In quantum mechanics, a wavefunction describes the probability of where quantum particles could be, so a particle occupies every possible state simultIn quantum mechanics, a wavefunction describes the probability of where quantum particles could be, so a particle occupies every possible state simultaneously (superposition) until it is measured. When a quantum particle is observed, the wavefunction collapses and the particle irreversibly occupies only one state. The specifics of how measurement and observation determine reality are still being researched. To my knowledge, quantum particle behavior is still largely a mystery.
In Book of the Ancestor, quantals use greater magic: they can walk the Path and draw immense power from it. But maybe this “magic” isn’t really magic at all. Doesn’t “quantal” look suspiciously similar to “quantum”? Can quantals control the collapse of a wavefunction? That would begin to explain the mysterious Path. Thread-work could be quantum entanglement on a larger scale, where people are entangled instead of particles. If so, I wonder how quantals obtained these abilities. Radiation, maybe?
Speaking of nuclear radiation, what is Abeth? The result of nuclear war? Take ABETH, cross out the bottom of the B, flip around the letters a bit (EABTH) and you have EARTH. Judging by the map, the world of the Broken Empire trilogies is clearly our world after extreme climate change, nuclear war, or both. Abeth may resemble the far future of Earth, after the events of those trilogies. Maybe the ice is a product of nuclear war: nuclear winter. That would also explain why the Missing left Abeth, the doomed planet they may have destroyed. Additionally, the computer that controls the focus moon is named Taproot, a cryptic recurring character in all of Lawrence’s books (aaand the friendly neighborhood Mark Lawrence expert is John, helping me fill in the blanks with his extensive knowledge).
How do I join a warrior nun friend group? Specifically an incredible found family who have an unbreakable bond of love and support. The relationship between Nona, Ara, and Zole is one of my favorite friendships in all of literature. The way Zole slowly opened up to Nona, the unspoken promise of protection between Nona and Ara—it’s exquisite.
Holy Sister has incredible slow pacing with natural buildup that’s not rushed. Instead, we get to know the characters organically as we walk beside them during their darkest moments. Despite the hopelessness that hangs over Abeth, there are also days when the light of the moon seems warmer on Nona’s skin and the horizon of ice looks more like a blanket of sparkling jewels tossed haphazardly across the poles by the hand of a benevolent god.
In conclusion, Mark Lawrence continues to be a genius.
5 stars
Red Sister: ★★★★★ Grey Sister: ★★★★★ Holy Sister: ★★★★★
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How is it even possible for a book this perfect, this immaculate, this soul-shattering to exist. I'm in awe. I can't find words to properly describe the beauty of this series and of this book. I've been on this journey for so long and been through so much with friends who hold my heart in their blood-stained hands. Mark Lawrence is the Ancestor, confirmed....more
All the problems I had with the first book were fixed. The story got bigger and more epic. The romance improved dramatically. And I fell in love with all the characters.
This review has spoilers for the first book. Spoilers for ACOMAF will be boxed off with siren emojis (...more
This book stole my heart and I am pressing charges.
Chain of Iron, the second installment in The Last Hours series, takes everything that Chain of GolThis book stole my heart and I am pressing charges.
Chain of Iron, the second installment in The Last Hours series, takes everything that Chain of Gold did well and adds to it. Layers and layers of character development, mysterious motives, addictive writing style, added to stunning romance and heartbreaking angst. I was literally beaming while reading this book. I felt like my whole body was smiling. There were painful moments, too—many, many painful moments. In fact, the ending made my heart feel like it had been processed through a paper shredder and then stomped on.
This book opens with a murder on the streets of London. Shadowhunters are being killed by a mysterious person—or demon—that is frightening the community. Shadowhunters can no longer go on patrols by themselves. But are these murders connected, or are they simply the product of a killer’s suppressed rage?
While this is happening, Cordelia Carstairs is contemplating her situation. She’s engaged to James Herondale, but it is a false marriage brought about to save her reputation after she sacrificed her social standing to save him from unjust imprisonment. Lucie Herondale is working with Grace Blackthorn, attempting to raise Jesse from the dead in a plot they keep secret from all the others. Matthew Fairchild is struggling with his alcohol addiction and his hatred of himself, despite the love he receives from others. Anna Lightwood and Ariadne Bridgestock are trying to save their love after the heartbreak that happened between them. Thomas Lightwood and Alastair Carstairs have undeniable romantic tension, but neither of them are willing to admit it. Meanwhile, Tatiana Blackthorn is scheming again, and nothing is as it seems…
Cordelia is one of my favorite heroines of all time. She’s probably the best protagonist Cassie Clare has ever written. She’s so insightful and always notices things about people they didn’t know themselves. She puts James’s feelings first, over her love for him, and she doesn’t force him into anything. She knows he loves Grace, and while it pains her and despite her suspicion that he may have been tricked into that love, she accepts him for how he is and doesn’t try to change him. She’s quietly brave, determined, and thoughtful—and actually a strong female character without shoving it in our faces.
