Tag: Fantasy (Page 62 of 121)

BOOK REVIEW: Six of Crows (Six of Crows #1) by Leigh Bardugo

April 14, 2016 / Chelsea / 2 Comments

Six of Crows (Six of Crows #1)
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone...

A convict with a thirst for revenge.

A sharpshooter who can't walk away from a wager.

A runaway with a privileged past.

A spy known as the Wraith.

A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums.

A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes.

Kaz's crew are the only ones who might stand between the world and destruction—if they don't kill each other first.

It became a declaration. There was no part of him that was not broken, that had not healed wrong, and there was no part of him that was not stronger for having been broken. The cane became a part of the myth he built. No one knew who he was. No one knew where he came from. He’d become Kaz Brekker, cripple and confidence man, bastard of the Barrel.

Sometimes enjoying life is as simple as loving something so hard that it makes everything in the world disappear: Your worries, your troubles, your horrible workday (yeah, that was today)…it all just vanishes from the moment you start doing what you love. For me?? That’s reading. Nothing clears my mind more than picking up a book. It’s best when it captures my soul-my very being-and doesn’t let it go until I choose to put it down. Nothing makes me happier, nicer, or more compliant than an excellent story. Days like today show me just how much reading is a crutch for me-even writing reviews. I had a horrid end of the day today….and here I am now, writing this review (and hanging out with my husband and two pups-my other crutch), and it’s like all is right in the world.

He grinned at her, his smile sudden and jarring as a thunderclap, his eyes the near-black of bitter coffee. “We’ll be kings and queens, Inej. Kings and queens.”
“Hmm,” she said noncommittally, pretending to examine one of her knives, determined to ignore that grin. Kaz was not a giddy boy smiling and making future plans with her. He was a dangerous player who was always working an angle. Always, she reminded herself firmly.

But it’s not as simple as that-not really. Sure, we can pick up a book and like it and say, ‘Yeah, that was a good one. What’s next?’ But that’s just going through the motions. In that scenario I’m happy, complacent. I’m glad I spent my time reading but…once I put that book down it was simply over. Poof. Gone. Finite. Onto the next guy, story, victim, whatever. And just like that, that world ceases to exist-it vanishes the moment I shut down my iPad. Those books are great to pass time-they really are-but what’s the point of reading if you aren’t consumed, body and soul, by it?

“…You’re a blackmailer-“
“I broker information.”
“A con artist-“
“I create opportunity.”
“A bawd and a murderer-“
“I don’t run whores, and I kill for a cause.”
“And what cause is that?”
“Same as yours, merch. Profit.”

And I never even knew I was going through the motions with books. I loved them all and they all loved me. But then I found books like these-Rare gems that if you are so lucky as to find them, they are woven into every fiber of your being. You can’t eat, sleep, breathe, think if you aren’t near them. If you aren’t reading them, you are thinking about them and when you will get to immerse yourself in that world again, because you can’t stand knowing they exist in another realm while you are stuck in your own. These characters are your friends, they are the people you care about most-above all real things, for the time being-and you are just an utter and complete mess until you can find out what happens to them next.

Kaz leaned back. “What’s the easiest way to steal a man’s wallet?”
“Knife to the throat?” asked Inej.
“Gun to the back?” said Jesper.
“Poison in his cup?” suggested Nina.
“You’re all horrible,” said Matthias.

If you hadn’t already guessed, this is that book, and I am here to tell you that it is worth Every. Bit. Of the hype. If you have read Bardugo’s Grisha trilogy, then you are no stranger to her writing and ability to create worlds that blow your mind. However…I think she more than outdid herself here. This world, these hard-edged characters that have the ability to melt the ice around your heart…they are unlike anything I’ve read by her before. And if you haven’t read anything by her, you’re none the wiser. But this is a terrible, terrible thing-You NEED to read her wonderful stories…but this book is my favorite of hers, by far.

