My Musings: The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo

Favorite Quote: “Love speaks in flowers. Truth Requires thorns.” 

This was one of my favorite reads of the whole year! While usually, I’m not a huge fan of short stories, Bardugo’s writing had me hooked from the very first page. Styled in the tradition of Grimm’s Fairy Tales, The Language of Thorns contains six fantasy tales and retellings that spark the imagination and re-illustrate some of the most famous and beloved stories with a beautiful dark twist. Rather than a usual review, this will serve as more of spotlight in which I will emphasize my thoughts and favorite (spoiler free!)  aspects of each of the stories listed below.

Ayama and the Thorn Wood-This opening tale is loosely based on the greek mythological story of the minotaur, and it was absolutely brilliant! Rather than placing a high value on physical beauty like so many fairy tales, this story prizes the main characters’ uniqueness and compassion—an aspect that I found made it infinitely more touching and memorable.

The Too-Clever Fox-Like the title, this tale is very cleverly told. It revolves around a fox who believes he can outsmart a famed hunter. Without giving away any spoilers, his pride ends up costing him dearly in the end, and one of the things I liked about this one was that it reminded me of the countless parables and folktales I read in storybooks from when I was younger.

The Witch of Duva-This disturbing tale seems to be based loosely on Hansel and Gretel, and was every bit as dark as the comparison implies. While fantastical, this story, however, explores the horror and darkness within the ordinary and is made every bit as enthralling and disturbing because of it.

Little Knife-Like The Too-Clever Fox, this story reads more like a parable than a regular short story or fairy tale complete with a simple but powerful moral at the end. I also love the way Bardugo speaks directly to the reader as if relating an old haunting folktale while sitting by the fireside on a chilly winter night.

The Soldier Prince – I absolutely loved this retelling of the Nutcracker from the titular character’s point of view. In this tale, the “Soldier Prince” longs to be human and gain freedom over his own fate, and the way Bardugo recreates all the other well known characters such as Clara and the Mouse King while also beautifully illustrating the poignancy of time passing and life’s choices is as real and raw as it is enchanting.

When Water Sang Fire -How can I adequately describe this without giving the ending away? All I can say is that it’s a retelling of the Little Mermaid but with some dark and heartrending twists that leave you thinking about the story long after the story has ended. This is a great haunting tale to end this anthology!

📚✔︎ Would recommend for fans of Grimm’s Fairy Tales, Hans Christian Andersen, and dark fantasy.

If I could summarize this book in two words: darkly mesmerizing  

Check out the official summary of the Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo on goodreads.

My rating (out of 5 stars): ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

 

 

The Fantastic and Mundane Chronicles of an Aspiring Writer

 

My Musings: A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas

Synopsis in a sentence: High Lady Feyre of the Night Court, along with Rhys and their friends, must gather an army to save the world from the evil King of Hybern and the deadly weapon he wields.

Given that Sarah J. Maas is one of my favorite authors, I was looking forward to this book, expecting epic plots, sharp dialogue, swoon-worthy romance as well as fully developed and interesting characters that pulled me into their world. While the last part of the novel delivered on all of these accounts, the first hundred pages were surprisingly and disappointingly slow being as they were filled with too much description and not enough action. Instead of becoming invested in the worldbuilding and characters—something that had never been an issue for me in Maas’ other works—I found myself constantly bored and disinterested. Rhysand went from being a swoon-worthy character of mystery and excitement to one that was almost annoying in his unmatchable saintliness. Feyre, too, was portrayed as being overly perfect—a fact attributed to her suddenly becoming the first High Lady of a realm—and, therefore, unrelatable. Rather than showing adequately how Feyre had become a stronger and more confident leader as well as warrior through her actions, Maas seemed content to simply remind the reader over and over again of this fact. In some ways, Feyre came across as an almost weaker protagonist in this latest installment than in any of the previous ones. It was only in the last part of the novel that the pace and plot finally picked up and returned to the quality that made Maas’ other books successful. Overall, while disappointing in some parts, this was a good conclusion to the series, and I am looking forward to the later spin-off novels set in the same world.

 

📚✔︎ Would recommend for fans of romance and fantasy.

If I could summarize the book in five words: good, not amazing, but good

Check out the official summary of a Court of Wings and Ruins by Sarah J. Maas on goodreads.

My rating (out of 5 stars): ★★★1/2

 

The Fantastic and Mundane Chronicles of an Aspiring Writer

My Musings: Angelfall by Susan Ee

Synopsis in a sentence: Tough girl needs the help of an enemy angel to find her kidnapped sister in post-apocalyptic Northern California. 

