howlinglibraries's Reviews (1.85k)

I loved Smile so much a few weeks ago that I rushed to pick up Sisters from the library, too; sadly, though, this one was pretty disappointing in comparison. It's not a bad read by any means (as you can see, I still gave it a pretty neutral rating), but I feel that its storyline is extremely weak compared to its predecessor.

To be fair, maybe it's one of those "it's the reader, not the book" moments happening here because I don't have siblings and can't relate to the struggles of sisterhood — but to be fair, books like this would have only reinforced how much I loved being an only child, had I read this as a kid. These two are so awful to each other and the only resolution found at the ending is minor and bittersweet. I didn't enjoy reading about them being at each other's throats the entire time and found the whole story to be pretty bland. A little too "slice of life" for me, I suppose.

#1 A Darker Shade of Magic ★★★★★
#2 A Gathering of Shadows ★★★★★
#3 A Conjuring of Light ★★★★★

"There's Dull London, Kell London, Creepy London, and Dead London. See? I'm a fast learner."

Despite the fact that the four Londons share a name, they have little else in common; one is brimming with life, one is held captive by wicked rulers, one has no magic at all, and one is dead. While there used to be traversing between the Londons, now the doors have been sealed to all except the Antari: magicians with the ability to command blood itself, allowing them to travel between the parallels.

One of the last two remaining Antari in the world, Kell, is the unofficial carrier of messages between the three living Londons, but his entire world comes crumbling down around him when he is tricked into taking a magical object that has enemies hunting him down from one city to the next. When Lila, a young thief and aspiring pirate, is drawn into the middle of his adventure, Kell must learn that the boundaries between good and evil magic aren't as defined as he once thought they were, and he must straddles those boundaries to right what has been made wrong.

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This book was my first ever Schwab read, and I went into it a little bit apprehensive, because she is so widely loved that I wondered if this series would live up to the expectations I had for it. I picked it up for the Life & Lit June group read, and ended up putting it off until the last possible minute because I was so wary, but my nervousness was entirely unfounded. This book was phenomenal!

KELL ➳➳
What can I even say? Kell is one of the most lovable male MCs I've seen in a really long time. He's so loving and protective, despite his ongoing self-identity crises regarding his family. He loves his brother Rhy with a fierceness that I couldn't get enough of, and he's just so genuinely good in his heart that I couldn't help but root for him. He's one of those MCs that makes me afraid to continue the series because I can't handle anything terrible happening to him.



LILA ➳➳
I didn't really know what to make of Lila at first, because to be frank, her excuses for thievery kind of rubbed me the wrong way. Like... you're just going to steal from all of these people because you can? I wouldn't have minded so much if she just stole food or whatever, but trinkets? (I revisited this annoyance a few times later in the book, too.) Overall, though, I really enjoyed her sassy attitude and the way she refused to let anyone tell her what to do or hold her down. I loved that she insisted on going on an adventure, even if it meant risking her life, and her interactions with Kell were just adorable.

RHY ➳➳
Adorable. Absolutely adorable. He actually made me cry a few times because he just is so pure and innocent and golden.

HOLLAND ➳➳
Holland honestly gave me the sketchiest vibes ever from the beginning, but I think he's a fantastic character and I pitied him more often than not. I know some shit went down, but I really hope we get to learn more about him later in the series.

PLOT & WORLD ➳➳
I thought the plot, as well as the world-building, were absolutely incredible. I loved the idea of these parallel cities that the Antari could travel between, and I thought the magic system was beautifully built up. Too many books ignore the foundation for their magic systems and you're kind of left just going, "oh, well, it's magic and that's that," but Schwab didn't do that at all in this book. The idea of these Antari being sort of the chosen ones who could control blood was just badass as hell, and I really hope that Kell and Holland aren't actually the only ones left.

WRITING ➳➳
Like I said, this was my first time ever reading anything by Victoria Schwab, so I had no idea what to expect. My very first impression from the opening segment,

Kell wore a very peculiar coat.

It had neither one side, which would be conventional, nor two, which would be unexpected, but several, which was, of course, impossible.

was that her writing reminded me a great deal of Tolkien, circa The Hobbit. As I got further into the book, I did find that Victoria's voice is very much her own, but I enjoyed it to no end. It was the perfect balance of straightforward and flowery prose, and it painted a splendid picture while never wasting too much time on the details.

FINAL VERDICT ➳➳
Overall, I thought this book was a fantastic beginning to a series and I cannot wait to continue with book #2. I gave this an easy 5/5 stars and would recommend it to anyone who likes three-dimensional high fantasy read, full of a delightful set of characters and a terrifically intriguing world.

You can find this review (and more) on my blog here!

