3.5 stars And my cantankerous/ambivalent streak continues. Shadowshaper had so many the elements of a book I should have really liked: an inventive, unique fantasy and magic practice, a foundation in folklore that hasn’t been done to death, a dynamic protagonist, and a diverse, reliable, realistic support system for that protagonist. Additionally, the audiobook was masterfully performed by Anika Noni Rose, making Shadowshaper a joy to listen to. But something about the book, that I can’t quite put a finger on other than having this […]
Five novellas smooshed together. Still not sure about this author or this series.
The Assassin’s Blade is a compilation of five interrelated novellas that take place about a year before the first book in this series, Throne of Glass. Each one can be read separately, but work best together, showing how the infamous assassin Celaena Sardothien went from being rich, spoiled and deadly, to being a slave in the salt mines of Endovier. These five novellas go a long way towards rectifying one of the main complaints I had with that first book, namely that we were shown […]
Classic second book syndrome.
Man, last year when I read the first book in this series, I read it so fast and got so super into it. I was expecting something similar to happen when I picked up book two several weeks ago, but my experience was pretty much the exact opposite. I read the first one in practically one sitting over the course of one day. This one took me weeks to finish, and I had to force myself to pick it up. While reading, I enjoyed myself, but […]
Grounded, imaginative YA fantasy.
Another Little Piece is a refreshingly original YA story that not only explores a completely different supernatural angle but is also, notably, not a trilogy, and therefore has an obviously different plot arc and pacing from so many of its contemporaries. If you’re looking for moody, supernatural YA fantasy that has nothing to do with a teen girl being seduced by some sort of undead man-teen, this book is for you. From Goodreads, because I have like 9 thousand reviews to catch up on and […]