I’m confused and a little letdown. I also feel bad for hyping this up like crazy and getting people so excited to read it. There were good parts, don’t get me wrong, but overall, I feel like it could have been done a lot better.

3/5 stars

I read a few reviews before writing this and there were a lot of good insights and points, especially because my thoughts are all over the place and I don’t quite understand how I feel about this book.

The premise itself was interesting. Blood magic, but on a whole other level. Monsters that you would only see in nightmares. A war that has torn two countries apart. And this whole battle of theologies and beliefs. The world itself was so rich in history and religion, and I find that rare in YA. I really enjoyed the little snippets of different saints at the start of each chapter. And I liked seeing Nadya struggle between doing what the gods wanted her to do vs. doing what she thought was right/what she wanted.

Serefin, as you guys may already know, immediately became a favourite 20 pages into this book the second he decided he needed to get drunk after attacking the monastery where Nadya lived. I love him with all my heart. He is a sarcastic, self-deprecating, tired boy, who honestly just wants the war to be over, but then has to deal with a bunch of crazy shit that his father has decided to do in his absence. Despite the fact that he doesn’t believe in the gods (because he doesn’t see any point really), I felt that his character was the most consistent out of the two main characters. I loved his relationship with Kacper and Ostyia. Honestly, Serefin resting his head on Kacper was just too much for my soul. I need relationships like that where two friends aren’t afraid to show affection towards each other. Ostyia and Serefin’s relationship was also just as great. Ostyia is also amazing in all her one-eyed glory.

(My Serefin/Aldon/Caelum fanfic though…I am living for it. I actually like what I’m writing and I’m not afraid to admit it lol. This is probably one of the best things to come from reading this book).

Rashid and Parijahan were also some of my favourite side characters. I love their dynamic and I honestly wish we got to learn more about their past and how they got to know each other. Rashid is also hilarious and really lightened up this book, because it can get pretty dark at times. Also, Parijahan’s relationship with Nadya was so sweet. I love girls taking care of girls.

Now for Nadya…I honestly don’t know what to say. The tagline for this book is “Let Them Fear Her” except I don’t see what there is to fear. Nadya, while conflicted when it comes to her faith (which makes sense, cause that’s definitely something anyone who’s religious experiences), seemed to lose all her common sense and reasoning when it comes to love. I did not get this relationship with Malachiasz. It felt tropey…cause of course the main character (who is all light and good) would fall in love with a dark, mysterious monster (who we don’t know if we can even trust). The whole relationship felt staged, like it was only done because that’s what’s expected, because that’s what readers would want. I’m not saying that this kind of relationship shouldn’t be written or that it’s boring. I do feel like it’s been overdone, but it can be done in a good way. I just didn’t feel anything for the characters. Nadya constantly notices how handsome Malachiasz is, and then boom we have them falling in love, “but oh no, the gods won’t like this, but oh yes, I do like this and damn the gods.”

Someone mentioned in a review that this story wasn’t about Nadya, but more about Malachiasz. And I have to agree. Nadya’s story faded into the background. Her character revolved around a love interest who lies to her and betrays her, yet her feelings for him are so strong that she justifies his behaviour anyway and decides to go along, until he betrays her yet again, and then she’s like “okay, final straw”, before she romantically touches and kisses him right before he flies away into evil bliss. She constantly goes back and forth between doing what she had come to Tranavia to do, but then becoming distracted with Malachiasz and how he’s a tortured soul and is just ruining himself further and needs guidance. For someone who has dedicated their whole life to the gods, I found it difficult to believe that despite her questioning, at the first chance of betrayal, she doesn’t clamp down and harden herself against being used again. She lets herself get further into this mess because her character isn’t a strong, independent female lead, she’s instead driven by love.

The ending was really confusing. I’m not sure if it might make more sense on a second read, but I just didn’t understand what was happening. There was too much going on at once. The whole book felt kind of slow, but also not? There seemed to be this buildup that something big was going to happen, and then nothing really would. So, in a way, all those moments seemed to combine at the end and it made for a very confusing read. I get the author wanted the reader to understand that a lot is going on and things will be revealed or answered later, but a lot of the magic at the end just didn’t follow through with what we had already seen earlier. I had to reread sections a few times, especially with what was happening with Serefin. It was written in a pretty vague, obscure way, that made me think the author was purposely making it difficult for the reader to figure out any clues as to what was happening. I don’t know. There were just a lot of parts that had me scratching my head. It might just be because I did take a bit of time reading this book, so things might have made more sense if I had read it within a couple days.