James is a character I surprisingly adored in Chain of Iron. I had lukewarm feelings about him in Chain of Gold, simply because he didn’t stand out to me as a very unique character, but I absolutely loved him in this book. I have been converted to a Jordelia shipper. James x Cordelia is my new OTP. James is so wonderful because he’s more mild than typical CC love interests like Jace and Will. He feels deeply, he cares about others in a quiet way, he’s relentlessly loyal to Cordelia despite the fact that their marriage is fake. He is the new Sam Cortland. I need a James in my life. He’s so sweet and intuitive and considerate. He has the emotional maturity that so many characters (*cough* Will *cough*) never had.
"Someone who broke your heart is often not the person who can mend it."
Lucie, unfortunately, is not my favorite character anymore. She’s still ambitious, and she’s still witty, but in this book, she starts to hide things from Cordelia, even though they will eventually become parabatai. She has secrets and never really apologizes for hiding them from her family and friends when they could have helped her. Lucie was the only one in this book besides Jesse who had negative character development. She became almost infatuated with Jesse, and got too caught up with her need to live a fairy-tale life to focus on the feelings of her future parabatai.
Jesse is still my least favorite character. He’s just a ghost. He’s very bland and gets angsty at random moments for no reason. There’s nothing interesting about him, besides the fact that he’s dead, which I think is the opposite of intriguing. He and Lucie have romantic tension that comes out of nowhere. I don’t like it. Unlike all the other relationships in this book, CC was forced to tell us that they were romantically interested in each other. There was no build-up, no small, heartwarming moments between the characters. I have a theory about this, which I will share in the spoiler section.
Matthew is such a sweet cinnamon roll. He always acts like he doesn’t care, but he does deep inside. He struggles with feeling like he’s not wanted, or that he’s isolated because of his alcohol addiction. We learned at the end of the first book that he loves Cordelia, and there are so many little moments that bring this to life. I personally don’t ship Fairstairs because I like them better as friends at this point and I ship Jordelia too hard to give it up, but I also have a theory about this, which, again, will be included in the spoiler section.
Cordelia hesitated. "Sometimes," she said, "it is not enough for others to love you. I do not think Matthew loves himself very well." Lucie's eyes widened. "What is there about him he could possibly not love?" she said.
Grace was one of my least favorite characters in Chain of Gold, but in this book, she’s much better. She has a clear motive and a personality. I’m actually sympathetic towards her. She was forced into this situation by Tatiana. She’s been used her whole life. All she wants is to get her brother back. I still don’t like her, but I appreciate her as a character.
All of the characters in Chain of Iron were perfect. They were fully fleshed-out, each with their own personalities and unique traits. This is the best cast that CC has ever written. I have so much love for each and every character, excluding Jesse.
There was very little plot in the first one hundred pages, but I had no problem with this. This book could be 100% fluff and I would not care. I love the characters so much that the plot was just a nice thing to have on the side. And the plot twist was actually surprising. I didn’t expect it at all.
One thing that stood out was the way the male characters treated Cordelia and Lucie. They respected them but didn’t go out of their way to say “oh, Cordelia, how very strong and female you are” like some characters do, just to emphasize how amazing and independent the women are. They respect the female characters without worshipping them.
As always, Cassie Clare did her research, and Edwardian London was really brought to life in this book. The balls, the dresses, the atmosphere—it was all perfectly written.
"Alessandra Stathos, that's positively despicable." He says the words like they're the highest compliment he can give me.
Alessandra is sick of he
"Alessandra Stathos, that's positively despicable." He says the words like they're the highest compliment he can give me.
Alessandra is sick of her life. She has always been pushed to the side while her sister gets the spotlight. But she knows she can do better. She has spent her life learning how to manipulate people to get what she wants. And now she's about to take what she knows is hers. The crown. Alessandra is going to marry the Shadow King, Kallias, and then murder him.
Managing people can be tiresome, but there's still nothing more satisfying than watching people do exactly what I say.
Before I started this book, I was worried about two things: 1) that Alessandra would be not like other girls, and 2) that Alessandra would fall in love immediately and forget all her plans to kill Kallias, or that she wouldn't be the merciless, manipulative genius the synopsis promised.
Well, neither of those points happened.
Thankfully, Alessandra doesn't become a Mary Sue heroine. If she did turn into one, one of my favorite scenes in the book would have been so different.
Towards the beginning of The Shadows Between Us, she waltzes into the castle where Kallias is seeing potential brides and ignores him. Instead of walking up to him, she makes him walk up to her. If she were not like other girls, she would go to the castle being like I don't need a prince, attract his attention for no real reason, and fall in love immediately. But Alessandra did all of this on purpose. It was all a scheme to attract Kallias's attention. She's not just some "intriguing" bumbling idiot. This is calculated.
I love Alessandra so much. She's smart and she's evil. What more do you need? One thing I love about her is how she has a passion for sewing and fashion, but that doesn't make her any less strong. Nobody makes a big deal out of it. It's just something she loves to do, and something she's really, really good at.
