Book Review: Darkdawn (The Nevernight Chronicle #3) by Jay Kristoff

Book: Darkdawn
Series: The Nevernight Chronicle #3
Author: Jay Kristoff
Genre: Fantasy

The greatest games in Godsgrave’s history have ended with the most audacious murders in the history of the Itreyan Republic.

Mia Corvere, gladiatii, escaped slave and infamous assassin, is on the run. Pursued by Blades of the Red Church and soldiers of the Luminatii legion, she may never escape the City of Bridges and Bones alive. Her mentor Mercurio is now in the clutches of her enemies. Her own family wishes her dead. And her nemesis, Consul Julius Scaeva, stands but a breath from total dominance over the Republic.

But beneath the city, a dark secret awaits. Together with her lover Ashlinn, brother Jonnen and a mysterious benefactor returned from beyond the veil of death, she must undertake a perilous journey across the Republic, seeking the final answer to the riddle of her life. Truedark approaches. Night is falling on the Republic for perhaps the final time.

Can Mia survive in a world where even daylight must die?

My Rating: 4 STARS

My Review:

I liked how Darkdawn concludes this trilogy which is surprising since when I started the book it felt slow to start off and it took me longer than I expected to get fully into the story again but by the end of it I was very into the story.

The main thing I loved about this trilogy was Mia and how far she’s came throughout the books. In Godsgrave we see her powers and confidence grow and in Darkdawn we see her realise and understand what she wants from life. I really felt for Mia in this book and I loved her epiphanies she had about fear and love. I loved how she went from having almost no one with her in book one to having a group of friends protecting her and cheering her on in Darkdawn.

I also liked the tension that was created by Tric coming back. I understood why Mia felt the way she did about both Tric and Ashlinn and I enjoyed the interactions between Ashlinn and Tric, I know there was mainly a focus on the jealousy between them but I liked how it built up and what the conclusion to it was.  Mia and Jonnen’s sibling relationship was interesting to read about. I thought their interactions were intriguing to read and I liked how their relationship grew over the course of the book.

I liked the overall conclusion to the trilogy and I liked the action scenes in the last part of the book. I thought it was interesting to include the books themselves in the books and I liked how the characters responded to them. I didn’t care much about the over-arcing story of Niah, Anais and Aa, I liked the history of it but I just didn’t care much about what happened with that storyline.

Overall I really liked Darkdawn and I liked how it concluded the trilogy. I didn’t care about the gods storyline but I loved Mia and her storyline. I loved her realisations about herself and her relationships she made over the trilogy and I think Mia and her story are very memorable.

Book Review: Cinderella Is Dead by Kalynn Bayron

Book: Cinderella Is Dead
Author: Kalynn Bayron
Genre: YA Fantasy

It’s 200 years since Cinderella found her prince, but the fairytale is over.

Sophia knows the story though, off by heart. Because every girl has to recite it daily, from when she’s tiny until the night she’s sent to the royal ball for choosing. And every girl knows that she has only one chance. For the lives of those not chosen by a man at the ball . are forfeit.

But Sophia doesn’t want to be chosen – she’s in love with her best friend, Erin, and hates the idea of being traded like cattle. And when Sophia’s night at the ball goes horribly wrong, she must run for her life. Alone and terrified, she finds herself hiding in Cinderella’s tomb. And there she meets someone who will show her that she has the power to remake her world.

My Rating: 5 STARS

My Review:

Cinderella Is Dead is such a unique story, it takes the original story of Cinderella and gives it a whole new meaning. In Cinderella Is Dead the original story of Cinderella is used as a way to control and oppress women. In this book women are not allowed to do anything without a man’s permission, it’s a society filled with misogyny and sexism and the original Cinderella tale in held up as an example of what woman are ‘supposed’ to do.

I thought Sophia was a great main character. I liked how she was willing to take a stand and fight for what was right and what I liked even more was that she didn’t doubt herself. She was unflinching in her quest to change the horrible world she lived in and I loved that.

The plot was very interesting and I liked the twists in the story and how the story turned things on its head. I liked finding out more about Cinderella in this world, it felt like reading a story within a story. I liked how deep and thought provoking Cinderella Is Dead was. I feel like my perspective of the original Cinderella story has changed and I loved how this story gave such a different twist to it.

Overall I loved Cinderella Is Dead and how original it was. I loved how it twisted the Cinderella story that we all know into something hideous and how it made it work. Cinderella Is Dead talks about some hard topics like domestic abuse and misogyny and I loved how Sophia stood up and fought for what was right. I liked the ending and the messages and themes of this book and can’t wait to see what the author writes next.