Overall, I’m still interested in continuing this series. I have hope that the second book will be better, and I want more Serefin and all the side characters. Though at the same time, I’m not looking forward to seeing more Nadya and Malachiasz’s romance. This book reminded me a lot of the Shadow and Bone trilogy, to the point where the similarity was a bit too much, but the premise itself is unique enough that I want to know what’ll happen next.

I was so excited for this book, especially after the HCCFrenzy event, however I didn't end up loving it as much as I was hoping.

The writing really put me off. The way things were worded, sentences structured, and even the specific choice of words confused me more times than I can count. Especially in the beginning, there were so many different characters and groups of people and events thrown into the dialogue and narrative, that with the confusing way it was written, it didn't really help me understand what was happening. And while it did seem to get better half-way through the book, I still felt like I was piecing together bits and pieces without really knowing what was going on.

I did read the arc of this book, so maybe there are changes in the finished copy, and I'm really hoping the finished copy comes with a glossary or a cast of characters or something. I started to get confused between all the different terms, especially since it was hard to keep track with how much is going on in this book.

The magic system was really cool, especially with the use of gold as conduits. Though I was a bit confused with how it worked, especially considering how there didn't seem to be limits to what you could do with the magic.

As for the characters, I think they were okay. I didn't fall in love with anyone in particular. There's a lot that happens off page that as the reader you just don't expect. It reminded me in many ways of Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom. There's underlying plots that are maybe hinted at, but a lot of the action revolving these plots happens off-screen, which I found kind of disorienting.

It does make for a pretty intense conclusion however. A lot happened in the last 100 pages or so, and I will admit that while the writing and characters fell short for me, the plot was definitely engaging after the mid-way point. It's intense and fast-paced, and everyone is sort of lying and you don't really know what's happening so when things do happen it's a nice shock-factor.

Overall, an okay read. 3/5 stars

ahhh I'm so glad I picked this one up!! It was exactly what I needed.

June has such a great writing style. It flows so well and makes her books very quick reads for me. And I love the combination of historical fiction and mystery.

This book kept me on the edge of my seat. I was a bit freaked out. Forests scare me now. I am terrified I might bump into a man with a creepy white mask. But it is fine. I'm a huge scaredy-cat. It's fun sometimes to read books that scare you. It means the author did a good job.

The one thing I found super interesting in this book was how the women of Jeju are the breadwinners of the family. The men stay home and take care of the children while the women work, travel, and make money. Also the haenyeo divers are awesome.

Highly recommend if you're looking for a book that'll keep you invested from page one, and you're also looking for some historical fiction. I love learning about time periods that were never covered in school, and knowing barely anything about east Asian history, it's nice to get a glimpse into this time period.

4.5/5 STARS

I FINALLY READ KING OF SCARS AND IT WAS INCREDIBLE. I wish I could rate it a full five stars, but there was one thing that really annoyed me, which I’ll get into later.

I really wanted to read this book because of Nikolai. After rereading the Shadow and Bone trilogy this year, I realized how much I loved his character and I was so excited to see more of him. Zoya, on the other hand, I didn’t love so much in S&B. She was just a little intimidating and rude, and I wasn’t sure about her. But this book changed everything. Nina was also not one of my favourites from SoC. I really, really, really hated her relationship with Matthias, and while Nina herself was great, her + Matthias just made me roll my eyes.

King of Scars really changed my opinion on all three characters though, and I loved the growth they went through in this book.

I’ll always be impressed with how Leigh Bardugo tells a story. She has a way of weaving in plot threads that you’ve sort of forgotten or weren’t paying attention to that closely, and you’re left scrambling in the end because you’re shocked, but it makes sense, but you’re also in denial and everything is a mess

so...you're telling me that I have to review this book after reading it???

sdhjfjklsadfhdslk

i literally can't process my feelings still and it has been a few hours. THAT ENDING. HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO JUST MOVE ON WITH MY LIFE??!

seriously, do I have to write a review?

i don't know how to write a review anymore.

this book is hands down one of my favourite reads of 2021. i want to physically force everyone to read it. please read it. if you're reading this review, add it to your tbr. if you are a mutual and don't read it, you are dead to me.

okay. where to begin.

