fiction

Throwback Thursday – June 29

~ Amanda @ Literary Weaponry ~ Leave a comment

throwbackthursday

Renee began Throwback Thursday at Its Book Talk as a way to share some of her old favorites as well as sharing books that she wants to read that were published over a year ago. Books that were published over a year ago are almost always easier to find at libraries or at a discounted sale price. As I have been sifting through my TBR list and purging those books that no longer hold my interest, I came across several from years past that I’d love to share with you!

 

2315892

Title: Best Served Cold (First Law World #4) by Joe Abercrombie
Published: June 2009
Publisher: Gollancz
Average Goodreads Rating: 4.16

Springtime in Styria. And that means war. Springtime in Styria. And that means revenge.

There have been nineteen years of blood. The ruthless Grand Duke Orso is locked in a vicious struggle with the squabbling League of Eight, and between them they have bled the land white. While armies march, heads roll and cities burn, behind the scenes bankers, priests and older, darker powers play a deadly game to choose who will be king.

War may be hell but for Monza Murcatto, the Snake of Talins, the most feared and famous mercenary in Duke Orso’s employ, it’s a damn good way of making money too. Her victories have made her popular – a shade too popular for her employer’s taste. Betrayed, thrown down a mountain and left for dead, Murcatto’s reward is a broken body and a burning hunger for vengeance. Whatever the cost, seven men must die.

Her allies include Styria’s least reliable drunkard, Styria’s most treacherous poisoner, a mass-murderer obsessed with numbers and a Northman who just wants to do the right thing. Her enemies number the better half of the nation. And that’s all before the most dangerous man in the world is dispatched to hunt her down and finish the job Duke Orso started…

Springtime in Styria. And that means revenge.

 

This book sounds like it has everything. Murder? Check. Betrayal? Check. A yearning for revenge? Double check and not a love story in sight. I have been in the mood for a violent, fast paced story that doesn’t include a love plot. From the reviews this one sounds like a perfect fit. I’m so glad I saw this hanging out on my TBR this morning. I’m going to check to see if my library has it right now. Happy reading, everyone!

 

Find this book on

Goodreads | Amazon US | Amazon UK | Book Depository | Thriftbooks

WWW Wednesday – June 28

~ Amanda @ Literary Weaponry ~ 3 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?

17167166

“But death was her curse and her gift, and death had been her good friend these long, long years.”

Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2) by Sarah J. Maas. Even though I was utterly bored and annoyed by the first book in this series, Throne of Glass, I still decided to give the second book a try after several recommendations to do so. So far it is definitely better than the first of the series but I still want to punch Chaol in the face. How can he act so seemingly innocent and kind when he is a king’s guard who has had to kill people in his service? It doesn’t jive with me.

What did you recently finish reading?

ClockworkAngel

“Only the very weak-minded refuse to be influenced by literature and poetry.”

Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices #1) by Cassandra Clare. My full review of this book will be up next week but for now I will say that I will not be continuing with this series. Nothing is going to change my mind on this one. I am one of those people who usually feels the need to finish a series even if the books aren’t particularly great but not doing it this time. Tessa is one of the top ten most annoying literary creatures ever created. The other characters weren’t much better.

What do you think you’ll read next?

Sigh. I’m not even sure. Everything I’ve picked up lately has been a let down. I’m starting to think it’s me and not the books themselves. Maybe a little reading break is in order. Help a girl out, recommend me a good book without flimsy, wishy washy characters that in no way has a love story attached and doesn’t delve too far into the sci-fi realm. I’m good with horror, mystery, fantasy, and historical fiction. I also have a weirdly specific love of historical mysteries. Happy reading, everybody!

Top Ten Tuesday – Best Reads of 2017

~ Amanda @ Literary Weaponry ~ 13 Comments

e34e0-toptentuesday

Hello, and welcome again to Top Ten Tuesday. This week’s theme is Best Books You’ve Read In 2017 So Far. 2017 has been an amazing year of reading for me, there are so many books I’ve truly enjoyed! On a side note, the hosts of Top Ten Tuesday, The Broke and the Bookish, have chosen to take a break until August so that means no organized themes in July. I think I’ll still try to come up with my own but we will see how that goes.

thesongrising1

The Song Rising by Samantha Shannon

Following a bloody battle against foes on every side, Paige Mahoney has risen to the dangerous position of Underqueen, ruling over London’s criminal population.

But, having turned her back on Jaxon Hall and with vengeful enemies still at large, the task of stabilising the fractured underworld has never seemed so challenging.

Little does Paige know that her reign may be cut short by the introduction of Senshield, a deadly technology that spells doom for the clairvoyant community and the world as they know it…

This is the third book in Shannon’s The Bone Season series and to say I loved it would be an understatement. I had been looking forward to this book for ages and completely devoured it the moment it was in my hot little hands. Wonderful read.

acuriousbeginning

A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn

London, 1887. After burying her spinster aunt, orphaned Veronica Speedwell is free to resume her world travels in pursuit of scientific inquiry—and the occasional romantic dalliance. As familiar with hunting butterflies as with fending off admirers, Veronica intends to embark upon the journey of a lifetime.

