A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J Maas

“Sarah J. Maas definitely took on a whole different route,” – these were my first words regarding A Court of Wings and Ruin to my friends, about only a hundred pages in. Having finished it and being able to look at it wholly, I am still on the fence about how the story went.

The anticipation for ACOWAR had me reading for hours straight, as expected. By hour six, I was mentally exhausted. Extremely. The supposed-finale for the series felt as if it bit more than it can chew. While I am a sucker for well laid-out arcs, ACOWAR was overflowing with them to properly comprehend and was downright tiring to follow. It was like the multiple screens of the sonar device in Dark Knight, showing multiple secondary scenes, including the primary arc, all at once. And like Lucius Fox, you’re supposed to follow each and everyone of them.

"What we think to be our greatest weakness can sometimes be our biggest strength."

Given how it’s still book 3 out of 6, some arcs were clearly meant to remain unresolved to be eventually followed through. I do appreciate continuity; however, it was either this subplot was already withering from backburner negligence or was so suddenly placed and seemingly unnecessary, given the gravity of everything else occurring simultaneously. Some were obviously set up for further books and these little surprising details, albeit unintentionally, broke the pace of an already drama- and action-heavy book.

With both ACOTAR and ACOMAF, I noticed how action was mostly crammed in the third act. In comparison, the third installment definitely regained some balance in terms of the weight of the circumstances or character(s) development. Given how a lot of details and arcs have already been setup with the predecessors, Maas was quick to the action in ACOWAR. The book began and ended in gripping events that promptly, as aforementioned, emphasized an almost consistent pacing and balance. Almost. Supporting my claim of arc-overload, it was action-packed to the point of often glossing over the actual big, table-turning events. If all are important, then none is important.
I also found Feyre’s perspective very limiting, especially in the latter part of ACOWAR where some milestones were happening literally beyond court borders. While I see the purpose of having a first-person POV, there were quite a lot of moments that needed an omniscient viewpoint. Loose ends were merely tied up with a couple of sentences of explanation and Feyre’s own assumptions. These scenes left unanswered questions and could’ve propelled development of other secondary characters, particularly seeming antagonists.

"My rage had become a living thing inside my chest, an echoing heartbeat that soothed me to sleep and stirred me to waking."

Despite having a few technical issues with ACOWAR, I still would not take back the (many many) savings that paid for this highly anticipated release. Being an avid fan of Maas, I’ve firsthand witnessed how she takes care of her characters and it was one of the main aspects that I really melted for in ACOWAR. There were quite literally world-threatening events happening yet she took time to further develop important relationships between characters, particularly our titular Feyre, both platonically and romantically. It strengthened emotional connections between the reader and the characters, thus created a bigger impact for emotional events. For a fantasy race of supernatural beings, they felt real.

"I would have waited five hundred more years for you. A thousand years. And if this was all the time we were allowed to have... the wait was worth it."

Although ACOWAR ended in a hopeful note with the overarching arc (lol) reaching its conclusion, Sarah J Maas clearly still has a lot in store for her readers in her upcoming books. This book was honestly a conflicting read but continued to capture my heart through its characters. Here’s to another painful year of waiting!

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

After being engulfed in externally flawless Fae and their internally flaw-filled courts, Sabaa Tahir’s dark and gritty dystopian fantasy was a refreshing read.

Laia and Elias, our titular characters, lived in a totalitarian world focused solely on gaining and keeping power and control, even if it meant taking liberties from other people. Laia was an ordinary Scholar girl from an oppressed and conquered nation of skeptics while Elias was a graduating student of Blackcliff, the unforgiving military school. They were on the opposite sides of the spectrum of social circles but circumstances and choices – theirs or otherwise – had brought them together.

"Life is made of so many moments that mean nothing. Then one day, a single moment comes along to define every second that comes after. Such moments are tests of courage, of strength."

An Ember in the Ashes began with action and intended to keep that pace. It was fitting, to say the least, given the respective situations the two protagonists were in at the beginning and all throughout the novel. The plot itself was intriguing and well-written. Despite being action-packed to its core, there was a balance of moments that provided breathing room for the reader and created dimensions for both titular and supporting characters.

Having dual POVs, Laia and Elias were bound to meet and interact. Oftentimes, this becomes a hindrance to the story as the relationship between the main characters become either forced or dependent. However, with Tahir, she was able to create three-dimensional characters, not just Laia and Elias, who can exist – and who did – without each other. Dire circumstances, not some instant romance or whatnot, eventually brought them together, and because they have their own motives and beliefs, strengths and weaknesses, there blossomed a fruitful relationship that I am excited to be further explored in the sequel.

As aforementioned, every character are their own person. They have their own histories and demons. With that, Tahir formed clear arcs and development throughout the book, which provided a simple yet in-depth context to follow.

"There are two kinds of guilt: the kind that drowns you until you’re useless, and the kind that fires your soul to purpose."

An Ember in the Ashes was set in a dystopian world that you know from the beginning was a hellhole. As we followed characters that were victims of their own form of oppression, we witness the power-driven and sadistic culture that revolved around their world. Political dynasties promoted unforgiving violence to gain titles. There was adamant slavery and no equal justice. It was interesting how Tahir set Laia and Elias – characters in search of their identity, of their moral purpose – against a cruel and flawed world that wished to strip them of exactly that.

This series starter began after a war of nations and states and thus featured other cultures and societies that were grazed but left unexplored. There were moments that included otherworldly beings that simply took me by surprise as we were given only an introductory sentence as premise. However, the way lore was glossed over was quite understandable to maintain the focus of the plot on the characters and their decisions. I can only hope the sequel delves into these deeper to anchor the concepts in such a rusted and skeptic world.

There’s an almost constant dimness when imagining Serra as it stemmed from the grave tone of both protagonists’ perspectives. While other settings were easier to visualize such as barren deserts and damp and dangerous forests, grasping on to physical settings was like holding on to slippery slope. One second you’ve got a tight grip, the next you’re fumbling for support. An Ember in the Ashes had a solid atmosphere but lacked in finite solid structures to build settings. There were still scenes, nonetheless, that proved otherwise.

"All the beauty of the stars means nothing when life here on earth is so ugly."

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed An Ember in the Ashes. Consistent tone and pacing as well as clear and genuine character development carried it through and through. There was an unpredictability to it, having been set in solid dark and grit and experiencing through growing and distinct characters. It kept me at the edge of my seat and equally eager for the sequel.

King's Cage by Victoria Aveyard

King’s Cage, without a doubt, exceeded my expectations. Julienne and I have been waiting for weeks following its “release” date, building up theories and headcanons. Most of which didn’t happen but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Compared to its predecessor, King’s Cage was a giant upgrade. Glass Sword had a generic plot, a nonexistent villain, and a suffocating protagonist. With this recent installment, the characters, the world, and the mythos felt polished to the bone. The titular perspective was still Mare but given her circumstance as Maven’s prisoner, we got to see other points-of-view as well. This provided a more wholly look on the Scarlet Guard and the Kingdom of Norta and just proved how Mare isn’t the “great, chosen center of it all”, which was refreshing, to say the least.

