Dreams of Gods and Monsters by Laini Taylor

Dreams of Gods and Monsters
Author: Laini Taylor
Release date: April 8th, 2014
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
My Ratings: 3.5 out of 5

synopsis:By way of a staggering deception, Karou has taken control of the chimaera rebellion and is intent on steering its course away from dead-end vengeance. The future rests on her, if there can even be a future for the chimaera in war-ravaged Eretz.

Common enemy, common cause.

When Jael's brutal seraph army trespasses into the human world, the unthinkable becomes essential, and Karou and Akiva must ally their enemy armies against the threat. It is a twisted version of their long-ago dream, and they begin to hope that it might forge a way forward for their people.

And, perhaps, for themselves. Toward a new way of living, and maybe even love.

But there are bigger threats than Jael in the offing. A vicious queen is hunting Akiva, and, in the skies of Eretz ... something is happening. Massive stains are spreading like bruises from horizon to horizon; the great winged stormhunters are gathering as if summoned, ceaselessly circling, and a deep sense of wrong pervades the world.

What power can bruise the sky?

From the streets of Rome to the caves of the Kirin and beyond, humans, chimaera and seraphim will fight, strive, love, and die in an epic theater that transcends good and evil, right and wrong, friend and enemy.


It started out with a tale of an art student with naturally grown and coloured blue hair ,a mysterious connection with a fiery eyed angel, handprints on a door and an inevitable, irreprehensible destiny. 
Who would've thought that would have escalated into this?

Laini,dear, what do you eat? 

Dreams of Gods and Monsters brought to you classic Laini Taylor and her fantastical works. 
War, blood, creation, destruction, resurrection, death, magic, fate, choice..oh glory! The list goes on.
Page after page, your emotions were played with, your dreams were shattered and remade and your frustration built. Word after word, you wondered. Would things ever be okay?
Every character was burdened by his or her personal dilemma. Dilemma there, dilemma here, dilemma everywhere and what did you do as you stood by, involved and enchanted by their misery, trials and tribulations?

YOU SCREAMED. Your hurt bled. You wanted the fucking dilemma to be over already. 

There are two things that you must derive from this.
One, this book was painfully good. Two, this book was painfully long.
Look, I get it. You can't just have a war and sunshine and few kisses and blah to seal the deal. I get your need to add another sub-plot associated with another sub-plot to make this book awesome and better than its predecessors.
But you forget, less is more. 

This book should've finished 100 pages before it actually did. 

The starting few chapters were slow but likable. Holding onto a ginormous hardcover, you as a reader, already know that this will be a long journey to cover. But as you go by and delve more, you start to realise how ridiculously unnecessary many aspects of the novel were and that's when you're painfully pissed off. You keep asking yourself again and again: 'how much more?'

I would've never expected this to happen with this book but that's maybe because my expectations were so high with this one and that end? 
God. No. Just no.
After a tedious yet enjoyable journey, you do not expect things to be so, how do I say, slimy?
I like how the book ends on a note of uncertainty. I love how you don't know what the future holds for these few characters that you have come to love other than the fact that right now, in this moment, they're exactly where they need to be. Buuut, no.

But here's what so magical about this one. Even after its torpid pace and unwanted hundred chapters, the very last page, the finale, left me happy and satisfied. It left me nestling the hardcover near my chest and I felt my heart breaking once more, like it always does, when great things, like they always do, come to an end.
So what if I and the novel don't agree with each other?

As romances go, we're indisputably and inexplicably in love and it feels pretty damn awesome.

The Young Elites by Marie Lu

Book: The Young Elites
Author: Marie Lu
Release Date: 7th october,2014
Publisher: Penguin
My ratings: 4 out of 5.

synopsis:

"I am tired of being used, hurt, and cast aside."

Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever. A decade ago, the deadly illness swept through her nation. Most of the infected perished, while many of the children who survived were left with strange markings. Adelina’s black hair turned silver, her lashes went pale, and now she has only a jagged scar where her left eye once was. Her cruel father believes she is a malfetto, an abomination, ruining their family’s good name and standing in the way of their fortune. But some of the fever’s survivors are rumored to possess more than just scars—they are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be called the Young Elites.

