Ocean at the End of The Lane - Neil Gaiman

"This is what he remembers, as he sits by the ocean at the end of the lane:
A dead man on the back seat of the car, and warm milk at the farmhouse;
 An ancient little girl, and an old women who saw the moon being made; a beautiful housekeeper with a monstrous smile;
And dark forces woken that were best left undisturbed. 
They are memories hard to believe, waiting at the edge of things. The recollections of a man who thought he was lost but is now, perhaps, remembering a time when he was saved..."

There's an almost dreamlike quality to the story and there are many reasons it's hard to know what's real and what is not. The book opens with a middle-aged man revisiting the place where he used to live with his parents and sister when he was a young boy of seven. He visits his old house before wandering down to the farm at the end of the lane, a place that starts to bring back a strange sequence of memories as seen through the eyes of a young boy. How real are the magic and monsters of our childhood? When we look back and see ignorant youths believing in the impossible, are we enlightened adults? Or are we the ignorant ones, blinded by years dedicated to being sensible and not believing? Are the villains we remember monsters from another world? Or is that just how children make sense of the people who brought upheaval into their lives?

I found it truly fascinating.

The creepy yet beautiful setting in the English countryside was fantastic. A little lonely, somewhat isolated... like a world entirely of its own in which anything could be possible. This book held all the charm and beauty but was ten times more compelling and addictive.

Then there were the characters, of course. Lettie Hempstock, an eleven year old who might just have been eleven for a very long time, and her quirky mother and grandmother. Also, the narrator had my sympathy throughout; his seven year old lack of understanding and fear of the adult world that he saw as separate from his own was easily believable, for me. I think we do create a world of our own when we're kids, one that adults aren't a part of, that's how we're able to believe in things like magic and wizards and Santa.

The ending is perfect. A little sad as all Gaiman endings are. But mostly perfect. There are certain authors that in my mind have become a genre of their own. Neil Gaiman is one of them. When I read his books, I don't read fantasy, or urban fantasy, or any other such label. What I read is "a Gaiman" , a unique blend of humour, dry wit and a strong narrative voice making the strangest leaps of imagination seem like nothing out of ordinary.

Age rating would be 13+. Nothing too scary and one alluded to sex scene.  

Jessica's Ghost - Andrew Norriss

"Francis has never had a friend like Jessica before. She's the first person he's ever met who can make him feel completely himself. Jessica has never had a friend like Francis before. Not just because he's someone to laugh with every day - but because he's the first person who has ever been able to see her"

This is an outstanding book, exceptionally eye-opening and a very quick read. I read this book in one day as it just sucked me in.

It hooked me from the first paragraph, when Francis sits alone on a school bench and a girl sits next to him. Surprised that he talks to her, it turns out that Jessica is a ghost and that Francis is the first person she's come across who can see and hear her.

A very beautiful friendship instantly develops, as Francis reveals some of his secrets to his new friend and together they seem to help each other with their problems. Worried about her son, Francis's mum tries to have him befriend a new student, who has problems after leaving a previous school. Then a huge revelation... One I hadn't seen coming and that instantly changed the book.
 
The story and characters are charming and quirky; I loved Andi particularly, however they are all really well realised. It’s the best kind of ‘misfits’ book, and perfect for those sorting out where or whether they fit in with their peers.

Without being didactic or dogmatic, the book has a clear message of self-acceptance which is exceedingly valuable.
 
In terms of the ‘darker’ content, I am so impressed with how this is handled: it didn’t feel inappropriate, heavy or awkward and I would have no hesitation in sharing this book with children regardless of their existing understanding of depression and suicide.
 
Otherness is something that many teenagers and adults feel acutely, and Andrew Norris' latest book meditates on the importance of acceptance. A book to be read by any teenager who feels different or separated from the norm in particular. With a gentle approach, Jessica's Ghost deals with darker themes with compassion. Jessica, Francis, Andi and Rollo will stay in my mind for a long time.  

Light of touch and yet rich in depth, this novel explores issues from fitting in to depression and even suicide through a perfectly pitched story for the 9-12 audience.

Linked - Imogen Howson

"Elissa used to have it all: looks, popularity, and a bright future. But for the last three years, she’s been struggling with terrifying visions, phantom pains, and mysterious bruises that appear out of nowhere.