But fate has other plans when Veronica thwarts her own attempted abduction with the help of an enigmatic German baron, who offers her sanctuary in the care of his friend Stoker, a reclusive and bad-tempered natural historian. But before the baron can reveal what he knows of the plot against her, he is found murdered—leaving Veronica and Stoker on the run from an elusive assailant as wary partners in search of the villainous truth.

I stumbled across this book entirely by accident early this year and I am ever so glad I did. I love historical fiction and I love mysteries and this book is both. Throw in that the main character is a strong willed, intelligent woman and you’ve got yourself a winner.

adarkershadeofmagic

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

Kell is one of the last Antari—magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel Londons; Red, Grey, White, and, once upon a time, Black.

Kell was raised in Arnes—Red London—and officially serves the Maresh Empire as an ambassador, traveling between the frequent bloody regime changes in White London and the court of George III in the dullest of Londons, the one without any magic left to see.

Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they’ll never see. It’s a defiant hobby with dangerous consequences, which Kell is now seeing firsthand.

After an exchange goes awry, Kell escapes to Grey London and runs into Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She first robs him, then saves him from a deadly enemy, and finally forces Kell to spirit her to another world for a proper adventure.

Now perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, they’ll first need to stay alive.

I read my first Schwab book this year and it made me sad that I had been missing out on her books up until this point. A Darker Shade of Magic is the stuff dreams are made of.

heartless

Heartless by Marissa Meyer

Catherine may be one of the most desired girls in Wonderland and a favorite of the unmarried King, but her interests lie elsewhere. A talented baker, she wants to open a shop and create delectable pastries. But for her mother, such a goal is unthinkable for a woman who could be a queen.

At a royal ball where Cath is expected to receive the King’s marriage proposal, she meets handsome and mysterious Jest. For the first time, she feels the pull of true attraction. At the risk of offending the King and infuriating her parents, she and Jest enter into a secret courtship.

Cath is determined to choose her own destiny. But in a land thriving with magic, madness, and monsters, fate has other plans.

I debated whether to put this one on the list. When I read it, I LOVED it. However, I feel like if I read it now, months later, I’d DNF it. I’m a grumpy goat that wouldn’t be able to tolerate the love story at this point.

ACourtofMistandFury

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas

Feyre survived Amarantha’s clutches to return to the Spring Court—but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can’t forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin’s people.

Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms—and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future—and the future of a world cleaved in two.

With more than a million copies sold of her beloved Throne of Glass series, Sarah J. Maas’s masterful storytelling brings this second book in her seductive and action-packed series to new heights.

I read this book twice the week that I got it. It’s ridiculous, I know, this book is a monster, but I couldn’t help myself. The story pulled me in and wouldn’t let me go. I only wish the third book hadn’t been such a horribly mediocre conclusion to the trilogy.

Victoria

Victoria by Daisy Goodwin

In 1837, less than a month after her eighteenth birthday, Alexandrina Victoria – sheltered, small in stature, and female – became Queen of Great Britain and Ireland. Many thought it was preposterous: Alexandrina — Drina to her family — had always been tightly controlled by her mother and her household, and was surely too unprepossessing to hold the throne. Yet from the moment William IV died, the young Queen startled everyone: abandoning her hated first name in favor of Victoria; insisting, for the first time in her life, on sleeping in a room apart from her mother; resolute about meeting with her ministers alone.

One of those ministers, Lord Melbourne, became Victoria’s private secretary. Perhaps he might have become more than that, except everyone argued she was destined to marry her cousin, Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. But Victoria had met Albert as a child and found him stiff and critical: surely the last man she would want for a husband….

I’m a big ole softy for good historical fiction. Just can’t seem to help myself. Victoria is well written and the story stuck with me long after I set this book down.

theinvisiblelibrary

The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman

Irene must be at the top of her game or she’ll be off the case – permanently…

Irene is a professional spy for the mysterious Library, which harvests fiction from different realities. And along with her enigmatic assistant Kai, she’s posted to an alternative London. Their mission – to retrieve a dangerous book. But when they arrive, it’s already been stolen. London’s underground factions seem prepared to fight to the very death to find her book.

Adding to the jeopardy, this world is chaos-infested – the laws of nature bent to allow supernatural creatures and unpredictable magic. Irene’s new assistant is also hiding secrets of his own.

Soon, she’s up to her eyebrows in a heady mix of danger, clues and secret societies. Yet failure is not an option – the nature of reality itself is at stake.

The Invisible Library was an easy read but that made it no less engrossing. How could I resist a story about a magical library and a librarian spy?

18966819

Golden Son by Pierce Brown

Golden Son continues the stunning saga of Darrow, a rebel forged by tragedy, battling to lead his oppressed people to freedom from the overlords of a brutal elitist future built on lies. Now fully embedded among the Gold ruling class, Darrow continues his work to bring down Society from within.

A life-or-death tale of vengeance with an unforgettable hero at its heart, Golden Son guarantees Pierce Brown’s continuing status as one of fiction’s most exciting new voices.

You know a book is excellent when, after finishing it, you literally hug it and don’t want to let it go. Golden son is quite simply amazing.

