blog

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas

~ Amanda @ Literary Weaponry ~ 2 Comments

ACourtofMistandFury

Folks, I do believe I have become obsessed. I cannot get enough of this series. Let me give you some perspective on that. I started this book last week, finished it in three days, and immediately returned to page one and started reading it again. All 626 pages of it. During the second read through I realized how many little details that I had overlooked the first time. When I started the first book in the series, A Court of Thorns and Roses, I was sure the popularity of the books was going to end up being all hype and end in a let down. Oh how very wrong I was. These books aren’t dry, tasteless grocery store cupcakes. Oh no. They are full on wedding cakes with many layers and fillings, worthy of being ogled and admired.

Sometimes, I love being wrong.

“Many atrocities, have been done in the name of the greater good.”

We return to the story with Feyre and Tamlin having survived the horrors Under the Mountain and gone back home to the Spring  Court of which Tamlin is High Lord. It felt like a “happily ever after” moment but no. Tamlin has changed from a kind and generous lover to a no nonsense, hardline ruler. Feyre, who once prowled the grounds and surrounding woods at her free will is now constantly escorted and under guard. She is allowed to go nowhere alone when she is permitted to leave the manor at all.

Her paradise has become a prison.

Feyre has wasted away to nothing during her hard months back at the Spring Court. She is skin and bones, can’t sleep due to her nightmares, and is mentally and emotionally stunted by the border-line abuse she suffers at the hands of the High Fae that claims to love her. She is merely a shell of her former self.

“When you spend so long trapped in darkness, Lucien, you find that the darkness begins to stare back.”

On the day of her wedding she sends out a mental plea for help, only to be rescued by Rhysand, the High Lord of the Night Court. The other High Lords seem to harbor some fear and ill will toward Rhysand and often view him as the villain. Tamlin certainly does. He appears on the grounds of the Spring Court and spirits Feyre away from the place that has been effectively killing her. Rhysand frees her from her prison.

I don’t want to spoil much of what happens after that for anyone because if you enjoy fantasy at all these books are well worth the time. I loved reading as Feyre changed from the wilted husk she was with Tamlin to the strong, determined woman of the Night Court. The characters introduced in this book are also very entertaining. They each have their own histories and strengths but they blend together so beautifully. I particularly loved Mor’s strength and perseverance. People, her own family, had tried to break her, mentally and physically. Had sold her to the highest bidder and was left for dead. She picked herself up, put herself back together, and became stronger for it without it dulling the shining personality beneath. She is a treasure as are so many of the unique characters introduced in this story.

As I mentioned, I do not want to spoil this story for anyone (and I usually don’t mind tossing the spoilers around a bit) but I can’t recommend enough that you pick it up. It reads as a testament to determination, patience, strength, love, and the desire to do more. To do better. To be better, and know your own mind. I can easily see myself picking this book up over and over in the years to come and I’m already looking forward to it.

“I was not a pet, not a doll, not an animal.
I was a survivor, and I was strong.
I would not be weak, or helpless again
I would not, could not be broken. Tamed.”

 

I will also mention again, as I did in my review of A Court of Thorns and Roses, that while this book is most often listed as YA I would be cautious in how young a person reads this. The sexual content is strong with this one.

 

The third and final book in the series, A Court of Wings and Ruin, is set for release May 2nd, 2017. According to Goodreads it is coming in at 696 pages and I can’t wait to devour each and every one of them. Happy reading, everyone!

 

 

Sick Book Tag

~ Amanda @ Literary Weaponry ~ 9 Comments

 

NyQuilSick

I have been completely under the weather for the last few days. Every time I breath out my right ear pops. It was mildly alarming at first but now just annoying. When I spotted this Sick Book Tag over at ZeZee with Books I had to do it. Lets see what books I come up with in my DayQuil haze, shall we?

Diabetes: a book too sweet, like really sweet.

caraval

Caraval by Stephanie Garber
Probably an unpopular opinion but I hated how much Scar loved her sister in this book. It was ridiculous. She didn’t have a mind of her own or opinions that didn’t revolve around her sister. She needed another driving force. Sisterly love didn’t cut it for me. It was DOA.

Chicken Pox: a book you picked up once but will never pick up again.