Teren Santoro works for the king. As Leader of the Inquisition Axis, it is his job to seek out the Young Elites, to destroy them before they destroy the nation. He believes the Young Elites to be dangerous and vengeful, but it’s Teren who may possess the darkest secret of all. 

Enzo Valenciano is a member of the Dagger Society. This secret sect of Young Elites seeks out others like them before the Inquisition Axis can. But when the Daggers find Adelina, they discover someone with powers like they’ve never seen. 

Adelina wants to believe Enzo is on her side, and that Teren is the true enemy. But the lives of these three will collide in unexpected ways, as each fights a very different and personal battle. But of one thing they are all certain: Adelina has abilities that shouldn’t belong in this world. A vengeful blackness in her heart. And a desire to destroy all who dare to cross her.



Unconventional, original and awesome. 
Marie Lu, I present to you lots of chocolate chip cookies and Cadbury dairy milk chocolates. 
Now, manufacture the next one, as soon as possible. Please.
My ensnared brain will not stop the parrot talk unless you do so. 

I will not go into the details of the plot. I will simply present to you reasons why I loved reading this book and I think after that my work's done.
I always look for novels that excite me on levels that could dominate a particular dimension, like that of tragedy and make it good (painful, just so we're clear.) or it could quite possibly be a diplomat and give me everything in small packages. I don't really care how they do it. I desire only for that excitement.
Now sometimes, it just so happens, that one out of ten books make me wonder, and think a lot about getting down to the intricacies of the structure and depth of the novel as a whole. I start wondering about my relationship with the protagonist, if any, I start looking closely at the point of view of the protagonist and other characters, I start to become extra vigilant, slower and more perceptive to a point where I start making up associations which usually are wrong because I'm intellectually deficient. 

But that's okay.

The point is that The Young Elites did that to me.
I'm not sure how I feel about the protagonist, Adelina but this much is true, she proves to be one of the most unforgettable, original, complex and realistic protagonist in a long time. I want to wipe one particular event in the course of the book out of my mind and quite possibly out of the book too. Heroes become villains. Villains become heroes. Nothing is black and white and while I don't usually like multiple POVs, I absolutely ate it up in this one. Complexities. Complexities. Complexities. 
Intensity.
I'm kind of dying right now.

Marie Lu, remember. Cookies and chocolates are at stake here, okay?

Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater

Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater  

Publisher:  Scholastic Press      

Publication date: October 21st 2014
My rating: 5 stars

The third installment in the mesmerizing series from the irrepressible, #1 NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater.
There is danger in dreaming. But there is even more danger in waking up.
Blue Sargent has found things. For the first time in her life, she has friends she can trust, a group to which she can belong. The Raven Boys have taken her in as one of their own. Their problems have become hers, and her problems have become theirs.
The trick with found things though, is how easily they can be lost.
Friends can betray.Mothers can disappear.Visions can mislead.Certainties can unravel.

She did it again. I never thought anything compare to The Dream Thieves or Sinner which are her best work yet, in my opinion. But she did it. 

The story picks up where it left off. Boys are starting school again and Blue's mother is still missing. They're still trying to find Glendower, the long lost king. Gray Man's employed is in Henrietta looking for a payback. Now, I don't want to reveal anything else about the plot cause even the blurb is rather vague. 

What I want to talk about are the characters. It seems Adam is the main one this time. Others all had their chapters but I feel as if he was in all of them a lot more. He's my favorite Raven Boy, like I mentioned a hundred times already. He's still hardworking as ever. Honorable, honest and proud. He's also spending more time with Ronan, if you know what I mean. *wink, wink* 

Then there's Ronan. *sigh* This guy! I mean, he's like a feral cat you want to bring home but are scared it's going to ruin your sofa. You never know what to expect from him. He's unpredictable, wild, but at the same time extremely loyal to his family and friends. There is still so much we don't know about him. 

Gansey is still a mystery to me. At times I think he has no personality and he's just there in every chapter. I know he's suppose to be the King of the gang but I don't see it. :/ Everybody likes him-boys in school, new people he meets and even Adam let go of his jealousy. He's helpful in a way a human can help a paranormal creature-basically not. I guess I'm the only one who doesn't care about his character. 

Blue's trying to find her missing mother and is dealing with her feelings towards Gansey at the same time. She was focused and determined throughout the whole book. She might even discover some hidden power deep inside her. 