As readers, we were given only snippets of the big picture. We couldn’t always see what pieces are being moved in the grand chess board of it all and that brought about a sense of welcomed unpredictability (this was where my theories were gleefully pushed aside). Every turning point was read at the edge of my seat. At the same time, there were also instances where we purposefully knew more than the characters do and the impending moments were built-up with anticipation, generating a heavier impact when the hammer finally fell.

"Those who know what it's like in the dark will do anything to stay in the light."

Mare in Glass Sword was condescending, shameless, and self-centered. And although I see how circumstance had brought her to that state, it was still quite unnerving to read. Fortunately, circumstance once again intervened and I actually do have Maven to thank for that. Mare learns to appreciate the little things in life, be a team player, and not adjust the spotlight to herself. She’s definitely way more fun to read. And that folks, is called character development.

Ever since Mare first knelt to Maven, it’s become obvious how the third book will cater more to my beloved boy-king. (Yes, I don’t hate him.) As I stated in my Glass Sword review, Maven was mostly limited to desperate love letters, trails of violence, and propaganda banners. He was represented as a ghost – the unseen boogey man – and that catered to Mare’s and by extension, the readers’ perception of him as the powerful yet psychopathic, inhumane momma’s boy. In King’s Cage, we finally get to see his side of the story. The best part was that in her incarceration, Mare has a preexisting relationship – a stick – her only weapon amidst all the silence. She knows him well enough to confidently poke the monster. With the great lack of MareCal, their interactions were highly anticipated, only to just peek through the crumbling bricks around Maven, especially now without Elara’s guiding hand. I’ve always had a soft spot for well-rounded antagonists and the current Nortan King fits the bill. His vulnerabilities and honesty around Mare were my drug.

"...monsters are most dangerous when they are afraid."

What I’ve also thoroughly enjoyed with King’s Cage was how the whole plot revolved around its characters and their motives. Victoria Aveyard introduced a lot of new players in this book but they didn’t feel out-of-place or awkward. In The Amazing Spiderman 2, the variety of villains felt crowded and aimless. While with Aveyard, each individual, may it be a protagonist or an antagonist, had a role to play. The plot served the characters and the characters served the plot. Meaningfully. She brought out this balance through weaving emotional and driven interactions and there is the whole of Act Three that can attest to that. She was able to create solid arcs from distinct personalities, as I saw through Maven, Mare, and Cal, and even present in the side characters.

(And because this is a non-spoiler review, all I can say is, Act Three – around 75% in – was the epitome of my existence. And then the ending just crushed that very existence.)
Victoria Aveyard toyed with my emotions like never before. She gave me something in King’s Cage I didn’t even know I wanted so very bad until I was smiling and laughing all giddy by reading about it until I wasn’t. The ending was the inevitable answer to the underlying question of MareCal’s relationship from the beginning. I was expecting it. I know, no matter how much denial, that it was bound to happen and yet, the touchdown was still heartbreaking. A painful experience that warrants an applause. Victoria literally left me hyperventilating (I have snaps to prove it!) and dying for the continuation.

"To stand in front of a person who is your whole world and be told you are not enough. You are not the choice. You are a shadow to the person who is your sun.” 

I cannot deny the amount of fun I had reading King’s Cage after a year of waiting. But, of course, there’s just a minor kink that was Cameron. She was one of the perspectives side-by-side Mare and because they had around a 5:1 ratio in chapters, I always end up looking forward to Cameron’s POV for more Scarlet Guard (yes, Farley) and more (more) Cal. However, oftentimes, she was downgraded to a mere third-person narrator, only there to explain whatever’s happening with the Scarlet Guard. I enjoyed her bluntness regarding Mare’s high-and-mighty attitude and Cal’s dilemmas but they quickly grew over worn. Her motive was clear from the beginning: to save her twin brother from the Red army and even that seemed like an excuse for Cameron to be a three-dimensional character. A good portion of her arc was messy and rushed compared to the rest of the book. Worst of all, there were way too many conveniences along the way. Cameron left me a good impression in Glass Sword for shamelessly pointing out Mare’s flaws. It disappointed me how she was the least handled of all in King’s Cage, despite earning some first-person chapters.

Even then, King’s Cage is definitely my favorite among the three released with Red Queen as a close second. It was well-paced and thoroughly built from its politics to its morals to its characters. I enjoyed every little scene that built up all the arcs. experiencing from different perspectives was even better. The overall plot was literally bloody and also clean in a sense that it felt as if it had gone through as much revisions as it could. It definitely served the book well. By the end, King’s Cage was a plethora of emotions. It got me contented and devastated at the same time. And now, desperate to know the fates of my beloved characters.

And because Julienne had mentioned its usefulness, I rate King's Cage:

5 out of 5 stars

Diabolic by E.J. Kincaid

I wanted and waited for Diabolic since the day I heard of its premise. Well, I’m just thankful it wasn’t my money that paid for it. (HAHA thank you forever Yen!)

Diabolic wasn’t necessarily bad but was also not the best. I’ve had issues from the beginning and as I continued, there seemed to be a consistent ride of good and bad.

I am a sucker for royalty, whatever fantasy or galaxy it may be set. I’ve always been interested in the dynamics of power in a monarchy and set hierarchy and how individuals either revel or begrudge in it.

At this, Diabolic did not hold back. Set in a future Empire where your wealth is in your reputation and currency is in information, things were bound to get bloody. And they were. The sword was sharp and brutal. There was a live skinning, attempted rape, actual committed rape, and of course, murder. The sadist in me loved every moment of it. How else does a world feel real without witnessing its flaws?

However, the world building did lack on many areas and it was left to the acts of the characters themselves – no matter how trivial or grand – that created this reality. The concept, although familiar, was interesting and I do wish it was given more of a fleshing out to truly immerse the readers.

"But then, I’ve always believed love is the most volatile substance in the universe. It erupts, it incinerates, and then it simply flames out..."

If you’ve been a veteran of this blog, you’d know my greatest enemy in literature is insta-love. I simply cannot stand it in any way or form and Diabolic was crazy enough to be founded on that notion.

Diabolics are creatures – androids? – created and designed to protect a single person as long as possible. Apparently, that is through a “bonding” process with the master, which we act-iii-later learned was chemically involved. With Nemesis’ own words, I quote, “I wondered at the feeling inside me, which glowed like warm embers in my chest. This marvelous glow came from looking at her…This was love.” And in a world where love can’t even be scientifically explained, it just sounded ridiculous to me.

Looking back now post-reading, I am slowly understanding Nemesis’ loyalty and devotion to Sidonia. But love? Nemesis was a Diabolic bred not to feel emotion and pain, only to serve and protect. So why bother labeling it as love? Couldn’t it be just simple commitment? Love entails more than just looking after someone’s safety and reading from Nemesis’ point of view, that’s definitely not how she perceives whatever was going on.

