Tag: Young Adult (Page 88 of 159)

The Exiled Queen (Seven Realms #2) by Cinda Williams Chima

March 10, 2016 / Anna

The Exiled Queen (Seven Realms #2)
by Cinda Williams Chima
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Haunted by the loss of his mother and sister, Han Alister journeys south to begin his schooling at Mystwerk House in Oden’s Ford. But leaving the Fells doesn’t mean that danger isn't far behind. Han is hunted every step of the way by the Bayars, a powerful wizarding family set on reclaiming the amulet Han stole from them. And Mystwerk House has dangers of its own. There, Han meets Crow, a mysterious wizard who agrees to tutor Han in the darker parts of sorcery—but the bargain they make is one Han may regret.

Meanwhile, Princess Raisa ana’Marianna runs from a forced marriage in the Fells, accompanied by her friend Amon and his triple of cadets. Now, the safest place for Raisa is Wein House, the military academy at Oden's Ford. If Raisa can pass as a regular student, Wein House will offer both sanctuary and the education Raisa needs to succeed as the next Gray Wolf queen.

Everything changes when Han and Raisa’s paths cross, in this epic tale of uncertain friendships, cut-throat politics, and the irresistible power of attraction.

Let’s be real, okay? If I didn’t have to get up in 5 hours, I would dive in The Gray Wolf Throne RIGHT NOW.

“You couldn’t keep your mouth shut? I’m calling you Glitterhair from now on. Or Talksalot.”

I don’t know what is it with these books that keep me captivated and compelled to read more and more and more. The characters’ growth is fantastic, my boy Han fascinating, the plot way more surprising but it still contains several tropes that I usually don’t like – including an heroine who “loves” several boys, BUT for once in a way that I can accept and understand, and without the constant change of mind that drives me nuts. Also, is this really love? She’s confused and unsure, and that makes her more believable than ever. Raisa might be flawed, but she keeps going whatever happens and doesn’t let heartbreak go in her way. The girl has goals, and boys aren’t going to change them.

Don’t be afraid, though : the story does NOT focus on the romance at all, and the characters have responsibilities way more important than falling in love. Think betrayals, clans, wizard’s rivalries, old charms… What’s not to love?

Moreover, the secondary characters are fleshed-out and their actions do have impact on the story – Dancer, Kat, Micah, Fiona, Amon – they all add something interesting and none of them is wasted. Also, HAN. Just give me a break, okay? The guy is wicked and adorable at the same time, how can I resist? Torn between his thirst for power and revenge and the deals he made, our Han Alister evolves into someone I loved to follow. But above everything else, I love that none of the characters is either good or bad. GREY EVERYWHERE, I tell you.

The plot keeps thickening and promises a hell lot of action in the next two books, with all the threads linking together and the menace on all the characters’ heads more and more present.

Anyway, off to bed I go, after these ramblings that may or may not be morphed into a real review tomorrow depending on my ability to restrain myself from reading book 3 (= closed to none). Oh hell. I’m addicted.

The Demon King (Seven Realms #1) by Cinda Williams Chima

March 9, 2016 / Anna

The Demon King (Seven Realms #1)
by Cinda Williams Chima
Purchase on: Amazon
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
Times are hard in the mountain city of Fellsmarch. Reformed thief Han Alister will do almost anything to eke out a living for his family. The only thing of value he has is something he can't sell—the thick silver cuffs he's worn since birth. They're clearly magicked—as he grows, they grow, and he's never been able to get them off.

One day, Han and his clan friend, Dancer, confront three young wizards setting fire to the sacred mountain of Hanalea. Han takes an amulet from Micah Bayar, son of the High Wizard, to keep him from using it against them. Soon Han learns that the amulet has an evil history—it once belonged to the Demon King, the wizard who nearly destroyed the world a millennium ago. With a magical piece that powerful at stake, Han knows that the Bayars will stop at nothing to get it back.

Meanwhile, Raisa ana'Marianna, princess heir of the Fells, has her own battles to fight. She's just returned to court after three years of freedom in the mountains—riding, hunting, and working the famous clan markets. Raisa wants to be more than an ornament in a glittering cage. She aspires to be like Hanalea—the legendary warrior queen who killed the Demon King and saved the world. But her mother has other plans for her...