IAmLegend

I am Legend by Richard Matheson
This is one of the few books that I will say that the movie was better than the book. I actually saw the movie first and hadn’t realized it was based on a book. Since I enjoyed the film when I learned it was based on a novel I was excited to read it. However, this is the first book I remember ever truly hating. Despised it. I nearly threw it away. Nearly. Ended up donating it to the local library instead.

Influenza: a contagious book that spreads like a virus.

50Shades

50 Shades of Grey by E L James
This book is truly a disease. I have no idea how it became so popular. It is disgusting. Again, probably an unpopular opinion of mine. Really, a wealthy man controlling a woman mentally and sexually on his own whims? No thanks. Sexual and mental abuse isn’t high on my list of things to be entertained by unless you make it horror.

The Cycle: a book you read every month, year, or often.

Bitterblue

Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore
I usually end up reading through this book once or twice a year. It is my “I’m depressed and feel like the weight of life is getting overwhelming” book. Our heroine, Queen Bitterblue, overcomes enormous odds to try to do the right thing for her people and country at great risk to herself. I love reading her determination and spirit. It always leaves me feeling better and stronger.

Insomnia: a book that kept you up all night.

ACourtofMistandFury

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas
I’m sure that “kept up all night” was supposed to allude to horror but I can’t recall the last book that gave me nightmares. So, instead, I give you a book that kept me up all night because I absolutely could not put it down. I read through this 626 page beast in three days and immediately opened it back to the beginning to start again. I cannot get enough of these characters.

Asthma: a book that took your breath away.

adarkershadeofmagic

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
Schwab’s world building was so absolutely wonderful in this book that it, metaphorically, took my breath away. I loved seeing how the different Londons were represented and noting their similarities and differences. It was a beautifully written story with engaging characters and a magical setting.

Malnutrition: a book that lacked food for thought.

MidnightRiot

Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch
I really wanted to love this book but I couldn’t even finish it. The characters were bland and predictable, the story felt like a lost cause, and I quickly found myself not giving a crap. I hate predictable. It’s so boring.

Travel Sickness: a book that took you on a trip through time and space.

theinvisiblelibrary

The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman
A magical Library that allows specialized Librarians to travels across time, space, and alternate realities to procure rare and valuable books to add to their collection? I’m so on board. Loved this book. However it’s sequel, The Masked City by Genevieve Cogman, did not capture that same magic.

And that’s that. Hope you enjoyed! I certainly hope to be feeling well enough soon to be able to type up my review of A Court of Mist and Fury with some allusion to intelligence. If you have the sniffles and want to do this tag, please be my guest!

WWW Wednesday – April 19

~ Amanda @ Literary Weaponry ~ 2 Comments

WWWWednesday

 

WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words and was formerly hosted by A Daily Rhythm. It is open for anyone to participate, even without a blog you can comment on Sam’s post with your own answers. It is a great way to share what you’ve been reading! All you have to do is answer three questions and share a link to your blog in the comments section of Sam’s blog.

The three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?

What did you recently finish reading?

What do you think you’ll read next?

What are you currently reading?

ACourtofMistandFury

“When you spend so long trapped in darkness, Lucien, you find that the darkness begins to stare back.”

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas. I started this book yesterday evening after finishing A Court of Thorns and Roses. It isn’t pulling me in as much as the first one did, unfortunately, but I’m only on page 170/624. I know that Feyre has to rebuild herself after all that happened to her but I just want to kick her booty into gear.

What did you recently finish reading?

ACourtofThornsandRoses

“Because all the monsters have been let out of their cages tonight, no matter what court they belong to. So I may roam wherever I wish until the dawn.”

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas. In case you haven’t seen my review of this book, I loved it. I mean, really, what else can I say? From the first page to the last the story sucked me in and had no intention of letting me go. I was held prisoner by a book and I liked it.

What do you think you’ll read next?

APerilousUndertaking

“There are times when every muscle, every nerve, screams for movement, when every instinct urges escape. But the instinct to fly is not always a sound one. There are occasions when only stillness can save you.”

A Perilous Undertaking by Deanna Raybourn. I read the first book in this series, A Curious Beginning, a few months back and loved it. Raybourn’s writing was engaging and the characters so full of life. Also, Raybourn cracks me up with her Twitter feed.

Thanks for checking in with me this Wednesday! Feel free to leave a link to your own WWW Wednesday post in the comments. Have a lovely day!

