Emma’s Writing & Reading Corner!🤍

Hello I’m Emma and welcome to my page! Here I will post reviews on the books I read and updates on the books i write!🤩

[emmahatch-writingpage7]

Welcome to my writing and reading corner!!🤍

Hello everyone! My name is Emma and i hope you are having a wonderful day/week!💜

This page will be used to post my reviews on all the books I read and updates on my own books I’m writing!📖📝

A little more about me!🤍 I also perform in community musical theatre currently and plan to go on professionally to be an Actress, a Director and an Author!🎭🎬✍️

I also have Type 1 diabetes and have lived with this condition for over 8 years!(At the time of this post) It’s a tough condition to live with, but there are always good & bad days and I won’t allow it to stop me from achieving my dreams and goals!⭐️

So about my books, I won’t be giving much information just yet. But I’m currently plotting out and coming up with a world, as well as the characters for a Dystopian fantasy series!🖤

Im having so much fun and loving all the ideas I have and can’t wait to share them with the world one day! And I’m grateful to have friends and family who are so supportive and excited for me to do this too!😍

Anyone is welcome to talk and obsess over books with me and to join along for my writing journey if they wish to!🫶🩶

[aloraslibrary]

Book 27 of 2026: This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi 💛🧡🌹

⚠️ Warning: This post may contain SOME SPOILERS for the book as I will be sharing the plot, my thoughts, and what happens in the chapters. This will be your only warning before continuing the post. ⚠️

Front cover and the bookmark I'll be using:

Start date: 10th July 2026

Finish date: 13th July 2026

Star rating: 4.7/5 ⭐️

Book synopsis: To all the world Alizeh is a disposable servant, never to be known for who she really is: the long-lost heir to an ancient Jinn kingdom. She is hinted always, forced to hide in plain sight, lest she exposes herself to danger.

Until one day, she makes a mistake.

The crown prince, Kamran, has heard the prophecies; he knows of the fearsome monster promised to kill his king. Darkness is fast descending upon his empire, driving Kamran to desperately seek out its source. But as he grows ever more suspicious of the servant girl with the strange eyes, the more he learns about her - and the harder it is to turn away. Even if falling for someone like Alizeh means forfeiting everything he's ever known.

Let's see if this darkness can be defeated, shall we?

Chapters 1-10: So, first 10 chapters down, and we are off on a strong start. I will mostly talk about the main characters Alizeh and Kamran. Now, Alizeh, I just want to give her a big hug. She's clearly been through a lot as being a Jinn without even being given the full backstory about her. She's also a streamstress while also working as a servant, and honestly, I would love to hire her to make some dresses or formal wear for me lol, I bet she makes the best! Now, Kamran, there's definitely some mixed thoughts about him. His mother is a bit of a weird one, and don't get me wrong, I like his character, and I am looking forward to reading more about him as well as Alizeh's character.

I love that I'm reading about Persian mythology as well as Tahereh's heritage? Culture? Ethnic? I'm not sure what the right word is to use, but I'm loving it either way. The whole thing about Jinn vs. Clay is a little confusing, I won't lie, but other than that, everything else is enjoyable.

Chapters 11-20: Okay, so! A lot has happened during these chapters. First of all, Kamran and Alizeh have both met, and this man is already whipped for her, lol. Also, I'm still very neutral about Kamran as a character. He is interesting, don't get me wrong, but it's like, during his POV chapters, he's so like angry almost all the time. On the flip side, Alizeh is such a sunshine like I really just want to give her a big hug. Also, my friend, Emma, has confirmed that Alizeh does know she's a long-lost heir because I was so confused whether she knew she was or not. Overall, I am now officially halfway through the book now, and things are starting to become more tense and more interesting, I love the detail that under each chapter number the number is also in Arabic or some sort of middle eastern text (I'm sorry I'm not 100% sure about the language) but I just thought it's a super cool detail that Tahereh added.

Chapters 21-30: These chapters.... What the actual fuck happened... So for this part, I want to talk more about Kamran and my opinions on him. After reading these chapters, I did have a moment where I felt empathetic towards him, as well as being pissed off at his grandfather, basically, the king was trying to accuse Kamran of treason and was also trying to imprison and threaten to execute his own grandson and sole heir to the kingdom, which honestly just pissed me off.

Now, I want to like Kamran, I do, and my friend has said he is a tragic character, but the stuff he does in these chapters, especially chapter 28 when he not only confesses to Alizeh but also kisses her like, dude you don't even know her and you're already kissing her!?!!? Look, I don't hate him, but I found this chapter about Kamran so annoying about what he was doing, and I know I sound harsh but this is my honest thoughts about Kamran and it sucks because I do want to like him but I just can't. On the other side, Alizeh is a badass woman, and oh my god, the plot twists with Hazan, who is like a minister with the Prince, and no, I will not say what the twists were, that's for you to read for yourselves.

Chapters 31-40: So much has happened, but oh my god! Cyrus and Alizeh, I already knew I was team Cyrus, but actually reading about them and seeing them first meet and everything was just so good! It went from reluctant allies to enemies in these last few chapters! Unfortunately for Kamran, his grandfather got killed, and to be fair throughout the book, it was kinda building up to the king dying, so it wasn't 100% surprising. That final chapter with Cyrus and Alizeh was so good, but also, god damn it, it ended on a cliffhanger!

Final thoughts:

Unfortunately, I do not know who made the divider I used for this review, but I did find it from my friend's review post of this same book. So, I thank @emmahatch-writingpage7 for convincing me to get into this book and for giving this divider to me to use.

