I am so happy you asked cause I never did one with all of them so here you go(this is just based on my personal taste, putting this out cause I don’t want to burned on a stake):
1. Lady Midnight(I feel like everybody saw that coming)
2. Secrets of Blackthorn Hall
3. Ghosts of the Shadow Market
4. The Red Scrolls of Magic
5. Lord of Shadows
6. City of Heavenly Fire/Chain of Thorns
7. Chain of Iron
8. Clockwork Prince
9. City of Lost Souls
10. Queen of Air and Darkness
11. Chain of Gold
12. Clockwork Princess
13. Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy
14. The Bane Chronicles
15. City of Glass
16. City of Fallen Angels
17. A Sea of Change
18. City of Ashes
19. City of Bones
20. The Lost Book of the White
21. Clockwork Angel
22. Better in Black
23. The Shadowhunter Codex
And series wise
1. The Dark Artifices
2. The Mortal Instruments
3. The Last Hours
4. The Infernal Devices
5. The Eldest Curses
If you couldn’t tell, I have a type and it is Blackthorns(and Lightwood’s and Carstairs)🫶
10. And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie (pub 1939)
Honestly this wasn't the most mind-blowing or memorable book, but it was my first Christie and my introduction to this genre. It got me out of a slump too which was great. Christie's style is so very british but I thoroughly enjoyed this as my introduction to this kind of mystery, and I found the reveal to be surprising and well done! This book definitely made me want to pick up more Agatha Christie in the future, but I'm not in any particular hurry to do so.
9. Goodbye to Berlin by Christopher Isherwood (pub 1939)
This was actually my most recent read. I picked up this book knowing that it was the inspiration behind the musical (and film) Cabaret. This book feels much more of a piece of creative nonfiction/memoir than a novel, but it tells different stories in vignettes of people in Berlin in the 1930s. Between dancers and artists like Sally Bowles, queer people in Berlin, and Jewish people living through the rise of the Nazi party, these true stories were incredibly touching and really made me think about the way we talk about fascism today. The modern way in which people spoke in Weimer Germany, and the extent to which they knew what was going on in Germany at this time and still just let the Nazi takeover happen, is terrifying and all too real, and I am glad this book exists to highlight that.
8. Go Tell it on the Mountain by James Baldwin (pub 1953)
My first Baldwin of the year and third Baldwin book overall. I really enjoyed this book, as it was an exploration of a Black family in Harlem, and each family members' relationship with one another and with God. I loved the way the story was told, through flashbacks and memories of each character as they sat to pray in a church. Each story was both incredibly humanizing and devastating, and the ending was surprisingly somewhat hopeful.
7. Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice (pub 1976)
I read this after the second season of the amc show aired. Honestly, this book was so much better than I was expecting it to be, given what I know about where Anne Rice takes the series in the future. In this novel, the prose is so beautiful and breathtaking. Anne Rice also delves into such deep and thought-provoking discussions about God and religion, goodness and evil and monstrousness, through her characters and their philosophies, and how they deal with their vampirism. I fully feel that this book deserves to be called the modern Frankenstein.
6. Babel by RF Kuang (pub 2022)
The youngest book on here by far. I am often weary of the trendy new books and the 'booktok' books, especially those that seem to be fulfilling some kind of aesthetic. So, my expectations going into this weren't the highest, I was expecting, as is true with most 'dark academia' books, a rip-off of The Secret History. However, I was so pleasantly surprised by this book! This book is an anti-colonialist response to The Secret History and the like, and explores how academia always serves the institutions in power, and how specifically British academia has driven, and continues to drive, imperialism. This book was also very science-fictiony, and completely deserves its Nebula award. The magic system in this book is so interesting and novel to me, and i truly think Kuang is a genius. Also, I personally loved the footnotes. It's so clear how much work and research went into this book, and it adds so much to the quality of the book.
5. Animal Farm by George Orwell (pub 1945)
This was technically a re-read, since I read Animal Farm with my mom in elementary school and didn't understand it at all. So, I finally got back around to reading this and it was great. Just so perfectly told, the story of revolt from one authoritarian regime and the decline into another, arguably worse regime. It was also incredibly heartbreaking, and made even more so by making the characters farm animals. It is truly a perfect book and I know it sounds cliche, but everyone should read it. George Orwell is well-known for a reason.
4. Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut (pub 1969)
This one was unexpected! I have owned Slaughterhouse-Five for years, I think it has been sitting on by bookshelf for over five years untouched. I finally got around to reading it a few months ago and it was incredible. Kurt Vonnegut has a witty and to-the-point writing style that was difficult to get used to at first, but I definitely believe it worked in this book's favor. The childlike, simple way of writing and speaking, combined with the grim topic of WWII and PTSD, really highlight the sadness of Kurt Vonnegut's situation and how young he, and Billy Pilgrim, and all these soldiers really were. I absolutely loved the sci-fi interludes as well. It worked both creatively, to provide an allegory for war and PTSD, and literally to show just how dissociative Billy Pilgrim would get after the war. This book left me feeling incredibly sad, and I know that was just the point.
3. The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K Le Guin (pub 1969)
And the book that beat Slaughterhouse-Five for both the Hugo and the Nebula! This book is not one that I would typically read, but I am so glad that I did. It is considered a seminal work of feminist science fiction, and tells the story of a human man named Genly who goes to a planet where all the people are genderless. It is a beautiful story of finding love and understanding with other people, and learning that there are strengths in our differences, and those differences can bring us together. This is a truly great novel, and left me feeling the way the protagonist felt, having gained a new empathy and love for human beings, no matter how different we may be.
2. Another Country by James Baldwin (pub 1962)
My fourth and final James Baldwin novel to date. I absolutely loved this book. The writing style, the beautiful vibes, and the beautiful and devastating story of a group of friends in Greenwich Village, New York was so compelling. This was one of those books that I could not just put away after I finished it. I had to read and reread the book, go over it in my mind for a while afterwards. This book explores Black masculinity and Black womanhood in America, it explores queerness, and specifically Black queerness during this time, and it explores the complicated dynamics between a multiracial group of friends in 1960s America. It feels so shockingly ahead of its time.
Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell (pub 1949)
yeah yeah, this is cliche, but it's so well-known, and so spoken about, for a good reason. This book, outside of its talk about authoritarianism, was actually just a thoroughly enjoyable and effective work of psychological horror. The way that language and history can shape our current really was so brilliantly done that it had me questioning whether O'Brien was telling the truth to Winston at times. I feel like this is a controversial opinion, but I felt that many of the characters, including Winston, Julia, Syme, and even O'Brien to a lesser extent, were humanized in a way that I felt terrible for these characters. This book had such incredible world-building that I would have been okay with reading 300 full pages of Winston's day-to-day life, that's how interested I was in this horrifying world Orwell created. However, the plot was equally as compelling! I truly felt like I was there with Winston through every step of his journey, and that made this novel feel so sickeningly horrific, and so effective.
1. Trials of Apollo/Magnus Chase and the gods of Asgard.
2. Heroes of Olympus.
3. Percy Jackson and the Olympians.
5. The Kane Chronicles.
Believe me, I didn't expect this, like I thought mcga would take down pjo at most, never expected it to compete for first place!
I'd recommend it and toa at any given moment, they're just soo good!!
Currently reading tsats and I'm having some side books in my tbr (like demigods files and diaries, greek gods and other ones) hopefully I'll do a one on one book ranking after I finish.
Alright, this is it, the fan favorite. The Wings of Fire arc I've both looked forward to and dreaded the most. Forward because I was intrigued by what the first few entries had to offer. Dreaded because I never finished the arc in-spite of this. Let's just say I heard how it all ends, and between a certain villain's fate, character assassinations, and shipping wars, I wasn't amused in the slightest.
Still, even knowing this, I am determined to finish this series with an open mind. It wouldn't feel right to leave it unfinished as a big Wings of Fire fan.
If you want to know my opinion on the other two arcs, here you go:
Arc 1
Arc 3
Alright, let's do this! As before: Spoilers Aheads!
