mj_reads's Reviews (415)

Let me preface this review by stating that this is one of the best books I’ve read this year! It was one of my most highly anticipated releases, I requested it and entered so many giveaways for a chance to win this book and while I didn’t win any of them I have to admit that this book was worth the wait!

Forest of A Thousand Lanterns is a retelling of the origin story of the Evil Queen. It’s set in Asia and is full of Asian folklore and mythology! I’m pretty unfamiliar with this so it all felt really new and unique to me which I think is great because it shows how important representation is in every aspect of a book rather than just having a few diverse characters. (Not that THAT isn’t important but I feel like people talk so much about how important it is to have diverse characters but diverse settings and mythologies are important too!) The diversity in the setting here creates a really beautiful story. The descriptions of everything a long with the mythology and folklore I mentioned earlier create a really beautiful and vivid story, it becomes so easy to picture everything and to be immersed into this story. This story also just has a really creepy theme overall that gets progressively darker as the story goes on and I can’t get into that too much without giving a lot away but it’s just really well done and adds so much to the story!

One of the best aspects of this story is that even though it is a retelling/origin story and therefore has to end a certain way, I found myself so absorbed in this story and the characters that I let myself hope there would be a different outcome. Even with things that I could not hope to turn out differently, I was temporarily blind to their importance until the end when so much falls into place. I was so swept up in this particular origin story that I was able to just enjoy it as it was rather than viewing every tiny detail as a reason to be concerned. That being said, once I finally began to acknowledge the parallels to Snow White that are hidden throughout the story I was really excited to see them fit so flawlessly in this story, and also found myself really excited to see more of them in the next book (or so I hope)!

Another great thing about this book is that despite the fantasy aspect of this book this story is full of so many important messages. This story has a lot of different meanings like how knowledge is power, our choices define us, you can’t outrun fate and some other ones that I’ll let ya figure out when you read it yourself. It’s just a story that is about more than the characters you read about, because like a classic fairy or folk tale it teaches the readers something along the way.

This story had a lot of twists and turns that kept me on my toes despite this being a story that could only end so many ways. But the way that this story gets from the start to the end, is what surprised me. There was so much that I expected to happen and it did happen but not in the way that I was anticipating. And yet in retrospect it makes perfect sense to the story. All the characters motives are so easy to follow and understand, nothing felt like it was thrown in purely for a wow factor and everything felt important while reading it.

This story was pretty much everything I wanted it to be and more. I’m already super excited for book 2.

Reread 2021: *chefs kiss* even better the second time around



First read:
Finally read this as a buddy read with Shannon :)

Despite all the praise surrounding this book, I was so hesitant to read this. So I hope you believe me when I say that the hype surrounding this book is so worth it.

Six of Crows is an incredible read. The story has you on the edge of your seat, the feels in the book have you laughing on one page and on the brink of tears the next, and if none of those things do it for you the incredible writing should be more than enough to keep you invested. This was just so brilliant. Every character, every event, pretty much everything that is mentioned in this book is important to the plot. This book was full of twists and turns, and even moments that I thought I saw coming still managed to surprise me based on how well they were presented to the readers. That being said the entire plot isn’t completely predictable, there were also a lot of moments that I didn’t anticipate, and thankfully they all still made perfect sense. It was just very clear throughout the entire story that Leigh Bardugo put so much thought into this story and the direction she wanted it to take. I have never wanted to read a sequel as desperately as I want to read Crooked Kingdom.

Along with an incredible story, we are given such incredible characters. We get such a lovely balance of time between all of them. Everyone feels equally important. This was something that I was definitely worried about because SIX main characters sound like it will be overwhelming and confusing, but it was so easy to follow along and love each of them SO much. As a reader you get so invested in their roles in the story, as well as their back stories and their relationships with one another. The characters in this story are just as important as the plot itself, and it’s just so well done! I want to know what happens next in terms of the story and also just for all of my CHILDREN.

I think that’s all I really have to say at this point without getting repetitive or spoilery. So in summary this book is practically perfect, I have zero complaints other than the one where I wish I read this sooner.

Yupp, still one of my favorite books. I was a bit nervous about my reread because its the first time I'm reading this since I've finished ACOMAF. But I honestly think I enjoyed this even more this time around. SO much more makes sense, especially all the scenes with my baby Rhysand. I noticed so much more this time around than I remember noticing before. Its great.