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas

~ Amanda @ Literary Weaponry ~ 21 Comments

ACourtofThornsandRoses

 

Alright. If you are a reader, and obviously you are or you wouldn’t be here, then you have most likely heard of Sarah J Maas. Best selling author of the Throne of Glass series. On the New York Times best seller list. Everyone in my reading circles seems to have read her.

Except me.

Until last week I hadn’t picked up a single one of her books even though all I heard was praise for her writing. Most of the “highly recommended” books I pick up I end up hating so I just pushed it aside, assuming it was one of the many instead of one of the few. Well, I finally gave in. I even went even more outside of my usual reading habits and bought it instead of borrowing it from the library. Typically I only buy a book if I have already read it, loved it, and want to add it to my collection or if I’ve done a good deal of research on it and my local library doesn’t carry it. In this case I just took a leap of faith.

I am so glad I did.

“I threw myself into that fire, threw myself into it, into him, and let myself burn.”

If I were prone to such things I would be fan-girl squealing right now.  Okay, even though it is completely out of character for me I may have fan-girl squealed anyway. I loved this darn book. Loved. If I was in high school I would be drawing little hearts by the chapter titles and making up fan-fic to hide away in a notebook in the bottom of my locker. I’d take this book to prom and make out with it behind the bleachers. Maybe that is taking it a bit far…maybe not. You decide.

“I love you,” I said, and stabbed him.”

Our story begins with the hungry, cold, starving Feyre who is out hunting to try to feed her family. They had once been a part of the merchant class and were fairly well to do but have since fallen from grace. If it wasn’t for Feyre, her two older sisters and father would quickly starve to death. She isn’t going to let that happen.

Lucky for her, that day she spots a deer in the forest and takes aim with her bow to bring it down. Then, an enormous wolf emerges from the trees and she feels she has become pray instead of predator. She, miraculously, manages to take down both the wolf and the deer. Little did she know that the wolf was actually a faerie in disguise.

Alright, the book nearly lost me at this point. Faeries? Really? Really? You’re going to make me read about faeries? I’m not sure I’m on board with this but okay, I’ll bite.

So, shenanigans shenanigans and Feyre ends up in the land of the faeries with a High Fae as payment/punishment for killing one of their kind. Feyre and most humans have been told that the fae are horrible and cruel and will kill all mankind. They are to be feared. Feyre slowly starts to learn that , despite their differences, humans and fae really aren’t so different. Both have feelings, concerns, family, and the troubles that plague all beings.

We can draw parallels between this and the horrible prejudices that plague our modern world in the form of religious, cultural, and ethnic differences but I digress.

Feyre begins to respect and then to love one of the High Fae, the one that “holds her captive.” But, he and his household have a secret that they are unable to tell her. She unknowingly holds all of their lives in her hands.

Once Feyre realizes her importance she goes to the ends of the earth in an attempt to help them. This is the part that really pulled me in. Her struggles and desire to do the right thing. Her regret of not having done it in the first place. Her desire to fight.

In a nutshell, I loved this book. Some people have criticized the amount of violence and sexual themes but I can’t say that they rubbed me the wrong way. However, I surely wouldn’t recommend this book to, say, my cousin who is in her early teens. If you are sensitive to those kinds of topics I would say that this book may not be for you. There is also violence against both animals and humans which can be touchy to some. I will say though that the violence and intimacy had a purpose and it wasn’t superfluous. Those themes were used to further the story and weren’t merely filler.

So, if you haven’t read this book (although I feel like everyone but me has) I highly suggest picking it up.

“Don’t feel bad for one moment about doing what brings you joy.”

 

WWW Wednesday – April 12

~ Amanda @ Literary Weaponry ~ 1 Comment

I had this post scheduled for yesterday, Wednesday April 12th, and it didn’t post for some reason. So, this time, I’m doing WWW Thursday! What can you do, right? My alarm also didn’t go off this morning so I think my electronic devices are out to get me this week. It is what it is. I’ll remember to check that my posts are going up as scheduled next time. Live and learn.

WWWWednesday

 

WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words and was formerly hosted by A Daily Rhythm. It is open for anyone to participate, even without a blog you can comment on Sam’s post with your own answers. It is a great way to share what you’ve been reading! All you have to do is answer three questions and share a link to your blog in the comments section of Sam’s blog.