#1 Clockwork Angel ★★★☆☆
#2 Clockwork Prince ★★★★☆
#3 Clockwork Princess ★★★★★

If you’ve read my Clockwork Angel review, you already know that this series didn’t start out on the right foot with me. After how much I have been loving The Mortal Instruments as a series, I was so hyped to start this trilogy that I never imagined it might be anything less than amazing. Unfortunately, the first half of this middle book suffered the same problems as the entirety of the first book: I couldn’t connect to the story, I didn’t care about most of the characters, and I was bored. Thankfully, sometimes it just takes a little time for a book to “click” with its reader, and in the end, Clockwork Prince finally clicked with me.

“Lies and secrets, Tessa, they are like a cancer in the soul. They eat away what is good and leave only destruction behind.”

I never thought I would say this about any book in my life, but what finally made me start to love this series wasn’t the plot, or any specific character, or a twist, or a theme… it was the love triangle. If you haven’t read this series, let me tell you, I am convinced that it is the singular greatest exception to the rule when it comes to my general distaste for love triangles, because I have never, in my entire reading life, rooted so hard for both love interests as I do in this triangle.

“Will has always been the brighter burning star, the one to catch attention — but Jem is a steady flame, unwavering and honest. He could make you happy.”

This love triangle breaks my freaking heart and I don’t even know what to do with myself. Every angle is doomed in some way or another, and there’s literally no possible way for everyone (or anyone) to turn out completely happy in the end, and that is absolutely awful in the most addicting way possible. After finishing book 1, I didn’t care when I started book 2, but after finishing book 2? I need to read book 3 right now, even though I feel like I am literally gritting my teeth in preparation for the undeniable heartache barreling towards me. Oh, and don’t even get me started on how precious Will and Jem are with their little parabatai bonding moments…

“I am not the one of us who has no heart.”

All in all, while it wasn’t a perfect read, I was still entertained, and the ending definitely has me simultaneously looking forward to and terrified of Clockwork Princess. I’ve already been warned to keep tissues on hand, and I’m sure I’ll be posting plenty of updates to let those of you who have already read the series cry right along with me.

“He’s very pretty. For a human.”
“He’s very broken,” said Magnus. “Like a lovely vase that someone has smashed. Only luck and skill can put it back together the way it was before.”

*record screeching to a halt* WAIT. You guys didn’t really think I could get through an entire one of these reviews without gushing over my sweet little bisexual warlock baby Magnus, did you?! Seriously though, oh my word, my poor heart and everything that this precious, wholesome, lovesick puppy does to me in each and every one of these books. I would read endless books just about Magnus Bane and never tire of them.

“It was books that made me feel that perhaps I was not completely alone. They could be honest with me, and I with them.”

One last thing: let’s talk about the audiobook narrators. I may reread this right after I catch up on the universe, because it feels like I missed a lot. It alternates between two narrators, Ed Westwick and Heather Lind, and while I loved listening to Heather Lind, Ed Westwick’s narrating voice is so muddled (and, at times, cringe-inducing) that I had to replay bits to make out what he said. It’s not an issue of accent (most of the audio narrators I listen to are also English); not to be cruel, but I just don’t think he’s a very good narrator.

He also narrated part of City of Fallen Angels, and I had the same issue in that one—I actually switched back to the physical format after only one chapter of that one, but in this book’s case, I needed something to listen to while running errands a lot over the last two weeks. I’d be really interested to know if I would’ve liked the book better without his narrative pulling me out of the story constantly. (Sorry, Gossip Girl fans!) Anyways, he doesn’t narrate anything besides those two books, so I’d recommend steering clear of this one and Fallen Angels, but I hear the rest of the audiobooks are great and I look forward to finding out for myself!

#1 Clockwork Angel ★★★☆☆
#2 Clockwork Prince ★★★★☆
#3 Clockwork Princess ★★★★★

This was actually an incredibly difficult book to rate, because my feelings for it are incredibly mixed. I think part of this is my own fault; I heard so many people say how vastly they preferred this series to The Mortal Instruments that I fully expected this to be a solid 5-star read, and it sadly… wasn’t.

“One must always be careful of books,” said Tessa, “and what is inside them, for words have the power to change us.”

Don’t get me wrong, I have fallen totally in love with Cassandra Clare’s writing—her characters and dialogue, especially—and this is still a fantastic read in those respects. I really loved a few of the characters: Tessa, for her wholesome nature and headstrong beliefs; Will, for his arrogant, ridiculous, Jace-like qualities (actually, I guess Jace would be Will-like…); and Jem, for his… well, Jem-ness. I mean, imagine me gesturing vaguely to all of Jem, and that’s how I feel.

“Bloodthirsty little beasts. Never trust a duck.”

There’s also some great humor, as always. If you can read Cassie’s books and not at least crack a smile, well, I don’t know if we can be friends, because her little one-liners are so weird and always make me laugh. There’s also a budding romance (love triangles, anyone?), and I suddenly understand why I’ve heard so many people say they wanted this series to end in a polyamorous relationship, because, like… how can I possibly choose who to root for?!

“There was a time I thought I was a ferret,” Will said, “but that turned out to be the opium haze.”