So, as the first book in the series, I found this to be a good start. There were moments that annoyed me, such as Kamran and how he felt towards Alizeh, plot twists that I never saw coming, such as Hazan being an ally to Alizeh, the fact that the devil that has been plaguing Alizeh in fact wants her to rule the Jinn and that ending being a cliffhanger about Cyrus and Alizeh.

I can't wait to read more of Cyrus and Alizeh's enemies to lovers' journey as I continue reading the series. They already have my heart, and I'm already more invested in them than I was with Kamran and Alizeh. Listen, I really did want to like Kamran as a character, and outside of Alizeh, I enjoyed reading his POV chapters, but when he started thinking about Alizeh and talking about how he felt towards her, that's when I started to get annoyed with him, but he was only catching feelings for her because of how beautiful she was, and then in chapter 28 when he started confessing to her and kissing her, granted, Alizeh responded back, that's when I REALLY hit my peak of annoyance with him.

So yeah, once again, down into a rabbit hole of more Tahereh Mafi books, which, by the way, I will be continuing the Shatter Me series in August with Ignite Me (YES THE INFAMOUS "LYHUFML" BOOK) and Restore Me, followed by the novella book Find Me and Defy Me, which will most likely be in November. Well, that's all from me in this review, bye everyone!

Credits of the cute little fanart of Cyrus and Alizeh by: hollyberryarts on Instagram! Her chibi arts are so cute!

[emmahatch-writingpage7]

Check out and read my friend’s amazing review!🤍😎🤩

[emmahatch-writingpage7]

My next book review: Ruin And Rising by Leigh Bardugo!❤️🐦‍🔥🖤

Started: 09/07/2026 Finished: 13/07/2026

Front cover of the book!⬆️

My thoughts and review!

Spoiler warning: There may be some spoilers. I suggest you read the trilogy before reading my review. You have been warned.

Plot:

The plot of this book was great. Such interesting twists that were foreshadowed and revealed well. That also had heartbreaking costs. I loved the slow reconnection and strengthen of the relationship between Alina and Mal, I was so happy when they kissed again.(I was worried they wouldn’t for a moment) And the continuation of The Darkling wreaking havoc and comitting horrible atrocities for his own gain, was horryfing but well done.( more about him again in a moment) My favourite plot to read out of the trilogy. The first few chapters were tense and engaging. I then struggled to put the book down and was very happy with the ending of this story.

World building:

Again this world is just fantastic. There was already a lot of stuff repeated or brought up again from the last two books, but what we did learn was still very interesting. I honestly can’t get enough of this world, it’s so good! We began the book being in the White cathedral with Alina being kept there by the Apparat and worshipped as a saint by her followers.(Rumours were spread about her throughout the other two books, interesting and glad it did serve a reason.) It was interesting to learn more about why and how Alina became so worshipped and respected. And the apparat, in my opinion, took advantage of that. Alina and the Darklings powers continued to grow and change. Especially after their confrontation in the second book(siege and storm), it was horrifyingly interesting that they took on parts of each other’s power. I also loved the encounters of ancient creatures that had the supposed Morozova amplifiers, the Morozova stag, the sea whip and the fire bird.(One encountered in every book. there was an interesting twist with one of them, I won’t say anymore.) I always love when there are ancient and magical animals/creatures, it adds so much more to the story and it’s exciting to me. All in all, this world continues to fascinate, immerse and engage me. I just want to continue reading and being a part of it!🤩🦌🐍🐦‍🔥☀️⚫️⛪️

Characters:

Alina- Reading from her perspective has been so amazing. She has gone through so much in this story and I'm glad she lives in peace now. From the first book I admired and connected to her. She continued to fight for herself, the people she loves and a better Ravka, whilst growing in resilience, strength and knowledge. But she always remained kind and empathetic. Which sets her apart from the Darkling. Despite him saying they are alike, certainly not. I loved her story/relationship with Mal. They are so considerate, protective and caring for one another. My heart broke when the few times they fought and pushed eachother away, but for both it was to make them be better and to let fate happen.( it was heartbreakingly relatable. And even though they took control of their fate in the end.) Throughout, you tell and feel Alina’s love for him. And for all the friends she made along the way. Even she empathised with the Darkling, which just shows again how much of wonderful character she is. I’m going to miss reading from her perspective so much!🥹☀️

Mal- The reveals of him in this book was interesting and even more heartbreaking. Especially seeing how he just wants to serve and protect Alina. Whilst others also just took advantage of his skill in tracking and being in love with Alina. I loved Mal as a character. He is always willing to fight for the right cause and the people he loves. He looks out and takes care of anyone who is struggling.(He’d be a great dad because of how wonderful he was to the children characters.) Reassures with such ease and puts himself at risk if it’s meant to be fated to do so. You could tell by his actions on how much he loves Alina. He was always willing to be by her side in whatever way that may be, despite others criticising him. He believed in her and she did in him. They are just meant for each other, literally by fate.(i will not say anymore, read the book to find out what I mean.) I’m glad he can live in peace with her now, he deserves it so much! I will also miss reading about him!🩵🏹🐾

The Darkling- This man…I’m glad he’s defeated. Such a tragic character and a terrifying villain. I've yet to read about an antagonist that you root for the main character to defeat, hate all the horrible atrocities he commits, but also weirdly and heartbreakingly empathise with. It's unique and so well done. We did learn more of his backstory and how he is connected to Alina and the morozova’s amplifiers. But we did not see how he came to be the Darkling, which I can see has been saved for a prequel book.(that I hope to read in the future.) He has such a commanding and terrifying presence, every time he showed up I was just thinking- what is he going to do.. and who will he try to or even kill. I hated how he plays, manipulates and tortures people to bow down and respect him. And again, his worldview and especially about him and Alina being like no one else( “like calls to like” -quote from him and Bahgra) is demented and just disgusting. I wonder if he even came up with this opinion when learning of a sun summoner, to almost cope with the idea of someone overpowering him.(because he always trying to control Alina) Such an interesting villain. Won’t miss him!😆But it is inspiring on how well done of an antagonist he is.⚫️

All the characters in this series have been so intriguing and amazing to read about. I fell in love with so many and hated all the antagonists. What I admire from the this author, is how well she creates and allows all the characters to have an impact, even if it’s for a small moment. They also helped develop and understand the world more, I hope some(like my favourites) may make an appearance again in future books!👏 (The King of Scars duology i will predict there will be appearances.)