5. Talons of Power
Insert extremely relatable character number five hundred and twelve over here! Seriously, I never thought Turtle would be so relatable! He's not the most interesting or imaginative character out there, far from it, but that's the point. And in-spite of this fact, I completely understood how he felt and the actions he committed without giving them much thought, both right and wrong!
Anyway, Talons of Power is a mixed bag for me. The pacing was sluggish during Part One of the story, and as a result, it took a long time for everything to get going.
Not to mention, despite Darkstalker rising from the mountain and manipulating and changing everyone around him for his own gain, it feels like not a whole lot happens during this entry. I understand it's all build-up for the final book of arc two, but it was still disappointing.
Also, Anemone was annoying and bratty as hell, sorry I had to say it. It's understandable, given her upbringing, what's expected of her, and her actions back in The Lost Heir, but it doesn't change the fact she was irritating to deal with throughout most of this book. It made it difficult for me to sympathize with her.
Finally, it looks like this is the entry where Tui decided to insert more obnoxious, modern dialogue (the overuse of 'awesome', 'totally', 'like', and 'super weird' comes to mind) and human-references (since when did dragons sweat??). All I can ask regarding these decisions is: "Whhhy...?"
Still, in-spite the downsides, I enjoyed what Talons of Power had to offer, especially in regards to Darkstalker. I knew this guy was up to no good, no matter how nice he seemed, or how sympathetic he was at times. I dreaded every action he made, and in the end I was right to be wary of him. Seriously, that ending was insane, even if the events that took place in the Sand Kingdom weren't his doing...
Besides my favorite Wings of Fire villain doing what he does best, I also loved learning more about Turtle, his personal struggle with himself and his animus magic, the parallels between him and the countless heroes from the stories he loved, and his relationship with Kinkajou. I thought it was cute, even though it was ruined because of the love spell forced onto her.
Finally, the epic, animus showdown between Turtle and Anemone. I've been told by fans that its one of the highlights of the entire series, and they weren't wrong. Everything about it was done so well from the build-up, Turtle's reconciliation with his mother, Anemone nearly becoming a second Albatross, to the fight itself. All of it was intense and done near perfectly, it made up for most of the book in my eyes.
Overall, Talons of Power was a bit disappointing, but I still enjoyed it for what it was.
P.S: Flame, I hate you. Can you please go away forever, or at least go through a character arc so you're not such a miserable, hatable dirt bag?
-
4. Winter Turning
I'll be honest: I wasn't looking forward to reading this one the first time I read the second arc, mainly due to Winter being an unlikable, snobbish, rude and racist dirt bag in Moon Rising. Seriously, I wanted to punch him in the snout so bad...then Icicle did what she did, and I wanted to punch her instead.
Anyway, I really wasn't looking forward to reading from Winter's perspective when the time came, so you can imagine how surprised I was when I ended up enjoying this book.
The biggest takeaway from this entry for me is Winter's character development. This snot-nosed, grumpy IceWing goes through some of the best development in the entire series in my opinion. We understand why he is so hostile and sullen all the time from his backstory, and learn that he really doesn't want to be this way but his aristocratic and stressful upbringing prevents him from doing so (IceWing life is horrible, let's face it).
As he ventures across Pyrrhia to find his brother and Scarlet though, he learns to open up his heart and mind, little-by-little, and when he returns to the Ice Kingdom later on, he realizes that he doesn't want this life anymore, and would rather have his friends over his family and useless Circle ranking. I felt so proud of Winter by the end of this book...why do I get the feeling that's not going to last long?
Aside from Winter's character development, I enjoyed the journey he and his friends took across Pyrrhia. From the rain forest, the volcanic NightWing island (what's left of it at least), the mountains, Possibility, all the way to the beautiful Ice Kingdom. It's always a pleasure to explore different areas and settings in one book. Finally, the plot-twists surrounding Pyrite/Hailstorm and later with Foeslayer, the mother of Darkstalker herself. They shocked me the first time I read this book, and they never cease to amaze me to this day, I still hope Hailstorm makes a full recovery from that Pyrite experience...