Book Review: Dangerous Remedy (Dangerous Remedy #1) by Kat Dunn

Book: Dangerous Remedy
Series: Dangerous Remedy book 1
Author: Kat Dunn
Genre: YA historical fantasy

Camille, a revolutionary’s daughter, leads a band of outcasts – a runaway girl, a deserter, an aristocrat in hiding. As the Battalion des Mortes they cheat death, saving those about to meet a bloody end at the blade of Madame La Guillotine. But their latest rescue is not what she seems. The girl’s no aristocrat, but her dark and disturbing powers means both the Royalists and the Revolutionaries want her. But who and what is she?

In these dangerous days, no one can be trusted, everyone is to be feared. As Camille learns the truth, she’s forced to choose between loyalty to those she loves and the future.

My Rating: 4 STARS

My Review:

We are introduced to the characters in this book as they are trying to break someone out of prison and that captured my interest straight away. From the very first page I was completely into the story.

The group of characters in Dangerous Remedy work together at saving people from the guillotine and I loved the found family aspect of this book. I loved how they were their own crew who rely very much on each other even though they don’t get along all the time. I thought each character had their own voice and I liked how the each had their own reasons for being a part of the battalion.

I liked both Camille and Ada, I thought they were both strong characters and I loved reading about their relationship and I liked how they recognised the flaws in each other. Al was another interesting character and a very funny one and I loved reading the scenes of him bantering with the rest of the group.

There were many twists and turns in the story and I loved that. I loved the intrigue and I thought the writing was very compelling to read and it made the pacing of the story flow so well.

Overall I really liked Dangerous Remedy. I loved the characters and their interactions with each other. I thought the writing was captivating and the story was very intriguing and full of twists. I’m very excited about the next book in the series.

July Wrap Up 2020

What I read in July:

Darkdawn (The Nevernight Chronicle #3) by Jay Kristoff – 4 STARS

It took me a while to get into Darkdawn, I found it a bit slow in the beginning but I ended up really enjoying it and I liked how Mia’s story concluded, I thought there were some interesting twists in this book.

Pet by Akwaeke Emezi – 4 STARS

Pet was such a unique story and I love how impactful it was for such a short book. The world in it, a world with no ‘monsters’, really had me thinking on some of the moral dilemmas it bought up.

Loveless by Alice Oseman – 4 STARS

I really liked this book and I don’t think I’ve read a book that focuses on and talks about asexuality before. I think this is an important book and I really enjoyed reading it.

The Weight of the Stars by K. Ancrum – 5 STARS

The main character in this book, Ryann Bird is one of my all time favourite characters, I loved reading about her. I also loved the plot of The Weight of the Stars and I found the storyline really emotional.

I Hear the Sunspot by Yuki Fumino – 4 STARS

I enjoyed this manga and I liked reading about the two main characters in this book as the get closer to each other and learn more from each other. I’m excited for the next volume.

Blog Posts I Did in July:

Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag 2020

Books That Make Me Smile

My Reading Rush TBR 2020

 

What I Watched in July:

The Umbrella Academy – I rewatched season one to prepare for the second season, I loved both the rewatch and season two. I’m so invested in the characters of this series and I love the storylines they have, it’s definitely one of my favourite shows.
Siren (series 1) – I’ve always been intrigued by mermaid/siren stories and this tv series is about that. I enjoyed watching season one and I liked the atmosphere and mystery of it.
The Heirs – This is a kdrama that’s been out for a while and has a lot of popularity. I don’t know why but I wasn’t expecting to like it as much as I did but I ended up loving it. It was filled with everything that makes kdramas so addictive to watch and I now know why it’s so popular.

What I Played and Listened to in July:

I’ve been playing a lot of Animal Crossing and that’s been great. I also played a game called ‘What Remain of Edith Finch’ and I loved it. The story and gameplay were all very interesting and for such a short game it really packs an emotional punch.
Like everyone else I’ve been listening to Taylor Swift’s Folklore on repeat for the last few days and I really love it. Some of my favourites on the album are: Exile, Seven, My Tears Ricochet, Mirrorball and Illicit Affairs but obviously I love the rest too.

 

What did you read and watch in July?

June Wrap Up 2020

What I Read in June:

Infinity Son (Infinity Cycle #1) by Adam Silvera – 3 STARS

I’ve loved all of Adam Silvera’s previous books and the main reason for loving them is the emotions that the writing made me feel when reading them but I found Infinity Son to be a bit lacking in emotion. And I found the book to be predictable but at the same time I don’t think it’s a bad story, I was intrigued enough to keep reading and I thought the overall plot was entertaining to read.