Angelfall by Susan Ee didn’t have a slow passage in it. From the first page, the pacing was fast and the plot suspenseful. Penryn is a strong and ruthless yet heroic female protagonist, and the sarcastic banter between her and Raffe is one of the most fun aspects of the entire novel. Raffe, too, is a likable character, with just enough mystery and broodiness to fit the relatively stereotypical YA love interest mold. While the plot was entertaining overall, the world building was average at best. I understand that it takes place in a world ravaged by supernatural war, but more details regarding the angel culture and mythology as well as the incorporation of additional multi-dimensional characters would have greatly enriched the story. The ending with its multiple plot twists that led up to it, however, ultimately leaves the reader wanting more and makes up for any other flaws in the narrative.

📚✔︎ Would recommend for fans of post-apocalyptic fiction or angel mythology

If I could summarize the book in one word: suspenseful 

Check out the official summary of Angelfall by Susan Ee on goodreads.

My rating (out of 5 stars): ★★★★

The Fantastic and Mundane Chronicles of an Aspiring Writer

My Musings: The Queen of All That Dies by Laura Thalassa

The Fantastic and Mundane Chronicles of an Aspiring Writer

 

After hearing so many good things about this indie novel, I was excited to finally read it. Unfortunately, I found The Queen of All that Dies to be disappointing for a number of reasons. Because my feelings toward this book are so jumbled, rather than writing a typical essay review, I am going to separate my thoughts into different sections.

What I liked:

1) The pacing-from the first page of the novel, I was hooked. The relatively simple, yet suspenseful prose was riveting, and even when the plot was lacking, I still wanted to continue because it was such a fast and easy read.

2) The potential– This goes along with the pacing in that in the first thirty pages, there was so much potential to build a rich and original apocalyptic setting as well as a seemingly impossible, but epic love story. In the end, however, the reader was given neither, which ultimately leads me to…

What I didn’t like:

1) The pacing-While at the beginning, the fast pacing was originally what drew me in, as the novel progressed the succession of events became almost dizzying because they happened so quickly. Rather than spending adequate time with each scene by including appropriate and enriching details, it felt like the author was rushing through everything almost with barely any thought.

2) The plot– …I just didn’t get it. I mean, well I understood the basics; The female protagonist has spent all her life fighting against an evil king of the world only to be forced to marry him and fall in love with him while turning on her own people. Sure, there were twists, but instead of a compelling storyline, the reader was left with only a skeleton of a plot that’s events were half-hazardly strewn together.

3) The worldbuilding– There was none. Usually when I read, I can at least visualize the characters and settings to a certain extent, but when I read this all I could see was the black font and white paper in front of my eyes.

4) The romance/characters-Once again, in the beginning I liked the main character Serenity. She was tough if a little bit one-dimensional. But I liked her.

King Lazuli, on the other hand, was downright horrible. Oh, in the first part of the book, he was charming, and I seriously thought the author would reveal some good side to him, some possible reason or motivation–however misguided–for performing all the horrendous things he did. Only…she didn’t. There was nothing, NOTHING redeemable about this character. He was a power-hungry mass murderer who felt no remorse for any of his actions. Even as a potential villain, he was entirely one dimensional, and the fact that he was supposed to be portrayed as a love interest? I couldn’t believe it.

Even worse, as soon as Serenity falls in love with him (though Thalassa never explains how she could actually love such a monster in the first place) all her strength vanishes. Seemingly within a handful of pages, she turns on her own people and believes that Lazuli is rightfully the king of the world even though he was directly responsible for *Spoiler* the murder of her entire family. 

In conclusion, this novel started out strong, but left a bad taste in mouth for days afterward.

📚✔︎ Honestly wouldn’t recommend. I was looking for a compelling romance and what this book provided was an unhealthy, controlling and bordering-on-abusive relationship.

If I could summarize the book in one word: disappointing 

 

My Musings: Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas

This book was everything I hoped for and more. Maas’ worldbuilding and character development was amazing, and in my opinion the best it has ever been in this novel. Aelin’s growth over the entire series has been amazing to watch, and the difference between her character now and in the first book is unbelievable. I also loved how after getting to know each of the main players in the series, we finally see all of them interact in this latest installment. Maas has created such strong characters that each of their voices and personalities come alive on the page without the danger of any one of them being lost or fading into the background. The romantic relationships in this book—both new and old—were interesting if somewhat predictable, though that didn’t stop me from becoming fully invested in them anyway. The plot-twists in this book were entirely unexpected, and as usual, the heart-wrenching ending left me yearning for more.

📚✔︎ Would recommend for readers of epic fantasy with a band of loveable heroes and villains you can’t help but love to hate.

If I could summarize the book in two words: utterly consuming

Check out the official summary of Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas on goodreads.