While there is a lot that I liked from this entry, there is an even amount that holds it back for me. Aside from the discovery of Foeslayer and the Pyrite spell, not a whole lot else happens in this story, and for the most part, it feels like filler. Aimless, unmemorable filler to be specific, like the story didn't know which direction to take.
On top of that, Moonwatcher didn't really feel like the same character she was in Moon Rising.
Sure, she still has moments of stuttering anxiety, but where did her sudden boost in confidence and leadership come from? I also don't understand Winter's crush on her. You've only known her for a few days, and yet you're already madly in love with her? To be fair, this is a problem with almost every single Wings of Fire story that has a love interest, but it was a little more irksome here since Winter still bullies and yells at Moon and never apologizes for it, despite his apparent crush on her. No wonder why Moon chose Qibli in the end...
Overall, Winter Turning is an interesting entry in the series. It has its fair share of problems, but I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.
-
3. Moon Rising
Between the mean-spirited The Dragonet Prophecy, and the mediocre The Lost Continent, Moon Rising is easily the best introduction out of all the first entries of Wings of Fire.
Yes, the story takes place in one location. Yes, it comes off as more of a high school drama than a fun dragon adventure, and yes, the original 'dragonets of destiny' were sorely missed as the main characters.
Sure, they were present within the story, but they were side-lined to make way for the new main characters in the form of the Jade Winglet. It took some time to get used to, especially coming right off of the first arc.
Despite some of its shortcomings, Moon Rising is considered one of the best entries in the entire series, if not the best, and I'm proud to say that I'm one of them.
Moon Rising is all about set-up and build-up. It sets up the new main characters and each of their personalities and problems, establishes the fact that even though the war is over, peace is far from accomplished, and slowly builds-up to something big on the horizon, that being Darkstalker's awakening and his inevitable resurgence. It pulls off all of these feats near seamlessly, I say near because some characters, like Turtle, could have been set up a little better. Oh well, at least he gets his time in the spotlight later on.
Speaking of characters, let's talk about one of the big reasons why this book is held in high regard: Moonwatcher, our main protagonist of the story.
I absolutely adore Moon. Her shyness, social anxiety, her struggle to control her powers, fit in, and find out what's going on without running away or going insane were so relatable, it hit close to home for many people, including me. I saw myself in Moonwatcher so many times throughout this story, it was almost like looking into the mirror, without the mind-reading and prophetic visions of course.
Moon's character development and her dynamic/friendship with Darkstalker were easily the best parts of the book for me, unfortunately most of said development gets tossed out the window later on in favor of making Moon 'the girl' caught in that infamous love triangle from here on out (to which I say: "WHHHY?!" Oh well, I still love you, Moon).
Moving on, let's talk about Jade Mountain Academy for a moment. There are good intentions behind it, and a lot of hard work was clearly put into building and arranging the place so that all dragon tribes would be comfortable there. I love the atmosphere of the Academy, and I certainly would love to attend it if I could, but while the concept is great, it's extremely flawed.
The war ended only six months before the beginning of the second arc. Many dragons still view each other as enemies, and everyone learns this the hard way due to poor Winglet arrangements, and the actions of a certain murderous IceWing and MudWing....Personally, I think the dragonets of destiny should have waited a few years for tensions to ease down before opening the school (then again that might not have worked either, just look at that grudge the IceWings had with the NightWings for two thousand years).
Overall, Moon Rising is a great start to the second Wings of Fire arc, and is one of my personal favorites of the series.
-
2. Escaping Peril
Wow. I forgot how good this one was!
While I wouldn't call Peril one of my favorite characters (maybe, I'm still thinking about it), I can safely say she is one of the more fascinating ones in this series, and it was great to get an entry on her perspective.
Talk about a damaged character!
Peril is so mentally confused and broken due to her upbringing and firescales that she doesn't know what certain gestures or words mean, she literally can't touch anything without setting them on fire, and can't greet other dragons without sizing them up as possible opponents to kill.
It's so interesting, yet so depressing at the same time, especially when she can't make choices for herself.
In fact, it's because of Peril's personality, how different she is compared to previous protagonists, and her journey to becoming her own dragon that helps make this entry stand out from the rest.