Finally, she’s promised a cure: minor surgery to burn out the overactive area of her brain. But on the eve of the procedure, she discovers the shocking truth behind her hallucinations: she’s been seeing the world through another girl’s eyes.

Elissa follows her visions, and finds a battered, broken girl on the run. A girl—Lin—who looks exactly like Elissa, down to the matching bruises. The twin sister she never knew existed.

Now, Elissa and Lin are on the run from a government who will stop at nothing to reclaim Lin and protect the dangerous secrets she could expose—secrets that would shake the very foundation of their world."

This book could have easily gotten sucked down the boring stereotype teen sc-fi, it has all the typical elements. Evil doctors, secret government laboratory, human-based non-human entities, star ships, hyper speed, secrets to be uncovered. However it doesn't and the writing keeps it feeling quite original which surprised me.    

The main character Lissa doesn't use her brain in the beginning and asks for help from her parents, which everybody knows you shouldn't do in a dystopian novel. But she doesn't because she hasn't read any and she doesn't know she's in a dystopian novel and thus, trusts her father who's helped her before. Nevertheless, don't you fear. For Lin, Lissa's twin, who's had some dealings with this before is able to stuff some sense into Lissa.

The sci-fi and dystopian aspects of the novel were old-school but along with the action scenes, they sucked me in.
The world building is good, not too much but enough so you understand what is going on and have a grip on the world. I really enjoyed the describing of Sekoia, Lissa's home planet in the beginning of the book. It was shrewd and many-sided.

The relationship development between Lin and Lissa felt a bit awkward to me as the story moved on. Lin has always been in Lissa's head whilst Lissa has been in Lin's during the worst times in Lin's existence, so a little intimacy is to be expected. The way it starts out and the way they care for each other was comfy and I liked it but some way into the book, Lissa is either pitying Lin, lecturing her or fearing her. She has her reasons but get the OVER IT already! I needed some proximity between the two, genuine proximity.

Lissa I think can be fleshed out more in the next book as she wasn't delved into enough and I didn’t really get to know Lin at all.  
However saying that, I did not expect the revelation that explains Lin’s horrible past, nor did I expect the positive future it made possible for the sisters. I finished the book excited for their future, and interested in the social and personal fallout sure to result from their actions.  
 
Age rating 12+. There is a feather-light touch of romance and one extremely tame kissing scene amidst sparking and wiring and crashing(romantic, no?).

Stardust - Neil Gaiman

"Young Tristran Thorn will do anything to win the cold heart of beautiful Victoria—even fetch her the star they watch fall from the night sky. But to do so, he must enter the unexplored lands on the other side of the ancient wall that gives their tiny village its name. Beyond that old stone wall, Tristran learns, lies Faerie—where nothing, not even a fallen star, is what he imagined."

Inevitably I was reading this with the movie in mind, and I'm here to say that I think the movie and the book are both brilliant. So ha!

I love the movie. It's absolutely wonderful. I also enjoyed the book... But they are quite different. The novel definitely feels more adult. Not just because it has adult themes but also in the overall tone and language. The movie is definitely more family friendly. The movie is wittier, funnier, sillier and faster paced. The book is slower, more whimsical and felt more grounded in reality(even though it's surrounded in magic.)

The problem is that having watched the movie I wanted a fairy-tale. All the things I loved the best about the movie, weren't in the book(and it's usually the other way around, I was surprised too). I mean, no Captain Shakespeare? No happy stars-in-the-sky ending? The movie was such a feel-good one and the book? Not so much.

However, as myself and others have done, it is very easy to feel the need to compare Gaiman's books to popular children's classics but Stardust is not a children's book. At a stretch, it could be called a young adult book but I'm tempted to play on the safe side and call it adult. There's a sex scene in chapter one that is quite graphic. Not fifty shades of faerie, but still quite graphic. Plus there's some violence and gore that may put you off if you are looking for a light, fluffy fantasy read. So, I'm warning you.
Stardust is just one example of Gaiman's creativity. It is nothing like the eerily fantastical subterranean London of Neverwhere or the ghostly coming of age story in The Graveyard Book, but it has the stamp of Gaiman all over it.

Age Rating would be mature 14+ more 15+ personally.

Demon Road - Derek Landy

"Full of Landy’s trademark wit, action and razor sharp dialogue, DEMON ROAD kicks off with a shocking opener and never lets up the pace in an epic road-trip across the supernatural landscape of America. Killer cars, vampires, undead serial killers: they’re all here. And the demons? Well, that’s where Amber comes in...Sixteen years old, smart and spirited, she’s just a normal American teenager until the lies are torn away and the demons reveal themselves.