My favourite characters; Alina, Mal, Nikolai, Genya, David, Zoya, Misha, Alik, Tamar, Toyla, Botkin and Bahgra.🤍

Overall:

Star rating: 4.9⭐️’s

I Loved this book! My favourite of the trilogy. Because of how incredible this book was, I can appreciate the other two. All three served their purpose and helped tell such an immersive and engaging story. I’m going to absolutely miss reading from Alina and about all the characters, I’m really hoping some will make another appearance in future books. Still have the King of Scars duology, Letters of Ketterdam(my copy is on its way! I’m so excited for it!) and other prequel stories to read, one even about the Darkling which I’m very intrigued of. I’m grateful that I’ve started reading all these books within the GrishaVerse, can’t wait to be back in this world hopefully soon! Thank you Leigh Bardugo for this incredible trilogy!👏💙🦌💚🐍❤️🐦‍🔥☀️⚫️🏹🐾

“What is infinite?” “like calls to like” - quotes from the book. That in my opinion, had an impact and many meanings to them.

More images:

Dividers credit to; @wallpaper-and-bannerz , @cursed-carmine , @zaldritzosrose & @saradika-graphics . Thankyou!🤍

Back cover of the book!

The bookmark I used!

My next book read!🌹✨💜

Bought this book in my local Waterstones a couple weeks ago. The cover and synopsis intrigued me, so I can’t wait to start this!🤩

If you wish to, please follow my page for more book reviews and writing posts!🤍🫶🤎

[bookish-rival]

𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕯𝖆𝖌𝖌𝖊𝖗 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝕱𝖑𝖆𝖒𝖊

ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ ɪꜱ ᴀᴛ ɪᴛꜱ ᴅᴀʀᴋᴇꜱᴛ, ᴡᴇ ᴍᴜꜱᴛ ʀᴇᴀᴄʜ ʙʀᴀᴠᴇʟʏ ᴛʜʀᴏᴜɢʜ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱʜᴀᴅᴏᴡꜱ ᴛᴏ ꜰɪɴᴅ ᴡʜᴇʀᴇ ʟɪɢʜᴛ ʙʟᴏᴏᴍꜱ.

🔥Meet Seraphine and Ransom, two unforgettable characters from 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑫𝒂𝒈𝒈𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑭𝒍𝒂𝒎𝒆 by Catherine Doyle!

Are you ready to step into their world?

I promise, you’re not! With only one month left until September 26th, get ready for the first book of 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐅𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐞 to blow your mind.

If you crave dark aesthetics, family secrets, high-stakes cat-and-mouse games, intricate world-building, and unique magic systems, this book is for you!

And don’t even get me started on the charming side characters—especially one I cannot wait for you to meet and obsess over. Oh, and did I mention an animal sidekick? 🐾

~🔥~

• art by the amazing @minshugart

• commissioned by me, @bookish_rival

• Characters: Seraphine Marchant and Ransom Hale belong to Catherine Doyle

》》PLEASE DO NOT REPOST!!《《

~🔥~

Huge thanks to the amazing @minshugart for bringing this scene to life!

The details are stunning—Ransom’s shadow marks, Seraphine’s brown spot in her blue eyes, and the tension between them… it’s EPIC!

I can’t do it justice; you’ll just have to dive into the story yourself. ⚔️🔥

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑫𝒂𝒈𝒈𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑭𝒍𝒂𝒎𝒆 by Catherine Doyle releases September 26th, 2024.

[brainstreams]

Cool Ways to Show a Character Is Traumatized (Without Saying "Traumatized"):

• They memorize where every exit is in a room

• They check their phone repeatedly after sending a message, worried they said the wrong thing

• They freeze when asked a simple question, like they’re calculating the safest answer • They over-explain tiny mistakes before anyone reacts • They clean up messes that aren’t theirs without being asked • They listen for footsteps in hallways before relaxing • They downplay their own pain with humor or sarcasm

• They check locks more than once before bed • They leave shoes near the door, ready to leave quickly

• They wake up instantly at small sounds while others sleep through them

• They carry painkillers, snacks, or water everywhere “just in case.”

• They don’t like closed doors.

• They test people subtly to see if they'll leave

• They sit near walls or corners, rarely the center of a room.

• Loud noises don’t scare them anymore, they just go very still

• They apologize automatically, even when nothing went wrong

• Compliments make them visibly uncomfortable.

• They keep important things within arm’s reach at all times

• They watch people’s hands more than their faces

• They flinch at movements that aren’t threatening

• When someone raises their voice, they go quiet instead of arguing back • They assume blame first, even when it makes no sense • They’re surprised when someone keeps their promise • They brace themselves before asking a favor

FOLLOW FOR MORE! <3

[aloraslibrary]

Book 26 of 2026: The Rose Bargain by Sasha Peyton Smith 🩷💛🌹

⚠️ Warning: This post may contain SOME SPOILERS for the book as I will be sharing the plot, my thoughts, and what happens in the chapters. This will be your only warning before continuing the post. ⚠️

Front cover and the book mark I'll be using:

Start date: 4th July 2026

Finish date: 8th July 2026

Star rating: 4/5 ⭐️

Book synopsis: England, 1848.

