lisashelves's Reviews (976)

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5 stars
Crooked Kingdom is the sequel to Six of Crows. We follow the same crew where they left off at the end of Six of Crows. The crew most rescue Inej, get revenge and defeat the worse bad guys.
I absolutely loved the twisty and creative plot of this story. The scheming is even better than the first book! I love how small things at the beginning of the book all fell in place and were apparently part of the bigger plan. The schemes within schemes are just that I love in books because it keeps me on my toes reading. The stakes just kept getting bigger and it really felt like a rollercoaster reading the book.
The group dynamic and banter were seen more in this book. Whereas in the first book they tolerated each other and needed each other to survive, in this book they worked together not perse for their survival. I loved that development compared to the dynamic in the first. And Nina’s love for food in this book is just hands down amazing! Seriously it was built on Kaz’s scheming face and waffles.
There was a bit more romance in this book, but it still didn’t overshadow the whole plot and story. It was a nice breath of fresh air between all the action and fast paced scenes in. The characters that I was hoping would acts on their feelings did in their own ways. This made it all very realistic and really nice to read about.

Spoiler

Also I screamed when I read Sturmhond was in the building!! I love him!! Almost as much as I love Kaz!!

I really loved how the theme of hope just stood out to me. I felt like all the characters were healing/learning from what happened to them in the past. They’re learning, coping and happy. It gave a really hopeful feeling which I really liked. The ending really felt like one the characters deserved. It was an ending that left me wanting more but knowing that it finished in exactly the right place. I hope to see more of them in King of Scars, I’m not really ready to say goodbye to the crew yet.
Overall, this book pulled me in just like the first and didn’t let go. An absolute rollercoaster and like jurda parem it leaves you wanting more after you’ve had a taste!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5 stars
In a court of silver flames, we follow Nesta in her journey towards self-development in the aftermath of the War with Hybern and all that happened.
I absolutely loved the character development and the journey we went on together with Nesta. The exploration into the impact of grief and fear on mental health was amazing to read. Sjm highlighted how unhealthy coping mechanisms and self-sabotage can become someone’s only defense when they are in pain, helping us understand Nesta better. Her journey was raw, relatable and beautiful to read. How she kept falling down and climbing back up was just very empowering to read.
Cassians patience and strength in this book was also just mind blowing, whatever happened he kept reaching out his hand. It was more evidence as to what a wonderful character he is. I was so happy we got to learn much more about him in this book! The relationship between him and Nesta is not only steamy smut but what was very appealing to me was the minor displays of affection and the respect they have for each other!
The new characters in the book were also just wonderful. Their friendship, the strength they show and fighting for themselves was just wonderful to read and I just kept smiling reading those scenes.
And honestly one of the most amazing developments in the whole book is just The House of Wind! The humor it brought was just really fresh between al the screaming and crying in from my part. And Helions entrance in the book is honestly everything!
The way of writing just made it very hard to put the book down. Especially towards the end where mid chapter the characters POV would chance at cliffhanger moments! It was frustrating to not immediately know how it would proceed, but that made continuing the book just that much easier. It was also really refreshing to see the Inner Circle, who we all know from previous book, in a slightly different light because we see them through the eyes of Nesta and Cassian.
This book had me laughing, crying and screaming multiple times throughout its chapters. It was just an amazing and very powerful read and it really set a standard for me for what the other books will bring, and I look forward to the day they’ll be on my shelves as well!
I also have a theory that the red star that shot through the sky was Aelin falling through Prythian.