Forced to go on the run, she hurtles from one threat to another, revealing a tapestry of terror woven into the very fabric of her life. Her only chance rests with her fellow travellers, who are not at all what they appear to be…"

This book was awesome. It’s my first book of Derek and it will not be the last. It’s funny, adventurous, slightly creepy, explosive and action-packed.

Amber Lamont, our main character, is freaking out, wouldn't you if you just discovered your parents are demons. Her whole world is shaken up and oh yeah… let’s not forget about those horn she has. The fact that she has her weak moments is totally understandable and I wouldn’t have wanted in any other way. Amber also had her brave and badass moments. She’s relatable, awkward  and I loved reading her point of view. But as a demon herself, Amber kills people. I loved how the lines of good and evil were blurred here, Amber isn’t really the picture perfect heroine.

My favourite character of this book might be Milo. The guy with the awesome car (a 1970's Dodge Charger) and a million secrets. I liked him immediately. Through the book, we get to know him a little better, but I wanted more and I cannot wait to see how he will be in book two and get a better handle on his character.

Then we have Glenn. Oh Glenn… He was always talking. He just couldn’t quit. Sometimes you wanted to pinch his cheek because he’s too cute. Sometimes you wanted smack him.(Mostly the latter). He weirdly fitted with Amber and Milo and made everything so funny. I wonder if he will come back in the second book. 

I must admit I enjoyed the slower bits more than the faster-paced parts. The gore was a little much at times and was unexpected. Good for readers that don't mind a light tinkling of horror, splatter gore and spray of blood. The book grips you from page one and you just cannot stop reading.

Age rating personally would be 14+ for reasons stated above. Other then gore, violence, demons and deals with the devil nothing else to be worried about!:)

Shadow and Bone - Leigh Bardugo

"Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha . . . and the secrets of her heart."

You know, I've wondered whether I would fall into the camp of gushing, never-ending love for this book... or find myself sat sipping kvas with the other sceptics and laughing over the preposterous idea that we could ever get drunk on it. I was prepared for it to go either way. However, I find myself uselessly sitting somewhere in the middle twiddling my thumbs and pondering all the different things I liked but didn't love and disliked but didn't hate.

I didn't like Alina that much. She was okay. She was fine, but you know something is wrong when the heroine is merely "okay" and "fine". I found her too much on the wimpy side for my liking, she was too eager to play the damsel in distress on multiple occasions. She could also seem slightly stupid.
You don't mouth off to the second most powerful person in the kingdom who you believe is capable of evil. You just don't. It does not come across as sassy, just stupid.

Anyway, then she finds a super unique power that apparently no one realized she had. She finds herself in a boarding school/king's court full of mean girls and even has several makeovers! Along the way, she unexpectedly becomes a fighting badass! Then there are two boys swooning over her! Wait what??


The one thing that did excite me was the attempt at drawing inspiration from the Russian culture, it could have set it apart from the other generic stories for the largely Western-centric crowd but even someone with a basic knowledge of Russia could spot a few problems.

1. You have to drink a barrel of Kvas to be drunk on it.
2. Alina Starkov's second name is masculine. It should be Starkova.
3. Morozova, who does have an appropriate feminine last name has a masculine first name which is never used for girls - Ilya.

Now, there were good things about this book, too, don't get me wrong. It was a very easy read in a decent prose. It flowed well. The love triangle died quickly and there was an actual plot and not just lovesick gazing. The reader felt engaged and interested and the plot twist, I didn't see coming. The love interest was actually a rather decent guy who is not tortured by his dark past which made a nice change.

However it is a light fantasy, limited world-building, heavily diluted by romance and very limited violence from a group of people that are supposedly hard-core warriors. Come on, some of them are even called Heart Renders and they don't rend one heart!!

Age rating 13+. Mild making out.

 

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Days of Blood and Starlight - Liani Taylor

"Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love and dared to imagine a world free of bloodshed and war.

This is not that world.

Art student and monster's apprentice Karou finally has the answers she has always sought. She knows who she is—and what she is. But with this knowledge comes another truth she would give anything to undo: She loved the enemy and he betrayed her, and a world suffered for it.