 

This week ended up being a Top Eight Tuesday instead but no matter. These eight books are the ones I’ve enjoyed most this year. No, most of them weren’t released in 2017 but there is nothing wrong with reading books a year or more old.

What books have been your favorites in 2017?

Down the TBR Hole #1

~ Amanda @ Literary Weaponry ~ 6 Comments

I’ve been seeing Down the TBR hole around the bloggosphere for a while and have been tempted to do it. For whatever reason, I hadn’t yet. So, armed with a pot of coffee, I’m going down the hole on this dreary Monday morning.

This meme is hosted by Lia @ Lost in a Story.

Here is what you do:

  • Go to your goodreads to-read shelf.
  • Order on ascending date added.
  • Take the first 5 (or 10 if you’re feeling adventurous) books
  • Read the synopses of the books
  • Decide: keep it or should it go?

25810644

A Fierce and Subtle Poison by Samantha Mabry

Everyone knows the legends about the cursed girl–Isabel, the one the señoras whisper about. They say she has green skin and grass for hair, and she feeds on the poisonous plants that fill her family’s Caribbean island garden. Some say she can grant wishes; some say her touch can kill.

Seventeen-year-old Lucas lives on the mainland most of the year but spends summers with his hotel-developer father in Puerto Rico. He’s grown up hearing stories about the cursed girl, and he wants to believe in Isabel and her magic. When letters from Isabel begin mysteriously appearing in his room the same day his new girlfriend disappears, Lucas turns to Isabel for answers–and finds himself lured into her strange and enchanted world. But time is running out for the girl filled with poison, and the more entangled Lucas becomes with Isabel, the less certain he is of escaping with his own life.

This book could either be completely amazing or epicly horrible. I just don’t think there is room for a middle ground on it.

Verdict: KEEP

28449207

Strange the Dreamer (Strange the Dreamer #1) by Laini Taylor

The dream chooses the dreamer, not the other way around—and Lazlo Strange, war orphan and junior librarian, has always feared that his dream chose poorly. Since he was five years old he’s been obsessed with the mythic lost city of Weep, but it would take someone bolder than he to cross half the world in search of it. Then a stunning opportunity presents itself, in the person of a hero called the Godslayer and a band of legendary warriors, and he has to seize his chance or lose his dream forever.

What happened in Weep two hundred years ago to cut it off from the rest of the world? What exactly did the Godslayer slay that went by the name of god? And what is the mysterious problem he now seeks help in solving?

The answers await in Weep, but so do more mysteries—including the blue-skinned goddess who appears in Lazlo’s dreams. How did he dream her before he knew she existed? And if all the gods are dead, why does she seem so real?

Welcome to Weep.

I hate the cover of this book with the fiery passion of a thousand suns. Hate it so much it makes me tempted to not read it. That is some serious cover hate. Despite that, it still sounds like it could be a good book.

Verdict: Keep

32320661

Everless (Untitled #1) by Sara Holland

In the land of Sempera, time is extracted from blood and used as payment. Jules Ember and her father were once servants at Everless, the wealthy Gerling family’s estate, but were cast out after of a fateful accident a decade ago. Now, Jules’s father is reaching his last hour, and she will do anything to save him. Desperate to earn time, she arrives at the palace as it prepares for a royal wedding, ready to begin her search into childhood secrets that she once believed to be no more than myths. As she uncovers lost truths, Jules spirals deeper into a past she hardly recognizes, and faces an ancient and dangerous foe who threatens her future and the future of time itself.

Jules sounds like she is going to be dreadfully dull and single minded. I want nothing to do with her.

Verdict:  tenor

11983940

Scarlet (Scarlet #1) by A.C. Gaughen

Will Scarlet is good at two things: stealing from the rich and keeping secrets – skills that are in high demand in Robin Hood’s band of thieves, who protect the people of Nottingham from the evil sheriff. Scarlet’s biggest secret of all is one only Robin and his men know…that she is posing as a thief; that the slip of a boy who is fast with sharp knives is really a girl.

The terrible events in her past that led Scarlet to hide her real identity are in danger of being exposed when the thief taker Lord Gisbourne arrives in town to rid Nottingham of the Hood and his men once and for all. As Gisbourne closes in a put innocent lives at risk, Scarlet must decide how much the people of Nottingham mean to her, especially John Little, a flirtatious fellow outlaw, and Robin, whose quick smiles have the rare power to unsettle her. There is real honor among these thieves and so much more – making this a fight worth dying for.

I like storied that include the potential for a badass female lead. It sounds like there may be a bit of a love triangle in this one, which is usually frustrating, but I’ll still give it a shot.

Verdict: Keep

6581303

Mistress of Rome (The Empress of Rome #1) by Kate Quinn

Thea is a slave girl from Judaea, passionate, musical, and guarded. Purchased as a toy for the spiteful heiress Lepida Pollia, Thea will become her mistress’s rival for the love of Arius the Barbarian, Rome’s newest and most savage gladiator. His love brings Thea the first happiness of her life-that is quickly ended when a jealous Lepida tears them apart.

