously missing out if you haven't read this book yet...
Like Real People Do is a sports romance between Alex, the captain of a hockey team and Eli, a figure skater.
I've never been a fan of sports romance. I always found them lacking something. But this book? It gave me all the feels I wanted and some more, that I didn't think I needed.
The romance is swoony and beautiful. Alex and Eli are a couple who always talks, never let miscommunication disrupt their relationship. That's something which I rarely see in romance books these days. The hockey team was also so much fun. I was smiling the entire time reading this book. I really really loved it. Highly recommended....more
Don’t cry. Close your eyes and pretend I’m there, wiping the tears off your cheeks with my thumb. Pretend I kiss the tip of your nose until you smile. I
Don’t cry. Close your eyes and pretend I’m there, wiping the tears off your cheeks with my thumb. Pretend I kiss the tip of your nose until you smile. I’ll find you someday. And on that day, I will show you the wonder of a world where we never have to say goodbye again.
This was great but not as fantabulous as "Make Me Fall". Jonah and Gray have my heart. "Make Me Fall" is still my absolutel fav. Don't read this one if you don't want to but please do read book 2. You're missing out...like a lot....more
"The Book of Babel" has lost all its charm and wit. I loved the previous two books but this third insThe spell wore off. Where did the cool stuffs go?
"The Book of Babel" has lost all its charm and wit. I loved the previous two books but this third instalment was really underwhelming. I tried but still failed to enjoy it. I missed the humor. I missed the cool gadgets and marvellous inventions. I really really missed seeing the crew all together and of course their banter. This book was heavy with political intrigue and action; not what I was expecting. Overall "The Hod King" was really underwhelming. It failed to meet the high expectations I had from this series. Disappointing....more
You should've just shot me. Why torture my poor heart like that?
“The bad things are going to change you no matter what, and they can make you angry an
You should've just shot me. Why torture my poor heart like that?
“The bad things are going to change you no matter what, and they can make you angry and bitter—or they can make you better.”
"We come into the world ready to love whoever shows up, good or bad—that’s what we do.”
Intense, harrowing and frightening. "Dark Room Etiquette" is an unforgettable story of trauma and healing, told in achingly beautiful prose with great tenderness and care. We are following our main character Sayers Wayte, a sixteen years old teenager. Sayers is a rich privileged boy who has everything a teenager of his age can dream of. But everything falls apart when he's kidnapped by a man who claims to be his father. The man tells him the privileged life he's been living is based on a lie. Sayers must escape from the windowless dark room the man has been keeping him. But escaping is pretty impossible. Will he be able come out of this living hell before he loses himself to its darkness?
I’m sinking again. Deeper and deeper. Until it’s just me. Alone in a dark room. And I know how to handle the dark. You stay quiet, and you wait for it to end.
I wouldn't deny that "Dark Room Etiquette" was a cover buy for me. I mean, just look at that gorgeous cover! At first, I thought it was thriller. But it's not. It's more like a contemporary fiction; dark and disturbing. It also does offer some decent twists and turns, incredibly well written character relationships and a wonderful main character who would stay with me in years to come. I wanna hug Sayers so bad right now...
"Your mind can stay trapped even when your body is free."
This book was just perfect. It was enthralling and fast paced. The wickedly interesting plotline immediately gripped my attention, lured me in like a deathly lullaby and didn't let go until I had finished it. It was emotional and thought provoking. You're going to cry yourself to sleep, I promise. I cried like an infant while reading it.
"I’m bitter and dazed—I hate him—I’ve missed him."
Highly highly recommended. Please make sure to check the trigger warnings beforehand....more
It was really good. But God! Did it drag...Also I was given some wrong information. I thought there would be more of the #Middle_book_syndrome
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It was really good. But God! Did it drag...Also I was given some wrong information. I thought there would be more of the war beasts. I expected them to be the main focus of the story. But that didn't happen. Some of the characters lost their charm...It was quite underwhelming tbh. However Vintage makes it all better ☺
Vintage, Tor, Noon, Aldasair and Bern - I really loved these characters in the first instalment. But in this one? Not so much. Well, except for Vintage. She was perfect as always. It felt as though the other characters have lost all their charms. There was depth in any of these characters. They seemed two dimensional and boring. Noon was stiff and distant throughout the whole book. While I absolutely loved Tormalin in "The Ninth Rain", he annoyed the hell out of me here. His actions were immature and stupid. He was whining all the damn time. I really missed my humorous and charming Tormalin, the oathless. I missed his jokes. His comedic timing has always been so perfect. But Tor hardly cracked anything jokes in this book. Aldasair and Bern were solid characters. However I would've preferred to read Bern's pov, which didn't happen of course.