If you're expecting kisses in this book, like me,  you'll just going to have to wait for the 4th installment. Even though the book was focused towards the character development, romance was pushed even further out back. There were some progress and Pynch shippers will be happy to hear it. I can't wait for the next book because I feel that's when Pynch is going to happen. 

The pacing was perfect and every chapter ended on a cliffhanger which made me scream. The book was unputdownable. And the writing is poetic. At times I had to go back and re-read parts because I thought there was something between the lines. How Maggie does this every time, I don't know. She'll always be on my auto-buy list. 

Cover is beautiful. I love the colors but I'm not sure who's on it. Blue? It could be her. 

The Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

The Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard  

Publisher: Harper Teen      

Publication date: February 10th 2015
My rating: 5 stars

Graceling meets The Selection in debut novelist Victoria Aveyard's sweeping tale of seventeen-year-old Mare, a common girl whose once-latent magical power draws her into the dangerous intrigue of the king's palace. Will her power save her or condemn her?
Mare Barrow's world is divided by blood--those with common, Red blood serve the Silver- blooded elite, who are gifted with superhuman abilities. Mare is a Red, scraping by as a thief in a poor, rural village, until a twist of fate throws her in front of the Silver court. Before the king, princes, and all the nobles, she discovers she has an ability of her own.
To cover up this impossibility, the king forces her to play the role of a lost Silver princess and betroths her to one of his own sons. As Mare is drawn further into the Silver world, she risks everything and uses her new position to help the Scarlet Guard--a growing Red rebellion--even as her heart tugs her in an impossible direction. One wrong move can lead to her death, but in the dangerous game she plays, the only certainty is betrayal.

Wow! I did not expect much from this book when I first got it, even though I've been excited to read it. Does that even make sense? I've been burned before with over-hyped books so I tried to stay calm while I was reading Red Queen. I ended up freaking out either way. 

Mare lives in a world divided between red and silver bloods. Those with red blood, Mare included, live in terrible condition with little to no electricity while the silver bloods have special powers and  live in luxury . One night while out stealing she meets a strange young man. The next day her life changes completely because she gets a job in the royal palace. She discovers she has a power of her own by accident. To keep her red blood a secret, royals present her as the long lost daughter of a war her who died a long time ago and. Not only her skin is painted white every morning but she's also engaged to a prince. 

The main character, Mare is a tough chick. She's a street rat. She knows how to survive and adapt well to anything. Her powers are still new to her and she's trying to decide who to trust while she's living among people who want nothing to do with her kind. Still, with the help of old and some new friends, she's ready to make a difference and start a rebellion. 

I really liked the secondary characters. They all had their own personalities and were equally important as Mare. I especially liked someone who'll remain unnamed because of spoilers. The twist regarding this person was unexpected. I didn't see it coming. Wish the change in character wasn't so drastic because it didn't seem realistic to me. The character did a 180 so I wasn't so happy about it. 

The romance was so-so. Sure, I saw the connection these characters shared but it wasn't the reason I was enjoying the book so much. 

The pacing was a bit slow at times but only because it was used to describe the whole world of reds & silvers. Like I said, sometimes, it was slow but I liked reading about different settlements, the royal houses and especially, powers. 

Red Queen is a strange mix of The Legend of Korra, The Grisha Trilogy, Spartacus, The Selection and Throne of Glass. If you like any of those things, I'm sure you'll find Red Queen interesting as well.  

The Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas

The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

Publisher: Balzer + Bray     
Publication date: September 17th 2013
My rating: 5 stars

It all began with a ruined elixir and an accidental bolt of lightning…

Iolanthe Seabourne is the greatest elemental mage of her generation—or so she's being told. The one prophesied for years to be the savior of The Realm. It is her duty and destiny to face and defeat the Bane, the greatest mage tyrant the world has ever known. A suicide task for anyone let alone a sixteen-year-old girl with no training, facing a prophecy that foretells a fiery clash to the death.

Prince Titus of Elberon has sworn to protect Iolanthe at all costs but he's also a powerful mage committed to obliterating the Bane to avenge the death of his family—even if he must sacrifice both Iolanthe and himself to achieve his goal.

But Titus makes the terrifying mistake of falling in love with the girl who should have been only a means to an end. Now, with the servants of the Bane closing in, he must choose between his mission and her life.

