I adored the Hunger Games series. Dystopian YA is not a normal genre for me, but this series is awesome and this prequel? A fantastic villain origin story.Coriolanus Snow is an ambitious 18-year-old student whose wealthy family barely survived the war. He is all about image and pretense, which often vie against his normal, human feelings. His parents are dead and he lives in a rundown apartment with his grandmother and cousin Tigris.But, the 10th Hunger Games is to be the first one with mentors and Coriolanus has been chosen to mentor the female tribute from District 12. While at first humiliated at not being given a more highly rated district, he quickly realizes that Lucy Gray is someone who could win and it’s up to him to figure out how to help her do that. Along the way, Coriolanus learns about love and the dangers it can bring.As he works his way through the Games, he also discovers who wields the power in the Capitol, who controls the games and what he needs to do to rise up above the masses.The student mentors also have a say in how the games are run, and in a somewhat twisted sort of way, their professor gives assignments and in Coriolanus’ essays, we see how future Games come about and evolve. As the mentors talk about the games and what is happening, we also see how they are not all unfeeling or unkind. They view their tributes as people and they can see how unfair the Games really are. At the same time we see that those in the Capitol are only concerned about their well being and that their losses are because of the rebels.The Hunger Games series is vibrant and colorful in its imagery. This book, however, was almost more black and gray in its imagery, what with the rubble of the arena and the Capitol still trying to rebuild from the war. That made the contrast of Lucy Gray’s colorful skirt and the snakes all the more striking.As with the rest of the series, we see the government oppression, we see the results of war and rebellion. We see society broken, but fighting and we see that even with survival, life isn’t grand and colorful. But we also see that the human spirit is strong.No one likes who President Snow becomes and I think writing about his story so that he gains the reader’s sympathy is brilliant. The story isn’t fast-paced, but it drew me in and kept me enthralled.

In the book, “The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” by Suzanne Collins, a young Coriolanus Snow and his family were struggling with poverty, and with it, his chance to enter the university. He is then appointed as the mentor of the weakest competitor in the Hunger Games, the district 12 girl, whose name was Lucy Gray Baird. Just when he thought there was no chance he was winning the games and the Plinth prize, she proved her worth to him with a rebellious move, killing the District 12 mayor’s daughter with a snake during reaping day. The book is great, with lots of suspense and plot twists. The question of whether Coriolanus Snow would be victorious or would he be doomed to a future of poverty and possibly be sent to the districts. This book kept me on edge, and I would recommend it to anyone.

The book was not great, nor very exciting or realistic. But if you are a Hunger Games fan, you really do have to read it. Suzanne Collins is a good writer, so I did find myself compelled by her words and found it often hard to put the book down. That said, there were a few things that felt forced in the storyline, and the timeline felt a little off. For example, the games were going on for 10 years already, and they were only just getting around to working out the bugs. Also, by the time Katniss came along, the games had been in effect for 75 years. That would make Snow something like 85 years old. He wasn’t described as that old in the Hunger Games series. And in this book, Panem did not have the advanced technology they had 60 years later. However, this seems wrong since Panem is already far into “our” future. So shouldn’t they already have the holograms and high tech gadgets?Things I liked:It was interesting to see the Hunger Games from the earlier days when tributes were treated more like animals than celebrities, and the arena was an actual arena, like in a bull fight.The idea that there were vagabonds throughout Panem, who weren’t part of any district.The idea that in the old days, not all the tributes made it to the games. (Though I think they’d have worked that out in 10 years.)I loved Lucy Gray Baird.I liked the appearance of Tigris.Snow’s transformation from a reasonable human being to an obsessive deviant.What I did not like:While I did like the district 12 tribute (Lucy), she wasn’t very realistic. She was too cheerful for someone who wasn’t even from the districts and got thrown into their bizarre death ritual.The misconception that Snow was poor and hungry. In the first few pages, they try to depict Snow as someone who hadn’t eaten in days, someone who rarely has anything but cabbage soup. Then suddenly his cousin shows up with potatoes and veggies and they ate pretty well. From then on, Snow ate ALL THE TIME. He was always eating. The tributes were also eating all the time. It seemed like no one ever went hungry, even though the narration implied that everyone was poor and starving.The never-ending page after page of singing. This is the worst thing to put in a book. You can’t read a song! I don’t know the music and I don’t feel like making up a tune to go with pages worth of someone else’s lyrics. How annoying! This was so obviously Suzanne Collins setting the book up to be a movie. Annoying. Oh and how about some of the songs that just happened to be the ones Katniss sang later. Really? This is a play on OUR future. No one has a David Bowie song stashed somewhere?Despite my dislikes, I am glad I read it and I think if you are a fan, you should definitely read. Don’t expect great Hunger Games characters or even much of a storyline. Think of it as a bit of supplemental info on a great trilogy.

I enjoyed this backstory far more than I thought I would. Some 65 years before Katniss Everdeen wound up in the Hunger Games, we are introduced to her nemesis, Coriolanus Snow. Yet the adolescent Snow is not a villain. He is basically a decent young man struggling with poverty. His aristocratic family has fallen upon hard times, the aftereffect of the war that devastated Panem and gave rise to the punitive Hunger Games. Coriolanus is the only member of the clan who has a chance to bring the Snows back to their former prestige. Unfortunately, to achieve that goal he feels that he must make some morally ambiguous choices. Each of these chips away at his human decency. A boy with the potential for true greatness starts down the path to infamy.This book is a great character study for those willing to work through its 500+ pages.