I was excited to meet the war beasts. But Jen Williams disappointed me. I kind of hated Vostok. Kirune was so cute! I expected some "bonding" moments between the war beasts and their riders. But there was none. Williams tells us that they have bonded, but we don't get to see that. Emotions were completely absent in the narration of this book. No inner monologues, no commentaries. "The Bitter Twins" was a plot driven book through abd through. And I prefer characters focused stories. So, it really didn't work for me....more
Unique and fascinating. A perfect blend of sci-fi and fantasy. The cast of characters is beyond amazing. I loved this book would be an understatement Unique and fascinating. A perfect blend of sci-fi and fantasy. The cast of characters is beyond amazing. I loved this book would be an understatement in this case.
The continent of Sarn has suffered from many alien invasions from an enemy known as the Jure’lia, the worm people. The Eboran empire, a once wealthy and prosperous place, for centuries has been the central defence against this formidable foe. Their tree-god, Ygseril, would deliver various war beasts that would aid the valiant Eboran warriors during the battles, and each time the Jure’lia were defeated. However, in the last assault, known as the eighth rain, a final climax between Ygseril and the Jure’lia caused the death of the sacred tree-god. Now, Ebora is in ruin and Sarn faces the ever terrifying prospect of another invasion, but this time without their defenders.
Eborans are on the verge of extinction following the death of their tree-like god Ysegril but Hestillion is doing all she can to keep him alive. In fact she'll go to any lengths to save him… any lengths at all. Hest's brother Tormalin can't sit around and wait for the end. So he's engaged by Lady Vincenza (Vintage) de Grazon to be her factotum and hired sword during her quest for knowledge. It's turning into more of an adventure than they'd planned, even before Fell witch and fugitive Noon joins them. Now the trio must work together, putting prejudices and passions aside (others' as well as their own). The Ninth Rain is coming and more than Ebora is in danger.
The synopsis of this book is really really confusing. I read it several times yet couldn't grasp on what it's supposed to mean...Therefore, you can say I started it blindly, knowing almost nothing about the trilogy. I only knew that our main character is 40 years old and possibly queer. That's it. And I really had no difficulties getting into it. The writing is very accessible. The book is fast paced. Explains the vast world and the magic system thoroughly. Just be patient and enjoy the company of the characters. The information will come to you by themselves.
I loved the inimitable world Jen Williams has created. It's epic in scope, full of magic and magical creatures. The world building has the perfect blend of Sci-fi and Fantasy. In this world, an inhuman species called Eborans reside alongside the humans. They have a very long life span. The Eborans are graceful warriors, the sole protectors of the land. These Eborans are like an unison of human, vampire and elf. Then we have Eboran war beasts. Very fascinating creatures. However we don't get to see them much in the first book. We also have witches in this world. The witches posses fire magic that's called Winnow flame. Then there are these worm pe0ple who wants to destroy the land........more
"If worn for too long, a costume becomes comfortable, natural. A man always in disguise must take care lest he become the disguise.”
From t
"If worn for too long, a costume becomes comfortable, natural. A man always in disguise must take care lest he become the disguise.”
From the very first page of this sequel to Senlin Ascends, life once again takes some drastic turns for our main protagonist, Thomas Senlin. Once a man of letters, then progressing to a man of action, he must now live a life piracy. The hunt for Senlin’s wife, Marya, becomes more complex and as Senlin and his crew struggle to survive upon their stolen airship, he realises he’s going to need help, a lot of help. In their desperation they decide to seek out the infamous Sphinx.
“We are, each of us, a multitude. I am not the man I was this morning, nor the man of yesterday. I am a throng of myself queued through time. We are, gentle reader, each a crowd within a crowd.”
"Arm Of The Sphnix" is lot more whimsical and captivating than "Senlin Ascends". This time around, we get to explore the tower in depth; its as surreal as ever, with more strange clockwork mechanisms and bizarre animals, magnificent balloon airships.
Bancroft's prose is exquisite and poetic. In this instalment, his writing is more accessible than it was in his debut. His voice is stronger, the story is much more organised. "Arm Of The Sphnix" has multiple povs. It follows all the members of Senlin's ragtag crew. Senlin’s character still remained at the forefront of the narrative. But we also receive Edith, Voleta, Iren and Adam's perspective on various events.
The characters development is phenomenal. Senlin is not the same man we met in the first book, not anymore. I was pleased to see his naivety lessen, his actions become bolder, and his sense of loyalty to his friends deepen. Senlin's character is so utterly, beautifully human that it never ceases to amaze me. That is why I am so drawn to his character. The other characters are also interesting. I love Edith and Voleta. Both are such awesome badass female characters. They are very very different from each other but I loved them both. Iren doesn't receive the spotlight as frequently. I still liked her. Adam is frustrating to be honest. It made me happy to see that he wants to repent for his actions. He wants to gain the captain's trust once again. He was working really hard for it to be honest. Yet I found him uninteresting, sometimes even annoying. All in, Senlin remains as my favourite character.