The Seven Realms tremble when the lives of Hans and Raisa collide, fanning the flames of the smoldering war between clans and wizards.

Here went my night.

Yes, you read correctly. Despite my reading slump that drove me to DNF more books that I’m comfortable with yesterday, despite today being my last day of vacations and as usual busy as hell, despite the objective flaws of The Demon King, I couldn’t stop reading for the life of me, and closed my reader at 6am pretty exhausted.

Worst is, I’m fighting the urge to start The Exiled Queen right now, and I can count on the finger of one hand the number of times it happened with a YA Fantasy series.

I hated Red Queen.
I thought I would die of boredom in A Court of Thorns and Roses.
I didn’t care one way or another about The Young Elites, and I quickly lost my interest in Shadow and Bone.
Don’t even mention the borefest that was The Kiss of Deception.
I loved the Lumatere Chronicles, but we’re talking about Melina Marchetta, and The Demon King sure can’t compare with it one second.

And yet, despite my issues, I enjoyed my read like nobody’s business.

First of all, I ended liking the main characters even though they’re far from perfect – or perhaps because of it. See, when it comes to series that go on for 4 books, I genuinely think that flaws are needed in order to picture a believable growth, especially when we meet the characters at 16.

Raisa, the somewhat selfish princess, shows the best of intentions but sometimes fails to think things through before acting, resulting in several illed-thought-out decisions that border on TSLT behavior. She’s immature, annoying, and I understand why some readers had a hard time standing her. Yet despite being royalty, her issues – feeling trapped and needing to take control on her life – seemed pretty valid to me, and I LOVED the fact that she could kiss several guys without falling in love in a happily ever after fashion right away (please, am I the only one who cringes at teenager’s weddings?). You go girl. I just cannot wait to see her grow into a character I can admire, and I have a feeling that I will.

Han‘s past as a street lord made me roll my eyes a little, because COME ON NOW, the guy’s sixteen for crying out loud! That’s how life rolls in the mountain city of Fellsmarch, though, so I chose to suspend my disbelief and accept it because sometimes, you just have to. I genuinely liked his free and impulsive personality and if he comes as a little whiny sometimes, you have to recognize that the guy needs a break! Oh, well. I’m not sure why, but I liked the guy.

#SorryNotSorry

Both of them make mistakes, and you’re likely to fight the urge to strangle them at some point, but I cared nonetheless, for better or for worst. Moreover, after all this build-up, the anticipation to see them interact together is killing me. There, I said it.

As for the plot, many readers complained that nothing really happened in this book and that’s true that it reads more like a big introduction to the world of the Seven Realms than anything else. Yet again, I was hooked from the very beginning and couldn’t stop reading, so there’s that. Not to mention that I guessed all the twists, because if you read Fantasy before, you just cannot help. Did it bother me? In all honestly, no. That’s what I call the good kind of predictable, because every time a guess was confirmed, I was glad it was. The Demon King is full of Fantasy tropes, but it stays clear of girl hate and instalove, and then I was able to enjoy the hell out of it. Don’t judge me.

However, my biggest complaint would be the way grief is handled. I don’t know about you, but when characters face awful events, I expect to feel something, and sadly I didn’t. It was Mockingjay all over again, letting me stunned and rather indifferent when I ought to despair.

► All in all, The Demon King was a good introduction to the Seven Realms, and if I can’t recommend it blindly, if you’re not put off by Fantasy tropes and characters who take stupid decisions sometimes, I’d say that you should go for it, because it’s damn entertaining and addictive.

PS. Just so you know… I read the whole series in 4 days, and the books get better and better… until the last one that got 5 stars (reviews coming soon).

BOOK REVIEW: The Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury

March 2, 2016 / Chelsea / 3 Comments

The Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
She is the most powerful Jinni of all. He is a boy from the streets. Their love will shake the world...

When Aladdin discovers Zahra's jinni lamp, Zahra is thrust back into a world she hasn't seen in hundreds of years -- a world where magic is forbidden and Zahra's very existence is illegal. She must disguise herself to stay alive, using ancient shape-shifting magic, until her new master has selected his three wishes.

