paulaks's Reviews (171)

Great, enjoyable summer read!! The atmosphere is amazing and really draws you in. Additionally, the characters are likeable and, more importantly, relatable. Flawed and dishonest, yes miscommunication will occur. I didn't mind and actually liked that because it made them much more human. The flashbacks scences are adorable and match the teenage spirit so well. Their awkward meet up included - that's on being a teenager. Sam and Percy are just adorable. 
The ending was fine but felt a bit rushed. I would have liked some more time at the end. Besides that, I'd definitely recommend this for a light summer read. 

The deserving finale and a showstopping ending. 
Every single storyline and character came together for this last book which honestly was genius!
The ending was really satisfying, even though it took 1100 pages (german edition) to get there. That is my only critique (but I am trying to be honest to myself): It is too long. It took me 2 month alone to read this and many reading slumps to get over. It needs an editor. 600 pages. Max. 
However, the character development and action scence were captivating. The nerves and excitment all building towards the climax aka the last 100 pages. After so long, the characters feel so near and real, it was almost hard to "say goodbye". But I did, I am done and feel utterly refreshed. Ready for a much needed palette cleanser. Here some optional spoiler thoughts:

The 13 sacrificing themselves?! Jaw dropped. Lives changed. Most important death besides Nehemia and Gavriel. Aedion did not knew how greatful he should be for Gavriel. Maeve´s death felt really irrelevant though, took me a bit to realise "oh, so they killed her". Yrene, the power woman we neede. Love her so much. Same with the underrated Evangeline. I don´t know why but she was just a badass. Justice for Manon, after her friends died, her ending could not match my expectations to see her happy with her crew. To all the fae that survived, we thank you for your service even though them being bound to Aelin left a bad taste after the whole thing with Maeve. The ending was destined for our FMC, so no critique. Honorable mentions: Ansel, the silent assassin and Rolfe. Did not expect me to ever say that.

SJM at her peak. Yes, it's still too long so that's why I'm gonna keep this review short.
Tower of Dawn delivered. It's so brilliantly crafted introducing you to a complete new set of politics, culture and characters. A lot of new characters. Nevertheless, every single one of them felt real. 
Chaol is probably the most complex one out of them all. Neither lovable nor hate able. He is aware of his flaws and tries to deal with them. Most importantly, he feels human. Especially his relationship struggles with Nesryn and Yrene are emotional and touching. 
Tower of Dawn gave us a story. Beginning to end. In this endless cycle of this series it was rewarding reading a book which reminds you of a standalone. 

Compared to its partner (during the necessary tandem read) Empire of storms it's clearly not as action packed but filled with more touching and adventures scenes. Every time I was reading the Empire of Storms chapters something in my brain wanted me to switch back to ToD which says it all.

A big book deserves a big review so get ready...
I read this as a tandem read with Tower of Dawn like it was recommended. This was a great experience, however I quickly started to drag the moments I had to switch back to Empire of Storms. Let´s cover those reasons:
EoS is just way too long, chaotic and overly detailed. An emotional mess. Reading this took forever which turned into a reading slump into an unmotivated reader. It ´s hard to pinpoint on why I felt that way but I believe the characters started to annoy me since some of them felt really one dimensional. However, I want complexity and internal struggles. Some characters showcased that but let´s look at them individually. **minor spoilers** 
Aelin: flat. Like a piece of paper. I get that she is supposed to be that bad bitch but SJM is - not the character she tried to built.
Rowan: flat as well. Aelin spreads like a sickness. I like him but couldn´t care less.
Manon: BIG slay. The internal struggles and power moments?! Love her.
Dorian: Golden retriever trying to be a black cat. He deserved some more individual time but now acts as a love interest *sigh*
Lysandra: slay. Would like to see her more independent but she carried.
Aedion: Fine.
Gavriel and Fenrys: interesting, i guess
Elide: well, she´s here as well.
And a big handful of other characters. In case you read this review at the beginning of your ToG journey: start a character sheet. I wished I had one.

Even though I was bored sometimes, I still wanted to know where everything leads. I just spend too much time and energy into this universe to quit, so I pushed through and it paid off reading the end. 