As Lepida goes on to wreak havoc in the life of a new husband and his family, Thea remakes herself as a polished singer for Rome’s aristocrats. Unwittingly, she attracts another admirer in the charismatic Emperor of Rome. But Domitian’s games have a darker side, and Thea finds herself fighting for both soul and sanity. Many have tried to destroy the Emperor: a vengeful gladiator, an upright senator, a tormented soldier, a Vestal Virgin. But in the end, the life of the brilliant and paranoid Domitian lies in the hands of one woman: the Emperor’s mistress.

I have a love affair with good historical fiction and this one certainly sounds like it has the potential to be great.

Verdict: Keep

 

That is it for my first Down the TBR Hole post. Only gave one book the axe but it is still nice to weed the TBR garden from time to time. Have a lovely day!

Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas

~ Amanda @ Literary Weaponry ~ 4 Comments

ThroneOfGlass

“You could rattle the stars,” she whispered. “You could do anything, if only you dared. And deep down, you know it, too. That’s what scares you most.”

Throne of Glass is the fourth Maas book that I’ve read, the first three being her A Court of Thorns and Roses trilogy. Those three books had a varying amount of success in entertaining me. The best, at least in my opinion, was the second book, A Court of Mist and Fury. While the conclusion, A Court of Wings and Ruin, fell well short of my expectations I still decided to give her Throne of Glass series a chance. I had high hopes that this book would contain the same spark that I had found with Mist and Fury or at least something close to it.

Throne of Glass begins in a labor camp with the prisoner Celaena. Celaena, we quickly come to find out, is a very successful assassin that was sentenced to the prison camp for her deeds. This is something I like about Maas. She isn’t afraid to make her main characters powerful females. It is certainly something that has been happening more and more across the genre but credit where credit is due.

Our assassin is recruited from the camp by the crown prince to participate in a series of tests set forth by the king. The winner of these tests will be given a contract under the king as a killer/spy/whatever need be for his kingdom. After the contract is fulfilled, this champion will be granted their freedom.

“Second place is a nice title for the first loser.”

Now, this premise certainly sounds wonderful. I expected all of the different champions to brutally demonstrate the attributes that got them selected to participate in these tests. With every turn of the page I anticipated a blood bath with swords and fists. Despite all of these trained killers all being in the same place, everything was really pretty tame. What violence there was is mostly given to us second hand. There are slightly vague and watery descriptions of gore and mutilated remains but no first hand accounts of fights to the death. No heroic swordplay or quietly slit throats. Just, “Oh, look at that blood in that hallway over there. How interesting.” Not exactly interesting, no.

What did this book focus on instead of bawdy dialogue and clashing blades? A love triangle.

EyeRoll
I wasn’t feeling it either, Dean

There is no way for me to make this sound interesting so I’ll just throw it to you as it is. Celaena, our would be daring assassin, may be able to kill people but she is frightfully boring. She likes puppies and frilly dresses and pouts like a petulant child. For some reason the prince is enamored with her and so is her guard. The prince is a womanizer and the guard is a pansy. I do, however, like the prince more than the guard. He at least doesn’t try to hide the fact that he enjoys the company of females enthusiastically. While I appreciate his unapologetic attitude, it doesn’t make him any less boring.

Other stuff happens. Magic is involved. And a badass lady with a staff. And a ghost. You’d think those things would make the story great but all it did was salvage an otherwise dying plot.

While I did find this book predictable and average, Swetlana @ Reading Through The Nights has convinced me to give the next book in the series a shot. I’m told the second one is much better. I could feel the makings of a good story in this book it just never quite got there. Hopefully Crown of Midnight has that spark I was hoping for in this series.

 

Throwback Thursday – June 22

~ Amanda @ Literary Weaponry ~ 4 Comments

throwbackthursday

Renee began this Throwback Thursday meme at Its Book Talk as a way to share some of her old favorites as well as sharing books that she wants to read that were published over a year ago. Books that were published over a year ago are almost always easier to find at libraries or at a discounted sale price. As I have been sifting through my TBR list and purging those books that no longer hold my interest, I came across several from years past that I’d love to share with you!

 

13600168

Title: Daughter of Smoke & Bone (Daughter of Smoke & Bone #1) by Laini Taylor
Published: August 2012
Publisher: Hodder Paperbacks
Average Goodreads Rating: 4.04

“Errand requiring immediate attention. Come.”

The note was on vellum, pierced by the talons of the almost-crow that delivered it. Karou read the message. ‘He never says please’, she sighed, but she gathered up her things.

When Brimstone called, she always came.

In general, Karou has managed to keep her two lives in balance. On the one hand, she’s a seventeen-year-old art student in Prague; on the other, errand-girl to a monstrous creature who is the closest thing she has to family. Raised half in our world, half in ‘Elsewhere’, she has never understood Brimstone’s dark work – buying teeth from hunters and murderers – nor how she came into his keeping. She is a secret even to herself, plagued by the sensation that she isn’t whole.

Now the doors to Elsewhere are closing, and Karou must choose between the safety of her human life and the dangers of a war-ravaged world that may hold the answers she has always sought

 

I know it’s not just me that sees Laini Taylor’s books everywhere. Her newest release, Strange the Dreamer, appears to be incredibly popular. But you know what? I was being shallow and a little odd and refused to look up books by Taylor because I hate the cover (US) of Strange the Dreamer so much. I mean, it is an intense hate. Don’t ask me why, I can’t figure it out myself. I’m being a terrible person and judging a book by it’s horrendous cover.