Her character is so consistent. It was truly a pleasure to be in her mind. She's calm, cool, and cultured. There were some little details that really brought her to life, mostly in the way she interacted with Kallias and the characters I call the Merry Thieves because they feel like characters from Chain of Gold--Petros, Rhouben, and Leandros. Speaking of them, I love the side characters. They all have distinct personalities, and it's so sweet how Alessandra slowly opens up to them.
And I look at my two friends. My first real friends. I thought women were always my competitors, people to be jealous of. How wrong I was.
I love Kallias. He and Alessandra are both villains, basically. They don't try to change each other, or make each other "good." They accept one another for how they are. The mutual pining killed me. The suspense is exquisite. The pacing is perfect in their relationship. I savored every moment of their interactions. They clearly respect each other greatly. Kallias lets Alessandra take care of her own business without interfering, and vice versa.
I do have a few minor problems with this book. The dialogue can be a bit stilted, but that's not a huge issue. Additionally, Kallias is a pretty soft villain. He's supposed to be a conqueror but we never see him do any conquering. The reason I didn't care was because this isn't his story. It's Alessandra's.
Also, there is no worldbuilding, but I actually think that did the book a favor. The place where everything happened—the castle—had a beautiful aesthetic and that was all that mattered to me. If there had been extensive worldbuilding, it would have held the book back.
The synopsis makes this book sound like a romance, but it's so much more than that. It's about twisted politics, betrayal, court intrigue, and manipulation, and I loved all of it.
4.5 stars
"I battle with my mind. Not weapons."
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ALL. THE. STARS.
I adore this book. It's a complex game of manipulation and court intrigue. Alessandra is a compelling, purely evil main character. It was a delight to be in her head.
Perhaps I should lower my expectations so every book will be a pleasant surprise.
Blue Lily, Lily Blue was a pointless installment in the Raven Cycle. Perhaps I should lower my expectations so every book will be a pleasant surprise.
Blue Lily, Lily Blue was a pointless installment in the Raven Cycle. The plot moved nowhere. Neither did the relationships. This entire thing was a random side plot generated by all the loose ends from the previous two books. It could have been wrapped up in The Raven King, but NO.
Here's what I was expecting:
❧ More time with Blue and Gansey ❧ An exciting hunt for clues, ultimately leading to Glendower ❧ Less angst from Adam
Here's what I got:
❧ Two scenes with Bluesey that ended abruptly because apparently Maggie Stiefvater thinks it's cool to stop emotional moments while they're happening because I probably wouldn't care and yet I do ❧ Some kids. Following a tall man. Into a cave. ❧ A bunch of plot holes that were never explained but instead left to the power of ✨magic✨
Ahem. Where was I?
Questions. So many of them.
1. Why is Noah going insane? 2. Who is Greenmantle and why is he relevant? 3. Why are the sleepers still alive? And sleeping? And why were they so easy to find? 4. Why is this cave magical? 5. Why should I care?!?!
I also noticed that Blue took the back seat in this book. She's always been something of a tagalong, but she didn't do much at all here. This entire "plot" was driven not by the characters themselves, but by the random events that kept conveniently occurring that would lead them to where they wanted to go. Not because they thought about them and made some sort of a plan, but because they're reckless and don't stop to consider the consequences of the dangerous missions they're taking on.
The emotional moments felt very ingenuous, mostly because the characters' reactions were so bland. They would stand around in shock and then completely recover within the next twelve hours. And, whenever they found something magical, they wouldn't even bat an eye. I understand that they're used to these things, but I think finding an ancient tomb with a living woman inside who's been sleeping for thousands of years is pretty surprising. But they just take her home and that's the end of that.
I feel like this book is supposed to make me feel emotions? Or something like that? But I just couldn't bring myself to care about the characters or the plot, when it veered so far away from the real goal.
Funny how I hate angst until it's Cardan being angsty, and that angst involves him scribbling a certain Jude Duarte's name over and over again while iFunny how I hate angst until it's Cardan being angsty, and that angst involves him scribbling a certain Jude Duarte's name over and over again while ink drips onto his clothes but he's too busy pining over Jude to care.
Villains were wonderful. They got to be cruel and selfish, to preen in front of mirrors and poison apples, and trap girls on mountains of glass. They indulged all their worst impulses, revenged themselves for the least offense, and took every last thing they wanted. And sure, they wound up in barrels studded with nails, or dancing in iron shoes heated by fire, not just dead, but disgraced and screaming. But before they got what was coming to them, they got to be the fairest in all the land.
I was captivated by the way Cardan views the world. He was dismissed repeatedly, even as a child, and endured years of abuse before learning how to build a facade. He pretends to have a heart of stone and is bewildered by attachment, but needs someone to love him anyway. He isn't a warrior or a hero or a savior. He was a villain, then a villain in name only, then a king, but he remains a soft, vulnerable character inside.
Cardan had trusted Nicasia not to hurt him, which was ridiculous, since he well knew that everyone hurts one another and that the people you loved hurt you the most grievously. Since he was well aware that they both took delight in hurting everyone else that they could, how could he have thought himself safe?