Do you want the know what was the first thought I got after finishing with The Burning Sky? Well it was - I need to find that 'throws confetti gif' online because that's how I feel right now. That was my first thought. Then I actually went and googled it and found out it's not confetti the dude is throwing but rose petals. *crickets chirp* At least I didn't announce it to the whole world I didn't notice till now, oh wait... I actually had the thing saved on my laptop under throws confetti.gif. 

Annndd...here it is. 

Well, I can sure talk about nothing, can't I? OK, OK. I'm going to review the book even if it's been over a month since I last wrote a review. Hey! I was busy with work! I still am!       Stop! Talking! 

The Burning Sky has all the elements a great fantasy novels should have-magic, unique world building which is convincing at the same time, a dashing hero, a bad ass heroine, wonderful romance and more than 400 pages. The last one is a joke but I do love it when they're longer. Even though I rarely read books over 360 pages. 

You know those books where someone close to our heroine promises her they`ll always be there for her but when the time comes she`s forced to act alone without anyone`s help? Well, in this book, our heroine, Iolanthe, does have help from someone and that person is Titus, the prince of her Realm(or whatever you call it) who`s actually by her side every step of the way and is not afraid to get hurt as long as she stays safe. Now, that`s admirable! Titus even falls for her even though she`s dressed as a guy and has to cut her hair. He tries to keep it under wraps since everyone he cared about ended up dead. He obviously fails and doesn`t hide it well. But by this point I was sold due to Titus`awesomeness! He`s a real man who isn`t actually fearless and yet he would do anything to keep Iolanthe, or Fairfax(her boy name) safe. He will protect her from dragons, mean old ladies, their dangerous inquisitor even from herself. 

Iolanthe has her doubts in Titus especially since she found out he lied to her and tricked her into a blood oath. She finds out she`s a rare elemental mage who isn`t yet convinced she`s all that. But she doesn`t complain even though she goes through so much in such a short period of time. She`s ready to fight and learn. To be better and to strive. Plus, she can play a great boy. It`s not easy being around them 24/7. 

Romance was surprisingly well done. Well, I shouldn`t be so surprised. After all, Sherry Thomas did write a bunch of historical romance novels. But she obviously knows how to write one for teens so I applaud her for that. And that world building! Just marvelous! 

I can`t wait to get my hands on the sequel. Too bad it`s coming out next year. Oh, the dreaded wait! And people will surely tease me with their ARCs while I sit and mope in my room. 

Book Review: Antigoddess by Kendare Blake

Book: Antigoddess
Author:  Kendare Blake
File Type: Ebook
Release Date: September 10, 2013
Publisher: Tor Teen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

synopsis:
The Goddess War begins in Antigoddess, the first installment of the new series by acclaimed author of Anna Dressed in Blood, Kendare Blake.
 
Old Gods never die…

Or so Athena thought. But then the feathers started sprouting beneath her skin, invading her lungs like a strange cancer, and Hermes showed up with a fever eating away his flesh. So much for living a quiet eternity in perpetual health.

Desperately seeking the cause of their slow, miserable deaths, Athena and Hermes travel the world, gathering allies and discovering enemies both new and old. Their search leads them to Cassandra—an ordinary girl who was once an extraordinary prophetess, protected and loved by a god. 

These days, Cassandra doesn’t involve herself in the business of gods—in fact, she doesn’t even know they exist. But she could be the key in a war that is only just beginning. 

Because Hera, the queen of the gods, has aligned herself with other of the ancient Olympians, who are killing off rivals in an attempt to prolong their own lives. But these anti-gods have become corrupted in their desperation to survive, horrific caricatures of their former glory. Athena will need every advantage she can get, because immortals don’t just flicker out. 

Every one of them dies in their own way. Some choke on feathers. Others become monsters. All of them rage against their last breath.

The Goddess War is about to begin.

I don’t know about you, but I thought that this was much much MUCH better than Anna dressed in blood and Girl of Nightmares.