If you know me, you know I have a soft-spot for charming, knife-wielding boys who smirk way too much. Bren gave me major George vibes from The Song of the Lioness books, as well as Leo from The Rigel Black Chronicles fanfic. IT’S JUST SO GOOD. I swear I spent the majority of this book squealing.

The dynamic between Rae and Bren is just ahhhhhsdkfjsdkf. I love how outspoken she is. How willing she is to challenge him at every turn. It amuses Bren, just as much as it amuses me to read it. And Bren gives just as much as he takes. It's a very equal relationship, and I want to see more so bad *cries* I died during multiple scenes. If you've read this book, you know which one I'm talking about. He's always at her side when she needs him the most, yet it doesn't detract from how strong-willed and determined Rae is on her own. He compliments her perfectly, and assures her that her doubts about whether she is a good person are unfounded, and that she has a right to defend herself if she feels pushed by him or anyone else.

I cannot wait to see what the next book has in store. Especially after that ending...Also, I'm totally ready to watch Bren come up with more creative ways to escape Matsin.

I love Rae so much. She's probably one of my favourite characters of all time. It's interesting how different she is compared to Alyrra. Rae is strong, resilient, stubborn, and very determined. She speaks her mind and stands up for herself and others. Her loyalty towards her sister almost made me cry. And while she can be a bit rash, careless, and naive, she develops so much throughout this book.

One part I especially liked was Rae’s relationship with her sister Niya. Since Niya can't marry because of her secret, and Rae doesn't believe she will marry because of her disability, they promise to be there for each other. And while this made me almost cry, it was also a little sad seeing Rae adamantly denying the beauty and attraction she feels towards Verin Stonemane, Bren, and even Garrin. She equates beauty with suspicion and even cruelty. And we can see it's a defence mechanism for herself so she doesn't get hurt. Her loyalty towards Niya won't allow Rae to even imagine falling in love and being in a relationship. It takes her until the end to realize that she's never loved her body enough, that she deserves so much better, and if she wants more, she will have to fight and take it for herself. It's such a powerful scene, and almost made me cry.

Through Rae's eyes we see so much more of Tarinon. I really liked how many people we got to meet and see, and I loved her friendship with Kirrana. Melly was such a sweetheart, and I loved their moments together, especially when Melly was there to let Rae cry on her shoulder. Her back and forth banter with Filadon was great. We really get to see a side of Filadon we didn't see before, and I found it to be quite interesting. Rae doesn't let anyone stand in her way when it comes to protecting those she loves, and I loved a specific scene between the two of them near the end of the book.

As for Alyrra...We really get to see the repercussions of what happened in Thorn. Alyrra is different. Changed. Though in ways that are difficult to see from the outside. I liked being able to see Alyrra through Rae's eyes. Rae goes in not knowing much about Alyrra's past, but she quickly sees the kind of abuse she's gone through at the hands of her brother and mother. I loved seeing Alyrra come into her own and stand up for herself. She's quiet and patient, compared to Rae's fiery determination. Instead of trying to get the court to love her, she gets their support by showing them what has been done to her. It's quite a calculating move, and one that Rae played a role in unknowingly at first. The change we see in the court ladies afterwards was incredible. The way Alyrra draws power to her, it goes to show how dangerous the royal family can be.

There were scenes in this book that were super satisfying to read after Thorn. And if you've read Thorn, you will not be disappointed. Alyrra finally gets a chance to stand up against the abuse she's gone through. And while she is in a position of power and has people to support her, it's not just that.
The court has seen her family's true colours, and not by Alyrra's own hand. She had to do nothing except let her brother and mother be themselves. And then when the opportunity came along, she uses that to defend herself. It's another very powerful scene that left me sitting there in awe.

(I will admit, the one scene that surprised me was Alyrra telling Matsin to test Rae's loyalty. Considering everything Alyrra has gone through, for her to not be explicit enough in telling Matsin not to physically harm Rae didn't make much sense to me. Though, I guess it shows how naive Alyrra still is, it still felt a little off.)

Rae gets to watch all of this happen, and she's quite perceptive. She never once forgets how dangerous the royal family is, and their actions only solidify this. She doesn't just accept their kindness and help, but is constantly wary of how much power they have, and how they can use it to harm her or her family if they so choose. We get another wonderful seen near the end, and it honestly just made me fall in love with Rae even more. She's a character you can't help loving and rooting for. And I'm just so emotional.