But when the King of the Jinn offers Zahra a chance to be free of her lamp forever, she seizes the opportunity—only to discover she is falling in love with Aladdin. When saving herself means betraying him, Zahra must decide once and for all: is winning her freedom worth losing her heart?

As time unravels and her enemies close in, Zahra finds herself suspended between danger and desire in this dazzling retelling of Aladdin from acclaimed author Jessica Khoury.

“I’m not here to fall in love, am I? I’m here to avenge my parents.”
“Don’t the two work hand in hand?”
Abruptly, he stops dancing and steps away. He stares at me with eyes as deep as the night.
“No,” he replies softly. “I’m not sure they do.”
I stand still, bewildered, as he turns and melts into the crowd.

Roped into reading this as a birthday buddy read, I wasn’t a happy camper. I mean, no, I wasn’t mad or upset or anything, but come on!! I had so many other books I wanted to read at the time, you know??? And I’m about to lose a ton of time too, here soon. So when I picked this book up, I may or may not have had a rather disinterested look on my face. But, once again, I was proven wrong. And, by none other than my dear Banana. Shocking.

I stand still a moment longer, watching him. “Zahra.”
He pauses and looks over his shoulder. “What?”
“My name,” I stammer. “I mean…one of them. You can call me Zahra.”
He turns around fully, his grin as wide and as bright as the moon. “I’m Aladdin.”

I guess I just didn’t know what to expect….and that by far is this book’s largest selling point. This isn’t simply a retelling of Aladdin-it’s something so much more. Gone are the Genie and Jafar and the Sultan. Gone are Abu and the magic carpet and Jasmine. What we have here is a twisted imagining where Aladdin is still Aladdin…but what lead him to the magic lamp is so different from what we know and love. Jasmine is a rebel princess who is being forced to marry a man she doesn’t love (kind of the same?) and the list could go on and on. There are lots of twists, turns, and exchanges of characters in ways you never would have imagined possible. But by far my absolute favorite twist in this story is who Aladdin falls in love with. One hint: It sure ain’t Jasmine.

The way he looks at me-steady and silent, bold and bright-makes me feel as if the storm outside were trapped inside me, thunder and rain and light, rolling and crashing.
“You’re beautiful,” he murmurs. “How could anyone believe you were just a servant?”

So who could it be, then, if not our lovely Jasmine? Well, that is the biggest twist of all, and it isn’t even a secret. The Genie we know and love is no longer a big, friendly, blue guy who may or may not be a man-No, our Genie is none other than a centuries old Jinni….in the female form. Her name? Zahra.

“What did Caspida want?”
“To talk about elephants and dead queens.”
“What? Really?”
“Oh, stop frowning. She asked about you too-what you’re like, what kind of person you are. Don’t worry.” I pat his hand conspiratorially and smile. “I lied.”

I will admit-I didn’t think I’d like this twist. But from the moment Aladdin met Zahra, the Jinni (Genie), their spark was unmistakable. I mean, no, it wasn’t insta-love, love at first sight, or even friendship at first sight-But, from the very beginning, Aladdin’s beautiful compassion, loyalty, and determination were something that glued your eyes to the page, made your heart beat in time with his own as he went through each perilous activity, and compelled you to fall hard for this kind young man who is known as nothing but a thief…but is so much more.

He looks down, one of his hands moving closer, until the back of one finger comes to rest on my wrist. I stare at it, unable to breathe. My skin warms under that gentle contact. “You saved my life twice already. That doesn’t sound heartless.”

And Zahra-she captured you from the moment she is freed from the lamp. Hardened by years of servitude, loneliness, and an event that shaped the way people look at Jinnis forever, yet she still jumps to defend and protect our Aladdin from the beginning…no matter what the rules say. Yes, as you can most likely remember (I mean, Aladdin was beloved by almost everyone! I sure know it was a top two or three movie for me in the Disney era) there were many rules that came along with the Genie and the magic three wishes. And, in this story, the stakes are even higher. Not only are there guidelines in which the master of the lamp must abide by, but also, there’s a much more to be afraid of…..Now, for each wish you make, there is a price to pay. Each wish can be twisted, manipulated, and turned into something nasty and unforgiving, a feat our young Aladdin didn’t have to deal with in our beloved animated story.

