Books I Read September - February
Wow, I have fallen off on the reporting cliff!
When I went to create a new post, I thought I only missed reporting on what I read in November and December. Seems I’ve let all of the fall and most of the winter go by! I’m sure you are itching to know what I read, so without further ado…
Crescent City Series (Book 1, 2, and 3) - 3.5/5
Ahead of House of Flame and Shadow’s release in January, I dove into the Crescent City series in December. I am a huge SJM fan and could talk ACOTAR and ToG all day if I could. I did like this series, but I didn’t love it. It had many similar traits of SJM’s writing that was great and a crossover over of series that officially cemented a Maasverse.
I just really didn’t like the world or many of the characters. They felt like 16-year-olds with 23-year-old access to life. Even the ‘older and wiser’ characters just didn’t do it for me. The world is also much more complex than ACOTAR and ToG that often times left my head spinning. This review might be soured by the amount of plot and character holes that House of Flame and Shadow left behind as well.
For all its flaws and personal feelings towards the world and characters, I did still enjoy reading it. I just probably won’t re-read it, like I’m literally itching to do with ACOTAR and ToG in the next month. If you’re a fan of SJM though, I would recommend reading this.
Chasm by Stacey McEwan - 3.5/5
This is the second book in The Glacian Trilogy. I remembered really enjoying both books, and yet I cannot remember any plot points without reading the summary. If you’re into fantasy though, I would still recommend.
Assistant to the Villain - 5/5
This was probably my favorite book I read during this time. It’s absolutely hilarious without being cheesy. Had so many spot on observations about current work culture, yet it was set in a fantasy world. An area of overlap I didn’t know I needed in my life. This was her debut novel, and I cannot wait to follow her writing career.
A Darker Shade of Magic & A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab - 3.5/5
I had such high hopes for this series because I loved V.E. Schwab’s The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. I think these are some of Schwab’s earlier books, which rings true in the writing. It skews very YA in a way I wasn’t expecting, and I felt like I had a hard time connecting and caring about the characters. It’s still good writing, and I did enjoy the plot and world building, but I think my expectations were just a bit high.
Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros - 3.5/5
Like the rest of the reading world, I gobbled this up in a day. Was the writing itself great? Not particularly. Did the main love interests make me want to strangle them with their teenage antics and made up tensions? Absolutely. But, was it still enjoyable, still love the dragons and here for the story? Yes, yes, and yes.
To be honest, I think the culprit here were Yarros’ editor(s) for not editing certain things out or better, and to her publishing house (maybe agent?) for pushing her to write this too fast.
Complicit by Winnie M Li - 4/5
I have mixed thoughts on this book. The writing was superb, but it left me feeling icky and gross at the end. I’m sure that was the point, and the message Li was getting across is an important one. This is a great pick for a book club, probably less so for escapism.
Ink, Blood, Sister, Scribe by Emma Torzs - 4/5
A perfect read for October. A bit thrilling, a bit mystery, a bit foggy magical.
We read this for book club, but then never actually spoke about it. Which actually disappointed me because I remember having a lot to say after reading this. It’s a bit dry at the beginning, but shines at the end. The four different perspectives telling the same story was cleverly constructed and it’ll leave you thinking for awhile after.
Once Upon a Broken Heart & The Ballad of Never After by Stephanie Garber - 4.5/5
I adored these books. They were highly enjoyable, slightly different world building and characters than I’d seen before. I can’t wait to read the third book and finish the series - just need the paperback!
Good Material by Dolly Alderton - 4/5
Alderton took a leap and wrote a fiction novel from a male point of view. I didn’t realise that before I started it, but I grew to like it. The book really comes together at the end when it flips perspective to the woman. I loved the grey and uncomfortable area of a relationship breakup that wasn’t for one reason, but a million, and neither one sole person’s fault.
The Book That Wouldn't Burn by Mark Lawrence - 2.5/5
The only reason I finished this was because I was gifted it in hardcover and felt too bad about DNF’ing it. The writing is lovely and I have several friends who I think would adore this, but I think this book was just not for me.
To be honest, the last six months have not been stellar on the reading front. I’ve been more let down than I usually am. I feel like after a summer of hits, the fall and winter have just been a bit dull. There are way too many titles on my TBR pile, yet all I want to do it fall into the safety and comfort of the ACOTAR and ToG series that brought me so much joy and enjoyment earlier in the year.
We shall see what the next couple months bring!
I felt the same about the Crescent City trilogy. I'm a huge SJM fan and I thought the first two books held a lot of promise, but the growth I was hoping for in the characters never ended up on the page in HOFAS. Maybe the last book set in the world will fix that. I'm hopeful.