In this stunning sequel to the highly acclaimed Daughter of Smoke & Bone, Karou must decide how far she'll go to avenge her people. Filled with heartbreak and beauty, secrets and impossible choices, Days of Blood & Starlight finds Karou and Akiva on opposing sides as an age-old war stirs back to life.

While Karou and her allies build a monstrous army in a land of dust and starlight, Akiva wages a different sort of battle: a battle for redemption. For hope.

But can any hope be salvaged from the ashes of their broken dream?"

All available blurbs and summaries are a little coy and vague about what this sequel has in store for its readers. Wonder no more. This is a dark, brutal novel with a war at its core. At the opening, Akiva just gave his seraphim brotherhood all the tools to destroy the Chimaera. Karou is the Chimaera's only real hope of survival. No more talk of romance and love in this story. Akiva and Karou are in different camps now, with an abyss of resentment, guilt and disappointment separating them.

I have already heard a few voices upset by this almost-no-romance development. Not everyone wants to be torn away from the heavy romantic story line of Daughter of Smoke & Bone and face the ugliness of never-ending war where nobody wins. For me this trilogy is better for it. I am not the sort of reader whose attention can be held for long by romantic angst. I love reading about love, but I am not of the opinion that just love can sustain a series of books. Something bigger than that has to be at stake. In this book, there is.

Days of Blood & Starlight also gave me more in terms of storytelling than I had anticipated. I didn't expect at all to be so deeply submerged into the world of Chimaera and Seraphim, to get to know it so intimately. I remember getting only a glimpse of Eretz in the previous book. This sequel is an adventure through the Emperor's harem, Chimaera's tribal villages, Seraphim barracks, ruins of Loramendi and excesses of Astrae, and then a look at what is BEYOND the borders of the land known to Akiva and Karou. It is such a pleasure to read something about a world that has so much depth to it, to feel like I will never know the full expanse of this world and every wonder it holds. The masterful twists at the end left me hungry for more and more, because as much as I know about Eretz now, I also know how much there is still left to explore.

Days of Blood & Starlight may be not as quirky and charming as its goulash and skuppy mischief-filled predecessor, but it's a novel that encourages you to contemplate the consequences of war for both winners and losers and the futility of revenge. The darkness, dirt, tiredness, betrayals, pain, weariness, hopelessness, violence, vengeance and grim determination set in. Even though I missed Prague and ever annoying Kaz a little in Days of Blood & Starlight, reading it was still a pleasure, albeit a pleasure of a different kind.  

Unravel Me - Tahereh Mafi

"tick
tick
tick
tick
tick
it's almost
time for war.

Juliette has escaped to Omega Point. It is a place for people like her—people with gifts—and it is also the headquarters of the rebel resistance.

She's finally free from The Reestablishment, free from their plan to use her as a weapon, and free to love Adam. But Juliette will never be free from her lethal touch.

Or from Warner, who wants Juliette more than she ever thought possible.

In this exhilarating sequel to Shatter Me, Juliette has to make life-changing decisions between what she wants and what she thinks is right. Decisions that might involve choosing between her heart—and Adam's life."

Well I decided to give the second book ago even though I didn't really enjoy the first one. I saw it on the shelf in the library and thought why not. Bad idea. This book is worse then the first one...by a lot. Can't I read one YA book without a love triangle and with a cardboard cut-out and a psychopath no less.

Okay first, I've always seen Juliette as this fragile, wide-eyed lost girl. Of course, in the beginning it made sense, but she's still the same way in this book! She's way too wrapped up in her own world, and her only concern is Adam Adam Adam. She just seems so pathetic.You'd think that because of all that she's been through she would learn to, y'know, toughen up and grow a backbone. But nope. Another thing she really needed to realize is that, the world she lives in is a terrible, war-ridden wasteland of a place and she has to stop being so soft,because that might well get her killed.

I loved Kenji in this. He pretty much clocked her down on everything that I just said. I was literally cheering and hollering when he completely schooled her and told her what the reality of the situation was and basically told her to get it together. I wasn't sure if it really got through to her at first, but eventually I was glad to see that she did take the words to heart and wanted to work on changing. By the end of the book, I definitely noticed the change in her, but I truly hope that she'll keep her word this time and I won't see any more of this wallowing, woe-is-me. I'm watching you, Ms.Ferrars.

Warner, what do I say. He did a strange character u turn while still being mildly believable?? I don't know, I still don't like him no matter how he justifies his actions...