“We enter from the north as planned,” Kaz said.
Jesper knocked his head against the hull and cast his eyes heavenward. “Fine. But if Pekka Rollins kills us all, I’m going to get Wylan’s ghost to teach my ghost how to play the flute just so that I can annoy the hell out of your ghost.”
Brekker’s lips quirked. “I’ll just hire Matthias’ ghost to kick your ghost’s ass.”
“My ghost won’t associate with your ghost,” Matthias said primly, and then wondered if the sea air was rotting his brain.

Why, you ask?? Well, anyone that knows anything about the hype that surrounds this author’s work knows that she pulled some of the same parallels between her two series-I couldn’t explain the inner workings of the Grisha world back then when I read her first series, and I can’t even begin to now, but what we have here is so much more my speed (Even though, if you take the time to look, that series was a favorite, as well)…which comes as a complete shock to me.

“Do you know the secret to gambling, Helvar?” Kaz brought his good foot down on the butt of the fallen soldier’s rifle. The gun flipped up. Kaz had it in his hands and pointed at Matthias in the space of a breath. He’d never been in any danger at all. “Cheat.”

Some people said this was slower-They wondered why it was so popular. And I can’t necessarily say why it worked for so many people-I can only say what worked for me, and it’s probably the simplest thing you could ever imagine: It’s not about blitz or glam or being more than it needed to be….it simply was. The writing was out of this world amazing. Indescribable. The characters were complex, fleshed out, and flawed. And the plot….it’s appeal was in its simplicity: 6 misfits trying to break into the most heavily secured prison in the world. Simple, right?? But it was done so wonderfully, so beautifully, so vividly…that it became so much more than that.

He’d even dubbed her the Wraith.
I don’t like it, she’d said. It makes me sound like a corpse.
A phantom, he corrected.
Didn’t you say I was to be your spider? Why not stick with that?
Because there are plenty of spiders in the Barrel. Besides, you want your enemies to be afraid. Not think they can squash you with the toe of one boot.
My enemies?
Our enemies.

Each character had something that made them twisted, something that made them the misfits that they were. Inej, the wraith. Nina, the Grisha. Matthias the former soldier, now a covict. Jesper, the Gambler. Wylan, the runaway….but they would be absolutely nobody without their cunning leader, and my personal favorite character-Kaz, the thief.

“You love trickery.”
“I love puzzles. Trickery is just my native tongue.”

And this, ladies and Gents, is where I lose my shit. Kaz, the cunning, the cruel, the wounded, the ruthless street lord dubbed ‘Dirtyhands.’ With a pronounced limp, an affliction for wearing gloves, and a phobia of being touched…Kaz is what we can call a flawed character. He isn’t nice. He isn’t forgiving. And he sure as shit doesn’t get one upped by anyone. The rumors run rampant about him, people know he isn’t to be trifled with…until someone takes it upon themselves to nab him off the street and strike a deal-Break into the most heavily guarded prison, bring the mark….and make it out alive. Death is almost a certainty-no one makes it out alive. But when 30 million kruge is put on the line….Dirtyhands can’t help but to accept.

Geels looked at Kaz as if he was finally seeing him for the first time. The boy he’d been talking to had been cocky, reckless, easily amused, but not frightening-not really. Now the monster was here, dead-eyed and unafraid. Kaz Brekker was gone, and Dirtyhands had come to see the rough work done.

It’s dangerous, success unheard of, and, like I just said, death is imminent. But with Kaz’s gang, he knows they have a chance. These thieves, liars, gamblers, cheats, etc are in deep, one way or another, and a cut like what they are offered is enough to set them free. But at what price is the cost too high?

Maybe Matthias was wrong about the White Island. Maybe the shears would snap in Wylan’s hands. Maybe Inej would fail. Or Nina. Or Kaz.
Or me [Jesper]. Maybe I’ll fail.
Six people, but a thousand ways this insane plan could go wrong.

