I wasn't a fan of the two perspectives in this novel. There was little indication, other than a slight change to the text that was very hard to detect, when perspectives were changed. I found that Four and Six's was a bit pointless. Marnina's (Seven's) was a lot more interesting though it was slightly confusing because at first, I thought it was a flash-back for Six.

I enjoyed the plot though. It was still entertaining and action-packed, but not as good as the first. I am very excited to read the third book, this has not disenchanted me from the series.

I wish the characters in Six and Four perspectives hadn't all turned into jerks overnight.

Sadly this series is going down hill. It suffered the same problems as the second book and a few more and I'm not as into it as I first was when I read I am Number Four.

Seriously can she write something I don't like? I was a bit worried I wouldn't like it as much because this was her debut novel and I've only read books that came out after this series and she had time to grow as an author. I never expected her to have such a strong novel out of the gate. This is one of the best debuts I've ever read, up the with Graceling by Kristin Cashore.

Everything was so solid in this novel. The world building, the characters. Everything. I was a bit shocked at first that was told in the first person as her other books are in third, but this was a great choice at it only has one perspective and I really felt like I was rooting for the same things Alina was. When she liked the Darkling, I like the Darkling, when she hated him, I hated him. I've never felt so connected to a character before. The author has this amazing ability to write characters that I actually care about and can connect and relate to, even though they live supernatural lives and I do not. Because, at the end of the day, their root problems can be similar to mine, or produce the same emotion and I can catch onto it easily and see myself reflected back at me.

I could clearly picture what Ravka and the Unsea looked like. Honestly, reading this book was like watching a movie. The characters were talking and they moved vividly in vivid places. I could picture the stag and the collar and the dresses the characters were wearing. My images of the characters did not change throughout the whole novel, except for when Genya used her talents on Alina. I honestly lost track of time while reading this book because of it. It was nearly midnight when I forced myself to put it down because I have to work this morning. This experience rarely happens to me in books, but when it does, I know it's because I'm enjoying the novel. It happens to me with all my favourite books, The Lord of the Rings, though the picture is somewhat warped to the films after I watched it, Graceling and the Obernewtyn Chronicles.

After reading this, I have a new respect for the author. I also think that this book was much better than Six of Crows, which I really didn't think would be possible, this being her debut and all. This book brought me to Ravka, the place I was wondering about the whole time and answered all my questions. I'm so enchanted with Ravka, a lot more than Ketterdam. I only now wish to see it after the war. Hopefully, I'll get that by the end of the series, or at least an idea what it will look like.

Oh, and did I mention how awesome the extra content is in the new paperback? Well, it's awesome. I loved the interview with the author and the letter from Mal. It was all awesome.

Another Leigh Bardugo book, another five star read.

I have to say I found the middle a bit boring. I know it has to be there, because it bridged the beginning and the end, but it was definitely the weak link. The beginning as interesting and the ending was exceptional, but the middle was meh.

I don't get why everyone is gushing of Nikolai. He seems "normal" to me. I don't find him swoon-worthy, only manipulative. He is smart though. I just don't feel the need to be obsessed with him. I also like Mal, contrary to a lot of Goodteaders. Both Mal and Nik were justified in their beliefs and what they are doing, and in a way the Darkling is too. There's something about the way the author writes characters that makes them seem like fully fleshed t characters with traceable reasons and motivation for their actions. Because of this I can't hate them too much an I can see their point of view even if Alone can't. Mal was justified in his feelings even if she couldn't see it. Nikolai was just spoiled and manipulative, which makes sense given his backstory but he is not attractive. I could go on and on about Bardugo's ability to write characters but I'm a bit too lazy and no one wants to read all of that.

The next thing I'm goin on a miny rant about is the themes! I love how she used power in this book. She showed all of its sides. How it draw people away, inspire people, turn them into monsters. It was all there. I loved it particularly because I've been doing research on the influence of superheroes and Alina being called a saint fall right into what my point is about how they can inspire in various ways. Alina might not be a superhero, but she has powers and she influenced the people in the book in a similar way the stories about Barman and Wonder Woman can influence us (if you want to know more let me know because I'm planning a big discussion video on the impact of stories and superheroes and whatnot).

The ending, as I've mentioned before was perfect. Not only did it serve as some research for me but it also served the book well, building stakes for the third novel. Leigh Bardugo has an amazing gift and it is apparent here.

Also I like how the new covers are starting to make a bit more sense.

Finally my copy included The Tailor. My mini review for that can be found here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2466593789

Still awesome. I don't have the willpower to write a proper review right now. I need collect my thoughts.

I was provided with a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This was a very different read. At first, it was similar to Tarzan of the Apes, and then it reminded me of Underground to Canada, but still, this book was very different from anything I have ever read. I wish there had been more of the apes, especially since there was one on the cover and we only saw them in the first few chapters.

There were many characters and subplots in this book. I found it hard to keep them all straight and there were a few I didn't care for, but I loved the ones of the main characters, which is the most important. Nyira's especially. I loved the historical aspect and it kept me turning the pages. I loved how innocent she was and how she was an empowering character because she was able to make friends, not just because she had special powers. It's my favourite type of empowerment.

I could see this book being read in a 7th or 8th grade history class. It had a lot of points that would make for a good class discussion and it is directed towards a younger audience so it is better than some of the books I had to read. I think its audience was a bit too young for me, but it was still very interesting and unique.

Overall, I would recommend this book to someone looking for a very original read.

4.5

This book was very well done. It was so enjoyable I couldn’t put it down. It barely seemed like the 500+ page brick it really is.

What I loved about this was that it actually felt like a superhero story, even more so than some DC and Marvel films. It had all the right elements. The language is eloquent. I was very surprised. I loved it. The romance wasn’t irritating and the subplots were interesting. I can’t wait to read more from this author.

This book left me wanting more about the world and I have so many questions revolving around prodogies. Like how did they start getting powers in the first place? What defines who gets one at birth and who develops one like the Red Assassin? Does every one who goes through is tense trauma develop a power? There is no end. I hope to get some answers in the sequel.

Trust the hype for this one guys, it’s worth it. The book was practically flawless in my eyes. Everything is so interface and interesting. There are multiple perspectives and I was won over by all of them. Nothing seemed cliche or irritating. Everything fit and flowed and stood out as an individual even though it was a bigger piece of a whole. From the first page, I knew I’d love Dennard’s writing style. It’s so gritty and atmospheric, it pure gold! I just loved this book so much.

So my first Sarah J. Maas book. I’m not unimpressed. I like her writing style and I liked all the side characters but I don’t like Celaena. I have a lot of problems with her. While she does have good morals, she lets them get in the way of being a good assassin. Reading this book, she wasn’t very kickass, she was very, very soft. Also, throughout the novelas, her only accomplishments that she ever listed were the ones she did in the book: freeing slaves and etc. I really don’t see the cold-blooded season. And I don’t think that she is a progressive character either, because the only thing that separates her from many male stereotypes is the fact that she likes cosmetics. People can be beautiful without makeup and wanting to be pretty shouldn’t be the only girlish quality of a progressive character. A progressive character should celebrat what is good about being a woman, not just be able to hit people.

Okay so for a bit more good: I found this book interesting throughout and I liked how they all made one story. Maybe I should have read Throne of Glass first.

4.75

I very much enjoyed this story. I practically read it in one sitting. I loved the style and it was very engaging. The vocabulary was great, I particularly liked how often the author used the word “myriad” as it is one of my favourite words. I disagreed with a few of the social opinions expressed in this novel, but it was written over 100 years ago.