A force, writing below. Not human. But then it is gone, and when I try to pursue it, I nearly go too far from the lamp. I stop, frozen at the edge of my unseen leash, and stand for several long minutes, unable to go forward, afraid to go back.

But probably the most dangerous and appealing rule that can never be broken….is not to fall in love with a Jinni.

I lift my eyes skyward and start to lean away, but then Aladdin reaches out and grabs my wrist, stopping me. I look up at him questioningly, and freeze.
His eyes are staring deep into mine, suddenly curious and thoughtful, and a strange wind rustles through my body. I go very still, not even breathing, as his hand lifts and he runs his finger so gently, so softly, along my jaw. He gazes at me as if seeing me for the first time, his lips just slightly parted.

That’s right, everyone, you heard me correctly: Forbidden love is the name of the game…and Aladdin is drunk in love with his Genie.

This has been the great lesson of my long life: To love is to destroy.

From the very beginning he had a soft spot for the misunderstood girl hidden in the lamp, even as she repeatedly told him she could manipulate anyone and everyone and immediately make all his hopes and dreams crumble into ashes. He didn’t believe she could possibly be that evil after subtlety saving him time and time again even though one of her rules is to not interfere with what is going on with her master unless it is wished upon. It’s clear they were closer than they ever should have been…yet they both couldn’t seem to pull away when they needed to most.

“You are worth every risk. I know what I want, Zahra. Do you?”

And, come on….ALADDIN!!! He was just…he was just beyond words perfect. I’ve seen a couple remakes of this book, and I know they were just horrible, from what I’d heard. And then there was The Wrath and the Dawn, which I’m not sure if it was a remake or not, but it was EPIC. So there is both good and bad for this story being retold. What makes this one different? I can’t really tell you. All I know is this: The writing was absolutely breathtaking and beautiful. The forbidden romance between Aladdin and Zahra was stunning and I could not breathe when I was reading about one of their secret moments. The re-telling was crafted in a way that made it impossible not to fall head over heels in love immediately. And Aladdin??? He was just fucking perfect.

I reach out and brush Aladdin’s hair back, my fingers lingering in his black curls. I can feel his life force crackling like sparks on my skin. So bright, so brilliant this moral boy, here and gone so quickly, a strike of lightening.

Loyal, intelligent, and fiercely protective of his girl, Zahra, I couldn’t help but to fall in love with him, you know?? Another boy in 2016 who immediately went onto my list, I didn’t even have to THINK about it after I had finished. It isn’t often I fall so deeply in love with both the book and the boy, but thus is the case with this masterpiece. And it’s no secret that I am obsessed with re-tellings, the good ones are just so rare and few and far-between. Aladdin’s breaking barriers to keep the lamp and Zahra safe resonated deeply within me, even as his world began to spiral downward into the dark abyss. His artfully crafted web of lies began to ensnare him, slowly but surely, just as the spider was meant to snare those in the castle. What?? I can be weird, I like what I like, OKAY? Jeez.

The chaotic roar of the fight fades away, replaced by a deafening rush of wind. Aladdin crushes me against his chest, his arms wrapped tightly around me, and he presses his lips to my forehead.
“Together,” he whispers. “No matter what.”

So, you know, I wanted to write a fangirl review on Friday right after I finished it and felt like gushing, but didn’t have the time (That real life I was talking about). Now I’m calm and have thought rationally (Not near as fun)-I wish I could have written this review then, but I think some of the crazy seeped through, didn’t it?? Either way, my message is clear and simple: Read the book. There are not many re-tellings that break the boundaries and excel in ways others have crashed and burned, but this is one of those that I don’t think you’d want to miss. Beautifully crafted with writing that draws you in at each and every turn, it is a winner in all ways, in my opinion, and is not to be missed. And hey!! Not only did it make me love the boy and the story, but also broke another wall in Chelsea’s harsh exterior: I NEED THIS ON MY BOOKSHELF-STAT!

******

(Belated B-day read for Banana!!!)