“It had never occurred to him how unforgiving books were until he lay at the bottom of a great pile of them.”
The humor is fantastic. This book gave me a good laugh. Many of the characters become sassy and good naturedly bantered or quibbled with one another in this instalment, even when events took perilous turns. Aside from the prose, the magic system, the characters and the humor, I also loved the close knitted friendships we get to see here. Thomas Senlin and his crew are all so loveable. I loved their banter and amazing dynamic with each other. Specially, Senlin and Edith. These two has such an unbreakable bond, built upon mutual trust and respect. If Senlin wasn't married already, I would've started to ship him with Edith.
I liked that this book was focused on fewer geographical locations. There wasn't much of info dumping which gave me relief. Bancroft takes us deeper into the incredible world that he has created. But it never seemed rushed or tiring to me. The pacing is just perfect. Not for a single moment I felt overwhelmed or underwhelmed. And the ending! It is purely evil. The book ends with a cliffhanger. It threw me off. I literally have no idea which direction the author wants to take the story to. Nevertheless, I'm really really excited to read book 3....more
Let me clear one thing first, it isn't the book. It's me. I just expected something totally different from this book.
"The Founders Trilogy" is one of Let me clear one thing first, it isn't the book. It's me. I just expected something totally different from this book.
"The Founders Trilogy" is one of my favourite adult fantasy series ever. I binged the first two books within a week and absolutely loved them. "Foundryside" made it to my best books of 2022 list. So, naturally, I was too hyped up for the last instalment. I expected something epic, something supreme, harrowing and fast paced. I thought it would be another high stakes heist story. That is where I got it all wrong.
"Locklands", unlike the first 2 books of the series, isn't a heist story. It's much more plot driven than character focused. Tangles of conspiracy and political turmoil- these are the things than occupie most of the pages. "Locklands" kicks off almost ten years after the events of "Shorefall". Lots of things have changed in the mean time. The world has changed, our characters have changed..It just bothered me a little. I don't know why but everything felt new and unknown to me. I couldn't connect with the characters like before. Again, we don't get two of our main characters' povs anymore. I knew this would happen. Yet I felt disappointed. I just couldn't wrap my head around the fact that...my favourite rag tag band aka the awesomest mischievous thieves aren't together anymore. Sancia and Berenice were amazing in this book. They were a lot more mature and contemplative. Still, it waa the same...
The romance received the centre focus. Even though these two girls are my favourite saphic couple, I was bored. And the pacing of the book also didn't work for me. I felt no interest in whatever was going on. Eventually, I ended up skimming through the pages and finish it with a lot of difficulty. I think the timing was wrong. I shouldn't have picked this book up right before my exams. My mistake...I still love this series though. I would highly recommend you to check it out. I may reread "Locklands" someday and may be I will enjoy it then....
The ending reminded me of "The Hero of Ages".......more
"He holds me to him as desperately as I hold on to him. This, I think. This is all I need. Oxygen? Who fucking needs it? Shit’s poisonous anyhow."
I gu"He holds me to him as desperately as I hold on to him. This, I think. This is all I need. Oxygen? Who fucking needs it? Shit’s poisonous anyhow."
I guess it's okay to say that I died a painful death. Once, maybe twice or maybe several times. But this duet killed me for sure. Then....I was reincarnated by the bittersweet epilogue.
Just some of my favourite parts of the book: -
I might not know love, but I do know my heart beats for him. That much is as clear as day to me. So if keeping this bruised up chunk of muscle beating is all I’ve gotta do to make sure he never lets me hurt him again? Well, that’s the easiest promise I’ll ever make. Simple as that. Healthy? Probably not. But hell if I give a shit right now.
“And I know that’s a fucking lot—I’m a lot. Especially when it comes to you.” “But it is what it is,” I tell him simply. “Take it or leave it, because I refuse to water it down, even for you. I’d do just about anything for you, but don’t ever ask me to love you less.”
“I’d rather give every little piece of myself to you,” he goes on roughly, “than wonder what could have been because society says it’s wrong. Too much. Toxic.”
No, we’re not lost, I think, smiling against his cheek. Not anymore… But found....more
If you love a good heist fantasy with fantastic world-building, unique magic system, amazing cast of characters, found faAnother mind blowing book....
If you love a good heist fantasy with fantastic world-building, unique magic system, amazing cast of characters, found family, talking objects, arresting political intrigues, heart pounding action, surprising twists and a beautiful saphic romance in the background - this series is the one for you.