However, I stumbled across Daughter of Smoke and Bone and the story synopsis certainly interests me. My local library currently has it on hold for me and I’ll be picking it up today. I’m trying not to judge it by the fact that the Goodreads description compares it to Twilight. How did the publishers ever think that comparison was a good selling point? Boy, I’m being a negative Nancy. I think I’ll go brew some coffee and read a few pages of my current book before the day has to begin. Happy Thursday, everyone!

WWW Wednesday – June 21

~ Amanda @ Literary Weaponry ~ 4 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?

ClockworkAngel

“One must always be careful of books,” said Tessa, “and what is inside them, for words have the power to change us.”

Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices #1) by Cassandra Clare. I don’t think I have had a single person say something bad to me about this book. Everyone seem to be absolutely beaming about it! I admit, I am having trouble getting through the world building bit but I’ll get there. I want to enjoy this. Nearly all of the reading community can’t be wrong so I know it has to get better.

What did you recently finish reading?

ThroneOfGlass

“You could rattle the stars,” she whispered. “You could do anything, if only you dared. And deep down, you know it, too. That’s what scares you most.”

Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1) by Sarah J. Maas. I didn’t enjoy this one nearly as much as I hoped I would. The story felt like more of a love triangle disaster than anything else. Sigh. I’m still going to give the next book in the series a shot but, I admit, I don’t have high hopes. Maas can do better than this.

18966806

“Justice isn’t about fixing the past, it’s about fixing the future. We’re not fighting for the dead. We’re fighting for the living. And for those who aren’t yet born.”

Morning Star (Red Rising #3) by Pierce Brown. After the miraculous wonder that was Golden Son, this book was a bit of a drag. I actually made a pro/con list of everything I liked and disliked about it which will go up with the review next week. Hint- the con list is longer. Despite that, I still liked the book. I think. I’m still working it out. It didn’t meet the same standards as Golden Son but still…

What do you think you’ll read next?

5

“You fought and fought to keep all the cruelty locked up in your head, and for what? None of them ever loved you, because none of them ever knew you”

Cruel Beauty (Cruel Beauty Universe #1) by Rosamund Hodge. Currently, I have this one as a requested hold at the library so hopefully it comes in soon. Since it was released it has certainly had mixed reviews but I’m still interested. It seems that the consensus is that this book is a dark retelling of Beauty and the Beast and that could be a lot of fun.

 

What are you reading this week?

 

Top Ten Tuesday – Series I Want to Read

~ Amanda @ Literary Weaponry ~ 20 Comments

b9791-toptentuesday2

It is time once again for Top Ten Tuesday! This week’s theme is Top Ten Series I’ve Been Meaning To Start But Haven’t. I’m going to do a mixed bag with this one and add in series I have started and need to finish. As always, be sure to check out The Broke and the Bookish for other Top Ten Tuesday posts and themes. (This post got a little long. Whoops! Ten points to the Hogwarts House of your choice if you make it to the bottom. )

 

ClockworkAngel

The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare
In a time when Shadowhunters are barely winning the fight against the forces of darkness, one battle will change the course of history forever. Welcome to the Infernal Devices trilogy, a stunning and dangerous prequel to the New York Times bestselling Mortal Instruments series.

The year is 1878. Tessa Gray descends into London’s dark supernatural underworld in search of her missing brother. She soon discovers that her only allies are the demon-slaying Shadowhunters—including Will and Jem, the mysterious boys she is attracted to. Soon they find themselves up against the Pandemonium Club, a secret organization of vampires, demons, warlocks, and humans. Equipped with a magical army of unstoppable clockwork creatures, the Club is out to rule the British Empire, and only Tessa and her allies can stop them…

I just started on this series maybe two days ago and I feel like I’m definitely going to be continuing with it.At the beginning of a series there is usually a lot of set up that needs to happen which is slow going to get through which can get tiresome but this seems like it is going to be a great read.

Bitterblue

Graceling Realm by Kristin Cashore
Eight years have passed since the young Princess Bitterblue, and her country, were saved from the vicious King Leck. Now Bitterblue is the queen of Monsea, and her land is at peace.

But the influence of her father, a violent psychopath with mind-altering abilities, lives on. Her advisers, who have run the country on her behalf since Leck’s death, believe in a forward-thinking plan: to pardon all of those who committed terrible acts during Leck’s reign; and to forget every dark event that ever happened. Monsea’s past has become shrouded in mystery, and it’s only when Bitterblue begins sneaking out of her castle – curious, disguised and alone – to walk the streets of her own city, that she begins to realise the truth. Her kingdom has been under the thirty-five-year long spell of a madman, and now their only chance to move forward is to revisit the past.

Whatever that past holds.

Two thieves, who have sworn only to steal what has already been stolen, change her life forever. They hold a key to the truth of Leck’s reign. And one of them, who possesses an unidentified Grace, may also hold a key to her heart . .