This book is magical. The art is stunning and mystical and perfect. The writing is beautiful (as always) and depicts the world with such beauty and danger. How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories is a breath of fresh air—the fairy tale atmosphere, the razor-sharp wit, the allure of the fey.
The contempt made him feel as though she saw beneath all his sharp and polished edges. It reminded him of how his father and all the Court had seen him, before he learned how to shield himself with villainy. And doomed as she was, he envied her whatever conviction made her stand there and defy him. She ought to be nothing. She ought to be insignificant. She ought not to matter. He had to make her not matter.
I am not, contrary to the belief of many, a cold, heartless rock. Though sometimes I feel like one. To support my claim, I present to you my notes pagI am not, contrary to the belief of many, a cold, heartless rock. Though sometimes I feel like one. To support my claim, I present to you my notes page, in its entirety.
"It's you I love," he says. "I spent much of my life guarding my heart. I guarded it so well that I could behave as though I didn't have one at all. Even now, it is a shabby, worm-eaten, and scabrous thing. But it is yours."
That's it. Those are my notes. You see? I'm capable of shipping a romance without tearing it into pieces smaller than my heart a rowan berry!
Only two characters can lie in this book, and yet the number of betrayals and the amount of treachery that goes on is staggering. And I love it. This is court politics at its finest, balanced with action and romance and character development and BANTER. Yes. Authors, take note.
The dynamic between Cardan and Jude is perfection.
My sweet nemesis, how glad I am that you returned.
They were enemies to start with, and then sort-of friends but mostly allies, and then MARRIED, and I--
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Proof I can actually feel emotions. *screaming*
Anyway. This was supposed to be a review, but my heart isn't cooperating. Curse you, emotions. Maybe it was easier being ✨heartless.✨
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⬆️ my heart right now
6 stars (Goodreads needs to get a better rating system)...more
Excuse you, Holly Black. It's not polite to play with my heart like that.
Never before have I loved and hated a character so much at the same time. I'mExcuse you, Holly Black. It's not polite to play with my heart like that.
Never before have I loved and hated a character so much at the same time. I'm talking, of course, about Jude Duarte, who's basically a novelty in YA literature for her willingness to be cunning and wicked. She has power over Cardan--for now--but she needs more. She's constantly trying to make a place for herself in Elfhame, where she doesn't belong. The power struggles, the court politics, the deception, the twists--my brain is still fried.
And Holly Black isn't afraid of making her manipulative, either. Jude flips every trope on its head:
1. Must feel personally responsible for everyone 2. Must feel major regrets about hurting others 3. Must abandon everything for the sake of ~true love~
Well, Jude is a girl who doesn't care. She's intent on her goal, and she will make it come true. Woe to the one who stands in her way.
And then there's Cardan, my wonderfully wicked cinnamon roll who is currently angry at me for calling him a cinnamon roll. (Yes, Cardan, I know that desserts don't have tails, please be quiet.) I'll admit, I thought he was lacking in brain cells at the beginning. But everything was a giant scheme. I love him to pieces.
Speaking of court politics, this book dives into (haha, puns) a new world--the Undersea, a treacherous, dangerous realm. This fulfills my wish for more worldbuilding. And now I want to be a mermaid. Not Ariel. Nicasia. I want to hold a really pointy trident and order people around while daintily picking at fish on a silver tray. Unfortunately, I am but a human. Le sigh.
These are definitely some of my favorite characters of all time.
I came in with low expectations, because I wasn't too interested in Ronan in the firsThese are definitely some of my favorite characters of all time.
I came in with low expectations, because I wasn't too interested in Ronan in the first book. He punched walls, crashed cars, had a pet raven named Chainsaw. You know. Normal stuff.
In this book, we learn that he has the ability to take items out of his dreams and turn them into tangible objects. Obviously, this power comes at a cost to the ley line - and might sever their connection to Glendower.
I thought this was kind of a pointless side plot, honestly. Glendower was all but forgotten, and instead, we journey through the minds of a hit man and a bad boy. The plot was very a bit disjointed - there were so many different revelations happening on the side, and I wasn't sure where to focus the whole time. The end reveal felt a little underwhelming, probably because I had guessed it from the start. I didn't understand the motivations of the villains, either. It was convoluted and confusing, but I still liked it, for some bizarre reason.
The relationship between Blue and Gansey and Adam was definitely the best part of The Dream Thieves. Gansey just wants to shove money on Adam, Adam just wants people to stop pitying him, and Blue just wants everyone to calm down and get a life. (Did I mention how amazing Blue is? Because she's awesome.)
Adam really... um... got a whole lot worse. He kicked things. He had temper tantrums because he didn't want Gansey's money. Just take the stupid money. It's not that hard.
He has a strange obsession with his own nothing, as he likes to call it.
"It was nothing. But it was Adam's nothing."
I guess I can understand where he's coming from. He "doesn't want your pity" and also doesn't want to be reliant on his friends. But it got to a point where I just wanted him to take the money and shut up. He lashed out at everyone and wore his insecurities on his sleeve. I got tired of his angst rather quickly.
Blue was the bright spot here. She's so chill about everything. Best friend is dead? Cool. Ronan can bring things out of his dreams? Cool. Mother's dating a hit man? Cool. I wish I had that mentality.