I just…I adored Kaz. I mean, from the moment I opened the book I felt an instant connection-That much I can’t lie about…but when I first met Kaz??? My heart stuttered. My breath faltered. My eyes widened and became glued to the page. I knew, in that moment, that I was not going to have a want in the world. Dirty bastards are so far and few between, but even farther and fewer between is a dirty, conniving bastard that I can fall in love with. He is ruthless, hell bent on vengeance, unbeatable-No one gets over on him-and he is cruel when he needs to be. He had a rough past, something we get to see with multiple flashbacks (YOUNG KAZ EEEEEEEEPS!!!!), and it begins to form and shape the broken seventeen year old we see today. But throughout the story we begin to see his façade falter, his iron clad will crack, and his weaknesses emerge. But by far his largest weakness…is a young spy girl, Inej, he doesn’t even realize he has began to lean on.

“I don’t want your prayers,” he said.
“What do you want, then?”
The old answers came easily to mind. Money. Vengeance. Jordie’s voice in my head silenced forever. But a different reply roared to life inside him, loud, insistent, and unwelcome. You, Inej. You.

The romances (YES, ROMANCES) in this story are heart-stopping, all consuming, and without a doubt some of the best fantasy romances I’ve come by in a long time (I have found quite a few this year, but just saying!). Do you know why??? The simplicity. The baser emotions. The guttural and raw and new-found (and some not so new) feelings that began to control many of their icy exteriors, slowly melting them from the inside out (Okay, okay, I really just mean Kaz, LOLZ)…well…as much as Kaz can melt.

Kaz had heard them, too. Brekker’s hands were stained with blood. Brekker’s hands were covered in scars. Brekker had claws and not fingers because he was part demon. Brekker’s touch burned like brimstone-a single brush of his bare skin caused your flesh to wither and die.
“Pick one,” Kaz said as he vanished into the night, thoughts already turning to thirty million kruge and the crew he’d need to help him get it. “They’re all true enough.”

I don’t know. It was just…it was all so perfect. From the beginning to the end. From the first fucked up showdown to the final, resolute resolve of the next big job to come…these characters and their struggles, their lack of perfection chiseled their way into my heart. This author’s words struck a chord deep within me, making me a slave until the very last page….and for the last two days after I’ve finished this book. It still lingers in my head when I have a free moment, clouding my vision as I sit and stare at my work computer, wishing I could read just another page, find another hidden chapter…if only to escape for a little longer in a world where the beautiful, broken, limping, cane-reliant Kaz exists. I’d do just about anything to be in his head again…ahhh the torture. My poor, poor, broken boy. AGH. SO. MUCH. LOVE. I can’t even. Whoops.

******************

“Not just yet, Inej.”

I’m sorry. So very very sorry…

because I ABSOLUTELY FUCKING LOVED THIS BOOK, so now you all will have to suffer through another Chelsea fangirl pre-review, and then eventually review….because there is just SO. MUCH. FUCKING. WIN.

KAZ KAZ KAZ I fucking ADORE YOU and I obviously have a canal rat mouth because I CANNOT STOP cursing because I JUST LOVED YOU AND YOUR ASSHOLE-ISH AND CUNNING AND RUTHLESS WAYS-AND YOUR HIDDEN LOVE FOR INEJ-just TOO DAMN MUCH. And Inej-YOU LITTLE BADASS! I ADORE YOU, TOO!!!! I just…I can’t…..ah fuck it-

I. CAN’T. EVEN.

Seriously, I want to stop saying that, but what’s a girl to do when she just can’t even think of any words to describe her obsession.

There are none. Sorry…But not really.

RTC.