The season is officially open. High society girls line up to exchange magical bargains with the Immortal Queen Moryen.

Lady Ivy Benton's season arrives with a shocking twist - the queen announces a competition to win the hand of her fae son, Prince Bram. And marrying the prince is a prize that could save Ivy's family from ruin.

Yet every glittering fae deal has a rotting heart. And amidst lavish balls, vicious competitions, and a dangerous alliance with Prince Bram's irresistible brother Prince Emmett, Ivy soon realises that at the centre of this contest lies a dark plot that could destroy all of England - and her heart along with it.

Let's go into this fantasy England full of fae, shall we?

Chapters 1-4: What an effective first few chapters of the book. We begin with a prologue set during the war of the roses as well as how the immortal queen, Moryen, became queen of England. The book itself is obviously set in the regency era of England, and even though I've only these first four chapters, I already love Ivy's characterisation it's reminding me of Jude a little bit only slightly softer and less murdery. Her sister, Lydia, as well as their father and mother, are all perfect examples of what happens when you bargain with the queen and when Ivy looks at the queen, yes she's beautiful but then she thinks about what has happened to her family and it feeds into her hatred for them. But is also willing to sign up to be a potential suitor for Moryen's fae son, Bram, in order to save her family and their reputation. And all that is just from the first 4 chapters.

Chapters 5-12: Okay, so let me think about how to explain all this, so there's now 6 girls in the competition for the prince's hand in marriage, including Ivy. This book feels like a mix of Bridgerton, The Cruel Prince, and Powerless. There is a little bit of enemies to lovers between Emmett and Ivy, and they talk about deseating the queen and nulling her bargain with the king from the prologue. Emmett right now feels very complex, but he is an alright character all way round. I love Ivy's character. I'm not sure how I feel about Bram. He's polite, but then again, he's a prince. I love that faes in this book also can't lie, I'm not sure if that's like a thing in faerie mythology or if it's a thing that Holly Black started in her books, but I definitely love it.

Chapters 13-18: I have read so much in just one day, lol. So curiously enough, the book isn't just in Ivy's POV, but there's also POV's about the other 5 girls in the competition. During my read of these chapters, the POVs that were featured are Olive Lisonbee after chapter 13 and Emmy Ito after chapter 17. The dynamic between Emmett and Ivy is definitely hot and cold, lol. He's obviously trying to help her win this competition and be married to Bram, and while she is very reluctant about accepting his help, she is actually doing her best at following his advice. Bram and Ivy had a sweet moment in chapter 18 as they talked about faeries and about his home and why he was sent to England to be with his mother. Now, about faith, I don't know if I should hate her or not. In a way, she feels like Blair from Powerless series, and I really don't like Blair from that series, lol!

Chapters 19-22: So straight after chapter 18, we get a POV of Marion Throne, and from her POV, we get a vibe that she likes girls romantically, which I'm sure doesn't go down well in regency England and I have a suspicion she likes Faith romantically. Now, I haven't really talked about the trials themselves, and that is because they are quite harmful, like they actually make the girls bleed, overall, I always want you guys to experience the trials for yourself when you read the book. I want to talk more about Olive because, oh my god, this girl is such a romantic, and everyone is just hating her for loving the prince, I swear to god if anything happens to Olive I will crash out lol! Going back to Ivy and Lydia, I'm definitely getting a Jude and Taryn situation, and I'm not saying they're the exact, but the vibes are definitely there enough for me to see the similarities, which I love because The Cruel Prince is a favourite series of mine.

Chapter 23-28: Okay, so, these chapters were a rollercoaster in itself, lol, from highs to lows, especially between Ivy and Emmett. We got more information about Emmett's childhood and how starved for love he is, and honestly, that's relatable cause even I'm starved for romantic love. We did get a one bed scene between Ivy and Emmett with him showing her how to properly kiss! I'm very neutral about one bed tropes, you see... Anyways, we got another POV from another girl in the competition called Greer Trummer, who was a childhood friend of Lydia and Ivy. This POV is set after chapter 26, but uhm, after the trial set by the queen, it's a bit unclear whether Greer actually died or she ran away with her lover, I'm hoping it's the latter given what Ivy says in her POV. Another thing I'd like to add is Faith's character growth as her and Ivy are gradually becoming friends/allies themselves.

Chapters 29-35: Wtf did I just read? These chapters were so heartbreaking, and oh my god... That was for real a ride... Ivy and Emmett. Oh my god, the yearning from Emmett when Ivy is marrying his brother and she has no memory of him. It reminded me so much of Kai in the epilogue at the end of Reckless when Kitt tells Paedyn that she'll be his wife. Also, Bram is like... A worse version of Cardan, well, maybe not worse, but like maybe if Cardan didn't have Jude with him, it is what I'm trying to say, safe to say, I don't really like him as much as I did before. Before I go into my final thoughts, I want to share some quotes that broke my heart.

This was in Emmett's POV, and you can see why I said it reminded me of Kai at the end of Reckless in the epilogue.

Yeah, you can also see why this broke my heart but also the callback to when they first meet in the first chapter 🥺. This was in chapter 32, by the way.

Final thoughts:

Credits for this beautiful rose divider go to @dollywons.