From what we were given, it can be seen as insta-love but not really. Nemesis is Sidonia’s best friend and the heir treats her as such, with kindness, acceptance, and love. But where did this come from? There were no experiences or flashbacks of any sort that could create the history of their close and already established relationship. Yes, it was in Nemesis’ focused and stiff point-of-view but Sidonia was also a vital character to the plot and to Nemesis herself. Leaving out their childhood, their memories together and just assume their undying love for one another was a bad move. Since Diabolic was instituted from that relationship, it was critical that we know and understand these characters’ history with one another before anything else. In the end, I couldn’t care less about the naïve Sidonia because there was nothing to care about.

I could still get Nemesis’ rigid narration. She was a creature only for protective services, after all. What I couldn’t understand, however, was the need for blatant dictionary definition.
Diabolic was set in the far future where most of the rich population live in space. I admired the dynamics of it all: the throwaway and lax culture that was created, their Helionic religion, and the sheer brutality of their daily living. But apparently that also involved a definition of terms (and I’ve had enough of those from research papers). While I usually don’t mind being introduced to new or altered concepts to convey a different reality, Nemesis presented them in such a boring bomb in the face in about a paragraph or less.

“Sidonia is the Impyrean heiress. Her father is a Senator. A Senator is rich and has a position in the Senate. The Senate and the galaxy is ruled by the Domitrians.” Ugh, no. It took the fun right out of discovering their world for myself and unnecessarily dragged the plot just to explain this ritual or this tradition or this family. Memorizing the complicated surnames and positions were tedious enough then you would have to take note of the procedures for Senate voting along with it before you can continue with the story.

There are definitely better and more creative ways to present a world to the reader. I won’t take the excuse that it’s from Nemesis’ Diabolic point-of-view when these customs aren’t even foreign to her despite how she retold it as such. Kincaid have got to trust the reader to piece together events from context clues.

On the other hand, there were also ideas that were left too untouched. Such as the concept of Diabolic killing machines themselves. Are they androids capable of emotions? Are they enhanced humans? Do they even bleed? (And Neveni’s history with the Domitrians!) There wasn’t a balance between the basic information and adding depth to the world.

"Perhaps scorpions were the only ones who could save each other. Whatever lay ahead, it would always be the two of us above the rest of the universe, and woe to any who dared step in out path."

If there’s one thing I truly loved about Diabolic, it was Tyrus Domitrian. In a power hungry futuristic society, Tyrus was a piece curiously placed in the board. He was titled as Successor Primo, to lead the elitists and everybody else upon his uncle, the Emperor’s death. The catch was Tyrus was the resident madman – bringing shame and going against their religion, hearing voices in his head, and basking in vanity. So who would want him as Emperor?

The moment Tyrus and Nemesis met, I basically saw a glimpse of how it’ll end. But, the journey was still enjoyable. Tyrus was probably the only character I was able to fully relish and even relate to. He was built-up well with a known reputation, a distinct personality, and a clear motive – the telltale signs of a good character. In a world of false-youths, drug addiction, Diabolics, and stiff storytelling, he felt human. He was a good anchor in the vast, new world and an intriguing read.

On the other side of the scale, Nemesis was a Diabolic who repeatedly claimed her superiority. Upon this, I immediately thought of Khan in Star Trek: Into Darkness. Benedict Cumberbatch played this truly intelligent and strong antihero, who without a doubt dominates over an ordinary man even in presence alone. He can be seen as the antagonist – a murderer, to be exact – but his personal motives place him as a hero of his own story, determined to protect his family and exact revenge on the power that hurt them. Sounds familiar?

Then we meet Nemesis. She was a vigilant hawk, always looking out for Sidonia. And yes, she may be physically dominant with a constant lust for blood but she can really be stupid sometimes. She walked into situations that screamed bad (and ended up worse) to anyone with reason, all the while convincing herself that it is part of a strategic gameplay. Equally frustrating were the instances she let herself tricked by something so common sense and by someone named untrustworthy. Don’t even try to argue that she’s blinded by love or grief or whatnot. It was so completely out of character and against what Kincaid consistently tried to convince the readers of.

Nemesis was a different point-of-view, altogether, comprising of characteristics and thoughts an android would have. I personally think that there should’ve been another perspective side-by-side our Diabolic titular character. This would differentiate Nemesis from normal humans and further build up the description of a Diabolic. It would also create a more holistic storytelling. The focus was with Nemesis the entire time even if something more important was happening elsewhere. (Yes, I am talking about a certain useless prison, self-wallowing scene here.) Lastly, it would stop the info dumping.

"It’s terrifying to realize your own decisions are shaping your destiny."

I had such a high regard for Tyrus Domitrian that the ending simply took me aback. In a raised-eyebrow way. Diabolic revolved a lot around revenge and personal vendettas. The last act definitely dealt with the final pursuit of it all although in a sudden, uncharacteristic way. It still would’ve been good and acceptable if it weren’t so rushed and of course, suddenly tied up in a pretty neat bow. It read like a grand finale, tying up all loose ends. There wasn’t anything left – no cliffhanger or suspenseful epilogue – to have our hands itching for a sequel.

Diabolic as a whole feels like it’s still in need a fourth draft. There were inconsistencies with the characters, a limiting and dragging perspective, and a great lack in the world building department. Nonetheless, I still did enjoy Diabolic despite discovering a lot of concerns with it. I can’t promise that I would be picking up the sequel, though.

If you like an R-rated sci-fi with light romance and heavy drama, then I wouldn’t take away Diabolic from you. I simply belong to the minority.

Illuminae by Amy Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

This is the second book I just randomly grabbed off a shelf and I. LOVED. IT. (First was Six of Crows and look how that turned out.) Conclusion: do that more often. Even before, especially around its release, I’ve heard a lot of affirmation around Illuminae but given that the hardbound costs around P900 and I am usually poor, I’ve never included it in my to-buy list. But then Christmas came and so did cash and after around an hour of contemplation around Fully Booked, I just finally did a grab-and-go. No regrets.

Illuminae was aesthetically beautiful outside and inside. The narrative was presented through a dossier of confidential files, IMs among subjects, transcripts and the like. It was creative, to say the least, and presented a different perspective to the whole story. Set in the future, we mainly follow Kady Grant and Ezra Miller aboard the spaceships (think Star Trek’s Enterprise and Across the Universe by Beth Revis) Hypatia and Alexander respectively as refugees from a massive terrorist attack on the planet they were residing in. While they take great sums of the narrative, we still get a look at important characters aboard the UTA (United Terran Authority) spaceships such as the commanders and even, their AI named AIDAN and their positions on whatever’s happening. I had told Julienne that Illuminae reminded me of a Nolan movie and the different POVs was one of the many factors.

Illuminae was fast-paced and action-packed, decked with mystery, from the beginning. You think you know what’s happening then it twists and turns in a direction you didn’t even know was possible. There were many times I caught myself in a movie gasp (legit) or rereading a certain page, or even just a line, to convince myself that actually happened. There was consistency with the hype of the story as it went, making you eager to flip to the next page and never stop. (I finished this 800+ pages wonder in less than 24 hours, folks. I was sick a good part of that, too.)