This book is violent and dark. Even more so than Thorn was. But I think it does a really good job of showing what life is like for the people of Tarinon. There's a constant threat looming over Rae's head and it results in an intense, fast-paced book that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

I liked seeing more of Tarinon and getting to know the different thieving rings. Rae straddles both worlds, the politics of the city and the politics of the court. And as the readers we get to see how they all interconnect.

While I had an idea where things were headed at the end, I was still not expecting what actually happened. This book exceeded any and all of my expectations. It's not just well-written. Intisar has a way of weaving together all of these complex plots and forming a story that just makes sense, while also delving into deeper, social issues.

ITS JUST SO GOOD YOU GUYS. PLEASE READ IT. I'm sitting here writing this and getting emotional because it was so well done. I haven't read a book this incredible in a long time.

RATING: 5 stars

A really satisfying conclusion to this series.

I went into this book a bit nervous I wouldn't like it, but it ended up surprising me in more ways than I could imagine.

This is the perfect conglomeration of everything you would want from the Shadow and Bone world. I won't lie, I got emotional so many times reading certain scenes. Like literally almost cried, which is not normal for me.

I loved seeing Alina again. And then Kaz and Jesper and Wylan show up and I was squealing because it's just so great to see everything come together. We even get an Inej appearance at the end there, and seeing two Suli queens greet each other made me almost cry yet again.

There is so much going on in this book, but I loved every aspect of it. I know people had complaints that it felt disjointed reading a book from Nina's perspective and then switching to Nikolai or Zoya. But in this book, with the war looming, it worked really well. Probably more so than in King of Scars.

I also really liked how we finally got to see more of Shu Han. Everything to do with that plot point really intrigued me, and I honestly want to see more.

One thing I enjoyed about this book was that there's no perfect solution to all the problems that Nikolai, Zoya, and Nina face. It feels more realistic than concluding a book with everything nicely tied up, yet it is also frustrating because you're rooting for the characters you love and want everything to be completely over and everyone happy and at peace. I liked how the Shu Han didn't bring Ravka any aid. It sucked, but it goes to show that Nikolai can't get everything he wants or needs. It makes all the characters feel more human and relatable.

Zoya though...ahhhhhh I just love her so much. And she goes through the most character development out of all the characters in this book. While King of Scars was very much focused on Nikolai, this book was all Zoya. (Though I will say, the title choice doesn't seem to fit as well now that I've read this book).

I had issues with the romance that was hinted between Zoya and Nikolai in King of Scars. It felt very one-sided, with Nikolai the only one infatuated. Zoya gave me major aro vibes, but we get to see a whole other side of her in this book, and it kind of made sense. Being betrayed by those who are supposed to love and care for you sucks. It hurts. And it makes sense that she would close herself off to love. We don't just see it in her romantic relationships (or I guess the lack of), but we also see it with her friends. She keeps them at a distance with her anger, spite, and coldness. It's a defence mechanism, but we see that there's a lot more under all that armour. Zoya does care (her garden proves it), her desire for closeness from her friends, how she feels when she is hugged or touched, it's all there and she tries to push it away and deny it to make her stronger and resilient. It was all so relatable in ways I was not expecting. I'm actually crying writing this because I see myself in Zoya now and I understand more about myself than I did going into this book.

It made sense in the end. And it was beautiful. We don't get two couples completely besotted with each other (which would have annoyed me), but we see a beautiful friendship evolve into a relationship that I think works really well.

As for Hanne and Nina. I really loved that end there. I knew what was happening the second it happened and it's just perfection.

David though...that was just plain cruel and I am not over it.

I am excited for where things are headed though. We get a glimpse at a possible new series surrounding the Crows? Maybe? A proper end to the Darkling? I honestly don't know how I feel about him in this book. I definitely think he felt a bit different but that could be the monk he's technically possessing. Genya's observation that the Darkling wants to be remembered makes sense though, but I still want him properly dead.

I was worried I'd regret buying this book lol, but I'm so glad I did.

THIS BOOK. It blew my mind with the twists and turns. I don't want to say too much because honestly it makes for a much better, fast-paced read.

However...I did make the mistake of not reading the synopsis of this book lol. It was totally a cover pick (I mean look at that cover), and I think I vaguely knew it was about two sisters. Besides that there was a lot of hype and people screaming about this book that made me want to request it.