So, this book was a good read with the book feeling like a blend of Bridgerton and The Cruel Prince into one book as well as the right pace for a slow burn. Those last few pages were such a rollercoaster of plot twists on top of plot twists as well as questions being answered, such as what Lydia bargained for and where she disappeared to at the beginning of the book discounting the prologue. I also loved that the book wasn't all in one POV, that it featured the POV of the other girls in the competition, as well as the POV of Emmett and Lydia, as it helped to feel more connected to the characters, especially Faith and Marion, who are more or less confirmed to be lovers.

I definitely plan to buy the second book when it comes out on paperback, which will be 14/1/2027, I really want to see Ivy and Emmett get their happy ending, especially now that she's gotten her memories about Emmett in those final few chapters of the book, as well as her sister, Lydia.

I also recommended this book to @blehp626 and @emmahatch-writingpage7 as I believe they'll enjoy this book as much as I have.

My next read is a book that Emma convinced me to finally read, which is This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi, yes the Queen behind the Shatter Me series. Emma has said a lot of good things about this series, and I have been eyeing up the book for some time, but now, I am about to read the book, so see you guys in a few days for the review of that book, bye!

[emmahatch-writingpage7]

My next book review: Siege And Storm by Leigh Bardugo!💚🐍🌩️

Started: 03/07/2026. Finished: 08/07/2026

Front cover of the book!⬆️

My thoughts and review!

Spoiler warning: There may be some spoilers. I suggest you read this and the first book before reading my review. You have been warned.

Plot:

A great plot, with very interesting twists. I liked the plot of this better than the first book, it had a lot more action and tension between characters. All the new characters that were introduced had great impact to the plot (in a good and bad ways for Alina). And I liked how actions from the first book caused consequences/problems for all the characters throughout this one. There were still a couple parts I wasn’t sure on, but I overall enjoyed reading this book and it allowed me to be more invested in all the characters.👏

World building:

I love this world. It’s so interesting and fantastic! What this book focuses on is; the saints, amplifiers, the fold , the darkling and Alina’s powers. The saints were interesting to learn about, however some died horrible deaths or live a tragic fate and Alina learns of this from a book called the Istorii Sankt'ya.( I feel all their deaths and specifically the saints related to the amplifiers are a foreshadowing.) The dark fold has grown and spread more over Ravka by the Darkling. He also is now able to create and spawn the nichevo'ya, shadow faceless beings that can easily tear you apart.(this was a little horrifying) This was because of what happened in the ending of the first book. Alina’s powers continue to grow more stronger and powerful after (spoilers)she gains two amplifiers. And for others reasons I won’t reveal(trying to not spoil too much), the Darkling is able to appear and speak to her at times as an illusion.(I believe he does this throughout to manipulate her, in which he does almost fully succeed.) The whole world is changing because of the Darkling and Alina, I wonder what’s going to happen to Ravka in the end.(And I’m also just excited to continue being in this world!)⭐️

Characters:

Alina- I love reading from her perspective more and more. She is a wonderful, interesting and complex character, that you just want to root for. Her character development has been slow but it’s now paying off in a worrying way. As she gains two amplifiers, it seems like all the power is corrupting her and that she’s is craving more. (I believe that’s what happened to the Darkling also) I am very worried but curious to see when/if she gains the third amplifier and how it will affect her. But she is fighting against those thoughts, mainly because of her wanting to be with Mal and afraid of being to different will push him away and could hate her. Her dynamics with all the characters are diverse and interesting. Especially the new ones introduced, they all had impact on the plot and on Alina.(in good and bad ways) I love her as a character and I’m nervous to see how her story ends!💙☀️🤎

Mal- I love him so much!! It’s so heartbreaking how much he loves and care for Alina. And despite being against anything, he always follows and is willing to be there for her. Even when he’s struggling to just fit in. My heart broke seeing them argue, but it was realistic/relatable how people change and at times struggle to stay together. There was a moment when I was mad at him.(spoiler: when he kissed Zoyla) But that was after they both had grown distant from each other and Alina pushing him away. (Which they both do and also not communicate properly. They need to work on that, but idk if they will be able to. Especially after seeing the stakes being set for the next book) I do hope the best for him, he deserves it so much! I hope him and Alina could reconnect more again in Ruin and Rising.🏹

The Darkling- I hate him so much!! He is so disgustingly cruel and demented. A great villain, that makes you root for the main character to defeat.(which she did try in this book, won’t say anything more) We have yet to know his true name/identity.(I’ve read that we do.) Some parts of his backstory have been said, but only in little bits. Which there is a book that explores that fully (and will definitely be reading in the future), but I’m interested to see if anything more is revealed in the third book. The way he plays, manipulates and treats Alina and Mal, is so horrible. But I believe that he is jealous of Mal, because of Alina choosing to be with Mal instead of him. Like he thinks he has this right, that they belong together because of being two of the most powerful Grisha. He is so delusional, ugh I hate him!! But as I said in my shadow and bone review, he is so intriguing. And I believe my reason why is that he is a villain that is very prominent in the plot, because I’ve read a lot of villains where we don’t see them until like the big battle.(or like lurking in the shadows and authors hold off from revealing them) But the Darkling is right there immediately, showing us who he is. We just weren’t sure because Alina wasn’t. He is a very well written and great villain. He better be defeated by the end of this story.⚫️

My favourite characters: Alina, Mal, Sturmhond, Toyla, Tamar, Genya, David, Botkin and Bahgra.