The layout of the book clearly had a big part in the storytelling. Since what we get were transcripts of conversations, unanswered emails, casualty lists, there’s the opportunity to piece the story and the world through context clues, even side by side with the people living it. Through this, I was also able to connect with the characters even if they are from the future with different lives and personalities. We got to know Kady, Ezra, even Byron and McNulty with their cards laid out there in the open; how else will you know someone as real as that, even without a direct physical description or a paragraph of adjectives. Personally, I enjoyed Ezra and McNulty’s friendship a lot. There was a lot of real-life humor to it, presenting a needed comic relief. It made you love these characters and feel so much pain as they went through difficulties.

I got to be honest here, though. Fair warning: the names were a headache at first. Since the book immediately throws you into action – and as I said, context clues, you basically have to bookmark every name and add it into your own encyclopedia in your head. Fortunately, you get used to it of course.

Overall, I loved Illuminae. It got my heart from the start, played with it all throughout, and it still has it until the acknowledgements. I gave it 5/5, people…FIVE-OVER-FIVE. (Julienne is judging me for rating it higher than SOC. So am I.) The presentation of the story was different and creative and enjoyable. It was refreshing to read and also had the right balance of humor from the characters and gravity from the plot.

I am itching for Gemina. However, I’ve read the synopsis and this time, we’re getting new characters. This honestly made me double-think because I have fallen for Kady and Ezra and they’re dynamic that it feels wrong to want more of them but end up with another set. I don’t want to say goodbye to these characters, albeit temporarily. I guess we’ll have to see.

P.S. Through the influence of Christine Riccio in my life, I am currently listening to the audiobook. I have never tolerated audiobooks until I met Illuminae. Thoughts? Plenty. Must you wait? Probably.

Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan

"My name is Magnus Chase. I’m sixteen years old. This is the story of how my life went downhill after I got myself killed."

After the Great Triggering and Depression of Lady Midnight and the withdrawal period that was Trials of Apollo, I was again emotionally available for something to read. Julienne, being ever so meticulous with her books (truly understandable!), eventually offered me a jacketless, hardbound of Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan (wordy!). Being the desperate that I am, I read it the same day it was given; thus, basically going in blind. Completely blind enough to be mindblown when I discovered that Magnus and Annabeth Chase were cousins. (Actually, that was probably bordering on pretty stupid.)

Given how I knew very much nothing about this thick book in my hands with really really sharp corners (I have the scars to prove it), I found Magnus to be refreshing and enthralling from the beginning. He was a homeless teenager, for Frigg’s sake. I can only count one book to start with that. And of course, the fact that he legitimately died somewhere in the first three chapters or so. (Clearly, when you kill off main characters, you earn points from me. I'm waiting, King’s Cage.)

“'What kind of animal am I eating?'  

Sam wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. 'It's named Saehrimnir.'

'Okay, first of all, who names their dinner? I don't want to know my dinner's name. This potato--is this potato named Steve?'

She rolled her eyes. 'No, stupid. That's Phil. The bread is Steve.'”

Magnus was humorous and adventurous as the story unfolds and to read, as well. His responses and reactions were sometimes too real to manage. However, he was built on this “thrust-into-a-new-world-turned-hero” template, sprinkled with sarcasm and just a little denial. I hate to say it but there were instances he was too generic for me to care about his wellbeing; there’s an assurance he’d get out of the situation because he’s just that amazing, even if he doesn’t know it yet.

Another issue I had was how he literally took in everything without a grain of salt. “Oh, there’s a whole world based on what I thought were just myths. Weird but yay!” “Oh, there’s a goddess right in front of me that I don’t even understand how they can exist. Nice to meet you!” Magnus was just an ordinary boy who lost his mother to Brooklyn wolves, enjoying the lack of responsibilities as a street kid then he was suddenly introduced to this vast and complex parallel world(s) of Norse. Response? Nod, smile, and join the bandwagon. It was more telling than showing.

I found his overall intentions in finding the sword of Summer extremely…blurry. Yes, the whole quest was to delay the inevitable Ragnarok but Ragnarok was never fully explained, in the first place, aside from prophecies that were meant to just happen. Obviously, it entails Doomsday, the end of the world, the apocalypse but we were never properly presented with the high stakes and so, I never felt the urgency of Ragnarok. Throughout the book, it often made me wonder, why is Magnus even doing this in the first place? Why does he care when he has got nothing left to lose anyway?

"The thing about fate, Magnus: even if we can't change the big picture, our choices can alter the details.That's how we rebel against destiny, how we make our mark. What will you choose to do?"

The inconsistent pacing and dragging around the middle didn’t help my already skeptical brain. While the adventures were fun to a degree, some moments simply felt unnecessary or forced and stretched the quest longer than necessary. The rising action had that sense of urgency everyone was going on about but on the long journey to the “climax” and “falling action”, delaying Ragnarok was dissolved to an item in a to-do list that must be finished before the weekend.

The whole quest of finding the sword of Summer and not letting the dog out (woof woof!) was a series of 45-minute episodes of a season of Magnus and Friends Travel Diaries. Almost literally. Every episode began and ended with a magic teleport to a world vital to the next step of plot. Every episode included a guest star vital to the next step of plot. Although the next episode was unpredictable – who knew we’d get to a giant’s beanstalk of a windowsill or the woodworks capital of the nine realms – the elements were repetitive and too convenient to the next step of plot.

Truth be told, I don’t necessarily mind meh story telling if the characters manage to bring the book up (i.e. Clockwork Angel). However, Sword of Summer ended up short just a little bit in that department. I don’t fault Rick Riordan for sticking with a Magnus POV. It was a necessary move but it limited to me loving Magnus and just liking (and sometime tolerating) everybody else. We get a clear depiction of everything Magnus – the camera was just solely focused on him – but it’s as if Riordan forgot, character arcs were happening at the same time. We only get updates on character developments and teasers of their intricate backstories like a Waize during traffic. This resulted on the dreaded detachment of reader.

One of the lacking things I actually enjoyed in Sword of Summer was the absence of nonplatonic love. This series starter very much focuses on family even from the beginning and I was impressed to discover it continued to be. There were a lot of familial elements, and although I wish it was more expounded and emphasized especially with Magnus and Friends, I still appreciate it and hope it’s more evident in the sequel.

Sword of Summer was a lot of things I liked and didn’t. Nonetheless, it was enjoyable and I’m definitely looking forward to seeing Tom Hiddleston as Loki in the next book, Hammer of Thor.

Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare

I met Julian and Emma as side characters back at COHF and honestly, I did not give much interest in them as I should have. This went on even as I grabbed Lady Midnight from the shelves during MIBF. After being completely won over by The Infernal Devices, I was hesitant to reenter the Shadowhunter world in a different perspective but who could say no to a Carstairs?