The three Ws are:

What are you currently reading?

What did you recently finish reading?

What do you think you’ll read next?

What are you currently reading?

ACourtofThornsandRoses“Because all the monsters have been let out of their cages tonight, no matter what court they belong to. So I may roam wherever I wish until the dawn.”

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas. I am enjoying this book more than I thought I would. I really think that it is her world building that does it for me. Because, let’s be honest here, Feyre isn’t the most interesting of characters at this point (I’m around page 200) and she is moping around a lot. But, somehow, Maas manages to make that interesting. That is fascinating to me. I’m very much looking forward to finishing this one and moving onto the second book.

 

 

What did you recently finish reading?

TheMaskedCity

“This is a place built to store books, by people who wanted to preserve books, and used by people who want to read those books. I am not alone.”

The Masked City by Genevieve Cogman. I admit, this book was a let down for me. It is the second book in Cogman’s The Invisible Library series and I had adored the first one so I expected to feel the same about the second. I didn’t. It was difficult to get through and I felt the plot strayed from the original elements that had made the first book interesting. Disappointing.

 

What do you think you’ll read next?

Alright, my lovelies, I’d like some help with this. I’m in the mood for a horror/thriller novel. Something that will get my blood rolling and make me jump at noises in the night. I will say that I’m not a fan of King but any recommendations would be wonderful! Horror is not a genre I jump into too often but I need to read some murder and mayhem. You tell me, what do you think I should read next?

 

As always, I hope you are having a wonderful week and thanks for reading!

 

The Masked City by Genevieve Cogman

~ Amanda @ Literary Weaponry ~ 4 Comments

TheMaskedCity

 

When my local library added this book to their collection in March I was pretty excited. I had read another book by this author and the first of the series, The Invisible Library, a few months ago and adored it. It was one of those rare books for me that I picked up and genuinely couldn’t put down. I read it while making dinner, while folding laundry, and even while sitting at stop lights. So, maybe you can understand that I was excited for it’s followup, The Masked City. Expectations were high and I had opened it to read the first few pages before even leaving the library.

Perhaps my expectations were too high.

The story begins with the same cast of characters that we were familiarized with in The Invisible Library. Irene, our logical and straightforward agent from the Library, and her partner Kai, a dragon masquerading as human (no joke), are in their alternate version of Earth trying to procure a rare book at an underground auction. Afterwards, Kai is kidnapped by parties unknown and Irene embarks on the task of rescuing him from another alternate world.

Sounds fun, right? I like the idea of the heroine doing the rescuing instead of being rescued.

Let me be honest here, I’m having a difficult time coming up with a way to make this review sound interesting. The book took me more than a week to read which is incredibly rare for me. It just didn’t hold my attention and even now the details in my head are a bit fuzzy. The story just didn’t grab me like it did in the first book so pardon if I plod on a bit.

Alright…

In a daring attempt to rescue Kai, Irene, with the help of one of her enemies, boards a magical train that is embarking for the alternate world where her partner has been taken. The train is full of a species called Fai which are enemies of her and the Library and she must blend in to gain information in the hopes of rescuing her dragon friend. The Fai are an odd bunch as they can manipulate the people and world around them to suit whatever story they wish to find themselves in. Perhaps they want to be a damsel in distress. The damsel Fai would use their power to change the reality around them to conform to that story line. Irene must be cautious to not get caught up in one of their stories.

Irene learns that Kai is being auctioned off in this alternate world to the highest bidder in an attempt to start a war between the Fai and the Dragons. She cannot depend on any help from the Library on her mission and must navigate this strange world and succeed in rescuing her dragon partner not only to stop a war but because it could cost her her position within the Library.

She of course has many mishaps and adventures while trying to accomplish her task but, sadly, none of them drew me in the way they did in the first book of this series. I can’t even quite place why I was so ambivalent to this book. It had adventure, intrigue, danger, and many of the other things I usually love in a good story. There was just something missing that didn’t pull it all together. Irene didn’t feel as in control in this story and that was part of the reason I liked her in the first book. She was unrufflable. In this one, not so much. The location also felt hollow. It is portrayed as Venice in it’s prime but the people and Fai there did not behave or dress indicative of that time period so it broke the spell that Venice would normally weave.

