A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses #1) by Sarah J. Maas

Description from Goodreads

A thrilling, seductive new series from New York Timesbestselling author Sarah J. Maas, blending Beauty and the Beast with faerie lore.

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

Perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore and George R. R. Martin, this first book in a sexy and action-packed new series is impossible to put down!

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Finally!! Finally, I got this novel in my hands and had the chance to devour it! And of course (just as expected), Ms. Maas didn't let the readers down this time either. The new trilogy from the author continues with the same high quality as her Throne of Glass series: multidimensional characters, mysteries and secrets, twist and turns, and naturally a heart-pounding romance. 

A Court of Thorns and Roses was a such enjoyable retelling of Beauty and the Beast (reading the book really made me want to watch the Disney movie!!). The downfall of doing a retelling is of course that at times the plot is somewhat predictable, but I was really proud  of Maas (can I say that of an author who I don't even know??) for integrating small and big original ideas to the concept, making the novel more surprising and exciting than I would have first assumed. Being a fan of the original Beauty and the Beast story, I feel really protective of it. Maas however did justice to the original fairy tale by keeping the original themes of personal growth, feminism, trust, and love. 

Of course Maas took some artistic freedom while writing her novel and it paid off very well. For instance, I really enjoyed that she had decided as much as she did to write about Feyre, the main character's, family, and that she didn't paint them simply as 'good' or 'bad'. For example, one of Feyre's sisters, Nesta, was a really intriguing character. Outside she appeared cold and calculating, but there was so much more to her. I loved that Maas gave all the other characters the needed depth to them, not just in the case of Nesta. By doing this, the author reinforced my opinion that minor characters can be influencing power on the main character and the plot progression, and that it should always be done. The novel simply reaches one level of deeper meaning by writing all characters multidimensional, not just the two main characters. 

I suppose I do have one bone to pick with A Court of Thorns and Roses. Tamlin, the 'Beast', wasn't exactly a beast. Yes, he had to surrender to magic every once in a while and so became a bit animalistic, but most of the time Tamlin was a really patient, kind, generous, and really smoking hot. Does something sound a bit wrong there? In the original story the Beast is described having a 'deformity', but in the Maas's version the Beast had a mask hiding his face. This was a bit disappointing, at least for me, because I was really looking forward to read how Maas had decided to deal with the theme of inner beauty. Of course this theme was still handled in the book, but not to the same extent as I had hoped. A shame.

I have to mention there was this another character, an anti-hero you could call him, who was just my absolute favourite thing as I most definitely had a love-hate relationship with him. I'm 100% that Maas is going to include him in the upcoming instalments, and I just can't wait what the author has in store for us in terms of this complicated character. I can't help it but I have a real weak spot for misunderstood, dark guys. Oh, Rhysand. 

Maas laid out a very strong basis for the trilogy and I have no doubt that the trilogy will get only better with each subsequent book. That's sort of a speciality of the author. I still like Throne of Glass series better than A Court of Thorns and Roses, but this is the first book of the trilogy so who knows? Maybe I'll change my mind when I read the other books (yes, I most definitely will read all the books by her because there hasn't been one book by Maas that I haven't liked). Even though A Court of Thorns and Roses wasn't as dark as I had hoped, but I was entertained by Maas's magical writing and incredible characters as well as the twists and turns from the very beginning to the last page.

☆☆☆☆

Red Queen (Red Queen #1) by Victoria Aveyard

Description from Goodreads

The poverty stricken Reds are commoners, living under the rule of the Silvers, elite warriors with god-like powers.

To Mare Barrow, a 17-year-old Red girl from The Stilts, it looks like nothing will ever change.

Mare finds herself working in the Silver Palace, at the centre of those she hates the most. She quickly discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy Silver control.

But power is a dangerous game. And in this world divided by blood, who will win?