I’ve read the first book of this trilogy, Graceling, and the third book, Bitterblue, which I absolutely adored. Somehow I managed to skip the second book, Fire, which I’ve been told is the best of the three. I find that hard to believe because I adore Bitterblue. It’s my safe harbor book when life gets a little too heavy. Need to read Fire to see if it really is the best of the three.

ThroneOfGlass

Throne of Glass by Sarah J Maas

After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.

Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king’s council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she’ll serve the kingdom for four years and then be granted her freedom. Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilarating. But she’s bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her … but it’s the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.

Then one of the other contestants turns up dead … quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

I finished the first book in this series last week and I was unimpressed, I’m sorry to say. However, I’m told the next book in the series is fantastic so I’m going to give it a shot. I want to fall in love with them like so many other people have.

28962906

Stalking Jack the Ripped by Kerri Maniscalco
Seventeen-year-old Audrey Rose Wadsworth was born a lord’s daughter, with a life of wealth and privilege stretched out before her. But between the social teas and silk dress fittings, she leads a forbidden secret life.

Against her stern father’s wishes and society’s expectations, Audrey often slips away to her uncle’s laboratory to study the gruesome practice of forensic medicine. When her work on a string of savagely killed corpses drags Audrey into the investigation of a serial murderer, her search for answers brings her close to her own sheltered world.

I stumbled across this series on another blog just a few days ago and can’t wait to get started on it. I’ve always had a fascination with Jack the Ripper and love finding books that include him. So far this series has two books out with a third announced.

5

Cruel Beauty Universe by Rosamund Hodge
Since birth, Nyx has been betrothed to the evil ruler of her kingdom-all because of a foolish bargain struck by her father. And since birth, she has been in training to kill him.

With no choice but to fulfill her duty, Nyx resents her family for never trying to save her and hates herself for wanting to escape her fate. Still, on her seventeenth birthday, Nyx abandons everything she’s ever known to marry the all-powerful, immortal Ignifex. Her plan? Seduce him, destroy his enchanted castle, and break the nine-hundred-year-old curse he put on her people.

But Ignifex is not at all what Nyx expected. The strangely charming lord beguiles her, and his castle—a shifting maze of magical rooms—enthralls her.

As Nyx searches for a way to free her homeland by uncovering Ignifex’s secrets, she finds herself unwillingly drawn to him. Even if she could bring herself to love her sworn enemy, how can she refuse her duty to kill him? With time running out, Nyx must decide what is more important: the future of her kingdom, or the man she was never supposed to love.

I have this book as a requested hold at the library right now and am hoping they get it in soon. When a fairy tale retelling is done well it is a thing of wonder and I hope this one is.

2

Menagerie by Rachel Vincent
When Delilah Marlow visits a famous traveling carnival, Metzger’s Menagerie, she is an ordinary woman in a not-quite-ordinary world. But under the macabre circus black-top, she discovers a fierce, sharp-clawed creature lurking just beneath her human veneer. Captured and put on exhibition, Delilah in her black swan burlesque costume is stripped of her worldly possessions, including her own name, as she’s forced to “perform” in town after town.

But there is breathtaking beauty behind the seamy and grotesque reality of the carnival. Gallagher, her handler, is as kind as he is cryptic and strong. The other “attractions”—mermaids, minotaurs, gryphons and kelpies—are strange, yes, but they share a bond forged by the brutal realities of captivity. And as Delilah struggles for her freedom, and for her fellow menagerie, she’ll discover a strength and a purpose she never knew existed.

Ever since I read The Night Circus I’ve had an interest in books that include an odd circus. Weirdly specific, right? Right now the Menagerie series has two books published and a third announced.

OlmecObituary

Dr Pimms, Intermillennial Sleuth series by L.J.M. Owen
Archaeologist Dr Elizabeth Pimms thoroughly enjoys digging up old skeletons.

But when she is called home from Egypt after a family loss, she has to sacrifice her passions for the sake of those around her.

Attempting to settle into her new role as a librarian, while also missing her boyfriend, Elizabeth is distracted from her woes by a new mystery: a royal Olmec cemetery, discovered deep in the Mexican jungle, with a 3000-year-old ballplayer who just might be a woman.

She soon discovers there are more skeletons to deal with than those covered in dirt and dust.

Suitable for readers young and old, Olmec Obituary is the first novel in a delightful cosy crime series: Dr Pimms, Intermillennial Sleuth. Really cold cases.

I bring this book/series up every couple of weeks and I still haven’t been able to get a hold of it. The only way I can find it is as an overpriced e-book and I want a hard copy which, apparently, is difficult to find outside of Australia. I want it. GIMME!

15790878

Thomas De Quincey series by David Morrell
Gaslit London is brought to its knees in David Morrell’s brilliant historical thriller.

Thomas De Quincey, infamous for his memoir ‘Confessions of an English Opium-Eater’, is the major suspect in a series of ferocious mass murders identical to ones that terrorized London forty-three years earlier.

The blueprint for the killings seems to be De Quincey’s essay “On Murder Considered as One of the Fine Arts.” Desperate to clear his name but crippled by opium addiction, De Quincey is aided by his devoted daughter Emily and a pair of determined Scotland Yard detectives.