I thought that Book Three of this series kept me on the edge of my seat! Man, oh man, is Book Four a great follow up to that series. It is a hefty book, I won’t lie. It has over six hundred and fifty pages, but you won’t regret a single page.I promise.In this book, we see Celaena finally being replaced by Aelin Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen. Oh, don’t be disappointed, Celaena makes a few surprise appearances as her assassin skills are still needed from time to time. Aelin though… Aelin has to think of Chess moves five in advance to stay ahead of the trials and tribulations coming her way.Aelin will call upon her alter identity, Celaena, whenever she needs to keep the fact that she truly is the rightful Queen of Terrasen. Celaena is her ruthless side that does whatever it takes to get the job done. Aelin is the constant thinker and organizer of the two women. They both are extremely capable women who are unafraid to do what it takes to get things done. Aelin just uses a bit more class and subtlety to accomplish her goals. Aelin has grown a lot over these past four books. She is no longer that child who is afraid of her natural magic. Not that she could use it at the present time since the King has obviously done something to make sure that magic wielders were unable to reach their powers. What did he do? You will have to read on to find out.I love the little tidbits that come out regarding Aelin’s past. They show how much she has grown and just how far she has yet to go. There are so many vital people in this book that you might think it impossible to keep track of them all. All I can say is make sure you pay attention to the smallest of details. They are important in their own way.We get to reflect upon Celaena’s relationship with her old Assassin Master, Arobynn Hamel. If there is a bastard in this book, he could rightfully own that title. He is a character we all love to hate. We learn more about their history as well as get to see how they both interact with one another. Does he love her, or does he only want to own her… or both? Will he betray her yet again, or will he prove himself useful during this leg of her journey?Along with Arobynn, we still have Aelin’s relationship with Chaol to contend with. He is so hardheaded. There were times I genuinely wanted to shake him by his shoulders and tell him to be a man, talk to Celaena, and stop being so stubborn! Did he ever listen to me? No, he didn’t. The author did a fabulous job showing the internal struggles Chaol endures every step of the way. She kept him realistic while still making him enduring to her readers. Some hard decisions will have to be made for not only Chaol, but their relationship status.We see parts where Nehemia, her best friend, comes into play once again. I won’t elaborate too much on this situation because I don’t want to give away any spoilers.Prince Dorian is still very much involved with this book. He has some upcoming trials and tribulations that are going to make his life extremely difficult. Will he be able to remember the friends that stood by him through thick and thin? We shall have to see, won’t we?Aedion, her faithful cousin who has been searching for her for the past ten years. So much was promised to him yet now his future is filled with tons of questions. Which side will he fall on when the dust settles?Rowan Whitethorn, Prince of Faes. He will test Aelin in ways she didn’t think were possible. He will push her to her outer limits all in the name of teaching her how to harness and use her magic efficiently. He gives no quarter while constantly questioning everything Aelin does. Will he break her or eventually get her to see through her stubbornness and pride? He pushes her endlessly to the brink of exhaustion. Will she forgive him for all of his ruthless taunts and comments? Will they ever learn to trust one another in this battle of wills?Manon Blackbeak, apparent heir to the Ironteeth witches. What will her destiny be? How effective will she and her thirteen witches be as Manon fights to become Wing Leader? Will Manon continue to blindly follow her grandmother’s orders, or will she start questioning everything she has ever known? I will tell you that Aelin and Manon have a chance meeting that will leave you breathless. Pay attention to this encounter. It sets the table for more interesting things to come in the future.There are so many other vital characters that you are going to encounter: Lorcan, Elide, Lysandra, Evangeline, Fenrys, Gavriel, the King of the Vlags, and so many more. I could spend all day giving a tidbit of information for each one of these amazing characters, but then my review would be enormously long.I would be lying if I didn’t admit that my heart gets torn out with this installment in the series. Sarah J. Maas is an incredible author who shows no mercy with her characters. I love it when writers do this. I get tired of the predictable standard tropes that so many authors are afraid to venture away from. You won’t find any of that in this series. Sarah keeps you guessing at every turn of this adventure. I cannot recommend this book enough. I am almost done with the next one, and whoo boy, it is yet another work of art.