And, of course, Gansey (my cinnamon roll) and Blue belong together. It's obvious. It's so painfully obvious.
I wasn't too interested in Ronan from the start, but I found myself liking him towards the end. He's still not my favorite character of all time, but he's definitely better than he was in The Raven Boys. If only Adam also had that character arc.
This was my favorite of the Lunar Chronicles. It was so sweet and personal, while keeping up the action-packed plot. EacYep. It definitely got better.
This was my favorite of the Lunar Chronicles. It was so sweet and personal, while keeping up the action-packed plot. Each time Thorne and Cress popped up, I devoured every word. They're my cinnamon rolls.
I had one big problem, however.
Wolf. I hate him.
He spent a good chunk of this book unconscious, which I felt was deserved. And then, when he wakes up, he has a temper tantrum because "his alpha was missing," he rips his stitches, and he puts Princess Selene in a chokehold. And then he proceeds to spend the rest of the day howling in a corner like the useless character he is.
Maybe I wouldn't have minded this if he actually treated Scarlet like a person and not like some "alpha" thing he's supposed to be proud of. Or if they had known each other for longer than a month.
When they break into the palace, he's STILL MOPING and refuses to even try to act like he's enjoying the party. They're supposed to blend in, and yet he won't even attempt to look any more like an actual human being. He's too busy "mourning Scarlet." Pleeease. Wolf needs two things. Therapy and a class on anger management.
Besides that...
I loved Cress and Thorne and Cresswell with all of my shriveled heart. Cress is adorably naive (did I mention that Rapunzel is my favorite fairy tale), Thorne is the perfect combination of sarcastic and supportive, and together - *cries* *swoons* PERFECTION.
Oh, and Kai was officially elevated to Cinnamon Roll Status. Because Wolf dropped. Kai's like those slightly stale cinnamon rolls you get from the grocery store bakery in a plastic box... while Cress and Thorne are fresh, warm, sticky ones. Sorry for the food analogy, I couldn't help myself.
The plotline itself was entirely too convenient. They all happen to land up in the same obscure African town JUST BY CHANCE. Which I find hard to believe. But I'm going to stop being skeptical and just enjoy this magnificence....more
Every great found family needs an arsonist, an intellectual, a clown, a mom friend, and someone who takes "I am God" jokes maybe too literally.
The BrEvery great found family needs an arsonist, an intellectual, a clown, a mom friend, and someone who takes "I am God" jokes maybe too literally.
The Bronzed Beasts was stunning. The aesthetic, the dynamic between the characters, the breathtaking writing, the combination of steampunk and heist fantasy that is everything I have ever needed. I'm incredibly sad that this series is over. Goodbye to years of hugging the books as if that will bring the characters even closer to my heart. I will love my beautiful mismatched crew of messes for eternity.
I often feel like I'm repeating myself when I talk about this series because I always bring up one thing: the cast of characters. The way they interact, the subtle shifts in their relationships that leave everything feeling acutely disjointed and wrong until their world falls back together again and they collide once more in a blooming rainbow of fierce love and understanding and compassion. It's so beautiful. Everything about The Gilded Wolves is beautiful.
4 stars
(Our days and nights are perfumed with obsession - Lorde)
And that's for one reason - I hate to be preached at.
There is no way you're getting me to read a book with "moralsI hardly ever read books like this.
And that's for one reason - I hate to be preached at.
There is no way you're getting me to read a book with "morals" or a "lesson." I read for fun and no other reason.
That's why I was so surprised when I loved Before I Fall.
It's basically Groundhog Day, only with mean girls. Sam Kingston relives the day of her death over and over again - but she begins to notice how slight things change each time. She realizes that her actions, no matter how small, can change the lives of the people around her. All in one day.
I thought this would be boring, I admit. How interesting can it be to relive the same day so many times? But finding the differences was intriguing, and Sam's character arc was perfect.
She did frustrate me at times, like when she tried to prevent a classmate from committing suicide by giving her roses... yeah. That's not going to work. And especially not after you spent eight years making her life a living hell.
The romance was cute, if rushed. The side characters were all unique, which I was really impressed by. Usually you get a bunch of cookie-cutter characters who are there to fill space.
Before I Fall was such an easy read from the start. The prose is light, the topics not too heavy as to make it tough to continue. I think the main reason I rated this so highly was because I happened to be reading an almost-900-page LOTResque fantasy novel at the same time... and I needed something light and fluffy.
This, my friends, is feminist fantasy at its finest.
I still can't come to terms with the fact that it's over. After this whole journey, it seems almoThis, my friends, is feminist fantasy at its finest.
I still can't come to terms with the fact that it's over. After this whole journey, it seems almost impossible that a last page exists. The Priory of the Orange Tree trapped my heart from the very first sentence, and now I'm having trouble distinguishing what's real from what jumped out of the pages.
Sabran Berethnet is Queen of Inys during a time of turmoil and unrest. She has to come to terms with a devastating loss, her own depression, and deception within her court as an ancient force threatens to reawaken. But nothing is as it seems, and history is not often truthful.