Feyre is so amazing. Watching her grow and realize how amazing she is after feeling so unappreciated for so much of her life is just such an incredible experience. I feel like a proud mother watching her grow up and fight for the things she believes in :'). I honestly just want Feyre to have the world, or anything at all that she desires. She deserves that and more.
I know I'm in the minority here, but I am so #teamtamlin in this book its ridiculous. And I think a big part of it is just the beauty and the beast parallels that tug on my heart strings but like whatever I'm here for it. But I did notice this time around that I more so am in love with how they develop feelings for each other. I like reading about him showing her things that are important to him and learning about what is important to her. I loved reading about him showing her around the spring court, coming to her rescue, their interactions with each other (for the most part). So even though I still appreciate Tamlin in this book, I think I honestly appreciate their relationship more than I appreciate him as a character - if that makes sense. So idk maybe less team tamlin than i thought and just more team love and ships and things that seem really nice at the time?? (still working on explaining it-sorry fam)
I still love Lucien. Still lowkey shipped him and Feyre in the beginning before she started to realize her feeling for Tamlin. Still not sorry about it.
Prior to ACOMAF I just liked Rhysand, I kinda thought he was a bit over-hyped, but now that I've read it I am 100% just as into him in this book as everyone else is/was. Its much easier to understand his motives now, and all their interactions are so much more emotional after knowing what they really meant !!!! Idk how you people called it before the second book was even out but you did and I am sorry I ever rolled my eyes at you. #TeamRhys4LIFE
Even knowing how it ends, I still was incredibly anxious during everything that happens under the mountain. And even knowing how they change, I still resented her fam in the beginning (much love for Nesta when Feyre is back at home though...such a bae).

There isn't much I can say about this book that hasn't already been said. Basically I enjoyed it just as much/probably more than I did the first 2-3 times I read it. But yeah I love it. Glad I decided to reread the series in anticipation for book 3!!!

This was phenomenal. This was the kind of book that inspires readers to believe that not only is anything possible, but that even the most average person can achieve incredible things as long as they have something to believe in. It’s a fictional story that lets readers take a step back to think about everything they have ever believed in without distracting from the actual plot or characters. It was INCREDIBLE.

The formatting here is a little difficult to get into at first, but I promise that once you’re hooked on the story that there is no going back. It slowly brings you in and then it doesn’t let go until long after you’ve finished and you literally have no choice but to move on and think about something else.

I’m not the biggest fan of science fiction, but thankfully there are a lot of layers to this story so there was still a lot for me to enjoy and to be completely honest I even found myself enjoying the sci fi aspects of it.

So anyway I guess I should stop with the general praising of this book and start talking about some details.
Despite the fact that the formatting makes this book a little difficult to get into, once you’re hooked on the story I think it makes the entire thing just so much fun. It’s pretty unique to have the entire story told through these interviews and documents and I think that it was incredibly well done.
The characters are the next best thing about this book. They are so human. There was never a point in the story where I doubted any of the characters motives or questioned their choices. I honestly loved them so much, I was just as involved with the characters individual wants as I was with the actual plot of this story. Speaking of, the plot was incredible. Super fast paced and revealed I a way that lets the readers discover things with the characters rather than having large sections of info dumping. This helped me find the characters super relatable and human.

But even with all of these great things, I still haven’t even touched on the true gem of this book, and to be completely honest I don’t know how much I can discuss without giving to much away…but I need to try and talk about how incredible AIDEN is. AIDEN is the best asset to this story, it has readers question humanity and emotions. AIDEN is so great to this story because it makes you think about values and morals without giving any clear indication of what you SHOULD think about it. It lets readers reflect on their preconceived notions of what is right vs what is wrong, and there were several times while reading this book that I honestly was speechless over the things that happened just because of how much they made me question everything! I think that is all I can really say about AIDEN without giving to much away about what it is, what happens because of it, or any specific instances that will make your jaw drop (because believe me there are a lot of those moments in this book).

I think that if you’re considering reading this book it is worth giving a shot. Like I previously mentioned I’m not a huge sci-fi fan but I can safely say that this was one of the best books I’ve read this year. I had high expectations because of the hype, which promptly fell apart once I started it because I thought the formatting would be uncomfortable for me, but thankfully it all worked out for the best because this book was truly incredible.

The style of this took me a bit longer to get into than I was anticipating, but by the end of it I had a difficult time putting this book down. This is one I will read many times over I think.

Well written, beautiful and vivid descriptions. Very character driven and all the relationships felt natural and real. But the plot was a little slow for me.