Well, holy cow. I don’t even know where to start…This book. This series. These characters. THIS AUTHOR.We are in full on queen mode in Queen of Shadows, obviously. Hence the title. Calaena shows up some, for the sake of appearances, but she has completely accepted her heritage and now goes by Aelin. She’s still the intense, no nonsense, scary-as-heck chick we’ve all grown to know and love, but there’s tons more to her character that we only got a glimpse of in Heir of Fire. She’s ready to go and taking names. Like literally taking names as she crosses the ocean back to Adarlan. Her cockiness and downright meanness in the first two books really rubbed me the wrong way at times. You can’t help but to be drawn to her character, but the things she said and did were.. disturbing, to say the least. And she still has that fire, but there is so much more depth to her now that she has accepted who she truly is and, in the process, is opening her heart again to the people she loves instead of shutting them out and running off of pure rage. Her complexity makes her one of the best female protagonists I’ve ever read.We start out back in Rifthold, and at this point everything is up in the air. We know why she’s there and who she’s after, but how she’s going to go about doing this is anyone’s guess. I will say this, A LOT gets resolved in this book. Granted, there are plenty of other monumental surprises that step into take their place, but I was surprised by how many plot lines got tied up. I was expecting two for sure, but the third one threw me for a complete loop. If anyone says they predicted that to happen, they are a liar. And my goodness, these last two books are going to be downright scary. I was on pins and needles the entire time. You thought present Erilea was bad.. it’s about to get wayyyy worse.And as for the book being 650 pages.. Why are people upset about this?! I say, the more the better!Now onto the other characters, because there are quite a few POVs in this book…I’ve always been partial to Dorian, so being in his POV was absolute torture. The ending of HoF about sent me over the edge and I didn’t even want to think about what what was going to happen in this book. I was a nervous wreck. And then PAGE ONE happens. Like, literally as soon as I open the book, there it is. Chapter One. Pretty sure my heart dropped into my stomach. And then every time we were back in his POV after that. I did not handle it well. I hate Valg demons.And while I’ve never particularly liked Chaol’s character (I know I’m in the minority here), he sort of takes on a whole new persona in QoS. Maybe it’s the fact of what all he’s given up and how he sees the world changing that makes him into the person he’s become. He’s always seemed to me like a guy who is scared of change, and has an incredible ability to pick and choose which parts of people to accept. And I’m not just talking about Aelin, but also the king and Dorian. He sees only what he wants to see, and if he doesn’t understand it or like it, he just shuts it out completely. He doesn’t like magic. He’s scared of it. He’s also very scared of what will happen if people with magic have free reign again. We’ve known this since Crown of Midnight so I’m not sure why his continuing dislike of it surprises anyone. Chao is not going to be the same person he’s been for the first three books. His life has completely change, so while his character is infuriating to me at times, he’s still a vital part of this story and I don’t dislike him. His character, by the end of this book, grows leaps and bounds and I was glad to see it happen.Now for Rowan. Ah, Rowan. I still don’t know how Sarah Maas did it. She gave us Dorian and Chaol in the first two books and everyone was on their respective team. Then in one book, ONE BOOK, she made me toss all my loyalties aside fall in love with Rowan’s character. How anyone can not like him is beyond me. He’s like the male version of Aelin, and the interaction between those two are some of the best dialogue of the book and they just work very well together. With his character showing up in Rifthold, you see him having to adjust to life without magic. And as the bond between them grows, you see different, softer sides of the Fae warrior. I love him.We didn’t get too much from Aedion in this book apart from the first few chapters as he awaits his execution. His reunion with Aelin was everything I thought it would be.. I ain’t ashamed to say I may have teared up a bit. They are the only bit of family each other has left and they totally had their moment. It was perfect.Manon’s POV scares me. (Besides Abraxos, because who doesn’t love Abraxos?) She is dark and wicked and infuriatingly loyal to that wretched grandmother of hers. I know she’s redeemable, but for a good chunk of the book I was hoping Asterin would just overthrow her and become the new heir.. assuming that’s how it works. Which it probably doesn’t. BUT Manon has some feels going on that she’s not even aware of and I think in this next book she will most definitely have to make a choice of which side she is on. It very well could’ve happened in this book, but we have no resolution where this is concerned. And that scene with Aelin.. on the edge of your seat stuff right there. I’m not sure how I feel about some illusions of her character, but I’m not completely against her playing an even bigger role in the last two books.I’m not even going to spend time on Arobynn because I hate him. But some of the other characters, I loved. Calaena has been surrounded by a troupe of men for far too long and it’s about time the women came out to play and they did not disappoint! Lysandra, wow. Love her. So much more to her character than meets the eye, and her and Aelin’s relationship was refreshing. Nesryn, even though we don’t get anything from her perspective is also a pretty bad chick and helping Chaol with the rebels. It’s safe to say, unless you’re in denial, you will know why she’s there from the get go. And lastly, Elide, Lady Marion’s daughter, is brought into the picture and hanging with the witches, no less. Very much excited about what role she will be playing in the future. She’s got some surprises in store, I think.For the most part, the book felt like long build-ups. Part one was a build-up and it was resolved. Part two also felt like a build-up, and it wasn’t as cleanly resolved as the first. I still have some lingering questions about that. Prepare yourselves for part two. Big time game changer coming your way.AllI can say, is that if you truly love this series, and I mean disregard the romances and all that, and are in love with the story, this book will not disappoint.Some spoilers ahead…I’m going to rant just for a sec. I keep seeing some low to mid reviews on this book and they all have one thing in common: Chaol Westfall. I know people shipped Calaena and Chaol really hard, but being this distraught over the downfall of their romantic relationship does a disservice to this series. And I can say that because I am completely Team Dorian and have had to put up with Chaol from day on. Not to mention Sorscha from HoF. Was not a fan of that little surprise. Never once have I given these books bad reviews simply because things weren’t happening the way I wanted them to. If the romance aspect is your biggest concern, go read romance novels. The growth and maturity of the characters is wonderful, and I’m glad that Maas is not scared to kill off characters we love or sever relationships if it means progressing the story to where it needs to go. I’m completely okay with the direction Aelin and Rowan are headed because they work. Even if in my heart of hearts I had this small hope of King Dorian and Queen Aelin falling love… yada yada yada… Rowan is the dude and I’m okay with that. So if all you’re going to do is get on here and rant about, “I want the old Calaena back,” “Maas completely ruined Chaol’s character,” “These books are too long,” Guess what? Go read another series! Or some watered down YA novel where everything works out just as it should in the end.These books are gold. Sarah Maas is a genius. And you can’t convince me otherwise.