Ead Duryan, a mage of the Priory, is assigned to protect Sabran from the Nameless One, who seeks to destroy her and her house. While she longs to return to her duties to Cleolind, the founder of the Priory, she is determined to uncover the twisted secrets of the court of Inys. She has to sacrifice her destiny for the good of the world, but she never bats an eye.
Miduchi Tané, an aspiring dragonrider, makes an error of judgement that changes her future forever. Disgraced and cast out of her homeland, she discovers a hidden force within herself that could destroy the world. Tané, who uses the people around her for her own needs, is forced to overcome her pride and her overwhelming guilt.
Niclays Roos is an alchemist who was banished from Sabran's court years ago. He yearns for his home and his old love, but he knows the only way he could ever return is if he finds the secret of immortality. He dives into a web of treachery and deceit to do so, propelled by his own sorrow and lust for a longer life. Throughout the novel, he comes to terms with his selfishness and cowardice.
Arteloth (Loth) Beck is sent on a mission that will almost certainly lead to his death. Betrayed by his own court, he ventures into the unknown, unaware of the dark forces that are soon to rise. But nothing is as he expects, and his whole religion is turned upside down.
These protagonists, separated by wildly different cultures and religions, find themselves intertwined in a turn of events no one could have predicted.
The worlds of this book are vivid and real and evocative, as are the characters. Each point of view fills me with different fears and biases, and these contentions are what bring them to life. When all their beliefs were overturned, it was so easy to slip in each of their minds and gauge their reactions.
The Priory of the Orange Tree starts out slow, which I like. We’re very gradually introduced to the world--absolutely no infodumps. And by the end, I was completely immersed in the story, characters, and religions.
Speaking of religion, Samantha Shannon crafts three believable faiths, but not a single one of them is immune to the threats that rise again. It’s incredible how much I sympathized with each one; how much I wanted each to succeed. Losses were personal hits. Gains were personal victories.
Every advance in the plot is gradual, natural, and realistic--but not in a predictable way. Everything makes sense once it’s unveiled. The whole scope of things is something that takes time, but it's not out of grasp.
If I were to condense The Priory of the Orange Tree into one sentence (impossible, but whatever) I would say something along the lines of “queer queens, dragons, and ancient magic.” It’s wondrous. It’s awe-inspiring. It’s epic....more
It was my absolute pleasure to immerse myself completely in the city of Ketterdam.
There were so many moments throughout this book that took me by surIt was my absolute pleasure to immerse myself completely in the city of Ketterdam.
There were so many moments throughout this book that took me by surprise, or made me cry, or made me laugh. Jogs the liver. Waffles. Maybe I liked your stupid face. I'd crawl to you. You're all horrible. My ghost won't associate with your ghost. Simple things I took for granted in the first book, but clung onto in the second as if they were my only hope to drag myself out of this quagmire of grief.
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My heart has been sufficiently torn out of my chest, ripped to pieces, and stamped on. You can go home now.
I don't actually know what to say about this book because my head physically aches from loving it so much. The banter. The camaraderie. The friendship. The rivalry. That one random fistfight Jesper and Kaz had while Nina watched and ate waffles.
After this disaster and this dumpster fire, I was ready to distance myself from Cassandra Clare once and for all. But atLet me tell you a funny story.
After this disaster and this dumpster fire, I was ready to distance myself from Cassandra Clare once and for all. But at least five people kept telling me to read Chain of Gold, that The Last Hours was better than TMI and TID, that even though I hated everything I’ve read by CC, I would love CoG.
I highly doubted it.
But I ended up reading this anyway, because it was free and available and what’s the worst that could happen? I had resigned myself to the loss of a few more brain cells from my dwindling supply.
What happened?
How dare I enjoy a Cassandra Clare book?
Chain of Gold is essentially a soap opera. It’s filled with romantic drama, hilarious cliffhangers, cheesy dialogue. I love it so much.
But this book did something that shocked me and made me question my addled logic.
I enjoyed the love triangles. All of them.
How could I?
Spoilers for the romance in this next paragraph only.
James likes Grace, Cordelia likes James, Matthew likes Cordelia and Lucie, Lucie likes no one, Grace is engaged to Charles, James is engaged to Cordelia. As if that weren’t confusing enough, Anna likes Ariadne, who was previously engaged to Charles. Alastair likes Charles and Thomas, and Charles is definitely not available.
Is this book okay? No. Do I care? No.
It’s so dramatic and juicy and angsty and my heart is bursting.
What cements this book’s place in my soap-worthy shelf is the prioritization of drama over plot. I could honestly care less, because plot has always been a secondary thing for me, but I can see how some people wouldn’t enjoy this due to its lack of a comprehensive storyline.
Chain of Gold is about Cordelia Carstairs, whose family has fled to London in the wake of a scandal related to her father. She’s a bold, down-to-earth and logical main character who knows what’s good for her. She confronts those who are unpleasant to her, she always thinks a step ahead. Well, almost always, but we’re not going to talk about that. I actually didn’t like her at first because I thought she was going to turn out to be Tessa Gray 2.0, but I was pleasantly surprised when she gained her own personality.