BOOK REVIEW – Emerge (Mer Chronicles #1) by Tobie Easton

April 11, 2016 / Jen / 8 Comments

Emerge (Mer Chronicles #1)
by Tobie Easton
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Lia Nautilus may be a Mermaid but she's never lived in the ocean. War has ravaged the seven seas ever since the infamous Little Mermaid unleashed a curse that stripped Mer of their immortality. Lia has grown up in a secret community of land-dwelling Mer hidden among Malibu's seaside mansions. Her biggest problems are surviving P.E. and keeping her feelings for Clay Ericson in check. Sure, he's gorgeous in that cocky, leather jacket sort of way and makes her feel like there's a school of fish swimming in her stomach, but getting involved with a human could put Lia's entire community at risk. So it's for the best that he's dating that new girl, right? That is, until Lia finds out she isn't the only one at school keeping a potentially deadly secret. And this new girl? Her eyes are dead set on Clay, who doesn't realize the danger he's in. If Lia hopes to save him, she'll have to get closer to Clay. Lia's parents would totally flip if they found out she was falling for a human boy, but the more time she spends with him, the harder it is for her to deny her feelings. After making a horrible mistake, Lia will risk everything to stop Clay from falling in love with the wrong girl.

Review:

Have you ever stepped into a series and was left wondering if you missed something? Maybe you somehow skipped a few chapters beforehand? Because that’s exactly how I felt when I started Emerge. By the time I got my footing, it was a little too late. Which was such a disappointment, because I was so excited for this book! A curse on the mermaids because of what The Little Mermaid did, and we get to hear the story from one of her descendants? YES please! But as I read through the pages of Emerge, that yes sadly turned into a no.

Confusion & No Connection

Am I really off the fishhook?

The first chapter was unfortunately where the confusion started for me. Here is the situation that made me say what,what, what……

Aurelia, who was the descendant of The Little Mermaid, was at a high school with humans and their PE coach was trying to make her swim. A little fyi….if she got in that pool she would have transformed into a mermaid. Luckily a human boy, named Clay, got her out of that situation. In that first chapter we then got to watch Aurelia and Clay have an awkward conversation, Clay date a new girl in school, and then Aurelia see the new couple kiss in a store where she was shopping. Upon seeing them kissing, she wanted to leave the store because she could not handle watching them kiss.

I was SO lost towards Aurelia’s strong feelings towards Clay and his new girlfriend kissing. Was this someone she had crushed on forever? Did they have a history? I had that small amount of interaction, no backstory, and I was confused. How was I supposed to be compassionate, let alone feel her emotions, if I couldn’t understand the why behind it. I finally got the why and backstory at 16%. Which left me a little confused until that point.

Timeline?

My father claps his hands once, breaking the somber mood. “I thought the party last night went just swimmingly. Pun intended!”

I am 99.9% positive that I have never complained about a books timeline before in a review. It’s usually an aspect of the book that never affects me. But I guess that is why they say never say never, because Emerge’s timeline drove me a little crazy. It vacillated from slow to fast, such as their party went by in the blink of an eye, yet a conversation that took place in minutes would go on for pages. I never could get a good grasp on whether something was going to take place in a matter of minutes, days or weeks.

Easy Peasy Plot Twists

I was probably gaping at him like a codfish.

I love when I have to work hard to figure out plot twists before the characters do. But this time, they were so easy to figure out. Maybe that was the point? But if it was, I wish that I would have at least gotten farther than a quarter of the way into the book before saying aha again and again. Because then I kept finding myself frustrated with Aurelia as she she completely oblivious to clue after clue.

An Infuriating Heroine

I shouldn’t do what I’m about to do. It’s wrong. It’s so wrong. But what other choice do I have?

You know what? All those issues above can’t even hold a candle to my frustration to the heroine. Aurelia’s decision making abilities was beyond horrid. She made that statement above at not even the halfway point, and just so you know I loathe when people say that. A lot of times, there are PLENTY of other options available. And this was definitely one of those times. She could have asked for help, confided in her best male friend, Caspian, or her older sister. Yet she took the worst possible of way out again and again and again.

And I never fully grasped her interest towards Clay, because there was Caspian. Caspian was her friend and a male mer. And when the two of them were together, I could see the sparks flying. But with Clay, I felt absolutely nothing.