In ‘Murder as a Fine Art’, David Morrell plucks De Quincey, Victorian London, and the Ratcliffe Highway murders from history. Fogbound streets become a battleground between a literary star and a brilliant murderer, whose lives are linked by secrets long buried but never forgotten.

My love affair with good historical fiction knows no bounds. I recently got a copy of the first book in this series at an excellent price from Thriftbooks and am very much looking forward to reading it. I’m saving it for a rainy day and sour mood but still itch to pick it up every time I walk by my book case.

267869

Lady Julia Grey series by Deanna Raybourn
“LET THE WICKED BE ASHAMED, AND LET THEM BE SILENT IN THE GRAVE.”
These ominous words, slashed from the pages of a book of Psalms, are the last threat that the darling of London society, Sir Edward Grey, receives from his killer. Before he can show them to Nicholas Brisbane, the private inquiry agent he has retained for his protection, Sir Edward collapses and dies at his London home, in the presence of his wife, Julia, and a roomful of dinner guests.

Prepared to accept that Edward’s death was due to a long-standing physical infirmity, Julia is outraged when Brisbane visits and suggests that Sir Edward has been murdered. It is a reaction she comes to regret when she discovers the damning paper for herself, and realizes the truth.

Determined to bring her husband’s murderer to justice, Julia engages the enigmatic Brisbane to help her investigate Edward’s demise. Dismissing his warnings that the investigation will be difficult, if not impossible, Julia presses forward, following a trail of clues that lead her to even more unpleasant truths, and ever closer to a killer who waits expectantly for her arrival.

I have quite the love of Raybourn’s other series, The Veronica Speedwell Mysteries, and see no reason why I wouldn’t fall for Lady Julia Grey as well. Historical fiction? Check. Mystery? Check. Bad ass leading lady? Check. Not to mention Raybourn’s writing itself is just lovely. If there weren’t so many books in this series I’d have started it already but once I get started I know I won’t want to stop.

186074

The Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss
Told in Kvothe’s own voice, this is the tale of the magically gifted young man who grows to be the most notorious wizard his world has ever seen.

The intimate narrative of his childhood in a troupe of traveling players, his years spent as a near-feral orphan in a crime-ridden city, his daringly brazen yet successful bid to enter a legendary school of magic, and his life as a fugitive after the murder of a king form a gripping coming-of-age story unrivaled in recent literature.

A high-action story written with a poet’s hand, The Name of the Wind is a masterpiece that will transport readers into the body and mind of a wizard.

I’ve been wanting to start on this series for a while but, I have to say, it’s a little intimidating. Just the first book is 662 pages which is a bit of a monster (at least for my attention span) and Rothfuss’s reputation precedes him. I’ll start on this series one day when I’m feeling like conquering the world or something.

 

I got seriously long winded on this one, folks. Sorry. I probably could have left out the book descriptions but I like having them here. That way someone can go, “Yeah! I want to read that, too!” after just giving the description here a quick peruse without having to go look the book up. For getting to the end, as promised, ten point to your Hogwarts House! (Go Ravenclaw!)

81df6d13b117180c9d20a88ef3deebe0

 

Books I Won’t Be Reading

~ Amanda @ Literary Weaponry ~ 19 Comments

Today I wanted to do something outside of my usual Monday post which is typically a tag. What I’m doing instead is a collection/list of books that I won’t be reading. Sound a little odd? I know. But these are books in my preferred genres that have had a lot of attention by other readers and media that I just won’t be reading.

 

29056083

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. I have spent nearly two decades in love with the Harry Potter series. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (or Philosopher’s Stone) was first published back in 1998 and it didn’t take me long, even at a young age, to fall in love with it. The original series transported me away to a land of magic and wonder. Those books made my childhood heart sing. Despite that, I won’t be touching The Cursed Child. I don’t want those first memories of enjoying reading for myself to be tainted by this new story Rowling has put together. I’m sure the play is wonderful but those memories are too sweet to risk messing with and the reviews for the book version of the play aren’t positive enough to jump down that hole.

 

41865

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer. I feel like this one shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. I just can’t get on board with the sparkly vampires and weak women. Nope! If I want vampires I’ll read some old Anne Rice because you can never go wrong with Lestat.

 

22328546

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard. From every description and review of this book, I get the impression that it contains all of the things that I hate most. 1) A poorly executed love triangle. 2) A painfully slow beginning. 3) A plot that relies on the romantic aspect to move the story instead of action. Even the quotes on Goodreads sound annoyingly dull. They are short and generic with no substance- “Words can lie. See beyond them.” I just won’t be getting on board with this one.

 

13335037

Divergent by Veronica Roth. This one has left me waffling in the past but at this point I’m firmly in the “not reading that” column. There are a lot of dystopian novels that I like, The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon being a prime example, so what is my problem with this one? It’s sequels. I’ve read the reviews, I know how the story turns out, and lets just say that I’m not happy about it. Once I start on a series it takes an act of god to make me stop reading them so I don’t want to start on this and enjoy the first book just to be utterly disappointed in the end.