If you take the aformentioned books into consideration, we can come to a unanimous conclusion that Kendare Blake sure as hell knows how to write a novel.
She writes things that are very engaging and fast-paced. There is lots of badassness. Lots of gruesome-ness (if necessary). Lots of action (oh boy oh boy) and Lots of looove. (OH YEAH. But not the sappy kind so keep your cringing in, all you cringers!)
I love Kendare Blake’s writing. What I couldn’t love was the fact that what she presented to me earlier lacked that ‘oomph’ factor. That factor which makes people go mad and suspends them into a suspension which screams ‘Pigs are flying and it’s exciting’ (ooh, that rhymes). The factor which makes you LOVE a story and makes you gaga over the characters. It’s a wonderful feeling, you know. Now, while I enjoyed ADIB and GoN, I just couldn’t go past that phatic stage of communication. I just couldn’t get intimate with it. And I crave intimacy with my books. I want to love them in and out, front and back, up and down, left and right, top,centre and bottom and....AND...Long story cut short: just about EVERYWHERE.

And I think with Antigodess, I’m touching new heights of intimacy.
WOW.

This was great.
I have my own reasons to love this book more too. But first things first. Lets start with the general analysis.

Gods are dying.
There are two teams. One’s the good team and one’s the bad one.
Both the teams are looking for ways to prolong their lives but the bad one’s are slightly more whacked as they’re plan of action is to gobble other gods to prolong their lives. Gross.
As for the good team?
The good team is led by Athena, the goddess of battle strategies and wisdom. And then you have the enigmatic comic aspect of the novel, Hermes the god of thieves. Together they search for decent solutions to save their ‘immortality’ without chomping down their brethren or becoming the chow-chow themselves which then leads them to an ordinary human, Cassandra and her group of friends.
But is she really ordinary? Hell no.
She is the KEY to the weapon to the solution of the mind-blasting goddess war.
Wow. Oh wow.
It wasn’t all that exciting as it sounds right now but what follows later had me singing praises. So yes, I’ll stick with the WOWs.

You see, I love badass female protagonists and Athena is the goddess of battle for lords sake! I thought that she was fantastic. I loved her attitude. I loved her I-will-look-you-in-the-eye-and-mock-you-and-smile-at-you attitude. I loved her inner turmoil. I loved how she was fighting her instincts to do what was right for everyone and not just her. You see, it was all about saving the lives of the gods and her own and human beings were these little pawns which would help her achieve her goal because afterall, she’s a goddess and a powerful one. She doesn’t need to care about the lives of mortals and yet, there she was fighting for doing what was rationally right. That doesn't mean that she didn't make mistakes. She was egoistical. She was filled with pride. She was downright bossy because She is , afterall, a goddess. And she was meant to live forever. But now she was dying and all she knows that she isn’t going to die without putting up a fight.

I loved her.

And then there was Cassandra. I get her actions and her reaction to certain events but that doesn’t mean that I have to like them. I mean, she was a great character. A pivotal one. It’s safe to say that the entire plot revolved around her, which is fine since she is the key to the survival of the gods. But then, there were times where I felt like whacking her because she was just so infuriating. What she did made sense but sometimes things that make sense deserve a nice beating. Just saying.
I think the characters were wonderful and well laid out. I loved Cassandra’s brother Henry and her friend, Andie. I loved Aidan. (OMG.) I LOVE LOVE LOVE Hermes! He’s like this cute teddy bear that I intend to hold onto and never let go. Then there was Odysseus. Hah! I can’t wait to see his luring tactics when it comes to reeling in a girl.
What I’m telling you right now won’t make any sense until you read the book and I strongly urge you to catch hold of one because it’s bloody good.

And now for the BIGGEST reason of why I love this book to bits.

TROY.

Do you remember Troy? The movie?

Brad Pitt? Eric Bana? Yes?*sighs*

Ever since I saw that movie, I’ve been in love with it. Infact, I love war movies. Be it of any period and Troy is one of my favourites!(If you haven't seen the movie, YOU MUST.)
You see, Brad Pitt, is Achilles and Achilles is a fascinating character. That man destroyed empires and in the died because of a stupid arrow. And Hector? The brave prince of Troy who was the only man with the balls to compete and stand his ground with Achilles. The Trojan War itself is a very interesting concept in itself. I remember screaming at the TV screen at those stupid Trojans who thought that the Greeks had waved the white flag and had left. I was screaming more when they decided to take that stupid Trojan horse INSIDE their impenetrable kingdom because they thought that the Greeks were nice people who liked leaving mementos. Can people really be so stupid? Troy was destroyed and the royal family was murdered and THEY FUCKING KILLED BRAD PITT. Brad Pitt was not supposed to die. Why must all the nice guys die?!?! *weeps*(Thinks about what happened in the book and starts to cry more.)
The story of Troy fascinates me till now. (even though the Trojan were idiots.) and the Trojan story was a MAJOR element of the story-line and I think, Greek Mythology fascinates most of the people on this planet, so , obviously, this a Win-win situation.
Although, I love the book, I will warn you that there is not much that will surprise you in the book because well....nothing is that surprising. But the tempo of the book is exciting and energetic and that exceedingly makes up for whatever flaws I seem to be blind to.
The only thing, I ask from a book is to give me originality and an engrossing story. The concept here is clearly, very original and engrossing, it is. So if I were to read these 400 pages again and again, I would do it again and again, with love.

