book rambler

17 - she/her - i need to read more

[perfectramblings]

The Cruel Prince [2018] book review//SPOILERS//

Author: Holly Black

Series: The Folk of The Air

Genre: fantasy/fiction

Overall Rating: 8.5/10

Would Recommend It If: you liked ACOTAR, you like badass female protagonists, you like fantasy politics

Summarized Thoughts: a real page turner, Im excited for the second installment! 

Long Thoughts: 

This book is a solid hit for me. I love fantasy with a touch of romance. I love unpredictable characters with questionable intentions. I love betrayal and politics and kings and queens and princes and fae. I LOVE IT ALL. Cna I also just say that this book reminds me so much of A Court of Thorns and Roses, but with a more unfeeling and vengeful protagonist? She has two sisters, one is wonderful while the other is kinda bitchy (to me anyways), just like Feyre did. Anyways, this story is definitely far from ACOTAR though. There’s something very Holly Black about it that I can’t put my finger on it. 

Now, let’s talk Jude. She’s my FUCKING inspiration. I love that through and through, even though she does the most INSANE of things, she seems so goddamn human. Well, maybe except for punching the human boy who flirted with her but hey, we all got our own faults yeah? Now Taryn is just not my cup of tea. She’s pretty spineless, pretty adaptable and has the art of surviving jotted all down but that’s what makes her so damn unlikable to me. Vivi seems more like my kinda chic actually. Judes a lil reckless. 

Okay but we have to talk about Carden and his clique now don’t we? Carden is just... weird. I haven’t really came to conclusion on how I feel about him, especially in the epilogue because damn this bitch is pretty scary but I dont hate it. He’s definitely going to come around I believe, JudexCarden of some sorts has GOT to happen. Now Locke on the other hand... this smarmy fuck. I like him. I like his flair for dramatics and his flip floppy attitude, definitely need to see more of him in the next one but Holly could just decide to kill him off, we wouldn’t know. Nicasia doesn’t stand out much, she could be dead and I wouldn’t notice actually. Valerions ded. So that’s that.

Madoc. Dain. And basically the whole fuckfest that was the coronation. It was basically the Red Wedding, but not. Literally all the twist and turns that surround Oak and Liliope, and... oh my gosh. Now Jude just needs Carden to agree to ‘rule’ for 7 years then Oak can come back. But I think that’ll be rather hard because Cardens a stubborn lil shit. 

There really aren’t much else to say, so Ill leave it at that. Cannot wait for the next book, which is supposedly slotted to be released in 2019.

[perfectramblings]

The Hazel Wood [2018] book review// SPOILER FREE//

Author: Melissa Albert

Genre: fantasy/fiction

Overall Rating: 9/10

Would Recommend It If: you like fairy tales, but twisted. You like romance, but you need a break from it. You like teenage angst and rebellion, exactly the way it is. You like writing that sucks you in and never let’s you go.

Summarized Thoughts: I loved it a bunch, the writing was awesome, I couldn’t put it down. Would sell my kidneys for author to write more stories!

Long Thoughts:

Where do I start with this wonderful book? I think Ill start with how I came upon this book. I’ve always been a crazy obsessive reader but for the past year, I went through a burnout phase where I just started books and could never finish them. it was nothing wrong with the stories obviously, I guess that my attention was so scattered that I could never commit to finish one book at all. Until this book came along, its gorgeous cover just pulling my eyes to it. 

I picked it up because the cover looked interesting, but I was fully prepared to not finish it like the other books I picked up during my phase. But surprisingly... the story just sucker punched me right in my stomach and it. made. me. OBSESSED. 

The writing, oh my god the writing, I don’t think I’ve ever been this enraptured by an authors writing. I’ve always liked stories and called them my favourites due to the amazing plot, characters or worldbuilding, but this persons writing just fits so well with the story that I was hooked. Its whimsical, magical and almost unreal.I DEFINITELY would be purchasing her to-be published books, her writing is so worth it.  Its never dull or boring, trust me on that. I never found myself skipping paragraphs like I did with bland writings. Make way for Melissa Albert, our new fantasy queen.  

The characters are amazing, Alice just puts all the other ‘rebellious yet strong’ characters to shame. Shes so unpredictably wonderful, I love her so much. Finch is amazing as well, also very unpredictable. Lets just say that all her characters have so much depth to them that Im convinced people like that exist. By the way, romance is just so overrated, who needs it when Hinterland matters so much more?

Buy it, just give it a shot. (unless you hate fantasy of course!)