One True Loves by Taylor Jenkins Reid – 5 STARS

I loved this book and I loved how Taylor Jenkins Reid wrote it in such a way that you really feel the main character being torn between these two men she loved. I loved how the main character had so many realisations about herself and how she came to the conclusion of the story, I loved the writing of the book.

The Kingdom of Back by Marie Lu – 5 STARS

The Kingdom of Back is based on Mozart’s sister, Nannerl, and before reading the blurb of this book I didn’t know Mozart had a sister who was as equally good at composing as him. This book is so beautifully heart breaking as it follows a girl who has all this talent and has her own dream she wants to follow but who isn’t allowed by society and the time period she lives in to continue with that dream based on the fact she’s a girl. I loved this book, Marie Lu is such a brilliant storyteller.

Aurora Blazing (Consortium Rebellion #2) by Jessie Mihalik – 4 STARS

I enjoyed this book and I liked finding out more about the siblings of House von Hasenberg. I thought Bianca was an interesting character with intriguing skills but I wasn’t a fan of the love interest Ian. I thought he was an okay character but I felt him and Bianca didn’t have as much chemistry as I would’ve liked them to have. I was intrigued by the plot and I liked how close the siblings in this book were.

SLAY by Brittney Morris – 4 STARS

I really liked SLAY and I loved the writing of it. I was so completely immersed into the online game of SLAY as I was reading and I loved reading about how Kiera was balancing this online world she created with the real world she was living in.  The plot was so interesting and I would really recommend reading it.

Seafire (Seafire #1) by Natalie C. Parker – 3 STARS

I liked the general plot of this book and the fact that it’s about an all female pirate crew ready to take revenge on the world. I wish I loved the book more than I did but I didn’t fully connect to the characters and I felt the overall story was very predictable.

Treasure by Rebekah Weatherspoon – 3 STARS

I liked this story and I liked the characters together, I thought it really got across how the characters felt about each other. There isn’t really much of a plot but I still thought it was a good read.

A Treason of Thorns by Laura Weymouth – 4 STARS

I liked A Treason of Thorns and thought it had a unique premise. This book is about the Great Houses which are these living magical houses that have been bound by the King so he controls them. Each Great House has its own family of Caretakers that maintain the house and make sure the house doesn’t get out of control. This book was very intriguing and I loved how Burleigh House was described, it was such a magical whimsical story.

 

Blog Posts I Did in June:

Books I’ve Loved and Want More People To Read

Summery Book Covers

My Summer 2020 TBR

The Love Hypothesis by Laura Steven Book Review

Most Anticipated Releases of the Second Half of 2020

 

What books did you read in June?

Book Review: The Love Hypothesis by Laura Steven

Book: The Love Hypothesis
Author: Laura Steven
Genre: YA Contemporary

Physics genius Caro Kerber-Murphy knows she’s smart. With straight As and a college scholarship already in the bag, she’s meeting her two dads’ colossal expectations and then some. But there’s one test she’s never quite been able to ace: love. And when, in a particularly desperate moment, Caro discovers a (definitely questionable) scientific breakthrough that promises to make you irresistible to everyone around you, she wonders if this could be the key. What happens next will change everything Caro thought she knew chemistry – in the lab and in love.

Is her long-time crush Haruki with her of his own free will? Are her feelings for her best girl friend some sort of side-effect? Will her dog, Sirius, ever stop humping her leg?

 

My Rating: 3 STARS

My Review:

This book had such a strange story but I enjoyed reading it so I’m finding it a bit hard to review it. The story is about Caro who feels that no one in school is interested in her so she buys some tablets online that make people become attracted to her. Yes, it’s very strange especially because it’s not just her classmates that become attracted to her but also her teachers which was uncomfortable to read.

I liked the writing of this book, it was so witty and full of humour. Sometimes it’s hard to find books that have exactly the kind of humour you’d find funny because everyone has different types of humour but this book and the other books I’ve read by the same author (The Exact Opposite of Okay) have my kind of humour.

I liked how into science and physics Caro is and I thought that was interesting to read especially the things that Caro talked about in this book, like the matching hypothesis and black holes. I didn’t like Caro herself that much, I felt her opinions and thoughts flipped around a lot and I could never really pin down what she wanted. I do think that a lot of teenagers would relate to Caro’s feelings. I didn’t agree morally with Caro using the tablets and I’m glad that it was called out and recognised.

I liked the friendship in the book and I loved how integral that was to the story, I loved the talk of friendships changing and becoming different as time goes on.

Overall I think this is a hard book to rate simply because there were some very strange elements to this story and I didn’t like Caro and what she was doing but at the same time I loved the writing and the humour of the book and I was intrigued by the story.