There are two things that I want to make note of before starting my review:1). If you want to have the greatest experience reading this series, it is absolutely imperative that you read each book in order. The world-building, character development, and chain of events will make the greatest sense to you if you don’t skip around. Pay attention to each detail. It will make sense as you get deeper into this series.2). I will be listing a few spoilers in my review. Some things have already happened. If you are reading the books in order, you will already know what I am about to disclose. No, I will not give away the ending. It is going to shock you as well as break your heart. I don’t want to take that experience away from an avid reader such as yourself.Now, let’s get started.I love this series. The author, Sarah J. Maas, did a phenomenal job developing each character while giving them room to explore one another and grow into their surroundings. Some writers tend to rush things, so their word count isn’t too lengthy, or they simply follow a formula that has worked for them in the past. Sarah doesn’t give a damn about any of that. She writes to her heart’s content and strings us along with amazing storylines.In this book, we come to learn more about Nehemia’s homeland and the battle she was fighting to try and protect her people. Her death took a huge toll on Aelin. She still blames herself for misreading the situation with her best friend. The struggle to stay true to the promise she made Nehemia is real. We get to see how she copes with the guilt she has laid upon her shoulders, knowing she should have been there to help Nehemia during her last few hours. In all honesty, I don’t see how she could have helped her while doing what she was doing, but Aelin is torn up by her grief over the situation. The scar on the palm of her hand is a constant reminder of what happened under the King’s rule.There is also the constant struggle she has as she grows into being the Queen everyone expects her to be at the tender age of nineteen. Of course, she has her detractors that are plotting and scheming to take Terrasen for themselves. It will be up to Aelin to prove these old men, who are not only set in their ways but are afraid to turn against the possible support of Erawan, wrong. She will have to show that she is cunning enough, loyal enough, and talented enough to reign over her rightful Kingdom. Old men are lecherous by nature, though. The people she thought she could count on will let her down, while others will rise to the challenge.In this book, we are finally shown the true depth and size of the upcoming war. All of the main characters are in place. We have learned about the Wyrdkeys and their importance. We know who has which ones and where they are destined to be. We are left wondering about the great army and the tools being created by Erawan. We’ve been exposed to his treacherous ways and now know that he will stop at nothing to get what he wants. With the old King’s death, it appears that nothing will stop him as he advances to what he assumes will be his victory in this great battle.While the battle for all of the territory’s rages on, there are ongoing storylines that are developing in a natural way. Not once did I feel bogged down with the details, or did I question the pairing up of certain people as they formed allegiances with one another. We have Rowan, Aelin, Aedion, and Lysandra moving forward with their plans. Manon and her Thirteen are on their own adventure as they try to determine right from wrong. We mustn’t forget Abraxos and the growth in his storyline, either. He becomes such an integral part of Manon’s life. We have Lorcan and Elide, Fenrys, Gavriel, and Maeve, not to mention the additional bonus of seeing what develops between now King Dorian and Manon.After the original King is killed, we see more of Dorian’s powers develop within himself. He is trying but just has not learned how to control the ice magic that lives within him. He is faced with the uncertain future of Ardalan once his friends are forced to move North in their attempt to secure Terrasen for Aelin and her people. What happens in Ardalan is not only terrifying, but it also shoves King Dorian into a growth spurt that reflects a new, harder edge to him that we haven’t seen up to this point. He has a surprise savior that comes to his aid when he least expects it. The King does step up and we get to see him in a whole new light.Manon is in for her own character development after certain things transpire. One event will force her to look upon her supposed family in an entirely new light. She must learn to accept certain things about herself while trying to remain true to the witch she has been molded into since birth. Some things that come out might shock you. For me, she has become one of my favorite characters in this book. She grows in such a way, (which I always suspected), while undergoing a cruel twist of fate. I love watching her turn into the woman I always knew she could be. The relationship she shares with Elide, Abraxos, and her loyal Thirteen will only endear her even more to you as the book progresses.Speaking of Elide, she truly comes into her own in this book. In the last one, her history was explained, and she was given a pretty good chunk of a storyline. In this one, her travels become imperative to her growth not only by herself, but also with Lorcan. Lorcan starts out hunting Elide but through time, he becomes closer to her as she exposes his softer side. I am still on the fence as to whether or not I like him but that seems to be the case regarding Lorcan. Aelin, Rowin, and the crew don’t know if they can trust him either. In the end, I am extremely upset with Lorcan, but we shall have to see what happens next.Rowan and Aelin continue to grow their pair bond as they travel forth. Aelin still doesn’t let her guard down enough to share her plans with anyone, but after what she has endured, I can understand this. Do I think she should let Rowan and Aedion know what is happening more than she does? Yes. Yes, I do. Will she relent and tell them more of her plans? No. No, she won’t. She keeps her cards closer to her chest at all times. I guess not knowing who you can genuinely trust will do that to a person. She is cunning and exceptionally brave. Rowan is patient, loving, and extremely protective