Maybe I’m being too picky. Perhaps it was the beautiful spring weather that was distracting me. How could I resist the sun shine and warm breeze after months of freezing temperatures and high winds? Either way I’m fairly confident I’ll still pick up the next book in this series at some point. I enjoy Cogman’s writing style and the characters, for the most part, are well done. The story in this one just wasn’t there for me.

Anything But Books Tag

~ Amanda @ Literary Weaponry ~ 1 Comment

Alright, I wasn’t actually tagged to do this but I saw it over on Catia’s page, The Girl Who Reads Too Much, and couldn’t resist. I believe this is the first one I’ve done that isn’t book related. Thought it might be fun to do something more personal!

 

1. Name a cartoon that you love.

The original Scooby Doo. I love Scooby! Fun, quirky, makes absolutely no sense 90% of the time. How could I resist that clumsy dog with his snack attacks and the unmasking of the monsters at the end? However, if the opportunity ever arose, I’d punch Freddy in the teeth. Pompous ass hat.

what-s-really-going-on-in-scooby-doo_o_5983529

2. What is your favorite song right now?

I always have trouble picking a favorite song. However, one that always perks up my mood and gives me some energy is Porn Star Dancing by My Darkest Days. Sure, it has an un-feminist theme but it’s still something fun to boogy to while getting some chores done. Anything to make laundry time more bearable.

3. What could you do for hours that isn’t reading?

I love taking my dog, Patrick, for a long walk. He is a German Shepherd/Husky mix and is so full of energy. He is always just so darn happy and I love trekking through the woods with him. The picture below is from our walk this past Sunday, April 9th. He was eyeballing a stream he wanted to jump into. Yes, I let him.

PuppyWalk

4. What is something you love to do that your followers would be surprised by?

I love watching history documentaries. Love them. Anything before 1900 and I’m on board. Recently while making dinner I’ve been binge watching Expedition Unknown where the host investigates pieces of the past with other experts in hopes of turning up new clues. Sounds a bit lame when I say it but it is really fun! I mean, look at this guy. He just makes it more fun!

0e88ee5bdf70df61b07e39c93ff7872d

5. What is your favorite unnecessarily specific thing to learn about?

Bit of an odd question but I’ll bite. I will read and pick up anything I see about the pharaoh Hatshepsut. She was a fascinating 18th dynasty pharaoh that the next ruler tried to erase from history. Of course, the next ruler was her “step” son and she had ruled in his stead while he was a small child and declined to give him his power by birth right when he came of age. Kinda understand why he wanted to wipe her from history but still interesting.

6. What is something unusual that you know how to do?

I can play the bassoon. I even used to be part of an orchestra/winds and percussion ensemble. It was a lot of fun and something I would love to get serious about again.

flute-ninjas-unite-i-bang-bosendorfers-nto-battle-ill-be-there-as-bassoon-as-2503619

7. Name something you made in the last year and show us if you can.

I made my daughter a really warm afghan for her bed this winter. She picked the colors. It’s not perfect but it made her happy and I like her using something that I made for her. Not to mention that sucker is warm!

Blanket

8. What is your most recent personal project?

Hm. I can’t think of anything specifically. I crochet sometimes, I write short stories when the mood strikes me, I write a second blog that is more lifestyle leaning than book specific. Can’t say that I have a specific project at the moment other than trying to figure out how not to fail at life. Has anyone figured that one out yet?

9. Tell us something that you think about often.

Potatoes. No, I’m just kidding. On a personal level, I think about my daughter’s future and her life. What school should we send her to? Is she learning everything she needs to? Is she being kind? Is she getting enough exercise? What the heck stain is that on her shirt this time? Where is the cat and what is he destroying? He is being too quiet…

10. Give us something that is your favorite.

Going with the non book related theme, I’ll give you my favorite football team. American football. Yes, I know, Americans are the only ones that call it football and they really use their hands a lot but I can’t help what it is named. I love the Baltimore Ravens. During the season we have them on every Sunday. Just fun to watch and I love to shout at the TV. My three year old even has her own jersey. We are a bit obsessed in this house.

11. Say the first thing that pops into your head.

Chocolate chip cookies. Guys, I’m hungry here. Send food.

CookieMonster

 

Hah! Alright, that was fun. Hope you all enjoyed! I’m not going to tag anyone specifically but if you want to do this tag please feel free! Have a wonderful day, everyone.