Of course, there is more to love about this book besides Peril herself. Her interactions with Cliff were adorable, and I love her friendship with Turtle (yes, I see Peril and Turtle as friends, not every single character in Wings of Fire needs to be shipped just because they're nice to each other). Speaking of which, Turtle himself gets some time to shine here, which is nice since he spent the last two books either meandering in the background or not being present at all (which I understand why, now that I've read Talons of Power).
We learn a little more about the SkyWings, their Kingdom, and their culture here, as well as Chameleon the treacherous, shape-shifting slime ball of a RainWing. Ruby/Tourmaline turned out to be a much better character than anyone anticipated, and then there is Queen Scarlet. I've despised her since The Dragonet Prophecy, and after serving as the main antagonist for most of Arc Two alongside Chameleon, she finally gets her comeuppance here, Simba versus Scar style. I still cheer whenever I think of her demise in this book.
It all accumulates to a satisfying ending where Peril takes her first steps towards the right path, and has friends to support her along the way...at least until that horrifying moment when she accidentally releases Darkstalker. Talk about a cliffhanger ending! It brought back memories of The Desolation of Smaug.
Overall, aside from another out-of-character moment from Moonwatcher, Peril's murderous tendencies getting annoying at times, and Foeslayer's sudden disappearance, I really have no problems with Escaping Peril. It's easily one of the best Wings of Fire books I've read, and I'm still debating wither it's the best of the second arc or not.
-
Well, with these specific entries in this order, you all know which one is in first place then...Oh boy...
-
1. Darkness of Dragons
Yep, the big one! The most divisive entry in the series besides The Poison Jungle and The Flames of Hope is my favorite entry of the second arc! How much respect did I lose just now?
Yes I know this is the one that everyone and their grandmother despises with a passion for all too many reasons. From Darkstalker's ending, the out-of-character moments reaching an all-time high, rushed writing, to the end result of that godforsaken love-triangle that frankly should have never existed.
Countless fans have made video reviews and articles on how they would have re-written the whole book, or at least the ending. Yep, it's that controversial, I am definitely part of the minority who loved this one.
Hear Me Out! Yes, I agree this entry has an unfortunate amount of flaws. I even found a few that others haven't pointed out before.
Here are some examples: Didn't Thorn say that hybrid dragons were rare back in The Brightest Night? Then why is the Scorpion Den and Possibility supposedly filled with them? Also, Mudhen? Looks like I've found one of the few grammar errors that permeate this entry, unless Mudhen is a fun nickname that Thorn gave Moorhen.
As for the more prominent flaws, yes I agree the writing is a little more rough, especially in regards to the human-like elements (dragons make coffee and tattoos now?? And have eyebrows???), and is definitely rushed in a few areas.
Yes, the romance between Anemone and Tamarin came out of nowhere (I mean, time has clearly passed since the NightWing-IceWing war, and Anemone has been making an effort to become a better dragon since, but there was absolutely no build-up to this relationship aside from that one scene in Talons of Power).
Yes, Vulture and Onyx amounted to nothing in the end.
Yes, Foeslayer kidnapping Tsunami was unnecessary.
Yes, there is an abundance of wasted potential (not as much as The Flames of Hope at least), and yes, I definitely understand why Darkstalker's fate is frowned upon within the Wings of Fire fandom.
Believe me, I have seen every complaint and negative review from this galaxy to the next. I've hated on this book, and dreaded reading it for so long because of them.
And yet in the end...I loved it.
Is it because my expectations were so low? Or is it because I tried to go in with an open mind? Both? I have no clue. All I know is that I went in expecting the worst, and came out with tears of sheer enjoyment in my eyes.
(Winter's character was regressed in the worst way!)
-I don't know if I'd go that far, honestly. He's been under Darkstalker's spell since Talons of Power, and it's been hinted that said spell did more then just make Winter trust the overpowered nightmare. Given his experience with Hailstorm and Pyrite, of course he'd be furious about the spell once he's free from it, especially when it comes to the acts he committed while under its influence (freezing Qibli's arm, anyone?).