of Aelin. Does he sometimes become overprotective as the male Faes are wont to do? Again, yes, but you have to understand that this is the nature of the Fae. They tend to mate for life and will fight tooth and nail to protect their loved ones. One can’t read too much into that situation if you genuinely like fantasy characters. The Fae are who they are for a reason. The same goes for Lorcan, Fenrys, and Gavriel.We also get to see the Fae men grow on this journey forward. Fenrys and Gavriel, through their blood oath, have been ordered to kill Lorcan as soon as they come across him. What happens next, though, is a very clever way to work around a blood oath. Maeve is surely going to impose some harsh punishments at this apparent thwarting of her wishes, but that day hasn’t arrived yet.I also enjoyed watching Aedion come into his own. He has always been a powerful general, riding the line of safety and fighting for the future of Aelin and Terrasen. In this book, we get to see his real-time struggles as he learns certain things about Aelin, Rowan, and now, his father. He is also, in his own way, getting closer to Lysandra. I love this coupling! Lysandra is a strong character on her own. Now that magic has been released upon all the lands, she can live her life in different animal forms since she is a true shapeshifter. The ways that she offers to help Aelin are miraculous.We are exposed a bit more to Elena and Gavin, too. The backstory that they bring to this tale is imperative, if not frustrating at times. There were certain points in time that I wanted to shake both of them and make them stop speaking in riddles. I get the point of this character trait but jeez, sometimes I just want the characters to speak plainly. I am not the best at solving riddles, so, yeah. I like it when things are spelled out for me. Elena and Gavin hardly ever speak directly regarding any given topic.Aelin and Rowan’s relationship continues to grow and deepen as they explore their pair bonding. The included sex scenes aren’t really necessary, but they aren’t overly graphic either. It covers just enough so that you get the point but doesn’t go too far into detail. We really get to see how patient Rowan is with Aelin as he comes to understand her fierce stubbornness and determination. He also walks side by side with her as her fire magic continues to grow and develop into the mighty person that she is. Aelin is just now learning how to control her water magic. I love that we finally learn more of their backstory individually and combined.I do also want to note that Chaol isn’t really in this book very much. I won’t tell you why, but the reasoning is important to the next book.I loved the world-building, character development, and the descriptive writing utilized in this book. All of the characters are finally on their set paths. We have the full backstory of everyone, but I am sure more hidden details will be exposed in the next two books. Sarah isn’t going to give us everything at this point of the series. She makes you work, enjoyably, for every detail provided. I cannot wait to start Book Six.I will also tell you that I hated the ending of this book, in a good way. I cried so hard. That’s it, though. I won’t tell you what happened. You will need to read the book to find out for yourselves.I cannot recommend this series enough. I had never read Sarah J. Maas before last month. Now, I am glad that one of my best friends never stopped recommending this series to me. It is a must-read for any fantasy reader.

Re-Read Update:This book destroyed me. I cheered when my baby, Abraxos, appeared (legitimately out loud cheered) and wanted to cry at those fateful words. If you’ve read this book, you know which ones I’m referring to and if not, I can’t say because there would be spoilers. Despite the issues and shift in the characterization of some of our leads, this book takes you on an incredible emotional journey with highs that make you cheer (see above) and lows that bring you to tears (almost).Despite the length of the book, I didn’t feel as though the story lagged or the pacing was poor. Any free minute I had, I immediately turned to the book to continue where I left off. Even knowing what was going to happen, it managed to enthrall me.One of the problems that I have with this book is its portrayal of relationships. There are aspects of it that are so swoon-worthy and make your heart hurt, but there are some that are not healthy. It’s nice to see diverse portrayals of love and relationships, but my concern is that a young adult reader might see the territorial Fae nonsense in the book and not realize that it’s an extreme. It might seem normalized. As I am not a teenager, I am aware of the intricacies and can roll my eyes at the “nonsense” without putting any weight on the idea. That may not be the same for teen readers.There are aspects of the character development that seems off and others that, although regrettable, are completely valid. For example, Dorian has gone through an incredible amount of turmoil and emotional upheaval in the last two books. It’s understandable that his personality would not quite be the same carefree, flirty scholar that we met in the first book who wished to stand up to his father but could never garner the courage to do so.In a similar vein, we watch other characters develop into multi-faceted people and understand them more. Manon and Lysandra have become much more interesting characters as they were expanded upon, and at least for me have become some of my favourites. Despite the huge cast of fairly main characters, each is still given the time to shine and grow.Finally, the world building continues in this book to an immense degree. A combination of the book’s size and the various viewpoints has allowed Sarah J Maas to expand the world we have come to know. Erilea has been developed and we are able to see more pieces of Nehemia’s homeland, Aelin’s kingdom, and so much in between.I still love this series and highly recommend it to young adult/teen readers who enjoy fantasy books.Original Review:These novels are so addicting, emotional and indescribable – but I’m going to try to do them justice. If you’ve not yet read up to Empire of Storms, please avoid this review as it has spoilers. I try to leave out the major plot points and just focus on the characters/world, but it’s not free from