I will read the last book so I can review it but I have few hopes of enjoying it. Way to many X-men \ Hunger Games vibes and little character development.  

Age rating 13+ . So painfully boy revolved.

Heir of Fire - Sarah J Maas

"Celaena has survived deadly contests and shattering heartbreak―but at an unspeakable cost. Now, she must travel to a new land to confront her darkest truth . . . a truth about her heritage that could change her life―and her future―forever. Meanwhile, brutal and monstrous forces are gathering on the horizon, intent on enslaving her world. Will Celaena find the strength to not only fight her inner demons, but to take on the evil that is about to be unleashed?"

Heir of Fire is book 3 in The Throne of Glass series and is undoubtedly one of the best books I've ever read. (I could say that about each book in the series to be honest.) It is gloriously long and kept me occupied for an entire 2 days making me crave to find out more, but also stop reading so that the book won't end just yet.

You think you know Celaena from reading the first two books, right? Oh, but you're so so wrong. In this book we see her more than broken, relentlessly blaming herself for the fates and deaths of her loved ones. She takes down her every shield, leaving nothing behind but her emptiness. I believe this was her turning point, making her see, accept and embrace all that pain, regret and self-loathing she carefully kept hidden inside her soul, etched into her dire and gruesome memories.

By facing all that sorrow and darkness, she's making a stand. She's slowly becoming a queen, one more powerful and deadlier than you could ever imagine.

Her character development is phenomenal, because through her new experiences she is stronger, wiser and more determined. Her fierceness was awe-inspiring and I loved that she's still the same stubborn, snarky and brave young woman, maybe with her ego a little bruised. She's not proud of who she's become, abandoning her kingdom and not fighting or rebuilding it for the past ten years, but she's ready to throw herself into battle to win back her land.

Celaena makes the transition from assassin to queen with the help of Rowan, a Fae Prince and my favourite new addition to the series. Not that he is eager to help, in the beginning, he's infuriatingly patient and stubborn, brooding and secretive. But when he opens up...

He's an alpha-male with the kickass moves that would give Celaena a
a run for her money. He's scary and intense, protective and caring, but lethal when it comes to his enemies. Rowan is the no-nonsense type and I was glad there is finally someone who doesn't put up with Celaena's lip. She throws a verbal punch? He throws one that will leave her with a black eye for the entire week. However they slowly develop a friendship and something more(were not talking about romance)It will warm your heart to realize that our girl finally has someone to fully rely on. No secrets, no barriers, no judging left between them. They would die for each other, kill for each other, fight for each other; and when they work together, as a pair, as a team, they're astounding and terrifying.

Dorian Havilliard is the same caring, sentimental, humble, slightly arrogant young prince. He is becoming more mature, weary of everyone and everything and you can see him becoming a true worthy king right before your eyes. A lot of heartbreak and despair was in store for him and I guarantee it will all leave you in a pile of overwhelming pain.

Dedicated, loyal, selfless Chaol was so unable to make up his damn mind about his friendships and which side to be on that I was unconsciously pulling my hair. I was very much irritated with him until the very end when he came to his senses!
 
We meet awesome warrior Aedion Ashryver or "Wolf of the North", Celaena's cousin and childhood best friend. He's all deadly smiles, muscles and wild behaviour. Aedion is daring, clever and doesn't give a rat's ass about anyone but himself. Or so they say. He's dead set on taking down the King of Adarlan from the inside. When he finds out Aelin/Caleana is alive, he makes it clear that he would move mountains in order to see his true queen back in Terrasen. He's loyal, determined, skilled and I hope he reunites with Celaena sooner rather than later, because he is in a pretty bad place at the end of the book.

Another addition to the newbie characters is Manon Blackbeak, heir of the Blackbeak coven of the Ironteeth witches and leader of the Thirteen. She wants to prove herself and although she is a bloodthirsty, wicked creature with iron teeth and nails who enjoys eating people, I completely loved her. She's by no means a villain, just a different kind of heroine, firm and unyielding, with great ambition. Her encounters and silent dialogues with Abraxos, her wyvern, cracked me up, because in that moments you could glimpse (besides the wyvern's total awesomeness) how Manon starts believing there's a chance she has a heart and soul and that her grandmother's rules might not be the best to follow.

The King of Adarlan is still the biggest knave I've had the (dis)pleasure of reading. I loathe the guy. He is wicked, manipulative and selfish to no end. No, not just selfish, but greedy. Greedy for everything and anything.  