Going in, I was completely shocked this book was sci-fi. I was not expecting it at all, which is totally my fault. I'm very bad when it comes to reading synopses because I don't want to get spoiled, so I tend to skim very fast and only retain a few words, or I read the first paragraph and if it hooks me, I ignore the rest. I did the latter in this situation, and boy was I surprised when things got technical.

I'll admit, I'm not a huge fan of sci-fi. I find it hard to get into the story because a lot of the tech is confusing and difficult to imagine, and it also makes it harder for me to picture the characters in the setting. That's the only reason I've rated this 3 stars instead of 4. It's just not the genre I generally gravitate towards, but plot-wise it was incredible and kind of mind-blowing.

Still highly recommend this if you're looking for a book that'll keep you on your toes, and has a beautiful, realistic relationship between two sisters.

I'm just wow

That ending.

Stacey Lee is incredible. The amount of research and detail that must have gone into writing this book amazes me. She made it feel so real, and I learned a lot more about the third-class passengers that were on the Titanic. I didn't realize there were people from so many different nationalities.

Reading this book, you know where things are headed, and it kind of keeps you on edge (in a good way). Honestly, any mention of ice, lifeboats, water in general, had me freaking out. I've seen a couple documentaries about the Titanic, and I've watched that video on youtube of the Titanic sinking (over the course of hours) – that video was pretty much replaying in my head during the last 1/4 of this book – but besides that, I didn't know much else. Stacey Lee really adds so much to this historic event, and even though it is fiction, it feels very much real.

Wait, literally a thought as I’m trying to sleep.

Spoiler

The entire time Jamie is trying to get Val onto a boat and yet he’s the one who ends up getting saved

I’ll just go cry

How to write a non-spoilery review...

I just want to cry happy tears.

This book was a perfect mix of every emotion. We have the drama, the romance, lots of confused feelings, and some serious moments too. I really liked how this book touches on some of the issues that are prevalent in Muslim communities. They’re ones I’ve experienced first hand or witnessed myself and seeing it addressed in this way was very well done.

Janna’s character growth in this book exceeded all of my expectations. We get to see her still healing after the events in Saints and Misfits, and it really goes to show how trauma can’t be just brushed away with some therapy. It comes back to Janna at times and it’s really difficult for her to understand what she’s feeling and why.

There’s just so much that happens in this book and it’s all so good.

Mohammad though lol...brothers can be so annoying but he’s so sweet and protective and caring I just can’t.

And Sarah ahhhhh. I wasn’t a huge fan of her during my first read of Saints and Misfits (because she reminded me of someone), but on my second reread and then reading this book, I just felt so happy. She has such a pure heart and tries so hard to make everyone happy and seeing Janna love her so much makes me want to cry while writing this review.

Also, the Zayneb and Adam cameo

Okay, this was cute and exactly what I needed right now. I pretty much spent the entire time picturing this book as a movie playing in my head, so I'm just waiting for an announcement saying someone bought the rights. Hollywood needs to stop re-doing the same movies, especially with books like this one.

I got major Princess Diaries vibes, but it was Asian, which I think makes this 100x better. I think my favourite part was when Izumi gets to explore Kyoto. It sounds beautiful and yes I was picturing it in my head anime style for some reason and it works really well. Kyoto sounds wonderful and peaceful and relaxing and I really want to visit now.

The romance ahhh. I loved it. And I'm usually picky. But enemy to lovers works, especially when one person is the bodyguard. Akio was super sweet, and I liked the way the relationship developed.

As for Yoshi and Reina...I kind of knew what was going to happen (thanks to someone kind of spoiling it for me), but it also made sense plot-wise, I just didn't want to accept it. I wasn't 100% sure how Reina felt about Yoshi. I really thought the author was going for a grumpy bodyguard who is secretly in love with the prince kind of thing, but it did not turn out that way and what ended up happening was a million times better. I love Izumi and what she did and Yoshi 100% deserved it.

There were some cringe moments, like when Izumi and her mom chase after Izumi's dad on the highway, but it was also epic and just perfectly tropey too. Would be a really fun scene if this was a movie.

Basically, I'm saying this should be a movie.

3.5/5 stars (only reason being that it was hard for me to read and focus what with everything going on around the world, but still would recommend if you're looking for a light, fun contemporary that should definitely be a movie)