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

My Musings: The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender by Leslye Walton

True to its name this novel was indeed both strange and beautiful in in its themes, prose, and story. While the title gives the impression that the plot primarily centers on the character of Ava Lavender, the book is more of an anthology of the fantastical experiences of several generations of women in one peculiar family.
This book isn’t simply about a girl named Ava who is born with the wings of a bird, but rather so much more. It is about life and love. It is about the passage of time.
The story and the way in which it is narrated—through the various perspectives of each of the characters—reflects on the drastic ways love effects people’s lives. Infatuation, lust, hatred, the pain of betrayal, love in all its forms—these are all emotions we all feel, and Walton portrays them with a poignancy and subtle grace that is utterly mesmerizing. The narrator’s repeating declaration that “love makes us such fools” effectively summarizes the overarching theme of the novel, which explores both the negative and positive consequences of such a visceral emotion in equal measure. This story isn’t solely about love. It is about humans’ interaction with the accumulation of emotions that make up love and all that it entails.
This is not an adventure story, nor even a coming-of-age tale, but rather a conglomeration of fantastical elements, superstition, and mythology and how they intertwine with reality. It is unique and bizarre in every sense of the word, but also incredibly profound. This is the perfect novel to cozy up with on your next rainy day.

📚✔︎ Would recommend for readers looking for a beautiful love story within a fantastic and magical world

If I could summarize the book in two words: bizarrely moving  

Check out the official summary of The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender on goodreads.

My rating (out of 5 stars): ★★★★1/2

My Musings: A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

The sequel to Maas’ A Court of Thorns and Roses far surpassed everything about the first. The plot, the characters, the worldbuilding, and especially the romance were all so much better developed, and while I didn’t fall in love with the first book I definitely did with this one. In my opinion, this novel was close to flawless. I wasn’t a huge fan of Tamlin as the love interest in the first place, and this latest installment simply expounded on why. I loved Feyre’s growth throughout the story and how she finds her own strength through not only relationships with those around her but also with the acceptance of herself and who she has become. Rhysand’s character was revealed to have far more depth and maturity than what we saw in the first book, and the friendship to romance between him and Feyre was both entertaining and heartbreaking to watch at times.
To put it simply, I thought this book was amazing. I was thoroughly addicted from the first to last page, and reading this reminded me why I fell in love with fantasy in the first place—because when everything, when the words, the characters, and the story all coalesce to fit perfectly, the result can be magic.

📚✔︎ Would recommend for readers looking for a beautiful love story within a fantastic and magical world

If I could summarize the book in one word: mesmerizing 

Here’s an official summary on goodreads.

My rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️+ (honestly, I wish I could give it an even higher rating)

My Musings: The Burning Sky by Sherry Thomas

This book was a fun read filled with romance, magic, and wonderful worldbuilding. Many of the elements of the story resembled those of Harry Potter and Eragon, but the tension-filled relationship between Prince Titus and Iolanthe was unique in its own right. The most interesting aspect of the story was watching the budding romance between these two wonderful characters. Despite Iolanthe being presented as the main protagonist, destined to be the chosen one meant to defeat the evil Bane, I found Titus to be the most lovable of the pair. I admired Thomas’ delicate and carefully crafted portrayal of the almost king as a boy weighed down by his destiny, while heroically struggling to be brave and uphold his duty to his people. Iolanthe was every bit the spunky heroine, but not nearly as well developed, and I couldn’t make myself feel as much of a connection to her.

Overall, the story was interesting, but not action-packed. For all the time and effort spent by the author in creating this dramatic sense of the potential greatness of the two main characters, I found the ending to be somewhat disappointing and anti-climatic. The action scenes were fast-paced, but many times vague and confusing. This drawback was very evident in the final scene, and that was partly why I was left somewhat detached at the conclusion. Aside from this, the novel was a pleasant and romantic read. I would recommend it for fans of high fantasy with an English flair.

📚✔︎ Would recommend for fans of high fantasy with an English flair.

If I could summarize the book in one word: Enchanting

Here’s an official summary on goodreads.

My rating (out of 5 stars): ★★★1/2

My Musings: The Falconer by Elizabeth May

After seeing several reviews on this novel, I was somewhat hesitant to buy it, however after reading the blurb several times, I couldn’t help but be intrigued. The concept of a warrioress tasked with hunting evil faeries and saving the world in the process isn’t an exceedingly original one, but I found this to be a surprisingly fun read. While May’s worldbuilding is somewhat lacking, the relationship between her characters were interesting enough to keep me entertained. Aileana was a compelling heroine, and I loved her strength throughout the novel. I also enjoyed reading the banter between her and Kiaran, and honestly their alliance/romance was the highlight of the book for me. Without giving any spoilers away, I will say that I found the ending to be both short and confusing and not satisfactory at all. I am as big of a fan of cliffhangers as anyone else, but this ending didn’t even feel like an ending at all, and to be honest, I most likely won’t be reading the sequel.

📚✔︎ Would recommend for any fans of faeirie folklore and steampunk looking for a fast read.

If I could summarize the book in one word: forgettable

Here’s the official summary on goodreads.

My rating: ★★★ 1/2