Oh and you guys must read it too.

"Everything born must die." she repeated.

Book Review: Crown Of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

Book: Crown of Midnight
Author: Sarah J. Maas
File type: paperback
Release date: August 15, 2013
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

synopsis: 
An assassin’s loyalties are always in doubt.
But her heart never wavers.

After a year of hard labor in the Salt Mines of Endovier, eighteen-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien has won the king's contest to become the new royal assassin. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown – a secret she hides from even her most intimate confidantes.

Keeping up the deadly charade—while pretending to do the king's bidding—will test her in frightening new ways, especially when she's given a task that could jeopardize everything she's come to care for. And there are far more dangerous forces gathering on the horizon -- forces that threaten to destroy her entire world, and will surely force Celaena to make a choice. 

Where do the assassin’s loyalties lie, and who is she most willing to fight for?

I started loving this book as soon as I came across this:

"Her lovely dresses and ornate clothes were gone, replaced by an unforgiving,close-cut black tunic and pants, her hair pulled back in a long braid that fell into the folds of that dark cloak she was always wearing..."

You see, when I met Celaena Sardothien, I thought that she was the most vain and stupid 'assassin' that I had ever come across. In fact, if you think about it, there was nothing really assassin-y about her. All she cared about was how pretty she looked and how ugly everybody else were. There was this one time when I actually found her badass, but even that moment was quickly overpowered by her absolutely mental attitude.

And now? I guess, we never really got to know her. It makes sense. It was the first book. If Ms.Maas had played all her cards right at the start then would Crown of Midnight be CROWN OF MIDNIGHT?
Because holy hell, this book is absofreakinglutely fantastic. There were so many times when I kept on wondering if I was reading the sequel of the previous book or some other random book. Seriously. This was so unexpected.

At this stage, even if there were any flaws, I don't think I noticed any one of them because I was so busy picking up my jaw from where it fell on the ground. I think I was in this perpetual state of gaping and gawking throughout the entire book. There were those twists. There was Chaol (OMG, you girls. I know WHAT you guys were talking about. *fans herself*). Then there was Celaena. I think I have even started to like Dorian as well. But, Celaena stole the show.

She was so BADASS. I can't even begin to tell you how much my insides were quaking whenever she went into her assassin mode.

"It was war upon them all. Let them tremble in fear at what they had awoken."

I loved this Celaena. I loved her choices, her decisions, her thoughts, her ideas because they made sense. I understood why she did what she did and there was never a moment when I felt that I needed to scream at her. She was so so good.

Chaol and Dorian. I remember not finding either of them appealing in Throne Of Glass. Given a choice, yes, I would have always gone with the captain but, like I said before, I never found any of them appealing. They were these characters that had been placed there for the sole purpose of a love triangle and I just couldn't bring myself to care about them. And now? HOLY CRAP. Dudes, where have you been?
Chaol and Dorian are very different from each other. While Dorian may come across as a person who's much softer in his demeanour, it's safe to say that it was Dorian's and not Chaol's decisions and ideas that I thought were much more rational. Chaol on the other hand, is all man and awesomeness. IF Chaol enticed your hormones in ToG then in CoM, he will entice your soul. I just..I just...I just don't know what more to say?

It really is hard to write a review about something you truly truly love because sometimes what you feel is so hard to explain and put into words. There were so many things in Crown of Midnight that had me shaking and jumping. I love me some actions and it was full of it. There were so many mysteries and so much of love, that I still get a bit choked when I think about it. Many times during the book when I was doing my side business of guessing the storyline, I just kept on wondering if everything was as predictable as it seems, but NO! Ms. Maas made sure that she twists you in her coil of awesomeness every which way and that you love it! And love it, I did.