them. Please read on only if you’ve read the series.Our main cast of beloved and some tolerated, main/supporting characters grows throughout the series. Although we lose Nehemia, which I am still so sad about – we are introduced to the Fae. Their inclusion in the series brings the genre into high fantasy and makes it even more enjoyable. Prior to this series, I hadn’t read many novels in which the supernatural creatures were the Fae but now I am obsessed. The world of the Fae isn’t experienced or explained much, but I would love to see more of it. Their powers or abilities are so intriguing and well written. Just enough information is given that you can understand what is going on, then beautifully populate the world and battles in your mind.Sarah J Maas makes you fall in love with each of the characters, whether you liked them when they were first introduced or not. One of the first perspective shifts we experience is when we are introduced to the bloodthirsty Manon Blackbeak. At first, you wish her scenes weren’t there as they take away from time with our main characters but by the fifth novel she’s one of the characters you’re rooting for. Although she’s a witch and over one hundred years old, she is given the ability to develop and change over the course of the novels. It takes time because she’s learning that things she believed her entire life aren’t true and don’t need to affect how she views life.Even characters that we were originally introduced to, like Lysandre are able to evolve and change over the course of the books. She and Celaena start off butting heads and competing, but that doesn’t last. They join together and made a formidable pair (especially once magic is restored to the land). Lysandre grows into one of my favourite characters and her wholehearted commitment to the cause is inspiring.Seeking more information about the Wyrdkeys, Celaena seeks knowledge from the Fae Queen Maeve. Unwilling to give her information away for nothing, Queen Maeve makes a deal that Celaena must train with and impress one of her trusted warriors, Rowan. Prince Rowan is able to manipulate ice and wind, whilst also transforming into a hawk. Her inner circle are sworn to her with a blood oath and a group of Fae warriors that include Rowan, Lorcan, Gavriel, Vaughen, Fenrys and Connall. Later on, this group is affectionately titled Rowan’s cadre and some join our heroes on their journey.Unsurprisingly, we discover that Celaena is actually the Princess (or Queen) of Terrasen and that revelation brings with it some people from her past. Her cousin, Aedion was forced for years to do the bidding of the King of Adarlan whilst secretly helping his people. He is a general and his legion of warriors called the Bane are loyal to him rather than the King. We also meet another person from Terrasen, the daughter of the woman who sacrificed herself to allow Aelin to escape as a child – Elide. She was mistreated by her Uncle for years, until Manon Blackbeak helped her escape. After only a few days, she crosses paths with Lorcan who is a member of Rowan’s cadre and they begin to journey together.Lorcan is not well liked by Rowan or Aelin when we first come across him in Rifthold. He is still bound to Queen Maeve and is seeking to find and destroy the Wyrdkeys. Throughout his journey across Erilea, he discovers that he has a soft spot for Elide and protects her. Some of the other cadre are viewed in a more favourable light by Aelin and her friends, as they attempt to delay their orders from Maeve to help on the quest.Sarah J Maas writes the best pairings that fill your heart with so much feeling then she rips it out and stomps all over it. Rowan loves Aelin with his whole heart, every part, the good, the bad, the broken and beaten, the assassin, the Queen, the Fae and no one else has ever done that for her. Their love is true and enduring. Heartwrenching and pure. Even though they didn’t start off on the best footing, after training her for a time and even breaking his blood oath to Maeve – Rowan is completely enamored. Plus, they’re mates so there’s nothing more important and bonding. Each relationship is authentic and pulls at your heartstrings.Throughout the novels, you are able to experience more of the lands with Erilea from the dark, twisted towers of Morath to the Queen’s home of Terrasen. They are welcome additions to our mental maps of the land and wonderfully illustrated through words.This is one of my favourite series by far and is highly recommended to all – also specifically to young adult readers who enjoy well writen novels with developed characters, immersive world-building and fantasy.

From the very first page, *A Court of Mist and Fury* completely swept me away. Sarah J. Maas takes everything you loved about the first book and turns it up a notch, delivering a sequel that is darker, richer, and even more breathtaking. The emotional depth and stunning storytelling left me absolutely hooked—this is a five-star read you won’t be able to put down.We dive back in with Feyre as she struggles to heal from everything she endured Under the Mountain. The suffocating atmosphere of the Spring Court is palpable, but once Feyre is swept into the dazzling world of the Night Court and Rhysand’s intricate web of politics, the story truly comes alive. Watching Feyre transform from a broken survivor into a fierce, empowered heroine is nothing short of inspiring—her journey is one of the most powerful character arcs I’ve read in fantasy.The slow-burn romance between Rhysand and Feyre is absolutely electric. Their relationship is built on mutual respect, trust, and a deep understanding that makes every moment between them sizzle with chemistry. Rhysand is the kind of love interest who lifts Feyre up, supports her healing, and treats her as his equal in every way. Their dynamic is everything I want in a fantasy romance—raw, real, and utterly swoon-worthy.Just when you think you can catch your breath, Maas throws in new threats and layers of intrigue that keep the tension sky-high. The world-building is lush and immersive, the characters unforgettable, and the stakes feel impossibly high. This book is a masterclass in dark fantasy and romance, and it will leave you desperate for more. If you love stories that blend heart-pounding danger with unforgettable passion, you need to read *A Court of Mist and Fury* right now.