Cassandra Clare is known to breathe life into her characters and in Lady Midnight, there’s without a doubt she did. Even with just the first few chapters, I’m already starting to fall for Emma who I met first. She’s got a thirst for adventure and action – and of course, revenge for her parents’ true murderer. I could say she’s much like a hyperactive child but Emma’s got a certain maturity and discipline to let you know that even with her humor and recklessness, she’s serious, especially about important matters (of the heart).

Then Julian enters the scene and you get to see, even with just subtle looks and little details, the burden he bears with being the parental figure of his big family. Almost instantly, he reminded me of Will and his curse. They both have to wear masks to protect those they care about. Tall, dark, and mysterious internally tortured boys. I. HAVE. FALLEN.

“Everyone is more than one thing,” said Kieran, “We are more than single actions we undertake, whether they be good or evil.”

My friend Julienne and I argued that no parabatai bond can match Heronstairs but Emma and Julian’s come close (pre-shit going down, if you know what I mean), especially given their situations. The Blackthorn kids and Emma both underwent a similar tragedy – being orphaned during the Dark War. For Emma and Julian, it was when they knew how much importance the other’s presence is in their lives. Cassandra Clare delved deep into both protagonists’ tragic history, bringing out the pain both experienced individually and how they coped through it as best friends and eventually, parabatai. Julian will always be Emma’s extra seraph blade during a demon fight and Emma will always be Julian’s breathing room when he’s tired from raising his 4 younger siblings. 

Regarding said “shit going down, if you know what I mean”, after witnessing how much those two were there for each other when nobody was – how much they mean to each other – I totally see and understand why what happened, happened. My heart was in pieces at the whole idea of it. The consequences of actions. The world just won’t give them a break. 

“There was beauty in the idea of freedom, but it was an illusion. Every human heart was chained by love.”

Cristina, Livvy, Ty, Tavvy, Mark, and even, Perfect Diego. They’re mostly side characters who also have a place in my heart. Cassandra Clare wrote each one with such unique personalities, making them not just characters on a page for plot but real. They’ve added their personal contributions to the mystery of Emma’s parents, the story as a whole, and to both Julian and Emma, themselves – Mark and his siblings for him and Cristina for her. 

As for the actual mystery, it was interesting and of course, by Nephilim standard, complicated and coincidentally-involving-protagonists-or-people-close-with-protagonists. The murder mystery had a good premise but as the inhabitants of the L.A. Institute moved forward with the investigation, it drags a bit like dead weight. As a reader, I didn’t get to assimilate myself in the situation and was merely limited to being in standby as I watched pieces of the puzzle fit themselves together rather perfectly. (Though that made the villain revelation really surprising.) Often, the storyline was used as a plot device for character development, which is not necessarily bad. It just made Lady Midnight feel more of an exposition novel to the actual climax of the trilogy, especially with the really really important information the villain revealed later on. 

“We can be cruelest to those who remind us of ourselves.”

However, this has got to be one of my favorite starters of all time among all the series (and that’s including TID). Having prior knowledge about the Shadow World and its characters was definitely helped me to fully enjoy Lady Midnight

.

All the references and cameos from Cassandra Clare’s other series were a real treat – a crossover I’ve always dreamed of. It was fun to see them all there together – most, anyway – and it was very much cherished with a lot of fangirling. 

I was actually expecting Lady Midnight to focus a lot on its characters and I honestly welcome it. They were written really well and solid that I just don’t see myself saying goodbye. At all. Even though I wasn't as invested in the plot. The uncovered secrets and decisions made at the end were huge WTF moments that I’m praying to all angels to just grant me Lord of Shadows. Now. Because seriously, I need to know what happens next. 

"Why lie?"

Midnight Star by Marie Lu

To be honest here, this is my third draft of this review. Somehow, I just couldn’t express my thoughts right. So, I’m taking the blunt road out –

Midnight Star wasn’t what I was expecting. With the action-packed impression I got from Marie Lu’s other beloved creations, I thought it’d be breathless running and exhaustion from no breaks, especially for the final book. However, that doesn’t mean Marie Lu delivered a crappy-ass job.

Emotional and heart-wrenching, Midnight Star was the ending to the Young Elites Trilogy that by the end, I didn’t know I wanted. It was heavy with so much feelings, to say the least, and it was actually quite fun to be Adelina without the armor. I saw the evil she had lived through and there were times when I couldn’t help but not disagree with the new Queen of Kennettra’s cruelty. Marie Lu had created this inhuman anti-hero and seeing firsthand her humanization, the breakdown of her own illusions as she comes face to face with her demons, connects the reader to the real Adelina Amouteru.

"You cannot harden your heart to the future just because of your past. You cannot use cruelty against yourself to justify cruelty to others."

This connection served its purpose really well when the final chapters came rolling in and tears came running down. I’ve commended Marie Lu’s skill with playing with emotion before and here I am, praising her again. She got hold of my heart in this book and it must be fun messing with it with every tragedy that befalls the characters and every body that falls dead.

However, I had some issues with the love story and aspects about the mission-type storyline. For one, the Magiano and Adelina relationship felt forced at times, as if it was there for plot and ending-plot. I think I could’ve been fine if they were just close, trusted friends and that doesn’t take away the bond they had developed throughout the book. I got to say though, the hidden pool was real steamy, if you know what I mean.

Another was the whole idea of alignments and the whole "adventure to save the world" storyline. In my defense, due to certain circumstances involving stupidity, I wasn’t able to read the Young Elites (but I stayed so that’s saying something) and after being immediately introduced to the Elites’ capabilities in the Rose Society, the whole “alignments to certain stones” sounded off. Adelina also seemed to put a lot of blind faith on Raffaele’s hunches about their entire journey, especially as she considered him as an enemy.

This branches on to how there were inconsistent characterizations from the previous books and a lack of fleshing out - Maeve and Lucent, anyone? Sometimes supporting characters simply become a bokeh in the background, only called on stage when needed because plot. I don't know if it was just me or because of Adelina's perspective but the tone of the entire book bordered on depressing and dragging (emotionally heavy, didn't I say?).

Nonetheless, I personally consider Midnight Star's ending a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy and the whirlwind of Adelina’s story, although the areas leading up to it are just quite. Throughout the whole series, Marie Lu did a tremendous job bringing to life such a strong and punishing yet internally tortured anti-hero and relating her pain and struggles. And with the position Marie Lu left her in, I honestly hope she finds her peace and happiness. (Notice that I only focus on Adelina?)

There's definitely some love and not-quite-life-but-question-mark in this book.

Before saying goodbye to this series, I would like to special mention this Goodreads review I have discovered where she expounds a few points to wonder that I couldn't and also, perfectly describe my reactions to certain deaths in the book (and she also managed to make me realizes a few other flaws here and there).

Duology: Six of Crows + Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

After reading books that didn’t really satisfy, it felt so good to finally read something that has completely blown me over. Declaring that now, I’m slightly regretting it (in a good way) because goddamn, it fucking hurts. (This was post-SOC. Just multiply that pain exponentially after Crooked Kingdom.)