This book…I just…I can’t even…

I didn’t even want to read this book.
I mean, it was for Banana, so I couldn’t not read it for her-As creepy as it sounds, I’d follow her into a flaming inferno if she told me to read a book: I trust her with my life. That’s right, my book life is in her hands lol. My point in all this, if you will, is that this book, this story, these characters….they became an instant favorite. Hands down. End of story. My heart…it is in pieces. And my stomach?? Still tied up in knots.

Rif raf…street rat…

I don’t buy that… Lmao

RTC on Monday. I have all the words right now, but I’m at work so they will have to wait…unfortunately. Damn it.

View all my reviews

BOOK REVIEW – On the Fence by Kasie West

February 27, 2016 / Jen / 10 Comments

On the Fence by Kasie West
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
She's a tomboy. He's the boy next door.

With three older brothers, Charlotte Reynolds, aka Charlie, has always been more comfortable calling the shots on a basketball court than flirting with the opposite sex. So when her police officer dad demands she get a summer job to pay for the latest in a long line of speeding tickets, she's more than a little surprised to find herself working at a chichi boutique and going out with a boy who has never seen her tear it up in a pickup game. Charlie seeks late-night refuge in her backyard, talking out her problems with her neighbor and honorary fourth brother, Braden, sitting back-to-back against the fence that separates them. Braden may know her better than anyone. But there's a secret Charlie's keeping that even he hasn't figured out—she's fallen for him. Hard. She knows what it means to go for the win, but if spilling her secret means losing him for good, the stakes just got too high.

Review:

On the Fence made me want to spin circles while laughing and smiling. Seriously. This book was beyond adorable. I had a permanent smile on my face, and I closed that last page feeling incredibly happy! If you’re in need of a super cute book, that also has some deeper moments, then definitely pick this one up!

“A girl who plays disc golf?” Jerom said. “That’s hot.” Gage curled his lip. “I don’t know. A girl who plays disc golf? She’s probably a dog. Some aggressive, burly thing.”
The guys laughed, not seeming to realize I was standing right there . . . playing disc golf. Maybe that’s how they saw me. Maybe that’s how most guys saw me.

Charlie is a 16 year old tomboy, and it took me a few chapters to warm up to her. I was somewhat of a tomboy when I was younger, and I spent my weekends shooting guns, racing four-wheelers, playing baseball and climbing trees with my 5 male cousins and brother. But when I hit 12/13 I realized that I also loved shopping, fingernail polish and obsessing over my latest Hollywood crush ha. So it took me a little while to find a connection to a more intense tomboy. But once I did, this book became everything I was looking for!

“What did you mean by that, anyway?”
“By what?”
“That you don’t know my type of girls?”
“I hang out with athletes.”
“And?”
I paused, a little surprised. Was he saying he would date my teammates if I set him up? It had been a while since Braden had a girlfriend, but I was pretty sure his last one knew more about nail patterns than defensive patterns. “And . . . I guess I don’t know your type.”
He chuckled. “I find that hard to believe.”

Charlie is surrounded by males! Her dad, three older brothers, and neighbor, Braden, are her world. Well sports are too. She spends her days playing sports games with them along with wrestling, goofing around, watching tv, and just hanging out. Charlie easily fits in and is one of the guys. But after getting a speeding ticket, her dad forces her to get a job. Where she ends up working, starts to make her world split in two. Because at work she is surrounded by clothes, makeup, girl friends outside of sports, and even a potential boyfriend. Charlie feels as though she has no clue how to mesh the person she is at work to the person she is with the family she loves. And I loved watching her try and figure it all out.

“He trusts you. You’re like our brother.”
“But you’re their sister.”
“And yours.”
“You’re not my sister, Charlie. And they know that. They are very protective of you. More than you could possibly know.”

My favorite part of this book was Charlie interacting with Braden. He is her neighbor that she has known forever, and one of her older brother’s best friends. After starting her new job, she realizes that she has some feelings for him. And the electricity that you felt springing from her chest when he would talk a little too close or touch her had me squeeling! But their friendship become even deeper when they started to meet by the fence that separated their two houses and talk in the middle of the night. Charlie is trying to escape her nightmares and Braden is escaping his drunk father. Their talks were friendship, hope, desire and they reached a level of deepness that hadn’t ever existed before between them. And each of those talks helped to create a flutter in my heart. I adored their time alone, and I kept wishing for that version of them to be brought into the daytime. But all truths eventually make their way out, and watching theirs progress was so much fun!