A Court of Mist and Fury is the sequel to A Court of Thorns and Roses. I don’t even know how to function as I write this review. Sarah J Maas has literally just written her best book yet. And that’s saying something because her Throne of Glass series books are phenomenal.Feyre has completely transformed in this book. We last seen her made into a Fae, after Amarantha had killed her Under the Mountain in book one. All 7 High Lords from each court used a spark of their power to revive Feyre, and make her into a Fae. What they didn’t know was that they would make her into something beyond their power. When they gave her their spark, they also gave her powers from each court. Throughout the book we see her train and practice her new found powers, and she definitely comes into her own.Her relationship with Tamlin becomes very strenuous because like Feyre, he was broken in more ways than one Under the Mountain. We see him become a very dark and tortured soul, holding Feyre as a captive. He does not include her in the going-ons of the court, and he insists on locking her up and having her guarded at all costs. Most would see this as an act of love, someone who literal saw the person he loves die, while he was forced to watch idly. However, Feyre feels stifled. And while she’s broken too, she can’t forgive him for not fighting against Amarantha as she destroyed her. And who can blame her. When Rhys, High Lord of the Night Court even tried fighting to save her, and at the time he was perceived as the enemy in Feyre’s eyes.Rhysand— I don’t even know where to begin. Never in a million years would I have guessed that a love to rival all loves would blossom between Feyre and Rhys. Due to their bargain, Feyre was forced to go to the Night Court once a month. Whisked away by the fiercely dark and handsome Rhys, Tamlin was forced to see his Fiancé taken by his enemy. At first, Feyre hates him, until she truly sees the driving force behind Rhys’ actions. He is dark and powerful, but he is loyal to those he loves, and would do anything to protect them, which winds up including Feyre. I won’t give too much away, but the love that builds between them was so intriguing to read. Sarah J Maas made a very interesting choice to write this book with an older audience in mind. There were lots of intense sex scenes with not so quite kid-friendly language.At first, this threw me off because I know this is a Young Adult book. I didn’t see how well it would mesh together. But as the book progressed, Sarah’s risk totally blossomed into something magnificent. Feyre’s and Rhys’ relationship was primal, animalistic, and intense. It showed us what we become when we let our base desires completely take over. It was a thrill-seeking ride, that often left me feeling hot and bothered—if you know what I mean.Besides the development of these two characters, we also got to meet some new characters, those from the Night Court. Mor, the beautiful and powerful third in command, and also Rhys’ cousin. She instantly befriended Feyre, and they had plenty of much needed girl-bonding time. Cassian, one of two of Illyrian’s top fighters. An enigmatic, hot-tempered, yet playful character that is protective of both Mor and Azriel. Azriel, the one of a kind Shadowsinger. He encases himself in shadows, and the shadows speak to him. Rhys uses him as his spymaster, because he’s a master at stealth and getting information out of people.He’s also the other Illyrian that’s the strongest fighter, along with Cassian. Also, he’s completely in love with Mor. Lastly, my personal favorite, Amren. She’s said to be an ancient creature. A creature that slipped into this universe when the world was created. While it’s said that there might be others like her, she’s also one of a kind. Her power is ancient , and Rhys said that its contained within the body she’s using. However he lets us know that if she was ever released, the world would be in huge trouble. Amren is also Rhys’ second in command.The world building was absolutely mind-blowing in this book. Maas’ descriptions of the city of Velaris, the city that Rhys has protected from the outside world, was so utterly beautiful. The landscape was breath taking, and the fact that it hasn’t been influenced by outside forces and was able to prosper in peace was so beautiful to read about. It was like a hidden Utopia. Rhys has taken the brunt of negative opinions towards his court and him, in order to keep Velaris safe and untainted. He would rather be viewed as a sadistic killer, who’s shrouded in darkness and can turn your mind to mush, rather than let his hidden gem Velaris be tarnished.The plot was easy to follow and allowed us readers to see some of the history of the world within the book. The King of Hybern is the main villain in this book. He is using a Cauldron, the object that is believed to be what created all life, and holds unimaginable power, so he can wage a war on any who oppose him. He also wants to bring down the ancient wall that prevents the Fae from entering the land where humans reside.Only one object can counter and nullify the Cauldron, and it is the book of Breathings. However, it was torn in two and carded off to two places. One is in the Summer Court, and the other is in the land where the human’s are, protected by the Mortal Queens. This happened as a peace treaty back in the last war that Mor was very much apart of. She helped create the treaty between the mortal queens of that time and the Fae. Amren as ancient as she is, knows of the book and is the only person that can read it’s language. And ironically, Feyre is the only one who can actually use it because she was once a mortal, and now is a Fae.Overall, Sarah J Maas has written her best book yet. A Court of Mist and Fury is deeply primitive in its showing of our base desires. Love, sex, and bonding are taken to new heights in Feyre’s and Rhys’ relationship, and readers will often find themselves completely turned on. Readers will also lose their breath as they dive into Maas’ many beautiful descriptions of her world. And will become engrossed in the history of the world she’s created, and watch transfixed, as each character navigates within it and progresses the plot until it’s nail-biting climax. The ending will have you pulling out your hair.If you haven’t read A Court of Thorns and Roses book one of the series, please go out and do so. And then dive into this spectacular book.

This is such a good series. Author is a good writer and story line is fantastic with intense plots and strong and interesting characters.

