Well, this was certainly an interesting read. I had to pick it up for class, and definitely the best literary piece our tutor has had us read yet. It was emotive and perceptive, simplistic and very effective.
The Holocaust is never an easy subject to depict and there are so many problems surrounding representation, but I think Spiegelman handled it very well.
Although, ultimately, it was a very sad read, one that really makes you feel quite down once you finish it. There is nothing cathartic about this kind of Holocaust literature, not that there should be!
However, fantastic illustrations and I will definitely be looking to read more graphic novels in future, however happier ones I think!

The ending brought the book back for me, it was not exactly what I was expecting.

I got really lost somewhere in the middle with the pacing and the monotonous tone of the novel. It felt really repetitive, and I was really annoyed with the whole Alina and Mal relationship. There was a distinct lack of fantasy for me in this novel, it felt like Bardugo was just trying to throw random ideas into play and not really blend them together.

The first book I loved, and this one was definitely a second book syndrome, a huge let down for me. I'll probably pick up the last one because I'm curious to see how the trilogy ends, and the first one impressed me enough for me to want to keep reading. However, I will not be picking it up for a while, I need to read something different.

Had to read this for class. Incredibly dull.

Mary Rowlandson also comes across as rather a dreadful person. It's entirely fair that she is experiencing a trauma, but her narrative is dry, and the strong Puritan tone is really not to my taste.

Obviously a good primary source of its era, but not really something I'd recommend reading, even if it's so short.

Fullmetal Alchemist, Vol. 2, had all the right aspects that made me really like the first volume. However, I lost slight track of the events in the middle, things became a little hectic and hard to follow with the narrative jumping around a little with the introduction of new plots and lots of new characters.

Despite being slightly confused, I really enjoyed the storyline. This instalment turned a little darker, and had less of the fun, dry humour that was in the first instalment, which was a shame. Nevertheless, I will be continuing with the next few books at least as I want to see where the Eldric brothers journey goes.

Still lots to be had from this series I am certain off, and I quite easily devoured this in an hour!

Elantris is a novel that has been sat on my shelf for quite a while after being recommended Brandon Sanderson. The first thing that I liked about this book before I even began was that it was a stand alone novel. I find too many authors these days are creating lengthy series, which, whilst they can be absolutely fantastic are a lot of commitment for somebody with very little time.

So I began reading Elantris on a good foot, not to mention I was looking for a book to get me back into reading. Initially, I was not entirely drawn into the world of Elantris as the first 100 pages or so are very much setting up of characters, the world and providing lots of background. This is all very well written, but admittedly it's not the most exciting. However, I do think it's all necessary and really gives the book a good grounding for the later chapters.

The myth of Elantris and the reason for the downfall were all really interesting and exciting. Although, I definitely would have liked to have learned more about the power the Elantrians had and really how they came about. But I guess, in 600 pages you can't expect their whole history, revolution, war and a romance. That would be a little too much to ask for I think. Nevertheless, the plotline was incredibly engaging. There were moments that everything I expected panned out, and the ending I foresaw right at the start in some ways. However, I do not think that this makes Elantris a bad book. There were lots of moments I didn't expect, and new twists that I was shocked by throughout the journey. Especially towards the end of the novel. So I think despite the few instances where my expectations were met (not a bad remark against the book), I think it still has a lot of excitement to offer.

The characters were incredibly well developed, both the primary characters of Prince Raodan and the Teod Princess Sarene. She has to be one of my favourite female characters, she was sassy, strong-willed, intelligent, but also vulnerable and emotional. She was a well developed, well-rounded individual, and considering the Mistborn trilogy by Sanderson, I have to say, I think he writes female characters well. The plethora of support characters were really interesting, all offering a new dynamic and individual character that was well developed. And then the villains, well they were definitely where all the twists came in. I liked the religious element of the villains, because religion and politics are always connected and the politicalness of this novel really appealed to my interests in political history because it felt like an ancient medieval kingdom with religious conflict and vying factions. I really loved that!

Picking up Elantris definitely kicked off my reading year with a bang! I will be checking out more Brandon Sanderson books soon, and finishing off the Mistborn trilogy. If you haven't picked up one of his books yet, I definitely recommend them!

Initial Response
That was brilliant. I mean slightly expected in places. But I loved it. Maybe further thoughts later when I get over my enthusiasm for this novel. What a fantastic start to the year of reading!

3.5 Stars

This was engaging, exciting, the characters were horrible, but there were a few elements I didn't like. The romance felt too quick, it was a all of a sudden 'BAM, naked in bed', very little build up. Where was the tension and resistance after 2 years apart, it felt all too easy!

Also, everyone was so crude and crass for supposedly wealthy elites, they were a little too unrefined. Admittedly, I like this element in Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series, but here it felt out of place. It was no Downton Abbey for me, and I think that's why I was a little disappointed.

However, I did love all the plot twists and turns in the characters attitudes. They didn't have to be likeable to engage with the novel. This made it easy to read through. So I will definitely be picking up the next book as I can't wait to see what happens, but this one was still a little rough around the edges for my liking!