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When I heard that "Red Queen is a #1 New York Times bestseller", of course I had to read it myself. I mean, fantasy YA novel making it to the top surely is something worth reading and people on Goodreads had seemed to love it. So why not give it a try? Well, in principle, it was a good idea. Unfortunately, I just couldn't join in the hype and adoration Red Queen has apparently obtained. I did like some parts of the novel, but mainly I was just power-reading it through because I was afraid that I would miss out on something if I didn't finish it. Well, to be fair, there was this twist in the end which I totally didn't see coming, but let's be honest here, it couldn't resuscitate the novel.

The novel did start off pretty promisingly. I really liked the somber atmosphere Aveyard was setting with the oppression of Reds and how they were shipped off to a war while the Silvers were enjoying their privileges safe and sound in the capital. But I never felt like the novel fully explored this element. While there were demonstrations of the societal inequality, the author never decided to go one step deeper in to the matter. But then, ironically, at times the author simply underestimated the readers. She would describe something very basic, and literally explain it again in simple English - she didn't leave any room for interpretation or giving the readers a chance to think for themselves. There was this strange imbalance within the novel in terms of prioritising what to present to the readers. And that might be the main reason why I didn't like the novel that much - I simply cherished different things than the author had cherished. 

The action also was quite slow to start. If I remember correctly, it was around 50% when things really started rolling and the plot was actually going somewhere. Before that, all the focus where on somewhat trivial things which weren't contributing to anything in the end. If the book was chopped in to two, and I would have to start reading the book from the middle, I probably wouldn't be too bummed out. Even though the novel did start off well by setting the mood, the oppressed mood was definitely a constant. Going back to the original point, when the action started going, I was surprised that I was actually enjoying myself to some extent. There were still quite many things bothering me, but some of the twists and turns kept me entertained and those are the main reasons why I decided to finish the book. 

Maybe it was that there was just too much of everything in the novel, which made me like less the novel? The basic setting was a somewhat fantasy-based as the monarch was a ruling body of the 'kingdom'. However, there also were elements of scifi with the high technology pieces, but furthermore, there were also 'superpowers' (controlling different elements like fire, water, electricity, etc.) which is a sign of supernatural genre! Simply too much! If the supernatural element was completely eradicated, I would probably have liked the book a lot better. Something tells me that the author just wanted to include all the trending elements of YA genre, in the hopes of striking gold. Well, apparently she did with quite many readers, but I was just constantly cringing. I don't think the saying "the best ideas are the simplest ones" is good for nothing, it is a saying for a reason. 

Do you know the feeling, when you aren't that into a novel and then you just start consciously finding faults that you can rant about? Well, it did kind of happen to me with Red Queen, which is basically just self-torture and making the reading experience even more difficult for yourself. For instance, one of the things that I'll probably remember forever about this book, was that Mare had naturally an ombre-coloured hair, and in the world of Red Queen it was perceived as dull and ugly. Gahh! While I suppose this was a clever move from the author as ombre hair is very trendy nowadays and making the main protagonist appear more desirable, but it just infuriated me. How could someone have ombre-coloured hair naturally? That's not how the biology of hair works!! 

I think I might have been a bit harsh with my review, but I just I didn't like this novel as much as I had hoped, and you know I have that right of disliking something. I'm sure that even though Red Queen wasn't for me, it won't stop other people enjoying the novel (because I did enjoy the action in the novel). In fact, I hope that people who haven't still read the book and want to do it, should go ahead and  perhsps will find it enjoyable. But I for sure know that I won't be continuing the series/trilogy. Over and out. Actual rating 2.5.

☆☆

The Girl at Midnight (The Girl at Midnight #1) by Melissa Grey

Description from Goodreads

For readers of Cassandra Clare's City of Bones and Leigh Bardugo's Shadow and Bone, The Girl at Midnight is the story of a modern girl caught in an ancient war.

Beneath the streets of New York City live the Avicen, an ancient race of people with feathers for hair and magic running through their veins. Age-old enchantments keep them hidden from humans. All but one. Echo is a runaway pickpocket who survives by selling stolen treasures on the black market, and the Avicen are the only family she's ever known.

Echo is clever and daring, and at times she can be brash, but above all else she's fiercely loyal. So when a centuries-old war crests on the borders of her home, she decides it's time to act.