I bought Six of Crows without expectations and even as my friend, Julienne consistently assured its good graces, I didn’t look into it much. I didn’t know if doing so made me extra emotional throughout these books though based on others’ reactions, I wasn’t the only one. Leigh Bardugo’s second series in the world of Grisha definitely got some balls to play with our hearts.

After SOC, with the first chance I got, I bought myself Crooked Kingdom. (That should be telling you something: me, someone-who-hates-using-my-own-money-to-buy-expensive-books, buys the sequel without question.) I’m beyond triggered.

When I was bawling after Clockwork Princess, I didn’t expect any other literature to have its characters hold me the way Will, Jem, and Tessa did. (Still do.) For Saints’ sake, I was so terribly wrong.

Kaz, Inej, Nina, Jesper, Matthias, and of course, Wylan. These characters, each of them, have a special, individual place in my heart and even as the crew, as the Six of Crows collectively, they’ve got a penthouse. It’s what, or rather who, I love most about the entire duology and one of the many aspects Leigh Bardugo created tremendously well. I was blown away, especially after dealing with 2 subpar books beforehand.

"He'd started to think of Jesper as fearless, but maybe being brave didn't mean being unafraid."

They are each their own unique person from their history to their personality. Yet at the same time, they managed to complement each other in ways I didn’t expect from anti-heroes. The entire crew may not all be cruel but they’re definitely not innocent. They each have their own demons to fight and vengeance to pursue and not just the external forces stirring them together and apart. Leigh Bardugo managed to string those pieces together perfectly – the humanity and the monsters in all of them – so it was without a doubt that I fell helplessly in love with them all. 

Yes, fictional places, fictional world, but it sure as hell felt like I’ve been to Ketterdam. It was home as the Bastard of the Barrel; a nest of worms as a foreign soldier; a skyline of rooftops and smog as the Wraith – a manufacturer of demons and curses. Different for every perspective but still somehow encompasses the capital of Kerch. 

“My mother is Ketterdam. She birthed me in the harbor. My father is profit. I honor him daily.”

I’m declaring it, Leigh Bardugo is a damn good travel agent. Even if her destinations are quite shady. Her world building appealed to all senses that I can actually imagine myself walking the dark streets at night with Kaz, or scaling the roofs with Inej, and even shiver with the crew at Fjerda. 

Her descriptions put greater emphasis on the story and their characters, especially their flashbacks. It’s not just there to be a background set. I was traumatized of closed spaces, violated in shipping docks, and comfortable at home in the snow, as they were. The countries and cities, even the safe houses and rooms, were living and breathing with the crew. 

One of the many things I love about this duology, particularly in the Six of Crows, is how the crew aren’t consisted of flat characters. As you get to know them one by one, learning their whole story, you see their growth to who they are at present. They are all born of tragedy and it’s so interesting to discover how each of them either branched out or moved forward from that. 

"But what about the rest of us? What about the nobodies and the nothings, the invisible girls?...When the world owed you nothing, you demanded something of it anyway." 

Their development didn’t just stop there. The rope of their lives wasn’t all unraveled at Book 1 and I enjoyed how Leigh Bardugo continuously pulled them apart throughout Crooked Kingdom, slowly but surely. Brick by brick. 

There was a common theme in Crooked Kingdom where, in the mind of one character, Bardugo would insert someone else’s line into the context. It was a simple, elegant move, showing how much the members of the crew affect one another than they did before and the bond they have forged. 

“I would come for you,” he said, and when he saw the wary look she shot him, he said it again. “I would 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 together – knives drawn, pistols blazing. Because that’s what we do. We never stop fighting.” 

Also, I cannot go on with this review without taking note. Dark humor is the best, especially Brekker’s. 

Plot-wise, Leigh Bardugo did not lack. These people are criminals – some, on their journey there – led by the infamous Dirtyhands, the ultimate thief, Kaz Brekker with his right hand Wraith, Inej. I wouldn’t spoil the heist and schemes that surrounded both books, but needless to say, you might as well call the Six of Crows magicians in their own right. 

"We can endure all kinds of pain. It's shame that eats men whole." 

I’m a sucker for action and suspense and even a well-delivered law-breaking *cough* White Collar feels *cough* and Leigh Bardugo delivered. It was a fast paced thrilling ride, especially in Crooked Kingdom, pausing at the right times just to get you holding your breath in anticipation and replacing with scenes that will either get your heart beating faster or laughing yourself giddy. There are, of course, times when we’re going through a tunnel of dullness with too much technical information or slight drag but it’s quickly repaid with good and good-bad heart-wrenching moments, may it be through Kaz’ steely cruelty or my ships sailing. 

Without a doubt, the Six of Crows duology finds itself on my favorites’ list beside the Infernal Devices. It tells a story that grips you until the last word with 6 people you won’t expect to love with all your being. I sure do. Fair warning: I bawled my eyes out in Crooked Kingdom. 

"No mourners. No funerals. "

Moondust by Jaymes Young

  I'm a cast away, and men reap what they sow And I say what I know to be true Yeah, I'm living far away on the face of the moon I've buried my love to give the world to you (Remind you of a certain cane-wielding, leather-wearing boy?)

Let the Sky Fall by Shannon Messenger

To say I didn’t like Let the Sky Fall, would be a giant understatement. Because, no. As of now, I’m questioning my reasons why I pushed through with finishing it. Maybe I was looking for redemption? (Heads up, I found none.)

One word. Hyphenated. The source of all bookish evil.

Insta-love. (If you head back to my Top Ten Tuesday, you’ll see that I 99.8% hate it more than peanut butter.)

Meet Vane Weston, average normal cocky teenage boy that’s definitely hornier than anyone I know. Then meet Audra Eastend, a secluded teenage girl who’s a sylph (air elementals who control the wind and are the wind; definitely not human) and Vane’s entrusted guardian. Sound familiar?

Vane was the lone survivor of a category-five tornado, leaving his parents dead and childhood memories gone. But wait, the only thing he remembers is a beautiful dark haired, dark eyed girl in the rain. Oh look, there’s more, he dreams of said beautiful, dazzling, hot girl every night for the next ten years. Ten years. Sounds even more familiar? Or ridiculous?

My mind could grasp the idea of sylphs. After all, they are mythology. But for the love of anything, the “fact” that Vane dreamt of the same girl every night – to which certain fantasies are made out of, he said so himself – is just not grounded enough to even be believed in. There’s a limit to how much one can stretch fiction and call it real.

I may have forgiven it. But then, Vane decided to make it a basis for his one true love, Audra.

Oh wait, did I spoil that for you already? Well that’s how fast everything happened.

I get that boys are boys are boys and girls are girls are girls. Nobody can help it. I definitely cannot help being so annoyed and turned off at how Vane continuously sexualizes Audra at every outfit change, at every touch, at every look. (Fun fact: this is #3 of my bookish turn-offs!)

Serious shit is going on and about to go down but he takes time to think about what he’d like to do to Audra with that jacket, with her braided hair, with her short, revealing dress, with her thin tank top. He has already established how hot she is then repeats that at every girl-noun that needs an adjective-noun. Okay, I got it. She looks real fine. His little sexual, snide comments completely ruined the pacing and the mood of every scene they are in. 