Unfortunately, besides the characters I loved (which was really just those three, and Charlotte), and the laughs Will’s antics offered, this book dragged for me. I thought the pacing was poor and it could have been substantially shorter, but beyond that, I just couldn’t get invested in what was happening, no matter how hard I tried.

“If no one in the entire world cared about you, did you really exist at all?”

Also, let me just go ahead and be honest: literally every single scene with Jessamine’s character made me consider putting the book down and pretending it didn’t exist. She is awful. The only way I consoled myself during and after her outbursts was to remind myself that I also hated Isabelle in book one of TMI, but she gradually grew on me, so maybe Jessamine will, too? (Come on, guys, I’m trying to be optimistic here.)

“It’s all right to love someone who doesn’t love you back, as long as they’re worth you loving them. As long as they deserve it.”

Okay, dramatics aside, was this a great read for me? No. Was it awful, though? No, not at all—all said and done, it was a solid 3.5-star read for me, and I simply couldn’t justify rounding up to 4. But there are some great moments, I have high hopes that the next two books will be far more enjoyable, and most importantly, my sweet little bisexual warlock showed up a few times, and yes, I would happily make a habit of reading 500-page novels just to get 10-15 pages with Magnus Bane. ♥

You can find this review and more on my blog, or you can follow me on twitter, bookstagram, or facebook!

While this wasn't my favorite read, it is an easy and cute read, with endearing characters and the less-than-perfect ending that seems to be Yoon's style.

Natasha is a really real-feeling character; she refuses to be the typical lovesick teen girl, and focuses instead on her family, her future, science, things she can touch and feel and control. It's a nice role reversal from the usual "head in the clouds" teen girl trope that we see so much in YA contemporary. Daniel, on the other hand, is a total hopeless romantic and offers a refreshing change from the usual "stoic, grounded" teen boy trope.

Narrators aside, my favorite thing about this book was actually the bits of backstory we got about the background characters, and the way she dove into why these seemingly insignificant characters did the things they did. It gives the entire book a feeling of fate, as every little step leads to another crossroads. It was a style unlike anything I can recall seeing in any other YA books I've read. I also have to say that I loved Nicola's touches here and there on race and culture, and the way she delved into the divides between Natasha's Jamaican family and Daniel's Korean family in a beautifully self-aware manner.

Unfortunately, the ridiculous levels of insta-love in this story were far and wide enough to lower my ranking considerably. I'm not sure how much I'll pursue Nicola Yoon's future endeavors, as it seems like I'm doomed to only sort of like her work, no matter how much I want to love it.

I'd been meaning to read something from Kwame Alexander for what felt like forever, so I'm glad to finally have picked up some of his work. Unfortunately, I wasn't a huge fan of this one! I 100% appreciate the perspectives it offered and the story it told, but the writing lost me time and time again. I read a fair amount of middle grade and I love novels told through verse, so it wasn't either of those things messing with me — I just kept feeling like The Crossover tries a little too hard to be something it's not.

It isn't a funny or "cool" story, yet the writing seems to constantly remind us that it wants to be. It's a pretty tragic tale and most of it is heavy, whether it's about fearing for your loved one's health or dealing with anger issues and loneliness, or just fighting with your family. While the heaviest and worst times in Josh's life are occurring, he's cracking jokes and obsessing over basketball instead of facing them head-on, and I don't think that's a great example to show, honestly. 2.5 stars rounded up for this one.

I finally was able to get it back from the library and finish this one! I think this is the only book in the series so far that I didn't power through in a couple of sittings (or just one), but I still loved it a lot — it just lost me a tiny bit towards the end with too much action and not enough characters being witty and dumb.

Klassen's books fly off the shelves from what I've seen, and this series seems pretty popular, so I thought I'd finally give it a try (plus, it fit a prompt for required reading in my Children's Lit class this semester). I'm so glad I did. I actually laughed out loud at the ending and I really love Klassen's distinct illustration styles, too. Most of all, I dig how Klassen's an incredibly rare children's creator who can bridge the gap between making children laugh while entertaining their parents, too (as evidenced by the shared giggles between my kiddo and me).

I figured this would be cute, but I didn't expect to love it so much? First of all, this is such a perfect read-aloud title! The Dark's voice is described right off the bat as being creaky and cold, so I tried it out on my three-year-old to make sure it wasn't too creepy, but he just got the giggles. I was super afraid of the dark as a kid and would've loved this book then, too. As someone who grew up on Snicket's sense of humor, I was happy to see it woven through this story, even if it was pretty subtle, and I enjoyed the illustrations a lot.

Full disclosure: I had to read this for a Children's Lit class, and would have never picked it up otherwise, because I really don't enjoy Cordell's illustration style at all, so I know my view on this one was a little biased to begin with. That said, I just really didn't find anything to like about Alice or her story. I don't enjoy picture books about exasperated parents and bratty children to begin with — I know, we all get tired and frustrated sometimes, it just isn't an entertaining plot line for me as a mom — and I found the story itself tremendously boring. I can't really imagine any of the kids I know enjoying this book, either.