There isn't much romance in the air,because it's the last thing on our character's mind. Honestly, I don't really know who Celaena is going to end up with. Chaol still has issues with her and Dorian is currently viewing her as his friend, but things could still drastically change since there are 3 more books. It seems that even Aedion, her cousin, might have a shot since he wouldn't deny anything his queen would ask of him. Then there's Rowan who I'm not sure will have a romantic involvement with Aelin/Celena, but it's worth hoping for. They would be unstoppable.

The atmosphere is darker and the pace is thrilling, allowing you to breath for a bit before another near-death encounter or epic battle starts. The world-building was another winner, as we were able to see Wendlyn, Doranelle, the Ferien Gap  for the first time and visit Adarlan again. We learn about the past, we meet Queen Maeve, we run from terrifying creatures and we accompany Celaena as she masters her powers.

Overall it is an amazing book, fast - paced but mostly revolved around Aelin's healing and coming to terms with herself. I cant wait to read the next book.
Age Rating I would say 14+. A few suggestions, if you know what I mean, and bit more swearing then the previous books.

Crown of Midnight - Sarah J Maas

"A line that should never be crossed is about to be breached.

It puts this entire castle in jeopardy—and the life of your friend."

 From the throne of glass rules a king with a fist of iron and a soul as black as pitch. Assassin Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become his Champion. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown. She hides her secret vigilantly; she knows that the man she serves is bent on evil.

Keeping up the deadly charade becomes increasingly difficult when Celaena realizes she is not the only one seeking justice. As she tries to untangle the mysteries buried deep within the glass castle, her closest relationships suffer. It seems no one is above questioning her allegiances—not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a foreign princess with a rebel heart.

Then one terrible night, the secrets they have all been keeping lead to an unspeakable tragedy. As Celaena's world shatters, she will be forced to give up the very thing most precious to her and decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie... and whom she is ultimately willing to fight for.”

This is the second book in Sarah J Maas’s “Throne of Glass” series. I read the first book before I started this blog and it took my library ages to get their hands on it because I live in the Styx!:)

I loved this book, might even be better than the first book as we explore more of Celaena’s real assassin personality. The pace was definitely action driven. I'm not kidding when I'm saying that so much happened and some many plots started to unfold before my eyes. Crown of Midnight was a page-turner through and through and there was never a dull moment.

Maas is brave enough here to allow the main characters to make mistakes, do the wrong things and test our ability to like them. Well, I don't know about you, but the new dimensions to their personalities, their faults and weaknesses, only served to make me like them more. Dorian surprised me most of all. In Throne of Glass, Dorian feels like something of a plot tool, a pretty little obstacle to Celaena and Chaol's romance. The scenes with him felt like filler between the parts I was actually waiting for. Not in Crown of Midnight! In this, Dorian emerges as an interesting character with secrets of his own; he makes sacrifices for the people he loves and his importance to the bigger story starts to become apparent.

Celaena is a badass! I wouldn't mess with her in a thousand years. We finally see her wild and deadly side that wasn't fully explored in Throne of Glass. Sure, she's still that sassy, arrogant and sarcastic girl, but above all, she's an assassin. A ruthless killer and when the ones she loves are in danger or threatened, she's unforgiving. That part of her really gives you goosebumps. Oh, and let's not forget when she's out for revenge. One word: lethal.

Nehemia was such a great support for Celaena, even if she had her own agenda. The princess is one of those selfless characters that would give everything up for the sake of her people. She's fair, ambitious and dedicated. She's the key-player that sets things in motion in this sequel but in a gut-wrenching way.

The villain we love to hate: the King of Adarlan, Dorian's father. His plans turn out to be down-right evil and unnatural. I loathe him because he's so willing to exploit everyone around him for his own sake.

The world-building was exquisite! We learn so much more about Erilea, Adarlan and the history of the country. We delve deeper into the Fae magic. It's a top-notch high fantasy world, coupled with a darker atmosphere, mystery, magic and amazing characters. The result is a certain recipe for epicness, one that Sarah J. Mass gorgeously creates with her impressive writing skills.

Crown of Midnight was an excellent follow-up that might not end in a claw-your-eyes-out sort of cliff-hanger, but it will make you crave the next instalment like air.

Age rating 13+. Gruesome is parts.