⭐️⭐️ / 2 stars
Thank you to BookSirens and Lockegee Books for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
The book is about two siblings who are working together to hunt spirits in the Hollows.
A lot of things in this book are just a mystery to me and I did have some small issues with the book.
First, I was a bit confused with the world and the timeline. It seemed present day with the advanced and steampunk-style technology, but they use horse-drawn carriages. I settled for a parallel world with a different progression, since the region the book takes place is a real one.
I loved how there was a disabled character in the book who wasn’t used as a trope to teach you something about the value of life or was killed off. The sibling relationship is also beautifully written. I would have liked the characters to be more developed though. Often some minor characters seemed a bit narrow-minded and Zora sometimes came across as a child who threw tantrums when it didn’t go her way. Aside from the tantrums she is a strong and independent girl. I was a bit annoyed with the actions of some of the characters and just can’t understand why people kept trying to give hard liquor to minors. Also, we didn’t have to be reminded of the crutched or the albinism multiple times per chapter.
The book was honestly hard to follow at times. The biggest reason for this was the badly explained world and environment. With badly explained I mean not explained at all. I kept reading the book just having questions about everything; what are spirits? Where did they come from? What are the different species? Why are they dangerous? What was the Great Wakening? When did this happen? Some technological terms were also mentioned which I didn’t understand and thus I just couldn’t connect to the story. I was just confused by everything. If there would’ve been an introduction at the beginning of the book or if more was explained throughout the book, I probably would’ve really enjoyed reading this one.
Because I didn’t understand the world they live in, I couldn’t understand why they went on the mission they did at the beginning. This mission was the whole build up to the rest of the story and plot. Like halfway the book they encounter a spirit and they get scared, but why? It isn’t explained why these spirits are so dangerous and what they would do. You just have to believe they would do something terrible if encountered, but you haven’t seen any evidence of it happening.
The map of the villages and the place names added depth to the story. The spirits described were quite unique. I felt like it could be a really rich world with a lot of dept from which we’ve only seen the top layer.
Overall the book had great potential in my opinion but it just isn't a book for me because I just have to many questions about everything which left me more confused than that I enjoyed it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5 stars

A good girl’s guide to murder is a story where we follow Pippa as she starts to investigate the disappearance of Andie and tries to uncover what really happened five years ago.

I love the way this book is written. It really gives you insides in Pippa’s thoughts and it feels like you’re really following along a true crime podcast or something similar. Every chapter brought out new truths and questions and you’re presented with theory upon theory that just keeps you on your toes reading. The uncertainty and questions made it a really gripping read!

You get misdirected a lot as the reader, which makes the book everything but predictable. As someone who is suspicious of everyone while reading mystery books, I didn’t see the twist at the end coming. It took me completely by surprise, which just made the book better to me. Everytime you think you’ve got it figured out; Jackson throws something your way to prove your theory was wrong. My guess as to who killed Andie just kept changing constantly. The last 60 something pages were just a wild ride where everything came to light.

I really like how you get to know Pippa due to her log entries, which are written in the first person. You really follow and see how she thinks and how she comes to certain conclusions. The rest of the chapters are written in third person. The alternation between the written person really makes reading this book more exciting.

I really liked the characters in the book. Pippa is a very relatable character who is funny, nerdy, smart and brave. Ravi’s involvement was also a really nice addition and I just love their dynamics. I also liked how the focus was just on trying to solve the case and nothing like romance came in the way of this.

Overall, it’s a clever murder mystery with likable characters and some awesome plot twists. I binge read this book in one day and as the book is part of a series, I’m excited to get my hands on Good Girl, Bad Blood.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5 stars

Heart of Flames is the second book in the Crown of Feathers trilogy. We dive right back in the world of the Golden Empire and the Phoenix Riders.

We start right where the first book ended. We see the aftermath of the battle, which explains why the start of the book was rather slow. It was expected and I didn’t really mind as I thought the pace would pick up later in the book, and it did.

The characters and world building were amazing in the first book and remain amazing in this book! The way everything is written creates beautiful and awesome imagery with epic scenes and phoenixes soaring through the air. We dive deeper in shadow magic in this book, where we dove into animages in the first. I loved getting more insight into the different types of magic.

The characters are vibrant and memorable, written with prowess to made them likable and relatable. I love Sev ever since the first book and was delighted to read how his journey picks up after the first book. Veronyka is still the heroine at the heart of the book. I loved how she grew from the first book to the end of this one. Her journey was amazing, and my heart was aching for her and I wanted to throttle her in the next breath.

Despite it being a rather lengthy book, the pacing wasn’t slow or boring at all. Mostly due to the alternating POV’s which also really gives insight into what’s happening on both sides. This makes the story only more complete to me. I loved how we also saw into Val’s darker mind during this book. We see more focused on the phoenixes, which is just amazing! The breaks between some chapters with the excerpts that give you more information about phoenix riders and the history are also really amazing to read and gives you so much more understanding of the world you’re reading about.

The romance in this book was very satisfying to read. It was light and almost fluffy next to the epic riding and fighting. It gave a nice contrast to the book’s other events.

I’m so glad I waited with reading this book, because I don’t think I could’ve waited for over a year for the final book to finally be released. Especially with the cliffhanger on which the book ends! To be honest the chole conclusion of the book was jaw dropping!

Overall, the book wasn’t boring or seemed unimportant like some middle books in series sometimes do. It was an amazing read making me all the more exciting to finally read Wings of Shadow in July!

⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 3 stars

The Gilded Ones is a fantasy story about a group of girls forced to join the emperor’s army when it’s discovered that forbidden magic blood flows through them. They'll have to rely on their unique powers and on each other to survive the dangers awaiting them.

I loved the topics the book dealt with, but I did find it to be lacking in some ways. The book was a fun and quick read, and it was quite fast paced. I absolutely love how women empowerment and girl friends are written in this book. No girl on girl hate or anything! Some heavy topics like race, patriarchy, sexism and feminism are also handled and executed very well.

The narrative seemed a bit inconsistent to me. There were some time jumps between chapters than weren’t all that smooth, but I do prefer that above filler events. Also, in towards the end we read how Deka had gotten her answers, but we didn’t read the scenes in which she got them. This felt a bit rushed and dismissive to me. I would’ve preferred to read those scenes.

Deka is likeable and her development is believable. I did find her a bit naïve to be honest. Whenever someone told her something or gave her an answer to her question, she immediately believed them to sometimes be proved wrong afterwards. I also felt like she forgot everything that happened to her in the beginning to easily. I’m glad her eyes were opened again to that later in the book. I also really enjoyed Britta’s character, although her speech sometimes was a bit harder and a tiny bit annoying to read.

The romance was too rushed. Yes, for the characters months has passed, but because of all the time jumps it didn’t feel like that. I didn’t feel the chemistry and it wasn’t really buildup since most of it progressed off page. The friendships between the girls were heartwarming and very positive. I loved how the girls were completely different but formed a strong bond.

Overall, the book is a very easy read, and I did enjoy it. I just don’t think it is a memorable book due to the executing. The first half of the book was a lot stronger that the second and I hope the second book in the series will be better.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 4 stars

Gemina is the second book in the Illuminae Files series. In this book we follow Jump Station Heimdall and what’s happening to them.

It’s been quite some time since I read the first book, but since this book follows a different set of characters this wasn’t a big problem. The characters we follow were just amazing! Hanna was just amazing and was seriously kickass! I Nik seemed a bit meh at the beginning, but he really grew on me. I really enjoyed the bickering and the dynamics between Hanna and Nik. And Ella is just awesome!

The way this book, like the first, is written is just so unique. You get used to the formatting really quickly and just breeze to the book. I did like that there was more of a “narrative” in this book. The way the swear words are being blanked can be a bit distracting when reading. I think it would’ve been better to lessen the swearing to lessen the blanked-out words.

There is some nice humor in the book, especially with the pop song that keeps playing everywhere. It’s a nice way to keep fresh when reading all the action and twists this book has! The plot seemed a bit dragged out though. This made some characters’ actions and story a bit repetitive. Despite this the pacing was really good. It kept me on edge the whole time while reading. I did really love the conspiracy feels it gave me and the twists were really mind blowing! And be prepared because there’re a bunch of twists, not only at the end!

Overall, the book was a really fun and more lighthearted read than the first book. I’m really looking forward to reading Obsidio in the future and seeing all the characters from both books come together!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

⭐️⭐️ / 2 stars

Deeplight is a book where we are in a world who has lost its gods decades ago. When Hark finds the living heart of one of those gods, he risks everything to keep it out of the wrong hands.

The mythology of this world is fresh and original. It’s really inventive and I liked how she tackled topics like toxic friendships and people oppressing authority. That being said, I didn’t connect with the book. I struggled a lot throughout reading to keep my mind focused on the story.

I also couldn’t really connect with the characters. Jelt was just really manipulative and not in a good way. I just really didn’t like him and since he was a big part of the story it was hard to like what I was reading. I also was a bit annoyed by Hark during the book. I couldn’t follow or understand his actions and honestly kept screaming at him. I came across as passive and that’s not what the main character should be like. I felt like Hark shouldn't have been the main character. Quest or Selphin felt more like main characters. Their stories were sidelined but seem more vital than Harks.

The book started really slow for me, and not really liking the characters didn’t help. I would’ve liked a bit more explanation or worldbuilding. Often times I was a bit confused with the world and especially the two types of sea. A lot in this book also felt like a filler storyline to me. It wasn’t until the last quarter of the book that I finally understood what the storyline was building towards. I honestly think the story could’ve been told in half the number of pages this book has.

Overall, this story just didn’t work out for me. I did like her writing style and the mythology she build. She did a good job building an intriguing world and language but that’s where it ends for me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️