Everything is so much better in this one. EVERYTHING IS BEAUTIFUL. I never want to let go of this book. This book has raised the bar to such an extent that if the third book doesn't outdo this one then I would be left heartbroken.

You made me like you Celaena. I want you to make me love you. I want to love you. For all I know, I probably do.

My review is such a hotch-potch of thoughts and emotions. I start writing about something and then I start remembering my experience with the book and then I start thinking about something else and then I start writing about that! So I apologize if this review seems a tad incoherent.

Did I tell you how much I loved the characters? I think I already did. But I have so many emotions right now and I just do not want to stop. No character was perfect. They had their good and bad days and when they felt happy, I genuinely felt elated but when it came their misery, I swear, my heart broke every single time with each and every blow. Did I mention the storyline? I think I did that too! I just want you all to know that this was one hell of a blockbuster and that if you didn't read this one then you will be missing out on a very successful book.

If you are a person who was initially very skeptical about reading this one? DON'T BE. Forget your apprehension and just dive into it. And for those who loved it, you're all bookie-clairvoyants. You just knew that this was going to be awesome.

"We'll never be a normal boy and girl,will we?" she managed to say. "No", he breathed, eyes blazing. "We won't."

*sighs*

DAMN YOU 2014.

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

Publisher: Balzer + Bray    
Publication date: January 28th 2014
My rating: 4 stars

Graceling meets Beauty and the Beast in this sweeping fantasy about one girl's journey to fulfill her destiny and the monster who gets in her way-by stealing her heart.
Based on the classic fairy tale Beauty and the Beast, Cruel Beauty is a dazzling love story about our deepest desires and their power to change our destiny.
Since birth, Nyx has been betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom-all because of a foolish bargain struck by her father. And since birth, she has been in training to kill him.
With no choice but to fulfill her duty, Nyx resents her family for never trying to save her and hates herself for wanting to escape her fate. Still, on her seventeenth birthday, Nyx abandons everything she's ever known to marry the all-powerful, immortal Ignifex. Her plan? Seduce him, destroy his enchanted castle, and break the nine-hundred-year-old curse he put on her people.
But Ignifex is not at all what Nyx expected. The strangely charming lord beguiles her, and his castle-a shifting maze of magical rooms-enthralls her.
As Nyx searches for a way to free her homeland by uncovering Ignifex's secrets, she finds herself unwillingly drawn to him. Even if she could bring herself to love her sworn enemy, how can she refuse her duty to kill him? With time running out, Nyx must decide what is more important: the future of her kingdom, or the man she was never supposed to love.

Cruel Beauty has been on my wishlist since the moment I read the blurb.  You see, I wad one of those kids who had a ton of Beauty and the Beast coloring books, stickers and wore Belle pajamas, so and when my friend Glass offered me a chance to read the ARC with her I just couldn`t pass the opportunity. Gosh! And look at that beautiful cover. 

The first thing you need to know about this book is that Rosemund Hodge created her own spin on BatB with weaving a breathtaking fairytale with a splash of Greek mythology thrown in there. This alone should be enough to capture your attention. 

Nyx's father has been training her to marry and one day kill a powerful immortal Ignifex who's been striking bargains with mortals for ages. In one of these bargains Nyx's mother died after delivering Nyx and her twin sister into this world. Nyx doesn't have a great relationship with her father because he never cared for her like other fathers do. She's glad to be rid of him even though she's forced to live with a demon until one of them died. She is convinced Ignifex is a devil with the angel's body ans she will do whatever it takes to destroy him. But what if there's something more to this story? What if Ignifex in fact isn't the bad guy?

The best thing about this book is the colorful description of the castle. The never ending staircase leading to Nyx's room, dark bedrooms, the dining hall, the ball room which lights up with water at night, the garden and that field. Just beautiful. Oh I don't think I've ever been in love with the portrayal of a house/castle so much I wanted to move there, but only if Ignifex would be kind enough to proviide me with a wifi connection. 

I would recommend it to readers who enjoy exploring fairytales with a mythology variation. Don't miss this incredible debut novel! 

This is the first book I read in our little club. I'll share the link for Glass' review once she posts it.