He grabbed hold of my arms, preventing me from falling. Something he would’ve never done pre–fence chat. He would’ve let me fall on my butt and then I would’ve tried to sweep his legs out from beneath him. Our eyes met for the briefest of moments and then he quickly released me. As if realizing he’d breached some unwritten rule, he grabbed my arm, bent down, and threw me over his shoulder.
Walking to the couch, he unceremoniously plopped me down on my back. “There. If you’re going to fall on your butt,” he said, his eyes twinkling as he said the word, “choose a better place.”

So yeah, I fell for this book! And I can definitely say that I have become a huge fan of Kasie West! She has the ability to create males that are to die for, heroines that pull you into their emotional webs and a story that is completely heartwarming. I definitely recommend reading this book. Especially if you are in need of some smiles in your life!

PS I have to say that one of my favorite scenes was the nerf game. You’re definitely going to want to read that part! *giggles while fanning face*

BOOK REVIEW: Calamity (Reckoners #3) by Brandon Sanderson

February 24, 2016 / Chelsea / 2 Comments

Calamity (Reckoners #3)
by Brandon Sanderson
Purchase on: Amazon, iBooks
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis:
When Calamity lit up the sky, the Epics were born. David’s fate has been tied to their villainy ever since that historic night. Steelheart killed his father. Firefight stole his heart. And now Regalia has turned his closest ally into a dangerous enemy.

David knew Prof’s secret, and kept it even when Prof struggled to control the effects of his Epic powers. But facing Obliteration in Babilar was too much. Once the Reckoners’ leader, Prof has now embraced his Epic destiny. He’s disappeared into those murky shadows of menace Epics are infamous for the world over, and everyone knows there’s no turning back...

But everyone is wrong. Redemption is possible for Epics—Megan proved it. They’re not lost. Not completely. And David is just about crazy enough to face down the most powerful High Epic of all to get his friend back. Or die trying.

The last book in the series.

There will be heroes. Just wait.

I think this is one of those reviews where I’m going to make it quick: This series, these characters, this author are epic. Truly. I have loved every single minute of this series from beginning to end…

Where we’re from, there’s no sun,
Our hometown’s in the dark,
Where we’re from, we’re no one,
Our hometown’s in the dark,
Our hometown’s in the dark
Twenty-one pilots song PERFECT for this series! 😛

and I’m not going to tarnish something I’ve always enjoyed with lots of complaints and rambling about where things went wrong. Because as much as I’ve enjoyed this series, this finale fell completely short….in more ways than one.

Everyone took a turn driving except me. Which was completely unfair. Just because of that one time. Well, and that other time. And the one with the mailbox, but seriously, who remembered that anymore?

Book one and book two were shocking to me in a way that captured me from the bottom of my heart. David was a character that made me laugh, smile, and root for every little thing he did. I thrived on his horrible metaphors/similes

To a drone I’d have a tiny heat signature, like a squirrel or something. A secretly very, very deadly squirrel.

and his primal need to be a part of something that shaped his soul from the moment Steelheart stole his childhood. He’s nerdy, sweet, kind, and loyal in ways that are hard to find in YA fantasy (I mean, he’s the first adorable nerd I’ve found). And his resolute belief that Epics can’t be good was something that shaped him into the adorkable boy we met today-until he met Megan.

“You,” I said, tipping her chin up to look her in the eye, “are a sunrise.”
She cocked her head. “A…sunrise?”
“Yup.”
“Not a potato?”
“Not right now.”
“Not a hippo?”
“No, and…wait, when did I call you a hippo?”
“Last week. You were drowsy.”
Sparks. Didn’t remember that one.