Overall:

Star rating: 4.75⭐️’s

This book was amazing and a lot better than the first one. I am just so obsessed and invested in this world and characters, so fantastical! The bonus content of this book was an q&a from the author and what stood out was that this world/the GrishaVerse was inspired from Russian culture and I can absolutely see that. Which I find very cool and always love to find out where how, why and what a world is inspired from. Oh I wonder how this story is going to end. And I will say, I do sort of know what happens to Alina after reading the Six of Crows duology, but it was never revealed how. (or much details) So seeing what happened in the ending of this book, I feel it's going to lead to something very heartbreaking. (For me and all the characters that care/love her.) I liked reading this book and will be immediately reading the next and final book of this trilogy, Ruin and Rising!🤍

More images:

Dividers credit to; @wallpaper-and-bannerz, @cursed-carmine , @zaldritzosrose , @saradika-graphics . Thank you!🤍

Back cover of the book!⬆️

The bookmark I used!⬆️

My next book read!❤️🐦‍🔥🔥

As I said above. I can’t wait to immediately start reading this book!( but also a little nervous) I need answers and to see how this story ends!❤️

If you wish to, please follow my page for more book reviews and writing posts!🤍🫶🤎

[aloraslibrary]

Book 25 of 2026: Crown of Midnight by Sarah J Maas 👑

⚠️ Warning: This post may contain SPOILERS for the book as I will be sharing the plot, my thoughts, and what happens in the chapters. This will be your only warning before continuing the post. Additionally, this will be book 3 of this series in chronological order. If you don't want to be spoiled, please go and read the two previous reviews of the previous books I've done. Thank you. ⚠️

Book 1: The Assassin's Blade

Book 2: Throne of Glass

Front cover of the book and the bookmark I'll be using:

Start date: 28th June 2026

Finish date: 3rd July 2026

Star rating: 4.9/5 ⭐️

Book synopsis: Celaena sardothien won a brutal contest to become the King's Champion. But she I'd far from loyal to the crown. Her deadly charade becomes more difficult when she realises she is not the only one seeking justice. Her search for answers ensnares those closest to her, and no one is safe from suspicion - not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a princess with a rebel heart.

The secrets they have all been keeping will lead to an unspeakable tragedy. As Celaena's world shatters, she will be forced to decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie... and what she is willing to fight for.

Let's see where Celaena's loyalties lie, shall we?

Part 1: The King's Champion: 4.8/5 ⭐️

Chapters 1-10: Okay, so these chapters were mostly the introduction chapters, such as seeing Celaena on her missions given by the king and being assigned to another mission. Chaol and Celaena are also bonding while also having some good banter together. Dorian and Celaena, though... This guy is still yearning, but he's also a little mad/upset at Celaena for how things ended between them. He is so jealous at how Celaena looks at Chaol, and oh my god, I don't normally like love triangles. They're a hit or miss for me, but the drama between these three is just so good, haha! Also, I accidentally overshot and read chapter 11 already, but oh my god, AELIN IS MENTIONED! I thought this didn't happen until like later on in the series, but oh my gosh! Also Chaol's angry confession about caring about Celaena was just so cute.

Chapters 11-20: Okay, so, these chapters were actually so sweet and warm between Celaena and Chaol, and they're actually growing on me the fact that they're learning to let each other in bit by bit is just so sweet to see. There's this line from chapter 17 about Celaena while dancing with Chaol

Also, about Dorian, don't get me wrong, I'm still liking him and simping for him, lol. But he is definitely changing in his personality. He still sees Celaena as a friend, but he is still a little bit yearning for her, but he has no now moved on from her (don't worry, Dorian, you'll soon meet your girl Manon eventually). Also, he is just discovering that he has magic and understandably he is scared because of his father, FUCK YOU KING OF ADARLAN! I seriously hate this king SO MUCH! The other chapters I liked from this block of chapters are 11, 12, 13, 14, 17 and 18.

Chapters 21-29: CAN CELAENA NOT HAVE SOME PEACE FOR FIVE MINUTES, LOL!?! These chapters reminded me so much about the final novella in The Assassin's Blade, The Assassin and The Empire, because the situation was so like Sam's situation, and I love that Celaena is so fiercely protective and so possessive towards who she loves romantically because she just stops all thinking and springs into action immediately, all she can think of is murdering those in her way and saving the one she loves, she did the same with Sam and now she did the same with Chaol. Unfortunately, though, this first part of the book doesn't end happily despite how fast she ran back to the castle... She wasn't in time to save Nehemia... Yeah, yep... NEHEMIA IS DEAD I KEEP GETTING ATTACHED TO THESE CHARACTERS AND THEY END UP DYING ON ME! IT'S LIKE READING THE EMPYREAN SERIES AGAIN LOL! NO ONE IS SAFE!

Part 2: The Queen's Arrow: 5/5 ⭐️

Chapters 30-40: Can I just say that... Celaena Sardothien is the literally definition of feminine rage... I love that as soon as someone she loves, she immediately wants to avenge them. She was with Sam, and now she's the same with Nehemia, but also, her grief is just so... Heartbreaking because Nehemia was her best friend and ally in all of this mess and their last interaction was not a good one... Thankfully, revenge has been taken, and it was definitely chilling... On a brighter note, Dorian and Celaena are gradually becoming friends once again, but oh my god, Chaol... The post break up between them is heartbreaking but also somewhat understandable...

Chapters 41-50: HOLY FUCKING SHIT WHAT DID I JUST READ!?! THE PLOT TWISTS WERE CRAZY AND OH MY GOD THE TENSION OF FIGHTING! I can't even say a lot because of how much spoilers there are but oh my god... I can just imagine how much that specific plot twist would've surprised people when this book first came out because I never even suspected it, I mean I knew who Celaena is but I never knew how, you know? I thought her situation was similar to Feyre's transformation or Nesta and Elain's transformation, but no, she was ALWAYS that race. The friendship between Dorian and Celaena is growing back to becoming stronger once more, and oh my god, the quote about Dorian's magic:

These chapters truly are the last 100 pages madness of a romantasy/fantasy book, lol, AND I AM HERE FOR IT!