Her Persian heritage was woven in very organically. Congratulations to Clare for finally adding some diversity to her books. And she did a very good job, actually. It was all quite natural and an integral part of the characters themselves, rather than, uh… what happened with Jem Carstairs in Clockwork Angel. We don’t talk about that.
The other main character is James Herondale, who is the son of Tessa and Will from TID. He was my least favorite character. He’s your typical leader-with-a-troubled-past, and I wasn’t too interested in him. I was more interested in Cordelia/James as a ship (even though I shipped Matthew and Cordelia more), because they had an intriguing dynamic.
Reading together. Never had Cordelia heard of anything so romantic.
I do think that the next generation of Herondales is more mild than the TID generation, which I absolutely love. That was one of my biggest complaints about TID. Will was just so brash and loud and I hated him. But James is calm and soft and sweet and overall much better than Will ever was. (Sorry, Will stans.)
Lucie Herondale, James’s sister, was an incredible character. I loved her. She’s a dryly sarcastic writer, and her narrative was so refreshing and subtly funny. Her relationship with Jesse Blackthorn wasn’t the best, mostly because Jesse had a ghost of a personality (ehehehe puns), so I definitely shipped her with Matthew. At least, I did in the beginning, but that changed at the end, and now I don’t ship her with anyone. She’s so bright on her own.
Those who mock fiction do so because they fear the truth.
Matthew Fairchild… Oh, Matthew. What can I say? He’s amazing. He struggles with his alcohol addiction, but inside he’s a caring person who loves deeply and is just trying his best. He is my cinnamon roll.
Alastair Carstairs is such a morally grey and intriguing character. He was a bully when he was younger, and he’s still dealing with the repercussions of his actions. Not to mention that he feels like an outcast in society. He’s struggling to protect Cordelia while battling his own inner demons. I need more of these characters in my life.
I read this entire book in a British accent, it’s that classy and sophisticated and English. Cassandra Clare has a way of bringing the setting to life in Chain of Gold, and while it may be a little cliche, it’s just so, so good.
I was not expecting to love this book. In fact, I was prepared to rate it one star and write a rant review and move on. But fate had chosen a different path for me.
Why isn’t a copy of Chain of Iron in my hands right now. This is sacrilege.
4.5 stars, my favorite guilty pleasure book ever
I’m not ready to move on from this book, so here’s some amazing fanart. Seriously, this series has perfect art.
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Also, a Chain of Gold playlist! Because… why not?
James - Line Without a Hook (Ricky Montgomery) Cordelia - Chinese Satellite (Phoebe Bridgers) Matthew - Sweater Weather (The Neighbourhood) Lucie - Kyoto (Phoebe Bridgers) Anna - we fell in love in october (girl in red) Alastair - Black (Pearl Jam)
If Will was singing, that meant he was in a sociable mood and would seize them the moment he saw them and begin reminiscing about Wales and ducks.
”Oh, perfectly,” said Christopher. “I told her all about culturing bacteria, and she was so fascinated that she never spoke a word!”
Words can't even begin to describe the beauty of this book.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is a mesmerizing tapestry woven from heartbreak and despeWords can't even begin to describe the beauty of this book.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is a mesmerizing tapestry woven from heartbreak and desperation and yet, somewhere in the midst of the suffering, the pure joy of living. This book touched my heart in places I didn't know existed. It tore open the gates of my emotions and ripped them apart mercilessly.
We follow Addie LaRue, a French woman longing for freedom, who strikes a bargain with a god named Luc. She will live forever—for a price. A blink, and Addie LaRue is gone. Turn away, and she is forgotten. Her name chokes in her throat when she tries to speak it. Words she writes are erased by an invisible hand. When she attempts to tell her story, she is silenced. Slowly, she loses hope. In her stubbornness, she refuses to give her soul to Luc, even as she begins to despair and finds herself the victim of blank stares and confused glances. Until she meets Henry Strauss, who speaks three words that change her life forever.
I remember you.
Schwab's writing is dreamy, poetic, lyrical, melancholy—lonely. Addie LaRue is so lonely, and you can feel her sorrow with every word she speaks. Her friendships dissolve overnight, her parents don't remember her face. And it physically pains me. No one but V.E. Schwab could have written such a delicate and pensive novel.
What is a person, if not the marks they leave behind?
Addie is a protagonist who lives on despite it all. She leaves her mark where she can, in blurry photographs and wistful song lyrics. She's not remarkable, but this works in the novel's favor. She is always forgotten; it wouldn't make sense for her to stand out. And yet, my soul was touched by her struggles and I saw bits of myself in her.
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue is one of my favorite books of all time. It's quiet, not showy at all, but beautiful and lyrical and personal. Schwab poured her heart and soul into this novel, and it shows.
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I want to delete my emotions. RIP my heart. RTC...more
Cardan Greenbriar holds my heart in his hands, and he looks rather smug about it, the absolutely perfect insufferable jerk.