Legend has it that there is a way to end the conflict once and for all: find the Firebird, a mythical entity believed to possess power the likes of which the world has never seen. It will be no easy task, but if life as a thief has taught Echo anything, it's how to hunt down what she wants . . . and how to take it.

But some jobs aren't as straightforward as they seem. And this one might just set the world on fire. 

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Despite the fact that I had read so many mixed reviews of The Girl at Midnight, my gut told me: read it. Without even meaning to, I was a bit apprehensive when I started the book as I had heard that the book bears a lot of similarities to Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy and The Mortal Instruments series. Nevertheless, my instinct whispered: give it a chance. And I'm so glad that I did. I really liked this book! I absolutely fell in love with the elegant and pretty language the author writes, without even mentioning the likeable and funny characters (even though they were a bit already-seen, but it didn't really matter because they were so well-established).

Ah, where should I start? Maybe I'll start off with the characters since they were kick-ass without being shallow or superficial. Echo, the main character, is officially one of my newest additions to the independent and cool heroines list. Even though the majority of YA heroines are witty, funny, and smart, there was just something really cool and unique about Echo that made me instantly like her. Maybe it was because she didn't wallow in her sad history, or that she lived in the moment and enjoying the life as it came, but she felt such a real character troughout the novel. The emotions she felt weren't downplayed but processed and examined just in the perfect level of depth. Two other characters that I want to mention are Caius (the Dragon Prince) and Dorian (the Captain of the Guard). While Caius as well was the slightly typical hurt and misunderstood (and of course devilishly handsome) royalty, his character was well-established and stayed true and consistent. He was immensely charming and had a surprisingly strong moral values which I always find attractive in a guy, even though Caius wasn't exactly Mr. Perfect, either.. Dorian on the other hand was the brooding yet clear-eyed mysterious guy who has the potentiality to become one of my favourite characters in the series due to his complex and conflicted nature (and he also was included in some of the best scenes in the novel). 

I have to admit that while the book had quite a bit of similarities to other popular YA novels, I didn't find this off-putting (even though unoriginality often is a turn off for me). The author was able to transform something old/used into her own story with small yet brilliant additions. For example in the case of Avicien and Drakhain, the two unique societies which have been in a war for a century. While you can spot many contrasting cultures in YA literature, the current book's cultures were particularly fun to read about. Especially in the case of Drakhain as they appeared to be descendants of dragons with their elegant scales (I know it sounds a bit gross, but Grey is able to write the scales as very beautiful) and their accent with soft Rs resembling Scottish accent to some extent. The violence-proneness of Drakhain also was somewhat fascinating as Avicien came across as the more gentle ones with their tales and a Seer (sort of like a person who can see the future). I wish that these societies were explored more in detail as Grey has so much material to work with. 

Like I already mentioned, Grey writes very beautiful text. She isn't afraid to use a bit more sophisticated vocabulary which I love as it conveys that she isn't underestimating her readers. The author has the ability to paint a very atmospheric and beautiful scenes like when she is describing Echo's visit in Kyoto, New York, and in Strasbourg. The character and world-building was very subtle and sophisticatedly done, as it was done gradually rather than everything just being splurged at the reader. The fact that the book's world was part modern, part fantasy, didn't feel forced at any times as everything Grey had created felt very well-planned and thought-out. The integration of the fantasy element felt seamless and so effortless which made the reading experiences so joyful - urban fantasy at its best.

The book was so funny at times that I actually sniggered on the bus while reading. I highlighted a bunch of funny retorts, comebacks, and banters. I just went back to take a look at them and they still managed to bring a smile on my face. The humour mainly arises from the amazing personalities and dynamic interactions between the characters, often between Echo and Caius, while Jasper (Echo's friend, if you can call him that) makes the most hilarious, teasing remarks which are equally hilarious and piercing. I loved when Jasper made others (some more than others..) speechless. He is such a sassy guy. Also the fact that the author often makes impeccable Lord of the Ring references just increases my love for the occasional lightness of the book.