I did contemplate not finishing Emerge a few times. But I’m one of those people who always holds out hope. Hope that something, anything will pull me back in. Unfortunately, nothing ever did. But I do have to say that the premise was fascinating. I just wish it would have been executed differently. And Emerge did end nicely with lots of options for the next book, but sadly I have no desire to continue this series. But here’s hoping that if you pick up this book, that you are able to find enjoyment where I could not.

*ARC kindly provided by Month9Books in exchange for an honest review*

BOOK REVIEW: The Winner’s Kiss (The Winner’s Trilogy #3) by Marie Rutkoski

April 7, 2016 / Chelsea / 5 Comments

The Winner's Kiss (The Winner's Trilogy #3)
by Marie Rutkoski
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
War has begun. Arin is in the thick of it with untrustworthy new allies and the empire as his enemy. Though he has convinced himself that he no longer loves Kestrel, Arin hasn’t forgotten her, or how she became exactly the kind of person he has always despised. She cared more for the empire than she did for the lives of innocent people—and certainly more than she did for him.

At least, that’s what he thinks.

In the frozen north, Kestrel is a prisoner in a brutal work camp. As she searches desperately for a way to escape, she wishes Arin could know what she sacrificed for him. She wishes she could make the empire pay for what they’ve done to her.

But no one gets what they want just by wishing.

As the war intensifies, both Kestrel and Arin discover that the world is changing. The East is pitted against the West, and they are caught in between. With so much to lose, can anybody really win?

Unpopular opinion time. I just don’t care.

So, this probably comes as a shock to a lot of people. Me, Chelsea, rating a book within one of her FAVORITE series of all time anything below a four. Well, that, and everyone and their cousin thinks this is the best book in the trilogy.

While this story had it all, everything that I could EVER want and everything that I DO want: Action, peril, war, angsty romance. I mean, in a nutshell? This book was perfect….

But it wasn’t perfect for me.

Call me whiney. Call me selfish. Call me flakey, inconsistent, or the black sheep. But what everyone hated about the first two-Kestrel and Arin’s forbidden romance slowly blossoming around war and deceit and destruction and betrayal-I shipped. That’s why I even fell in love with this series, Goddamn it! The romance! DUH!

“Yes,” Arin said, “but even so, the risk for you is still different-“
“Stop saying that.”
“It is.” His face was unhappy. “There is a difference between you and me. If I die, you’ll survive. If you die, it will destroy me.”

And my thing is this: If a series is about war, and romance is in the background at all times, then it’s like this glorious…THING when it comes to fruition. It’s a bonus, it’s a plus, it’s like everything is right in the world. Peril is the forefront and the love comes after (Seven Realms, Chaos Walking Trilogy, etc. etc.)-this is something I understand and ADORE. But when book one and two had a somewhat consistent theme (one being the best, to me)-Kestrel and Arin falling in love-then book three is about 80% war…I can’t help but say it didn’t fit, for me, and I was disappointed-and bored. I hate having to say all this and my heart is broken.

*shrugs* But it is what it is.

“It’s not enough,” he said. It took her a moment to realize he was continuing his refusal and not responding to her thoughts, which were so loud in her head that she felt as if she’d shouted them.
She said, “What would be enough?”
Color mounted in his face.
“You can tell me,” she said.
“Ah,” he said. “Well. Me.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I want…you to want me.”

This was beautiful-I had TONS of feels. It took a direction I didn’t expect and I respect it…even loved it. But the war surrounding it took what I loved away from me and I guess it’s just not what I wanted. I won’t apologize for being a hopeless romantic who thrives for more. I am sad this one isn’t a favorite, but I’m really not surprised-book three in a trilogy is almost ALWAYS my least favorite, I just hoped that wouldn’t be the case for this. BUT-this series will always hold a piece of my soul and I will continually go back and re-read about my book boyfriend, Arin.