The EoS finale: Bravo. That´s the SJM I met. Everything and everyone tied into this massive, insane and brutal finale. If I just rated the end: 5 stars. She has this ability to easily tie plots back together and because of that all of the books before feel powerful since they have a purpose. Not gonna lie, I did not shed a tear but I sat speechless on the sofa while my mum questioned her daughter. Smiling and shaking my head I applaud to the author. The cleverness and emotional writing is astounding. Finally, I want to applaud myself for pushing through. In case you question why I even read it: Tower of Dawn on the other hand was fantastic (suprisingly).

This novella showed true and slow character development. Rather pleasant than entertaining to read. It's just okay overall. But some things need to be said:
- Lily going to therapy was NEEDED. Everybody say "thank you Rose"
- let's say interesting spicy scenes 
- a bit too much Lily time that can feel annoying some parts but intimate on others
- the Ryke × Daisy situation is worrisome. I don't know what you need to take to find this cute but building a relationship between a 16 and 22 year old is risky. To say the least
- Daisy is such an fascinating character ngl but the eating disorder situation made me uncomfortable as well as her "friend" group 
- Connor. WHERE WAS HE. I need the daily dose of the confident smart douchebag

-> I need to give heads up to the authors, very courageous to publish a novella that focuses on needed but maybe dragging development.

Purely subjective but this book was SO GOOD. I needed this rollercoaster and it hit home way too hard. Is this a romance? Not really rather following characters. Is this accurate representation? I don't know about the addiction part but dealing with mental illness and how dynamics change was WAY too accurate. Lily and Lo have my heart and felt really realistic. The problems they face and behaviour just made sense. Besides, the side-characters are pretty interesting and add to the story. 
Yes, it's character based and probably over dramatic but if you like the characters the ending will have you in a chokeholed (at least I was lol). Not overthinking this review but straight off the bat and influenced by the emotional ending it's five stars.

Queen of Shadows is hands down the best one in the series so far! The character development and the plot lines connecting was beautifully and lightly done. It's action-packed while also focusing on the relationships and dynamics. On top of that you are still learning and getting new information revealed.  Brilliantly done BUT I hesitate giving it 5 stars.

It's just too long. While reading the middle it felt like I was in a reading slump but with the reading. It needs some cuts and help with the pace. This experience does impact my rating, maybe in the future looking back I will be nicer but know I remember how hard it was to get through a few chapters. Overall, 4.5 stars! Would recommend. 

I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I do! 
Putting it in historical concept, this is a revolutionary and courageous play. Today we read and see much more empowering stories but this was original and new back then. Nora's character feels so double-sided to me especially comparing her in the first and third act. There are so many allusions, connecting the doll- and dress up-like idea with the plot. I read it in three sittings which I really recommend. You get sucked into the conflict and it's mentally so hard to bare with the characters through the conflict. It had some humorous and emotional lines. Overall really nicely balanced out scenes regarding different emotions and themes. And, most importantly, I had a fun time reading it. 

PS: Will probably disagree in the near future, after having discussed out every tiny detail in class and being bored of it lol 

When to read the novella collection? I read it after Heir of Fire which I wouldn't recommend. My advice depends on your reading habits:
A) You are already committed mentally. You want to tackle the whole series no matter if the start isn't your cup of tea. = Read it first. It will support the journey and since you're already committed go with the chronological order.
B) You don't buy a whole series. You want to "dip your toe in" and test the waters. If you don't like the first one or two books you dnf. = Read it after Crown of Midnight (the second book). If you already disliked the first one there is no way you will like this novella. Reading it like this will help you get all the references and dive in. After Heir of Fire you don't want to go back.
My opinion: This book is very similar to Throne of Glass. The vibes are very fitting and I really enjoyed the first and third novella. I did love Sam as a character, very consistent. By contrast, Caelena was really inconsistent. She lacked her spirit and logic in the last stories. It felt like I met two different characters. Besides that I think that it's a fine prequel and worth reading to get the references later on (or before, depending on your reading order).

It works as a short middle grade book. The politics, plot and side characters could have been more complex but their mediocrity stems from it being for younger readers. I probably would have liked it more as a child because seeing a book talk about things like third-child policies in a "child friendly way" is very rare while being executed pretty good. Honorable are Luke and Jen as main characters. They felt real and imperfect, creating an interesting and fun dynamic. The beginning was rather slow while the middle and end were paced well. 
Overall there was nothing horrible but also nothing great. I enjoyed some parts even though I believe it is mediocre. Still, I think that for younger readers this should work.