What made it worse? They’ve known each other for 4 days and he’s already professing his undying love. Dreaming about the same girl (he only has one image of her so isn’t he basically dreaming of a picture?) is not classified as knowing someone.

Now now, don’t think me sexist. Audra definitely had her issues too.

If she were human and lived human, Audra would’ve diagnosed with depression because damn girl, way to go living your life. Apparently she’s just living her duties as guardian and blaming herself for one giant mistake every step of the way for the next ten years.

Before anything else, I highly commend her for being such a strong, determined girl. Yes, she’s not human and can survive inhumanly but living the strict guardian life of food and even sleep deprivation and intense training mixed with constant hiding and watching over Vane’s happy life and placing so much guilt and expectations on herself is no easy feat, even for a sylph. 

However, she’s also got a bad habit of repetition.

I get that she’s someone deprived of love and affection for a decade (I’m being real legit about the “ten years” here) and she values every action proving how much Vanes cares.

But here’s a rundown of how it ended up being: (Keep in mind that all of Vane’s lines are the offspring of instalove. You see how it all circles back to that root of evil?)

-I’ll die for you, Audra.

-Vane cares.

-I won’t let you die, Audra.

-Vane cares.

-You’re worth more than a sacrifice to me, Audra.

-Vane cares. I love him.

Audra blames herself for the death of her father and Vane’s own parents. It is, without a doubt, a huge burden to carry but it felt more like a huge burden to read. It seemed like Shannon Messenger ran out of words to constantly describe Audra’s guilt guilt guilt. It was the same thing over and over, translating to the same feeling bombarding you as the reader again and again. At first it was sympathy until I actually wanted to be the one to slap Audra in the face and knock some good sense into her.

Her personal demons were the main focus of her character arc and it stretched on until the very last chapters, leaving most of the middle feeling a bit stagnant and slow.

Almost the entirety of the plot moved in an equally slow pace, having to switch from Vane’s POV to Audra’s. More often than not, both characters are in the same scenes together and having to change perspectives out of the blue just made the storytelling very inconsistent. The sylph world also didn’t get as much fleshing out as I expected that I ended up finding the later appearance of the Gale Force and Stormers really odd and out of place. I even had difficulty imaging what they would look like.

By the last few chapters, I was barely in it anymore. Mostly because of? Instalove.

At the end, Audra left for some reason which I only understood later on when I read the summary for the sequel. Either I wasn’t really focusing or the way it was told was just really disjointed. I mean, the first minute, she confesses her “love” to Vane then the next she’s leaving without a goodbye.

And just like Audra, I’ll rather be leaving it like that. 

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

I have heard many great things about The Night Circus and I couldn’t understand why my past self ignored those hints and didn’t read this book as soon as possible.

Slowly but surely
The book began from the very very beginning, as in Celia and Marco as little children, still unknown to the world of magic. While it provided much background for later on, the pacing was quite slow but the details were thorough. There were times when I’d spent days leaving the book untouched. As The Night Circus and the stories within them grow, however, you also grow on them.

Definitely out of the box and beyond the limits 
One of the hooks that had me flipping pages and pulling all nighters was the eccentricity of it all. The whole world inside The Night Circus, not just the Cirque du Reves, explored all the nooks and crannies of creativity and stretched the fabric of possibility. Nothing felt impossible.

A show without an audience is nothing, after all. In the response of the audience, that is where the power of performance lives.

I would like to migrate to Les Cirque des Reves ASAP
To pull off such an incredible feat is to place in a universe equally incredible. Erin Morgenstern grabs the readers and puts them in the tents of the circus to explore, in the wet sidewalk to brave the rain, in Chandresh’s mansion to enjoy a party with her words. She added so much life that I’d truly hope that everything inside the book was real.

Celia x Marco = OTFP (one true f*cking pair)
Two opponents fighting each other with creativity and magic in a most complex, mysterious game. It was interesting to see both sides – Celia and Marco – unfold independently and eventually, with each other. I also had fun figuring out and discovering which work of wonder was who’s.

Celia and Marco lived in different environments and Erin Morgenstern did a great job portraying so. Their interactions were limited, especially at the start, and it was so frustrating (in a good way) to have them miss each other at almost every opportunity. That suspense definitely made their actual first meeting as opponents so incredibly perfect.

Two opponents fighting each other with creativity and magic in a most complex, mysterious game – there was no surprise that they’re going to fall for each other. Normally, that’s one giant turnoff for me but the way Celia and Marco conversed and interacted had the right amount of tension and attraction that made them so compatible, it glossed over a few clichés. I do wish there’s more moments of them together as their relationship blossomed. Their whole love story was quite rushed.

Even then, through their dialogue and reactions you can feel a hidden history with them that added mystery.

How did I become a Rêveurs?

"I have spent a great deal of my life to keep myself in control," Celia says, leaning her head against his shoulder. "To know myself inside out, everything kept in perfect order. I lose that when I'm with you. That frightens me, and - " ...

"It frightens me how much I like it," Celia finishes, turning her face back to his. "How tempting it is to lose myself in you. To let go. To let you keep me from breaking chandeliers rather than constantly worrying about it, myself."  

The non players of the game
The Night Circus had substance not just because of Celia, Marco, and their game but also the supporting characters – such as Tsukiko, Chandresh, and Isabel, naming a few – that created Les Cirque des Reves and made it whole. Their entrance into the Celia and/or Marco’s lives seemed so mundane that it’s a real surprise when events just start to turn. Through their eyes, we see a world blind to magic and it is refreshing and interesting.

The next players of the game (or are they?) 
Aside from Celia and Marco, we also meet Bailey, a young boy torn between dreams and duty, through a magical twist of fate. How the events managed to tie together in one beautiful bow as we went forward in time eludes me and I praise Erin Morgenstern for it. She managed to do it so seamlessly.

Wrapped in a rainbow, hologram bow that spouts unicorns and rainbows 
The ending was mindblowing. It was an intricate and complex solution to their pressing problem but appeared so simple and enchanting.

"Esse quam videri," Celia says, "To be, rather than to seem." 

I’ve held back a lot of words to keep this review as spoiler-less as possible. The Night Circus deserves as much mystery as it could get. I do guarantee that it is a rollercoaster of mystery and drama and fun, fueled by magic and love, and it’s a thrill worth riding. Good job, Erin Morgenstern.

Ruined by Amy Tintera

Royalty and revenge stories are two things that will surely make my mouth water and Ruined is a glorious lovechild of the two. Emelina Flores, a “useless” princess of Ruina, is off to save her sister from the cages of Lera and earn the loyalty of her magical people, the Ruined. How? By posing as the princess of Vallos, Mary, who is betrothed to the crown prince of Lera, Casimir. Don’t worry, you’ll be able to grasp all the names eventually.