Now does that excuse Winter from yelling and screaming at Moonwatcher when he finds out she is friends with Darkstalker? To the point of accidentally hurting her, and expecting an apology from her shortly after, even though she had no idea about some of the terrible deeds Darkstalker was committing? I don't think so.
Winter may have gone through some great development in the past and made some extremely tough choices, but old habits don't die so easily, especially if they come right back out when you're angry and/or upset.
Winter still has a lot to learn, and considering the times he's bullied and yelled at Moon without ever apologizing to her beforehand, yeah he still has problems that he needs to sort out, and is definitely not ready to be in a romantic relationship (another reason why I think this love triangle never should have existed).
In the end, I don't mind the choice Winter made to fight for the IceWings, and leaving Jade Mountain Academy in favor of building Sanctuary. Because in-spite of these decisions, he knows he has much to learn, and at least he still considers Moon, Qibli, Kinkajou, Turtle, and even Peril to extent as dear friends. He even referred to them as his new tribe, and that warmed my heart. I hope he will find peace for himself in the future (one could argue that he already has, given his scavenger study in Sanctuary)....
(Turning Darkstalker into Peacemaker was cruel and hypocritical!)
-Ahh, yes. The very reason why I hated on this book, and refused to read it for so long.
I'm still mixed on Darkstalker's ultimate fate. On one hand, yes it was hypocritical, especially when the whole of Arc Two hammered in the theme that changing and brainwashing dragons was wrong. On the other hand though, it can be seen as poetic justice, considering all of the dragons Darkstalker's controlled and manipulated for so long. Plus, what other way was there to stop him? He was immortal, and invulnerable in both mind, body, and animus magic. Killing him wouldn't have been good enough. Turning him to stone, then? That wouldn't sit right with anyone, especially Foeslayer.
In the end, while I am making peace with how Darkstalker's fate was executed, I still think his ending would have been much stronger if he made the choice to become Peacemaker, and I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks this way.
(Qibli's side-plot was pointless, and shouldn't have taken up so much of the book!)
-Alright I'll be honest: I loved Qibli's side-plot.
Considering that everyone's favorite SandWing was absent for most of Talons of Power, it was nice to see what he was up to during that time. While it's true that Vulture came out of nowhere, and Onyx ended up being yet another generic, power-hungry 'heir to the throne', their presence and didn't bother me so much, and it was nice to see more of the Sand Kingdom. Anything to see more of the SandWings, their culture, Queen Thorn, and the Scorpion Den.
There. Those are my thoughts on the main criticisms regarding Darkness of Dragons. I hope no one will kill me for them.
Moving on, I adored Qibli's perspective, his backstory and his parallels to Darkstalker. I thought Qibli's character was just okay in the past, but thanks to this book, he has become one of my favorites. Even though he comes off as a Gary Stu at points (people claim that Moonwatcher and Clearsight are Mary Sues, yet they don't bat an eye on Qibli??), I see why the fans love him now. I shed tears of joy when he refused his chance to acquire animus magic after desiring it for so long, and I'm glad Moon chose him in the end. I've kept a close eye on Qibli and Winter since this damn love triangle started, and I can safely say that Qibli was the best choice for Moon.
Alongside Qibli, I loved the battle between the NightWings and IceWings and how that conflict came to an end. The moment Darkstalker and his mother were reunited made me tear up, I love how the themes of trust, temptation of power, and how the sins of the ancestors should not affect their descendants all came into fruition in the end, and finally, I loved how most of how the epilogue played out through the perspectives of the Jade Winglet.
I say most because if it weren't for those last few paragraphs, I believe this could have been a decent end to the Wings of Fire series. The more I think about it after finishing the second arc, the more I feel the third arc is unnecessary, even with the small hints and build-up toward it throughout the series...Oh well, I'm still glad it exists.
Overall, I loved Darkness of Dragons far more than I expected. Is it the best of all the Wings of Fire books? No, definitely not, but I'm glad that I finally gave it a chance.
-
PHEW! That's it then! 16 books in a row, I've done it (16 if I include Legends: Darkstalker)!
Will I rank the whole series in general now that I've finished all three arcs? Maybe another time. For now, I think it's time I give Wings of Fire a break, I am exhausted...