Chapters 51-56: I need Heir of Fire in my hands now, but that won't be until some point in autumn. But I love that we see the truth about Celaena through Chaol's pov, and honestly, his reaction about it all was understandable. These chapters were mostly just about truths being revealed and to set up for Celaena's next step in her journey as she goes to Wendlyn. I do hope that Chaol doesn't become fully an asshole, I've heard quite a bit of things about Chaol and Celaena, and he was like Tamlin with Feyre, but I'm not 100% sure how true it is.

Final thoughts:

Firstly, credits to @droideplane for this beautiful butterfly divider.

Now, you may have noticed that in the review above, I rated the two parts of the book and based my overall star rating off those ratings. For let me first explain the two parts of the book ratings, and then I'll explain why I gave this book 4.9/5 ⭐️ yet again.

So, the reason why I rated the first part of the book 4.8/5 ⭐️ is because overall, it was a strong first half of the book. It had mystery, romance, angst, and tension, and the ending of the first half was so effective as a cut-off point into the second part of the book. I also loved that we saw more vulnerable sides of these characters that we didn't see a lot of in Throne of Glass. The 0.2 rating loss was mostly due to how I felt about the character dynamics from the ToG (Throne of Glass), such as Dorian and Celaena's friendship, I didn't like the fact that they were fight together and that it felt like their friendship was breaking but I was so glad to see that they're back to being friends again at the end of the book, that was 0.1 point taken off, the other 0.1 point loss was Nehemia's death.

Now, part 2 of the book was so fucking good that I had to give it 5 stars. This part of the book was 5-star worthy. Those last few chapters when everything was answered and all the pieces came together were so good! On the other hand, I can't tell if I still like Chaol or not after this book, but I'll try and keep an open mind about him. I loved that this book didn't necessarily end on a cliffhanger, but more so, it gave me a good enough about of knowledge about what's going to potentially happen in Heir of Fire without me reading the sneak peeks of the next book. But overall, this book felt like for me is where this series started really ramping up, just like how ACOMAF was where the ACOTAR series felt like it was starting to pick up.

Well, there we have it! My last SJM book review until we come back to her works in August with HOEAB, book 1 in Crescent City, and then ACOSF. We are about to enter my July TBR, which will include The Rose Bargain by Sasha Peyton Smith, This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi (Thank you @emmahatch-writingpage7 for convincing me to get into this series hehe), Rewitched and Uncharmed, both by Lucy Jane, A Dance of Lies by Brittney Arena and more if I can fit more into July. See you all soon!

[shit-people-probably-didnt-say]

Inej: We’re in this together

Kaz: Until the bitter end

Matthias; Given your decision making skills that may not be very far from now

[luna-azzurra]

The villain does a long monologue explaining their entire evil plan to the hero while the hero is tied to a chair. buddy. BUDDY. You have been planning this for twenty years and now you're just going to explain all of it to the one person who wants to stop you. While you have him. In the chair. Why. Why are you doing this. Finish the plan first and THEN monologue. You absolute disaster of a supervillain. This is why you always lose.

[emmahatch-writingpage7]

My next book review: Shadow And Bone by Leigh Bardugo!🩵🦌🖤

Started: 28/06/2026 Finished: 02/07/2026

Front cover of the book!⬆️

My thoughts and review!

Spoiler warning: There will be some spoilers, so I suggest you read this book before reading my review. You have been warned..

Plot:

The plot was great and reasonably paced. We read this story in the perspective of Alina Starkov, who was a mapmaker and soldier in the first army of Ravka. But she was then found to have powers as the one and only Sun summoner when entering the shadow fold and then was taken to be a part of the second/ the darklings army. It was interesting to see Alina grow into more power and the darklings true intentions being slowly revealed. And I also loved the best friends from childhood to lovers romance between Alina and Mal. They are so sweet, it was wonderful how much they fought for each other throughout this book and seeing them discover their love for one another, was one of the good parts of this book.(everything else, interestingly horrifying and sad) I liked the action whenever there was(which was sparse but still good) and there were many tense moments that put me on edge. Especially the ending(spoiler), I’m so glad Alina and Mal were able to get away, but for how long with the Darkling having access to the first and second army. Well I’ll find out when I read the next book, which will be immediately!(Hehe)

World building:

I love the world building of this book and all the GrishaVerse books I’ve read so far.(the Six of Crows duology I’ve read before) But for this book; very immersive, unique and interesting. I loved learning more about the grisha powers and how big of a part they play in the King of Ravka’s second army. (More like the darklings army, read the book to find out what I mean) And hearing more on how the other kingdoms thought, treated and used them, was heartbreaking and sickening. The kingdom of Ravka was describe well and had interesting locations. The grand and the little palace, Kribirsk , Tsibrya and the shadow fold to name a few. Speaking of the shadow fold, this is one of the things that also continues to intrigue me the most. It’s a darkness that acts like an ocean/border in Ravka and from within had creatures made from lost humans to the fold called the Volcra. With the Darkling/The Black Heretic being responsible for its creation. How the shadow fold was described was very well done and put me so on edge the two times Alina entered it. One more thing was the amplifiers made and used from animal bones, pacifically Alina’s being made from an Morozova’s stag. Such a beautiful creature that also was only used for power. I hated what the Darkling and his guards did to one of them to obtain the bone. Because of this fantastic and interesting world, I can’t wait to continue this trilogy and continue to learn more about it.