This is one of those books Cardan Greenbriar holds my heart in his hands, and he looks rather smug about it, the absolutely perfect insufferable jerk.
This is one of those books where the faerie are actually scary. Yes, they're pretty immature, but they're cruel, terrible people who play with mortals for fun. These are not your Sarah J. Maas fae. They can't control the wind or change shapes -- but they can force humans to do their will, which is almost worse. Unless you wrap a string of rowan berries around your neck or turn your stockings inside-out.
Jude and Cardan are characters that make the plot seem like a side thing. I could watch them fold laundry and be perfectly content. Their dynamic is the best thing I've seen since Rowaelin. I noticed farther along that Jude and Cardan are literally just genderswapped versions of each other. She pretends like Cardan is the worst person ever, but just compare them, and you'll see what I mean. They both crave power over others. They both deceive each other without a second thought. It's the perfect love-hate relationship.
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And that's why I don't think it's problematic. I've seen reviews criticizing Jurdan, but they both tormented each other. Jude ultimately betrayed Cardan in the end. This is one of those relationships where they'll either get married or kill each other. (Please don't kill each other. I love you both too much.)
I would welcome Cardan to the part of my heart specifically set aside for cinnamon rolls, but he would probably burn the whole thing down while muttering something about decomposing mortals. Sam Cortland could never.
I'm just going to stand here in awe while all of you actually do productive things. I didn't see any of those twists coming. I know I probably should have. But I didn't. And while some may say the plot was too convenient, or too basic, or too convoluted--I was never bored. Not once. Do you have any idea how long it's been since I've been this invested in a novel? Too long, my friends.
There is just one thing I would have liked to see more of in The Cruel Prince, and that's worldbuilding. I still have no idea what a Seelie Court and an Unseelie Court are, and I suppose I could look it up, but I would have preferred an explanation in the book. Maybe I'll get one in The Wicked King. Even though the atmosphere in Elfhame was just perfect, I wanted to know more about the world outside that of the faerie, and how it all connected to the human world. But that's not enough to take off more than a star, because Cardan and Jude have stolen my heart, and I'm pressing charges.
It's been so long since a book has touched me this deeply.
This is a story of grief. Severin locks his sorrow inside and hardens his face. Laila distaIt's been so long since a book has touched me this deeply.
This is a story of grief. Severin locks his sorrow inside and hardens his face. Laila distances herself from her friends. Enrique throws himself into his work. Zofia leaves L'Eden and its tainted halls. Hypnos tries to fill a role never meant for him.
The Silvered Serpents is a recovery story. The crew comes together for one last job, but nothing is the same. It's a weak imitation of the camaraderie of before, and they all know it. Relationships are shattered and glued together. Hearts break and are mended. It's a beautiful novel, lacking the mindless fun of The Gilded Wolves, but infused with a deep feeling of melancholy and hopelessness.
I cried and laughed and cried some more. I could physically feel my heart breaking at that ending.
5 stars
And now, a Gilded Wolves character quiz. Keep track of the letters you pick.
1) On your best days, you are... A. Patient B. Dedicated C. Caring D. Charismatic E. Clever
2) On your worst days, you are... A. Antisocial B. Quick-tempered C. Stubborn D. Shallow E. Cold
3) Favorite subject? A. Math B. History C. Music D. I don't really pay attention in school E. Economics
4) You hear your best friend spreading rumors about you behind your back. What do you do? A. Stop talking to them B. Talk to them in private C. Continue being their friend. People make mistakes sometimes D. Call them out in public E. Come up with the most passive-aggressive way possible to bring them down
5) A friend of yours starts to ramble on and on about a subject you have no interest in. What do you do? A. Listen patiently, remembering everything just in case B. Listen eagerly, interrupting occasionally to contribute a bit of your own knowledge C. Listen at first, but zone out eventually D. Tell them you're not interested E. Cleverly turn the conversation around so you're the one talking instead
6) What's your favorite food out of these choices? A. Cookies B. Cake C. Pastries D. The most luxurious option available E. Raspberry jam
7) Are you self-conscious? A. Awkward is a better word for me B. Extremely C. Not at all D. Why should I care about what the peasants think of me? E. Around certain people, yes
RESULTS:
If you picked mostly As, you're Zofia!
You're very intelligent, but socially awkward. Sometimes you're not able to read between the lines like others do. You're logical and sweet, and everyone loves you.
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If you picked mostly Bs, you're Enrique!
You're witty and dedicated. If you start a task, your attention will be fully devoted to it. Your coping mechanism is humor. You're that person who knows a fun fact about everything.
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If you picked mostly Cs, you're Laila!
You're kind to everyone, no matter how they treat you. You're graceful and poised. You sometimes crave sugar. Scratch that - you always crave sugar.
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If you picked mostly Ds, you're Hypnos!
You're very charismatic and live a luxurious life. You sometimes use your riches to cover up inner insecurities. The only thing you want in life is to belong.
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If you picked mostly Es, you're Séverin!
You're quick-witted and clever, but you can sometimes be cold. You're a misunderstood genius. But you care deeply for everyone around you.
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