Just wait, by then I'll have a completely different opinion on each entry again.
Ranking the best The 39 Clues books(First season because the other ones just aren't canon in my mind).
SPOILER ALERT!
If you're a Clue Hunter and is reading this post, when you finish it reblog it and do your ranking of The First Season books(please I need to know I'm not alone on this fandom)(Please someone tell me I didn't get to this fandom too late). Also this is only my opinion. If you think different feel free to share your thoughts(respectly). So let's go:
My Personal Favorites:
10-Beyond The Grave(Book Four written by Jude Watson):
Honestly this book is overall good and I really wanted to go Egypt but that's only in this place because Ian and Natalie don't show up in person, they're only mentioned by Amy and Dan sometimes. It may seem like a stupid reason but Ian and Natalie were the biggest enemies of Amy and Dan, arch-enemies since the two understand themselves by person and their appearances have always been so iconic, the chases, the talks, the fights, the teasing so the fact they weren't in this book just didn't feel right. The Cahills and the Kabras have a lot of chemistry, both as enemies and as much something more(if you get me, lovers cough cough), and the Kabras have been sorely missed in this book(at least by me).
9-The Emperor's Code(Book Eight written by Gordon Korman):
I don't know compared to the other ones, this one just look kinda forgettable. Maybe because Amy and Dan spend a good part of this book apart. But of course the story has its good moments which are when Dan gives an autograph for a girl (D. Cahill is priceless), when Dan tells the Wizards that he is a Madrigal (as we say in Brazil: Iconic, Memorable and Timeless) (Dan was very amazing in this book, if you disagree, disagree in silence) and when Amy saves Ian(aka Love of her life) from falling off Mount Everest.
8-The Viper's Nest(Book Seven written by Peter Lerangis):
I love that one but the other ones are just better. I like the ending with Isabel(and everyone) thinking that the Clue was Diamond and It wasn't. I also like the scenes with Kurt because I wanted Ian to meet him and Kurt make Ian jealous of Amy(don't judge my dreams). Another thing that I really like is the history. I really like studying history and I learnt so much about Shaka Zulu. And was also with that book that I realized that Isabel had arrived to stay and that she would be the Main Villain in the end somehow. Maybe That's another reason why I don't like much The Emperor's Code:Isabel didn't show up and I thought she would appear in all the other books after In Too Deep. Natalie on Storm Warning said that Isabel didn't trust Ian and her to handle the Hunt without Isabel anymore since Russia so that just doesn't make sense. Maybe she didn't appearead to give Cora Wizard the spotlight but anyway let's continue.
7-The Black Circle(Book Five written by Patrick Carman):
I love this one so much. Probably because in this book we see that Ian is also in love with Amy. On Book three he seemed to like her but then he and Natalie let Amy, Dan and Alistair locked on the cave and we only see Amy Side of this story. Her sadness. But we didn't know if Ian was sorry, if he regreted his actions. And when they come back on this book we see Ian still likes Amy and the fandom goes crazy. I mean even if you are a Jamy/Carian shipper or shipps another shipp you probably shipped Amyan before because they were the only promising couple on the series(at least on series one). Back to the book I Love The Holts defeating the Kabras and Amy and Dan doing an Alliance with Hamilton(Dan envying Hamilton for driving a Kamaz will be Forever iconic). Also this book was when I realized Irina wasn't bad. I didn't like her in the other books and I didn't notice much of her but everything changed on this book and I started to love her. * sad sigh * Moving on!
6-The Maze of Bones(Book One written by Rick Riordan):
Uncle Rick(we call him like that on Brazil, in portuguese is Tio Rick) did a really great job on this one. For a series that has several authors writing, the beginning is very important and it is a great responsibility for the first author because those who will write later have to understand what you wanted to convey in the beginning to make a coherent continuation. Rick Riordan did it flawlessly. We can identify ourselves in the characters and we get really connected to the plot, the history, the riddles about Benjamin Franklin and after finishing the book we wanna know more about what happens next. So Rick Riordan absolutely slayed this introduction and no one can tell me otherwise.