If I had to call out the book for one weakness, it would be that fact that the book was rather predictable. While the middle part of the novel was relatively mysterious to me, I always knew what was going to happen in the end. But strangely enough, it wasn't a too bad turn of events even though I knew what was going to happen. And this fact still puzzles me, because I constantly talk about how I hate predicable books. Maybe the predictablness didn't bother me because otherwise I really enjoyed the book. There was so much goodness included in the book like the humour, the best characters, adventure, a bit of romance, and the importance of loyalty and being brave in the right occasions. I have high hopes for the next instalment in the series (trilogy?) as I have often found that second books in series are often a lot better than the first ones, and when the first one was as good as The Girl at Midnight, what can we expect from the sequel??

☆☆☆☆

The Lies of Locke Lamora (Gentleman Bastards, #1) by Scott Lynch (2006)

Description from Goodreads:

An orphan’s life is harsh — and often short — in the island city of Camorr, built on the ruins of a mysterious alien race. Born with a quick wit and a gift for thieving, Locke Lamora dodges both death and slavery, only to fall into the hands of an eyeless priest known as Chains, neither blind nor a priest. A con artist of extraordinary talent, Chains passes his skills on to his carefully selected family of orphans “Gentlemen Bastards.”

Locke grows to lead, delightedly pulling off one outrageous trick after another, infamous as the Thorn of Camorr—no wealthy noble is safe from his sting. But the Gray King is slowly killing Capa Barsavi’s most trusted men and using Locke as a pawn in his plot to take control of Camorr’s underworld. With a bloody coup under way threatening to destroy everyone and everything that holds meaning in his mercenary life, Locke vows to beat the magically protected Gray King at his own brutal game — or die trying.

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I'm a huge fan of George R.R. Martin's writing, and the first thing that made me interested in The Lies of Locke Lamora was the fact that in the cover of the book is a quote from Martin: "Fresh, original, and engrossing tale by a bright new voice." I mean, if this doesn't capture your attention what does? I just needed to get my hands on this book.  I tend to have really high expectations of every book I'm planning to read, whether it had been rated over 4.0 or under 3.0 on Goodreads. So as one can imagine, having sky high expectations can some times (or plenty of times) result in sore disappointment. But all my expectations were met after I had finished reading The Lies of Locke Lamora.

It's just really difficult to start with this book - there are so much to say about it! First of all the writing was just so beautiful yet so effortless. Every chapter was a page turner as almost every other chapter was about how Locke Lamora ended up in a position as the leader of Gentleman Bastards, and the other half was about the events that took place in the present. The plot was incredible addicting as you just had to know what Locke and his companions are going to next and whether they succeed in their crimes. This and the witty humour of the irreplaceable characters was just a killer combination. 

And how about the world? Oh, dear. Thanks to the fantastic writing, it did justice to The Lies of Locke Lamora. Lynch has an incredible mind for details concerning not only the physical world but also the history, hierarchies, and culture! The whole book is just so epic in every aspect from the grandiose city centre to the scheming of Lamora. While reading the book I felt like the world itself became reality, and I was just absorbed so that I forgot the real world around me completely. 

Absolutely one of my favourite things in the novel is the Gentleman Bastards group. They pull off these scams of epic proportions and always seem to get away with them. It's really rare for me to get emotionally attached to all "good" main characters, but once again The Lies of Locke Lamora surprised me. I loved all of the members of Gentleman Bastards, even though Lamora gets most of the attention. Lamora is the brains, the twins Calo and Caldo had the wits to do anything, Jean was the muscles, and Bug was the eager apprentice. I loved how they all were so very different from each other yet they made the perfect group of conmen. 

I'm so-o-o-o glad Lynch decided to do a series out of this! Even though The Lies of Locke Lamora could have survived alone, I'm super happy as I can continue the adventures with Gentleman Bastards. Even though I hate to say "to the lovers of __ series", I can't help myself to say that those who enjoy A Song of Ice and Fire series, Ocean's Eleven and The Godfather movie trilogy will also find themselves engrossed by The Lies of Locke Lamora. There is so much potential in this series to become one of my favourite series, so I'm really looking forward to see what Scott Lynch will do with the future books!

☆☆☆☆☆