Favorites in order:

The Winner’s Curse
The Winner’s Crime
The Winner’s Kiss

Oh, and also, why do so many fucking horses have to die??? I mean…come on. Ugh.

View all my reviews

BOOK REVIEW: The Crimson Crown (Seven Realms #4) by Cinda Williams Chima

April 6, 2016 / Chelsea / 0 Comments

The Crimson Crown (Seven Realms #4)
by Cinda Williams Chima
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
A thousand years ago, two young lovers were betrayed-Alger Waterlow to his death, and Hanalea, Queen of the Fells, to a life without love.

Now, once again, the Queendom of the Fells seems likely to shatter apart. For young queen Raisa ana'Marianna, maintaining peace even within her own castle walls is nearly impossible; tension between wizards and Clan has reached a fevered pitch. With surrounding kingdoms seeking to prey on the Fells' inner turmoil, Raisa's best hope is to unite her people against a common enemy. But that enemy might be the person with whom she's falling in love.

Through a complicated web of lies and unholy alliances, former streetlord Han Alister has become a member of the Wizard Council of the Fells. Navigating the cut-throat world of blue blood politics has never been more dangerous, and Han seems to inspire hostility among Clan and wizards alike. His only ally is the queen, and despite the perils involved, Han finds it impossible to ignore his feelings for Raisa. Before long, Han finds himself in possession of a secret believed to be lost to history, a discovery powerful enough to unite the people of the Fells. But will the secret die with him before he can use it?

A simple, devastating truth concealed by a thousand-year-old lie at last comes to light in this stunning conclusion to the Seven Realms series.

“He’s the one steps away, right?” she said. “He knows this is dangerous turf-for both of you. He won’t make his move until he knows he can win it all.”
“But what if that never happens?” Raisa said.
“He won’t settle,” Cat said. “He’ll wait forever if need be.”

Man..I was so excited about writing this review. I was so excited to show how much I loved, adored, cherished this series. But now, sitting here, finally able to type out my feelings I think….How could I possibly put into words just how much this series meant to me? We read a book or a series and we obsess about it ceaselessly, yet when it comes time to actually put it into words? It’s virtually impossible to capture that essence of what makes us so happy, excited, unflinchingly devoted to these characters. And yet…I can’t very well not try, right?

That’s what you do when you love someone-you notice and notice and notice.

I mean, what’s the point, really, when so many other wonderful reviewers have done it a million times better than me and a thousand times before. What makes mine so special? Me? My review-why stop here and read this? For instance: Anna? Her review is just so perfect, and it shows just how much she adores this series, but makes it fun and exciting with her cute little visuals and adorable accent that is translated through the thoughts on her review. It’s simple, yet portrays every gamut of emotion she felt throughout the series with out being a screeching fangirl (which she is, if I do say so myself) and spoiling everything. I don’t know anyone who is more obsessed with these characters (I’d like to think my obsession is only a peg below hers, but I can’t be sure-she has got it bad) or who took better care in representing them and presenting them in a way that people become curious, despite their level of enjoyment for fantasy. If you’re reading this review, you’re likely one of my best friends who always reads them (I know who you are and I ADORE YOU). Or, you might be someone who thinks my ramblings are worth reading every once in a while. And hey, if that’s you? I admire your tenacity, I can be a bit much to take.

…He paused for a heartbeat, then added, “Though avoiding Nightwalker seems like a good idea to me.”
“It’s a match my father favors,” Raisa said.
“Then your father is wrong,” Han said. “Nightwalker thinks the world sprouted from his bunghole.”
Raisa dismissed this image with some difficulty.

But that’s my point-This series isn’t simply about the adventures or the romance or the peril and action that shape how the throne is ruled and the towns destroyed-It’s so much more than that. It’s the soft looks between life long friends as things become complicated. It’s the touch of a street thug who might just be what you’ve been looking for your entire life without even knowing it. It’s the desperation shared with the person you thought you’d grow old with as that dream crumbles to ashes beneath your feet. It’s a character driven series. And if you don’t like, love, adore, obsess, care, or cherish these people that have been through literally every devastating thing possible…you have nothing.