Also took me so long to realize this was a prequel to Graceling. I thought they were completely unrelated and just set in the same world lmao.

"But boys will be boys, our favorite phrase that excuses so many things, while the only thing we have for the opposite gender is women, said with disdain and punctuated with an eye roll."

Let me just say that the quote I chose to start this review might be one of the most important lines in a fiction book that I have ever read, which makes perfect sense considering that this book is one of the most important books I have ever read.

It’s been about an hour and despite the fact that I have so much I want to say about this book I just can’t. So, fuck it. On the surface this is a pretty heavy story about revenge, and when you dive deeper into it you get a book that points out the flaws in society; primarily those surrounding slut shaming, women, rape and the inability the have open discussions about any of these issues. Looking back at this story I think it’s a bit of those scenes in Mean Girls where Lindsay Lohan’s character imagines people giving into their animal instincts, meets that new MTV show Sweet Vicious , meets the discussions about these important social topics that everyone should be having.

If you are at all interested in reading this book, do it. If you are not interested, I would like to suggest that you reconsider. This book is about an incredibly sensitive topic, I understand that and I understand that it is not a book for everyone, but I can’t help but feel that this story is too important to just shrug off as something you might not be interested in. (Please note, that I mean this is no way to offend anyone who thinks they may struggle with the content of this book based on their personal experiences in life. Triggers are real and if this book is one for you I completely respect that.)

The surface story is addicting enough to hold your interest, while educating the readers on just some of the issues previously mentioned. The characters are all likeable, even when you don’t expect them to be, mainly because they are just so incredibly honest and human. It is so easy to see either yourself or people you know in any of these characters. The only way I can accurately describe the writing and the flow of the story right now is “A+,” and while I’m not sure if it is because I just enjoyed it so much that I don’t know how to describe it, or if it’s because I’m too tired, either way it works, so lets roll with it.

No matter what direction I try and take this review I keep coming back to the word honest. This story is as honest as it is brutal, difficult, and sensitive. This story does not sugarcoat a single damn thing, and I was really here for it. While reading this I sat with my jaw hanging open several times, because it just gets SO REAL. I think the reason this story works so well is because the on-the-surface story of revenge, is just unbelievable enough that it desensitizes the readers to the more difficult topics, it makes them easier to discuss and shine a light on. Also the surface story is one that isn’t exactly far-fetched, vengeance is something that pretty much everyone wants to see, and it is what they get in this story. It straddles the line of unrealistic and yet desirable (even if it is just in your dreams).

I keep trying to discuss specific plot points and topics in this review and I just can’t say what I want to say without getting off topic (I’ve literally typed and deleted so many rants about the social issues in this book), so I think I’ll end my review here. But I more than willing to continue discussion of this book if anyone is interested!!

A beautiful message, some beautiful writing, but it was relatively boring.

This appears to be a story about two friends coming back together after ~something~ happens to them. This mysterious something remains unclear for most of the story, and it alludes to this big elephant between them being more about their feelings towards one another than anything else. But as the details of their relationship and feelings come out it is clear that there was something much bigger that led them to where they are. We hit about 55% before this is made clear though.

So basically, I spent over half the book under the impression that it was about something other than what it was about. And I think that was my largest issue with the book, I was so focused on the relationship aspect, and hoping for some sort of closure/healing moment between them that I kinda missed the big picture.

Marin gets hurt by someone that she cares very deeply about. It makes her question everything about who she is, which as a result leads to her pushing away the people that she cares about. She feels alone and afraid, she doesn’t know who she can turn too because she feels like she doesn’t know herself anymore. And that is what this story is about. It’s about finding people to help you feel less alone, finding people who accept you even when you don’t know how to accept yourself. I was anticipating a story about healing and closure and instead I found one about facing your problems and accepting that you have to let yourself hurt before you can heal. It’s about acceptance both within yourself and within others, and it’s about finding someplace that you belong.
I can’t really get into the plot much more than that without giving anything away. For what it is, this story is beautiful. The ending had me in tears, but other than that I didn’t really have any type of reaction to this book?

Overall this book was a disappointment to me. It tried to tackle important issues, but danced around them a bit too much to really do them justice, at least in my opinion. I have no doubt that this book is amazing to readers who need a book like this in their lives, but for me I was just unable to connect to it.

This is SJMs best work to date. No one look at me or talk to me, I'm too emotional.

If anyone who read this already wants to slide into my DMs so we can discuss without posting spoilers THAT WOULD BE COOL