5-One False Note(Book Two written by Gordon Korman):
This book is just unforgivable. I love this with all my soul. Probably because It talks about Mozart and his history and I really love arts. Also because the writing of this book is so satisfactory and so well done. I mean I really thought Fidelio Racco was a real person. What I also love about that book is the fact that every character get to shine. Amy and Dan are the Main characters but the appearences of all the other characters are really remarkable so yeah That's it. Deserves this spot on the Top 5 for sure.
4-In Too Deep(Book Six written by Jude Watson):
Going now to the four horsemen of the apocalypse from the best books of The 39 Clues. In Too Deep It's just something so perfect It's inexplicable. Something I don't like much about In Too Deep is that when Isabel was fighting to Irina and Ian and Natalie were watching Natalie was like:Irina is going to get Shoot on the head, That's gonna be so good. Like she wanted Isabel to do this, like she would be disappointed if she didn't, like she was used to seeing this type of thing. Then, In Storm Warning she was soft like:Not blood. It's so repulsive(several authors series problem but the series is good anyway). About that book I love the start, I love the middle, I love the apex and If It wasn't for Irina's death in the end this would probably be even higher than already is. Why Irina, Jude? Also:Why Pony? Why Erasmus? Why McIntyre? Why Alistair? Why Lester? Why Natalie? Why Evan? Why everyone? Why not Jake or Cara? Back to the story Jude Watson is Just a genius for transforming a dream(or a nightmare) in Isabel Kabra and adding her to the book. I don't wanna cry today so I'm just going for the next one.
3-The Sword Thief(Book Three written by Peter Lerangis):
If this book was a part The Plastics of Mean Girls, The Sword Thief would be Karen Smith of The 39 Clues, because let's face it:Amy and Dan were really dumb of accepting an alliance with Alistair and the Kabras. Principally with the Kabras. I mean they already were kinda used to temporary alliances with Alistair but not Ian and Natalie but they should have expected that It would have been bad on the end. I mean yes they needed Ian's coin to open the cave to find the clue but they look so surprised when Ian and Natalie leaves them on the cave and they shouldn't because that was obvious that they were going to betray them in the final. So they should have accepted the alliance but being more distant to the Kabras and preparing themselves in case they try something(which was obvious they would). But at the same time, I'm glad they didn't because AMYAN IS JUST MY ENTIRE LIFE(And even a little bit of Danatalie this book is Just a masterpiece). Just like In Too Deep, I love everything about that book, except the end. And I am a Kpop fan(not the cringe obssessed type) and I really like to study about North and South Korea and their history but South Korea's caves just left me depressed. I'm gonna cry so let's change the subject.
2-Storm Warning(Book Nine written by Linda Sue Park):
I love everything about this book. Literally everything. The start, the middle, the apex and the end. I love this book mainly because Natalie got the spotlight that she deserved. I don't know why I like Natalie so much since the start. Maybe because when I started Reading the books I was eleven, just like her. And Maybe because she was pretty, rich, savage and sassy wich I always wanted to be. But there is something more that I don't know how to explain that is really relatable about Natalie even with my reality being too different from hers and this book was the confirmation I needed that Natalie would be my favorite character Forever. I Also like it because it happened on Bahamas and Jamaica(two places I really want to go in the future) and It got a lot of revelations and twists in the end(wich I love more than everything on a book). If Storm Warning was a person and slapped my face I would probably say:Thanks, Could you do that again?
1-Into The Gauntlet(Book Ten written by Margaret Peterson Haddix):
I usually don't like the endings of books because I'm sad that it's over and as all the other books were good I usually demand a lot from the endings, even more than the beginnings (for me the final impression is the one that stays, not the first). I generally like the endings but I've never looked at a ending book and said: This one overcomes all the other books. I normally like more the start or the middle books. But man Into The Gauntlet caught me off guard. DoD is already a trash ending, comparing to Into The Gauntlet, DoD(fanfiction-forced-canon) seems even worse(if That's even possible). Everything about that book It's just top-notch, high quality, god tier, flawlessly perfect. Stan Haddix. We believe in Into The Gauntlet Supremacy.