“Haven’t you heard about me?” he [Han] said, with a tight smile. “I’m really a very dangerous person.” And he did look dangerous until he said, “Look, could you watch Dog for me while I’m gone?”

And if only I can show my love of the characters, and everyone can see how much I adore them, then I guess I’ll call my review a success. I’ll admit that-I don’t always just love books that aren’t all packed to the brim with romance and peril and desperate attempts at love while things begin to disintegrate before two young lovers’ eyes. I am becoming a person who adores character driven stories where we get to know a person inside and out in just day-to-day life….but I’m not always on board, especially with fantasy. So believe me when I say this is a breath of fresh air. Literally. I mean it.

Would she be required to sacrifice everything-every single person she cared about for this bloody throne?
Apparently so.

So much love, loss, betrayal, and heartache are bestowed upon on our young characters, and seeing them go through each and every devastating event makes the vice-like grip on your heart tighter and tighter, squeezing until you can’t hardly breathe anymore, causing you to fall deeper and harder in love with characters you were already falling head over heels for after only a few chapters in book one. Raisa, the proud Princess who can’t wait to help her kingdom grow and become a better place, yet doesn’t want to be forced to marry. Amon, her best friend and soldier, the guy who would do anything to protect Raisa and the throne-even forfeit his own life. And so many more just like this…but none quite like Han.

He reached over and closed his hands over hers, the first time he’d dare touch her. He looked into her eyes. “This may sound arrogant, and I’m sorry if it does, but you’re so alone, Raisa, and so am I. Didn’t you ever wish you could have a…a partner? A friend? Somebody you could say anything to-where you didn’t have to pick and choose words like a merchant at a market? Someone who wants you for yourself?”

Han, who is many things without being conceited. Han, who would do ANYTHING to protect those he loved…even as that count becomes smaller and smaller, Raisa being his number one priority. Han, who makes your stomach drop and your heart beat way too fast with a simple smile, haunted eyes, a quick joke, his loyalty, his misguided love for Raisa becoming the real and true thing…Even if it wasn’t what he ever wanted or planned for. But that’s the thing about Han, you know?? He never wanted these things coming his way, yet he excels, he thrives, he becomes the best he can be-For he won’t settle for less…He wants everything . And that includes the girl who stole his heart right from underneath his feet. He’s used to being the thief…but as it turns out, she invaded his heart from the beginning, stealing his heart before he knew what happened to him.

He closed his eyes, breathed in, opened his eyes again as if to assure himself she was still there. “I want to breathe you in for the rest of my life.”

So, as you see, this isn’t the best review, but I loved these characters. They mean so much to me-every one of them. I can’t wait to someday get these gorgeous hardbacks for my shelf, and I can’t wait to re-read them again with my Han loving (creepily obsessed?) buddy who loves our random (and frequent) gush sessions about all things Seven Realms (okay, mostly Han, shut up). But, for now, I have to live with being tired 24/7 and having to finish this series much quicker than I wanted to and in less than desirable circumstances. It sucks, but that’s what re-reads are for. I didn’t get to enjoy the last three books as much as I’d have wanted to, real life and all that jazz, but it didn’t stunt my enjoyment, and that’s really saying something. So, for those of you still reading (doubtful), I hope that my love for these characters is enough to excite you and nudge you into giving Han’s journey a try. If not, oh well, more Han for me.

*Re-written seeing as my laptop shut off randomly for no reason whatsoever, just…UGH I’m too tired to care about making it all perfect again, so it isn’t nearly as good. So sad.*

**************************

Would she be required to sacrifice everything-every single person she cared about for this bloody throne?
Apparently so.