Characters:

Alina- I love her! She is a wonderful, interesting and relatable character to read from. Her character development was great(I do feel it could have been better paced) and I was easily able to connect with her. Specifically about her hiding and pushing down her own power just so she could stay and be with the people she cares about.(Which is heartbreaking in so many ways) Loved how she became more confident in herself and when she also began to realise the darklings true intentions, until Bahgra informed her about everything.(I hope she is okay, Alina doesn’t know what happened to her after leaving the little palace..🙁) She cares so much and tries to be her best for everyone and it’s heartbreaking on how so many people took advantage of that. But I feel she learned to be the best for herself and then for people who choose her despite being the best or not just as “the sun summoner”. (ie. Mal, Bahgra and Genya!♥️) She is an incredible character. I’m excited to immediately continue reading from her perspective in the next book!🤎☀️💙

Mal- Even though he only appears in the beginning and then fully when we got close to the end.(because of Alina being taken to be a part of the second army) He was still a wonderful and interesting character to read about. It was heartbreaking seeing how he was treated for trying to help Alina.(Yes he committed treason…but he did it for very good reasons and for his woman!!) And he cared so much for her, especially when seeing the letters from him. (in the bonus content at the end) He was always willing to risk his life for everyone he loves and the way he became protective of Alina was heartbreakingly sweet. I can’t wait to read more about his character again in next book!🩵

The Darkling- An great antagonist. I don’t usually write a lot about the antagonists, however the darkling horrified me in such a way that I had to write about him. His view of the world, with him and Alina being the answer to peace was so demented and very well written. I was so suspicious and uncomfortable with all his actions in the beginning. I felt he was manipulating Alina and was proven right when he forcefully kissed her. (That was just the start of what he forced her to do.) He is so power hungry and greedy, but also very terrifying in his power and knowledge.(which makes sense because he is apparently hundreds of years old. But also uncomfortable after finding out afterwards that Alina is apparently 17 in this book.😬) Even his sincere moments I feel now was just fully manipulation.(ugh! I hate him!!😖) And yet, he is still an intriguing character in an horrific way. I am interested to see how he continues to go after Alina and Mal, now after they have just barely escaped him and what he will do next.(I hope he also gets defeated and dies by the end of this series. And his true identity is revealed)⚫️

My favourite characters: Alina, Mal, Genya, Botki and Bahgra.🤍

Overall:

Star Rating: 4.65⭐️’s

This book was incredible, interesting and horrifying. It had a great and reasonably paced plot, amazing characters, a horrifying antagonist and fantastic world building. I’ve head many people say that that this book is Leigh's earlier work because of the writing, which I can tell and will agree. However!☝️By reading the six of crows duology before, you can see in comparison on how much she improves. The writing was overall great, with the plot being a little stagnant in the middle, but it did pick up in pace and had more action by the end. Which all in all, I find inspiring. I would say the strengths/highlights of this book was the characters and world building. I’m still invested enough that I really want to continue this trilogy, gladly I have the next book, Siege And Storm, already in my hands to read! I’m eager to see what happens next in Alina’s story !🖤🦌🩵

More images:

Divider’s credit to; @wallpaper-and-bannerz , @cursed-carmine , @saradika-graphics and @zaldritzosrose ! Thankyou!🤍

The back cover of the book!⬆️

The bookmark I used!

My next book read!🐍💛🌩️

As I said above, I will be continuing this trilogy!🤩I have planned to read all three books in a row, which I always love whenever I can! Let’s see what happens to Alina and Mal!(I hope their love grows even more!) And what the Darkling is going to do next…(Nothing good, as he is the antagonist after all.😅)

If you wish to, please follow my page for more book reviews and writing posts!🤍🫶♥️

[shit-people-probably-didnt-say]

Jesper: *Holding a dodgeball behind his back* Hey, can I bounce something off you real quick?

Kaz: Only if you feel like dying today

[hanakimicali]

[busyasabbee]

Its always "she's so fit" and never "she laughed and if he could have bottled the sound and gotten drunk in it every night, he would have"

[tragoidi]

[writingisbestonrainydays]

high-tension romantic scenarios to get lost in

fixing each other's collar/zipper/tie/etc - getting unexpectedly close, breath catching when they realize (or their light touches burning into the other's skin)

^ also moving someone's hair out of their face/behind their ear

^ or touching someone's necklace/bracelet/watch

eye contact in a crowded room, but not exchanging any words/expressions - just looking at each other, the rest of the world going still.

^a(n unironic) wink in this situation. or an eyebrow raise, lick or bite of lips, or head tilt. there's something in the subtlety of it - like "this is between us"

pulling someone in by their belt loops??? this is so random idk

feeling the other's breath/lips ghosting their neck

any sort of whisper. anywhere. goddamn.

a long pause when someone is speaking, as though they lost their train of thought while looking at the other person

their bodies accidentally pressed together - being stuck in a small space, falling onto one another, or having to sit really close together. the pause when it's realized.

^this but they're hiding

"make me"

"i dare you"

"and if i do?"/"what will i get (if i do)?" "show/tell me what you want"

the pinky reach before holding hands for the first time

slow dancing (the hand placement, eye contact, proximity, MUSIC)

teaching the other something that involves physical contact (like holding their hands while trying to balance on a skateboard, or guiding their hands somewhere)

eye contact, waiting for one to fold

"don't do that to me" (tempting the other)

sharing earbuds - forced proximity, the vulnerability in sharing things that matter to them

i'm back!! i'm in a huge slump rn, so submit to my "ask" box if there is anything you want to see :) alsoo if you have anything to add to this list, reply to the post!! i love hearing what you guys have to say

[straycatj]

お？

Oh...?

[straycatj]

おぉぉ？

Ohhhhhh!?