#crafty readership

[crafty-readership]

REVIEW

RED RISING TRILOGY

BY PIERCE BROWN

I had heard so much about his series and always good things but it was honestly somewhere on the backburner of my TBR radar. I have so many books I have purchased and not read that I just don’t commit to anything anymore. But I was in a slump and looking for a sci-fi read...something along the lines of The Loneliest Girl in the Universe.

BUT HOLY SHIT.

“I would have lived in peace but my enemies brought me war.”

When I realized this was the opening line, I dived headfirst into the book because I just knew shit was gonna hit the fan in the most epic fashion...and I was not disappointed. Like, at all. 

I practically inhaled this series...took me all of 3-4 days and I only took breaks to sleep (if I absolutely had to, duh) or other moral obligations that could not be rescinded. It had been so long since I’d done that so this is now one of my favourite series to ever exist.

The writing? Brilliant. The plot? Fucking hell. The characters? I had palpitations constantly. This series went from high school Hunger Games to all out war over the course of three books and I loved every single moment. The characters each have their individual conflict but their relationships are so thoroughly intertwined at all times, it’s freaking amazing. The sequels have throwbacks to all kinds of moments. The worldbuilding is mind blowing. Side characters? Relevant and just as badass as the main characters. 

Basically Greek mythology with a huge dose of politics and a dash of heartbreak and treachery and strategy thrown in for good measure. I never knew I could love something so much.

Rating: 5/5 

[crafty-readership]

REVIEW

A CURSE SO DARK AND LONELY

BY BRIGID KEMMERER

A Beauty and the Beast retelling. This book was pretty hyped up and I even received a copy in a subscription box. Still smitten with the cover!

It turned out better than I thought it would...for the most part. The characters were tropey but well written and there were small twists here and there which ended up making this particular retelling unique. I’ll admit; reading retellings is a fairly new venture for me, I like to stick to the originals. However, the author did a fairly good job of establishing each character as individuals and not just their relationships with each other; the main character’s struggles with cerebral palsy, the prince’s struggles with the curse affecting his kingdom. My favourite character though was Grey and I was stoked to see his story being explored in the sequel!

Rating: 3.5

[crafty-readership]

REVIEW

A HEART SO FIERCE AND BROKEN

BY BRIGID KEMMERER

Grey was my favourite character and I totally called his background story so I was so stoked about this sequel. To be honest though, the writing in this one seemed rushed and the story really seemed to struggle in the first half plot-wise. But I loved the author’s initiative to make a seemingly powerless character like Lia Mara show strength through kindness. And the worldbuilding and introduction of other magical creatures was an awesome idea! Honestly didn’t care for Rhen until the very end. I’ll still be reading the third book though. Can’t abandon ship now. 

(I rated this book little higher than the sequel because even though I preferred the writing and plot of the first one, the characters in this one had a lot of heart and soul.)

Rating: 3.75

[crafty-readership]

REVIEW

THE CRUEL PRINCE

BY HOLLY BLACK

Fell in love with the cover but there were so many mixed reviews going around that I waited forever to read this. It was a blessing though because the third book was coming out by the time I started the series so I didn't have to wait too long to finish a story I absolutely fell in love with. Jude's personality was everything I don't like in a protagonist but because it worked with the story, I ended up loving her. The brilliant cast of supporting characters made an already colorful world even more whimsical. The drama, the twists, the deceit, everything was exciting and left me wanting more! Rating: 4/5

[crafty-readership]

REVIEW

HEART OF THE FAE

BY EMMA HAMM

I'm catching up on my reviews and this is the first in line.

I wanted to read this from the first moment I glimpsed the cover and it was everything I wanted and more. I adore fantasy inspired by more uncommon veins of mythology and folklore so this was a treat. The characters were well-rounded and the story exists in a world that seems to lie just beyond the veil of reality. Nicely written, steadily paced and romantic without being cliched. The author is also one of my favorite people I follow on Instagram, so interactive with her readers and such a fun person to fangirl with about all sort of nerdy stuff!

Rating: 4/5

[crafty-readership]

REVIEW

LITTLE PEOPLE, BIG DREAMS: MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.

BY ISABEL SANCHES VEGARA

These books are always a delight to read. Such a wonderful yet concise way to introduce young souls to one of the greatest human beings of our time. The illustrations are eye-catching and the shadow details really make them pop out. I would love to gift this to a niece or nephew to inspire the young optimist in them.

Rating: 5/5

[crafty-readership]

REVIEW

A CLASSICAL EDUCATION

BY CAROLINE TAGGART

As a sixth-grader (well, since way before that actually), I was obsessed with world history & how so many words in the English language had Latin roots & the myths of the Greeks & the legends of the Romans. If you were too & feel like your adult life is lacking fun information on these subjects, I highly recommend picking up this title.

The book has a humorous overtone so it's really easy to get through & a great way to get a brief brush up on Greek & Roman history basics. There were quite a few things I remembered having read about but still more that made the nerdy twelve years old inside me giddy! The whole tally of Roman generals and their antics is basically a brilliant fiasco that everyone needs to read about.

My favourite bit was learning basics of Roman architecture. Architecture!!!

Rating: 4/5

[crafty-readership]

REVIEW

A COURT OF FROST AND STARLIGHT

BY SARAH J. MAAS

This book really took me a while to get through which a novella probably shouldn’t. I preferred the last third of the book over the rest with more characters from outside the immediate circle showing up. Excited for the new POVs we got. I’d say Maas’s writing is more suited for longer books or fast paced plots. I definitely enjoyed the way the character arcs are headed though so looking forward to an actual new series.

Rating: 2.75/5