Set in a city such as Ketterdam , full of menace. An innovative and fascinating magic system like "Mistborn" and "The Bone Shard Daughter". Underlying, tangled political turmoil like "The Lies Of Locke Lamora." This series would have your jaw dropped to the floor. It's THAT good....more
A unique, dark, gripping and deeply moving YA horror-fantasy book. It not only creeped me out but also made me sob. A Must Read for The Pride Month.
"A unique, dark, gripping and deeply moving YA horror-fantasy book. It not only creeped me out but also made me sob. A Must Read for The Pride Month.
"Hell Followed With Us" is a genre bending novel and one of the best in that category if you're wondering. It's got the perfect blend of horror, sci-fi, fantasy and emotions. It is a story about embracing the monster within and unleashing its power against your oppressors. Andrew Joseph White is a talented author. It really did not feel like a debut novel. From the very first page, I was hooked and couldn't put the book down. Loved the writing style specially...
"Hell Followed With Us" has the most wondrous variety of representation. It features a cast of characters with a wide range of pronouns, coming from different cultures and states and following different religion and belief. This book defies gender norms and acknowledges that all transgender poeple are infact not the same. One of our protagonists has autism. One of our main characters and some of the side characters go through loss and trauma. In a sentence, it is really really informative and eye opening. The author himself mentioned that this book is a product of anger. And I can totally see that. Hell Followed With Us is written in such a unfiltered way, followed by an ocean of raw emotions - it's stunning.
This book might be YA but definitely didn't feel like one. It is way too dark. Blood and gore is everywhere. Please don't forget to check the list of trigger warnings before starting to read it. I personally love horror. So I thought I would be 'okay'. Guess what, I wasn't. I really don't like body horror. And this book have those elements in a overwhelming amount. It was a lot to take for me. Again, Hell Followed With Us is a relatively short book. But the author puts too many stuffs inside it. Lots of important parts aren't emphasized enough as a result. The world he takes us to isn't well developed. I'm still very very confused. These are the reasons I'm restraining myself from smashing the 5 stars button. However there's no way to deny that this novel is a absolute masterpiece. I have read (or heard) anything like it before. "Hell Followed With Us" is chaotic, but in a wonderful way. It's got everything I look for in a Queer book.
This book was a marvellous journey. A unique, unusual and vigorous tale. "Hell Followed With Us" is obviously going to be added to the list of my favourite horror books. It will be realesed on the 7th of June. Make sure to pick it up. I promise, you won't be disappointed. Enjoy!
｡☆✼★━━━━━━━━━━━━★✼☆｡
☆ Thanks to Netgalley and publishers for providing me the arc in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. ...more
If you take bits and pieces from "Mistborn", "Six of Crows" and "The Bone Shard Daughter", and stitch them all together, you'll get "Foundryside". SouIf you take bits and pieces from "Mistborn", "Six of Crows" and "The Bone Shard Daughter", and stitch them all together, you'll get "Foundryside". Sounds wonderful, right? It absolutely is. However...despite mirroring fragments of these well loved Fantasy series, "Foundryside" never fails to assert its own uniqueness. This book is remarkable, extra-ordinary and second to none. A must read for all the adult high fantasy fans out there.
Not convinced yet to read this book? Well then let me tell you a secret....My favourite character in this book was a Key named Cleff. Yup, heard it right. There's a talking key here. He's very very witty and wise. His sense of humour is also amazing. And this key is going to make you sob.
✦ An (almost) impossible heist ✦ A group of unlikely allies ✦ The main character is a skilful theif ✦ Multiple PoV, two of the mcs are black ✦ Fascinating magic system ✦ Wonderful world building (with underworld business and all) ✦ Intricate political turmoil ✦ Heart pounding action ✦ Incredibly well developed characters ✦ Amazing humor And last of all ✦ Saphic Romance
So, in a nutshell, "Foundryside" has everything I want and love in a Adult Fantasy book. It's complex but still RJB's proficient approach to the story makes it very effortless to read. That's a unique blend to find! I'm so so glad that I read this book. It's definitely going to show on my 2022 favourite list. Please do me a favour and READ THIS SERIES....more
I am adding "A Thousand Splendid Suns" to my read shelve as the 1000th book. Cool right?
"A Thousand Splendid Suns" is an amazing and thought provokingI am adding "A Thousand Splendid Suns" to my read shelve as the 1000th book. Cool right?
"A Thousand Splendid Suns" is an amazing and thought provoking book. It's emotional, it's riveting. People say it's Khaled Hosseini's best work. But I personally loved "The Kite Runner" more. I hate to compare these two books because both of them are literary masterpieces. Yet, "The Kite Runner" being my most favourite book ever, I couldn't help but compare "A Thousand Splendid Suns" with that. And this book fell slightly flat in comparison. It's completely my personal preference. No matter which one of Hosseini's works you prefer most, you'll always find me ready to fan-girl with you....more