Pacing Characters

Despite the quite action-explosive exposition, Ruined prodded on with a slow beginning. The characters were all distant and seemingly forced as Em was instantly put into Mary’s heels. Literally. As they get more light of day, you get to know them better, slowly but surely. By them, I meant Em and Cas. I enjoyed the presence and personality of some supporting characters like Aren and Iria, and maybe even Jovita, but they were too transparent.

"Sympathy doesn't mean much if you don't take action."

Feelings, feelings, feelings.

What Ruined magic is used for this?

In all honesty, I love Em and Cas. I love their dynamic and the way they’re both so different (nature vs nurture) yet still alike and somewhat compatible. But we cannot deny their predictability. No spoilers here – their whole love story was more or less printed into the blurb.

Everybody pretty much knew they’re falling for each other when they were still figuring out what the words “feelings” mean. Seriously, I’d be rich if there’s a buck for every time “feelings” were mentioned. Their slow discovery brought a lot of tension between them that even though just-friends would probably work fine too, it was totally alright. Em and Cas’ banter and subtle moves made up for it.

Textbook Villain

Revenge means two sides to every story – two good guys and two bad guys. For Em, Cas’ father was the one. He was the murderer of all Ruined without any justification because it is what he believes is safe and right for his people, his kingdom, yada yada yada. And that’s where everything went generic and fell through.

The King was perceived as the “cool king”, all smiles and parties. He only gets furious when suddenly questioned by his own son. Now where did I see that before? Much like his wife, they lack fleshing out, so their actions seemed disconnected and odd, especially with their role as King and Queen of Lera.

"You did what you had to do," Cas said.  

"I did what I chose to do." ...

"Then choose better next time." 

A little fixer upper.

Ruined was no close to perfect. It had its flaws of unanswered pivotal questions and kingdoms of flat characters. A bit more world building would probably construct the scene further. I did enjoy reading it, however, with its light dialogue and gay Galo and all the normalcy of killing people. And all the feelings. The ending had me by the collar and it will be an anticipation filled wait for the sequel.

[ENDING SPOILERS] 

It's really not nice to meet you, Olivia.

There weren’t enough flashbacks to describe Olivia except for the fact that she’s Em’s younger sister taken away for no given reason. I also don’t know what she’s truly capable of – is it healing or twisting people’s bodies??? (Actually, the whole population of Ruined was a giant question mark. What did Wenda Flores do to Lera? Where do the Ruined powers come from? What are the Ruined powers specifically? Why are all these important questions not addressed? Seriously, we need a Ruined history book.)

Having not known much about Olivia, helped her sudden evil backlash at the end both positively and negatively.

Bad news first: Nothing was previously explained about Em’s dear sister so she was basically like an orange dropped into a basket of apples and was meant to blend in. We didn’t even know why she was taken in the first place and why she’s kept alive and where she learned to apparently be a “stronger” Ruined. Like what? the? fuck? is? going? on?

Good news: Nothing was previously explained about Em’s dear sister so her destructive explosion was a surprise shower of fireworks and blood. It was truly unpredictable. A small part of me expected her to go crazy from being caged up but not go on a killing spree with a better Ruined metabolism. That literal heart-wrenching moment though, that scene was the source of my joy (aside from the Cas and Em with Iria included moments).

I love dark endings and this one ends with a cliffhanger, too. I can’t wait to see how even more adorably awkward and hilariously complicated Cas and Em’s relationship will be. Plus, Galo’s love story. He deserves a goddamn novella.

How long have I neglected this blog?

The real question should be, how long will I continue to neglect this blog? 

Not anymore. Ding ding ding ding ding! Right you are there, Lyka. 

In my defense, I was traveling the past month and have just stepped foot back home a week ago. But I'm not there anymore, so I should probably stop using that excuse.

Be proud, ladies and gents, I have finished 2 books within the past few days in merely 24 hours! And here comes the disappointment, I haven't written any reviews. (Yet?)

Seconds before writing this, I've been scrolling back on my blog and pressing the "older posts" option until I reached January 2016 and I have to admit that I have missed book blogging. It was fun to basically erupt all my fangirling and/or annoyance in coherent words. 

So why not continue? 

Don't worry, I will, especially with Bout of Books 16 coming around next week. Having nothing much to do this summer, let me try once again with committing. (I have a physical calendar now.)

Fair warning, there may be a change coming. A move to another blogging site? Maybe. 

This Is Where It Ends by Marieke Nijkamp

Goodreads

This Is Where It Ends was not bad, nor was it really good. I praise the use of diverse characters and love the LGBT+ that was present, but they were mostly flat. There were back stories and deep thinking somewhere in those many POVs, supposed to make me connect but it was like watching those exaggerated high school dramas that I can never relate to. 

"There are no words in that fleeting moment between hope and the knowledge. There is no way to express how a heart can burst and break at the same time, how the sun can cut through the darkness but will cast shadows everywhere.

There are only fingers that entwine with another's, arms that link in solidarity." 

The only character I could see myself in was Autumn because we're both dancers going through dancer problems and that was it. I wasn't with the characters, going through the fear and the adrenaline. I was a mere spectator, one of the citizens watching from television screens. 

"You can't always keep your loved ones with you. You can't always settle your life in one place. The world was made to change. But as long as you cherish the memories and make new ones along the way, no matter where you are, you'll always be at home." 

The distant feel from the characters affected the flow and effect a tragic story should have. 

This Is Where It Ends promises an intrigue from its premise but it actually offers a pretty simple story line. If the characters were further fleshed out and the backstory behind the whole hostage taking was bit more complex, then I would've truly enjoyed this story. 

"We may not have forever. But we still have tomorrow."

Glass Sword (Red Queen #2) by Victoria Aveyard

Rating: 3 

I loved Red Queen but sadly, I didn't love Glass Sword that much. As much as I don't want to admit it, it was more of a bridge book than anything.

The aftermath of Red Queen that I was waiting for was barely there. Glass Sword was in a continuous loop of running, getting caught, escaping, running, and so on.

"I am your rightful king, Silver-born for centuries," he replies, seething, "The only reason you're still breathing is because I can't burn the oxygen from this room."

Maven, the traitor, the villain, the evil antagonist's presence was merely a portrait hung on walls in every town. Literally. His character in Glass Sword was created by just testimonies. Let's just say, I was captivated by the young, innocent Maven, much like Mare, and the sequel failed to convince me otherwise.

Glass Sword focused more on Mare's character development and seemed to only use the storyline as a plot device. She was darker than she's ever been in Red Queen and even more as her journey progresses. Mare was so much of a flawed character, which I love. You can feel her paranoia and immense distrust, as well as her loneliness. But eventually it got real annoying real fast. All she focuses on is herself and her revenge that she's bringing herself to her own downfall, dragging everybody with her. (I totally agree with Cameron Cole.)

"No heart can be ever be truly understood. Not even your own."

I don't have anything against character-driven plots but Glass Sword drove through Mare a bit too much that I am oblivious to everything else as she is. There are so many storylines that were just left fleshed out. (Shade and Farley, anyone?)

Glass Sword wasn't all bad - I cherished every MareCal moment - but it definitely went below my expectations.