That plot twist in book one was beyond words amazing, making me drop my jaw and gasp into the dark bedroom I was reading in. I mean…I couldn’t believe it. Sanderson is someone that never ceases to amaze me with his writing, his creativity and originality, and utter lack of disregard for those of us who can’t stand to lose our favorite characters. That being said, Megan became a not-so-villain I adored. The way she continually protected David..I can’t even. Don’t get me started on the fangirling! But, as I said above, all this stuff I loved, cherished, lived for and looked forward to?? It was just…it was virtually nonexistent.

I met her eyes and shrugged. “I’m glad you’re not the same Megan. I don’t want you to be the same. My Megan is a sunrise, always changing, but beautiful the entire time.”

David and Megan?? They were great. Honestly-the reason my heart still beat out of my chest for the entirety of the novel. David himself?? Please, I will NEVER forget my boy. The story I’ve come to obsess and fangirl over?? Gone. I’m sorry, but what was this supposed to be? It was good still, I mean, I wouldn’t have rated a four if it didn’t make me happy-but a four in an epic fantasy series by Sanderson? That might as well be a two.

“Well,” Mizzy said, “if only we had access to someone with a freakishly large repository of knowledge about Epics, and who can’t help but tell us about them. Like, all the time.”
“Well, it is my thang.”
“What did I tell you about that word, David?”

It lacked passion, direction, and, most of all, reason. This, to me, felt like a watered down version of what Sanderson can do. I haven’t read all his books, no, but I have read the Mistborn series and it owns a piece of my soul, just like this one does-But in totally different ways. So, my reasoning for disappointment has a fairly simple answer: Sanderson backed out. He was holding something back. That is literally the only thing I can think of. I have to wonder if, in some weird sick way, Sanderson felt like he couldn’t do what needed to be done, in this genre, to make this story unforgettable.

My world was only sounds. Each one horrible, an assault, a scream. I curled up before the barrage, but then the lights attacked. Garish, terrible. Violent. I hated them, though that did nothing. I wept, but this too terrified me; my own body betraying me with an assault from within, to pair with all those from without.

That’s not to say he didn’t do what he wanted. I have no clue…I mean, who am I to say? But I have to wonder why he didn’t make this more perilous, more jaw-dropping, more….just more. You don’t have to kill people off to make a story amazing, you know. He could have put David through the ringer-he and Megan both-but instead made it fairly easy. I don’t know. It just wasn’t what I was picturing while waiting a year for this final installment. And no, for once, this isn’t my fault. I didn’t build it up-I just know how Sanderson writes, and this felt like a completely different style, in the end.

“David…I’m warning you. I can’t control this, even with the secret of the weaknesses.”
“Well,” I said, “we’ll merely have to do the best we can.”
“But-“
“Megan,” I said, lifting her head to look her in the eyes. “I’d rather die than be without you.”

I will always adore this series, especially books one and two, but I will always remember how the third left me needing and wanting an ending that just didn’t exist. I didn’t want my boy to die, at all, but I did want things to be more difficult for him. I mean, his whole life led up to this…wouldn’t you expect a bigger bang to finish the evilest of evil off, once and for all? Well…I certainly did.

I stared into the burning red star known as Calamity, and knew-with no uncertainty-that something inside me had changed.
The depths had claimed me as one of their own. And though I’ve pushed them back, I still bear their hidden scar.
They insist that they will have me again.

Well written and without a doubt still one of my favorite series and authors for life, this story still had it’s moments of beauty that will stay with me forever. The descriptions and world-building still amazed me in ways I could only expect from Sanderson, giving me a few days of fun that boosted my mood from dull to shining bright. I just wish that my smile would have lasted until the epilogue when, inevitably, my dear Anna’s French frown found it’s way onto my face.

My name is David Charleston.
I clicked the button.
And I kill Epics.

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

Where we’re from, there’s no sun,
Our hometown’s in the dark,
Where we’re from, we’re no one,
Our hometown’s in the dark,
Our hometown’s in the dark

So…I adore this series. I adore the action and the humor and this author. I am OBSESSED with David. But…I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was disappointed with this conclusion. Quite frankly? I needed just a little more. I just thought such an epic (haha) series deserved an epic conclusion.

RTC

*******

OMG. It’s fucking gorgeous. I LOVE it. I love it I love it I love it.