Oh. My. Gahd. This series was beautiful, fantastic, other-worldy in it’s ability to pull you in and wish you never had to let go. These characters (HAN!) have embedded themselves into my heart forever, and I will not likely forget them soon. Raisa and Han and Amon and Dancer and Cat…I can’t even. And Han’s loyalty (and Raisa’s, for that matter) made my heart stutter with undiluted joy and cheer even when all hope was lost.

What started out as a curiosity on my part has became something that I:

A) MUST have on my bookshelf (Aaahhh Christmas will be a salty one indeed)
B) Will have to re-read again, and SOON
C) Will never forget
D) Will forever consider a favorite

Thanks to Jen for the gentle nudge by buying the first book for me for Christmas this year, and a begrudging thanks to the Snake that all but pushed me off the cliff. You both ROCK ♥

RTC when I can! Because….HAN! 😛

View all my reviews

RELEASE DAY BLITZ+GIVEAWAY- The Glittering Court (The Glittering Court #1) by Richelle Mead

April 6, 2016 / Chelsea / 4 Comments

I am so excited that THE GLITTERING COURT by Richelle Mead releases today and that I get to share the news, along with a special giveaway! If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book by Author Richelle Mead, be sure to check out all the details below. This blitz also includes a giveaway for a signed copy of the book and a $25 Sephora Gift Card courtesy of Richelle, Penguin Teen, and Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.

RELEASE DAY BLITZ+GIVEAWAY- The Glittering Court (The Glittering Court #1) by Richelle Mead

The Glittering Court (The Glittering Court #1)
by Richelle Mead
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
The Selection meets Reign in this dazzling trilogy of interwoven novels about three girls on a quest for freedom and true love from #1 internationally bestselling author Richelle Mead.

"Brilliant and original, Mead’s new series starts off with a bang and will leave readers on the edge of their seats until the very end."
—School Library Journal

For a select group of girls, the Glittering Court offers a shot at a life they’ve only ever dreamed of, one of luxury, glamour, and leisure. To high-born Adelaide, whose wealthy family is forcing her into a loveless marriage, the Glittering Court represents something else: the chance to chart her own destiny, and adventure in an unspoiled, prosperous new land across the sea.

After a chance meeting with the dazzling Cedric Thorn, Adelaide poses as a servant to join the crop of impoverished girls he promises to transform into proper ladies. But her familiarity with upper class life comes with a price: she must hide her identity from her new friends, mysterious refugee Mira and fiery former laundress Tamsin, and most importantly, from Cedric himself—even though she’s falling in love with him.

Everything begins to crumble when Cedric discovers Adelaide’s ruse, and she catches the eye of a powerful young governor, who wants her for a wife. She didn’t leave the gilded cage of her old life behind just to become someone else's property. But nothing is as daunting—or as wonderful—as the potent, forbidden attraction simmering between Adelaide and Cedric. One that, if acted on, would make them both outcasts in a wild, dangerous, uncharted world, and possibly lead them to their deaths.

Pub. Date: April 5, 2016
Publisher: Razorbill
Format: Hardcover, eBook, & audiobook

Find it: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Goodreads

Exclusive Excerpt:

About Richelle:

b46fd315-9e36-4807-a1b3-ffd624c4138c Richelle Mead has written over twenty-five novels for teens and adults. She is the author of the international #1 bestselling Vampire Academy series and its spinoff series, Bloodlines. Her recent standalone novel, Soundless, draws upon Chinese mythology and history, and her forthcoming series, The Glittering Court, follows the adventures of girls destined for arranged marriages in a fantasy world inspired by colonial America. A lifelong reader, Richelle has always had a particular fascination with mythology and folklore. When she can actually tear herself away from books (either reading or writing them), she enjoys bad reality TV, traveling, trying interesting cocktails, and shopping for dresses to wear on tour. She is a self-professed coffee addict, works in her pajamas, and has a passion for all things wacky and humorous. Originally from Michigan, Richelle now lives in Seattle, Washington, where she is hard at work on her next novel.