 

10507293

The Selection by Kiera Cass. Where do I even begin? This book currently has a rating of 4.15 on Goodreads and the positive reviews I’ve read of it are absolutely glowing. To say the least this series obviously has a strong following. However, for the life of me I can’t figure out why. A bunch of girls fighting for the love of a single rich man. While the rest of the world burns, they put on frilly dresses and think about love and money. This feels like Mean Girls in a poverty stricken world meets The Bachelor. That sounds like a great big pile of NOPE! What really drives me nuts is that the author apparently went to one of the local universities that is just down the road from me so everywhere I go I have to see this book. People seem very proud of her. I love my local library but every branch has her books on display in the front. It irks me.

 

What do you think? Are there any books you feel like you should love but just don’t have an interest in? 

Golden Son by Pierce Brown

~ Amanda @ Literary Weaponry ~ 6 Comments

18966819

“For seven hundred years, my people have been enslaved without voice, without hope. Now I am their sword. And I do not forgive. I do not forget. So let him lead me onto his shuttle. Let him think he owns me. Let him welcome me into his house, so I might burn it down.”

It’s been three days since I finished reading this book. It left me a wreck so I waited to write my review in hopes that I would chill out about it. I haven’t. Pierce Brown, you left me wrecked and desperate for Morning Star. Desperate. Of course I had to go on a wait list at the library to get it. In the entire county the library system only has one copy of that book. WHY?! (Luckily they got it in pretty quickly and held it for me so I got to pick it up yesterday afternoon)

want it now

Despite my aching need for Morning Star, here I sit still brooding over Golden Son. I’m not even sure where to begin. This review is going to be a disorganized mess of enthusiasm and feels. ALL OF THE FEELS. Brown gave us love, hate, betrayal, violence, logic, apathy, desperation, more violence, prejudice, sadness, hurt, frightening levels of intelligence, violence…and it has left me a weeping, hollow shell of a book enthusiast.

But not so hollow that I didn’t wake a sleeping toddler and usher her into the car when the library e-mailed me that Morning Star had come in. Speed limits were broken. Over a book. Worth it.

Now, Golden Son…

“I will die. You will die. We will all die and the universe will carry on without care. All that we have is that shout into the wind – how we live. How we go. And how we stand before we fall.”

We return to our spy/warrior/widower/champion Darrow 2+ years after his spectacular victory in Red Rising. He is now captaining a fleet against his sponsor’s rival and he has become even more overly confident in himself. That particular characteristic would be highly annoying if he didn’t, for the most part, deserve that confidence. Unfortunately for Darrow, in this case, he didn’t. But, man, what an opening sequence. He had all the swagger and confidence of Captain Kirk (Pine, not Shatner) and I was rooting for him hard within the first few paragraphs.

Unfortunately this is followed by an epic fail on his part and he doesn’t have a Mister Spock to bail him out of the situation. Every ship’s captain needs a Spock type character in tough situations. Most of his crew dies and Darrow discovers that he is being cast to the wind by…you’ll have to forgive me here I can’t remember or find the man’s name to save my life. Usually I’d just open the book and look it up but I was a dunderhead and returned it to the library before writing my review. Stupid, right? Unless his name hits me like a ton of bricks I’m going to call him “the sponsor” although I admit that I am tempted to call him Caesar for my own amusement’s sake. Give me a break, folks. I have a toddler and am thirty. The brain and memory aren’t what they once were to say the least.

Anyway, Caesar (told you I’d do it) is going to effectively sell Darrow’s contract because he is convinced that Darrow isn’t worth the time or hassle. Darrow, of course, finds a way out of the situation. It includes quite the dramatic blood bath. Brown really knows how to write fantastic battles. He can make you hold your breath during hand to hand combat as well as big space fleet fight sequences. It is amazing. This man is a miraculous wonder with words. The divine with dialogue. The Zeus of…something. You get the point.

After this highly entertaining carnage Caesar (yup, still calling him that) decides to keep Darrow at hand. From here, the epicness reaches new heights. We get the amazing Sevro back. Goblin or not he is probably the most entertaining character in these books. You don’t always understand exactly why he does what he does and he can be a total ass but you can’t help but love him. He is our pocket sized Howler and is just phenomenal.

Mustang also returns and I have to admit I was a bit on a fence about her. In Red Rising I questioned a lot of her decisions although in the end she came through. In Golden Son she oozes a similar swagger to Darrow’s but it feels much less candid and earned. Then that confidence is punctuated by moments of meekness which makes her feel less genuine. I’m hoping that in Morning Star she gets sorted out because her character seems confused about who she is. It makes it difficult to like her.

I told you this review would be all over the place and I wasn’t lying. I just want to gush about it like a school girl with a crush.

Jonah-Hill-Squeals

To keep this under 1000 words (barely), I’ll just say that this book is epic. I liked Red Rising, but Golden Son blows it out of the water. If Red Rising is champagne on New Years then Golden Son is Dom Perignon after you win the lottery. Yes, folks, it’s that good. If you haven’t read these books and at all like fantasy, read them. It’s a space opera for the imagination. Now pardon me while I go dive into Morning Star feet first with a box of tissues handy because, like with GRRM, you just never know who is going to die next. I love it. I leave you with Dean who has some wise words to say about this book…

DeanAwesome

 

Find this book on

Goodreads | Amazon US | Amazon UK | Book Depository