One of those crazily persistent Amazon suggestions kept showing this book after I bought my Kindle 3 and I finally gave in. The next morning, bleary eyed from lack of sleep and with a full understanding that I wasn’t going to get much done on my Christmas vacation, I bought the other 2 books in the trilogy. I can’t say that I read them so much as I absorbed them into myself. So, even though there are over 1200 reviews here to read, I simply have to add my own.Our story revolves primarily around a teen girl named Katniss, but includes many secondary characters of great vividness and depth including two teen boys, Peeta and Gale. These youngsters are from District 12 in the country of Panem; a future version of a collapsed United States. Being the final District in 12 total, her district mines coal as it’s primary duty and life is exceptionally hard and brutal there. Unlike more advanced districts that make luxury goods or electronics, there is not enough food to really thrive and Katniss has been providing for her diminished family through poaching the forbidden forrests for years.Panem, probably a shorter version of PanAmerica, experienced an uprising in the districts some generations back. As a result, District 13 was destroyed and made inhabitable and each of the remaining districts placed under terms of brutal submission. A reminder of this submission are the Hunger Games. These twisted annual games require that each district select 2 children, a boy and a girl, by lottery who are “tributes”. In the games, they fight to the death in a specially erected environment.This short description doesn’t even broach the surface of it, really. Like today’s Survivor or Ancient Rome’s Gladiatorial games, there is intense competition in the Capital to have a more elaborate environment or compete for the best costumes at the opening ceremonies. All of this trite competition completely overlooks the basic hard fact that these children are going to be forced over days and weeks to kill each other. The more gruesome and horrible, the better they love it. And the environments themselves are dangerous, with many dying slowly of thirst or hunger or eaten by animals. The Gamemakers throw targeted horrors at them to keep things interesting and moving along on top of all that.Katniss, as you might imagine, winds up in the games by volunteering for her younger and more gentle sister. It is she and Peeta, a boy who once saved her life and the life of her family with a single act of compassion, that now compete in the games in which only one of them can hope to survive.While the games are certainly a focus of the book, the story artfully blends the life of District 12, the whirlwind leading up to the games and the game itself into a comprehensive whole. The masterminding of a strategy with an old drunkard winner, Katniss and Peeta leads to the romantic struggle as well. You become at once a member of the audience and the invisible rider on Katniss’ shoulder, urging her on and forward throughout the book.I genuinely enjoyed the story, which is taut and entirely original and can’t imagine how this is geared towards teens other than the use of words below a certain grade level. In truth, the use of words works with this story in a way that using complicated words seen in “adult reading” books would not. Katniss would not resonate with the reader nearly as well.There are two further books in the trilogy and both of those are equally highly recommended. I only suggest that you buy them all at once or be sure your Kindle is ready to receive before you start this one. You won’t want to stop at the last page.

This trio of young adult novels by Suzanne Collins takes place in the future world of Panem, located in what was once North America. Panem is made up of 12 districts and the Capitol, all controlled by President Snow and various other members of the Capitol city. The citizens of the rest of the 12 districts exist only to provide for the Capitol; provide food, clothing, medicine, coal and very importantly, entertainment.Many years past, the citizens of the 13 original districts had risen up to rebel against a very unfair living arrangement. District 13 was obliterated and the Hunger Games were begun as a way to control the other districts. Each year, a boy and a girl from each district, between the ages of 12 and 17, is “reaped”, their names chosen from a list of all of the children in that district. Once chosen, those two children join the 22 others from the remaining districts for a fight to the death in an arena, termed the Hunger Games. This spectacle is broadcast as required watching for all citizens of Panem, who in the 12 districts get to watch those they know and love get brutally murdered by other children.In District 12, Katniss Everdeen, a 16 year old living in the poorest of the districts, supports her mother and beloved younger sister, Prim, with her illegal hunting and creative ways of providing for her family.On the day of the reaping this year, Prim is the one whose name is chosen. Katniss immediately volunteers to go for Prim instead. In her mind, she has agreed to die for her but cannot bear the thought of Prim dying in the Games.What unfolds from here is a spectacular tale of rising up against oppression, with Katniss becoming the symbol for the rebellion. She is joined in the Hunger Games by the first of two love interests, Peeta, who is a baker’s son she’s known for years.Throughout this story (it is truly one long story broken into three parts), the author does an amazing job of writing flawed characters. Put into this world, there are few who are selfless, or even marginally kind. Katniss herself is surly at best, having been forced to care for her family since her father died when she was 11. For any young adult reading this novel, it truly shows how a young girl feels inside at this age; not always able to see the true motives of those around her or believe the truly good things about herself.This story also a commentary on many social and political issues, interspersed with lessons about what should and should not be trusted in life. The politics of those on Katniss’ own side of the war, for example, is a lesson on how those in power are those who disseminate the information, and how they spin it and whether how they act on in is in the best interest of the people. It is a lesson on how human beings treat each other and why, how arbitrary things are in life and how betrayal is a part of that.Although these books were written for YA, they are easily accessible for adults. I found myself riveted, in no small part because of how much the author made me root for Katniss. She is an extremely complicated character, but one I would want on my side in a rough situation. She can’t help but protect those who are smaller or weaker than she is, and even those who aren’t. She is cold and calculating, though, which makes her decisions and her words unlikable at times, but she is as real a character as I’ve ever read.I was struck by the more esoteric parts of Suzanne Collins’ writing as well. For example, she references other literature, most notably numbering Katniss’ army squadron (from the final book, Mockingjay) 451. The numbers have no meaning in the army, and this number is most easily remembered from Ray Bradbury’s tale, Fahrenheit 451, another futuristic story about government control. This is only one reference, however. She uses character’s names (eg. Cressida, Castor, Pollux) to further reference historical and literary ideas, as well as metaphorical ideas (naming the very evil President Snow, whose breath smells like blood and roses).In all, these novels are well-worth reading for those of all ages who like a gripping futuristic tale that isn’t all that far-fetched.

If you’re looking for a fantasy book, rivals to lovers, flirting, slow-burn, tension, action, twists and turns, and a fierce MFC and a flirty MMC, then Powerless is for you.I LOVED this book SO. MUCH. It was pretty fast paced for most of it, but what made be take off some points was because the start was kind of slow and it didn’t really show why the trials happened, even though you can search it and it’s kind of obvious. If you’re wondering, it’s pretty much to kill the Ordinaries in the kingdom. But this book is so much more. It’s a duel point of view, and the characters are amazing. It’s funny and romacntic and the tension and flirting between Kai and Paedyn is MWAH. It was literally perfect and had me hooked the whole time. I feel so stupid for not picking up this book before because IT’S SOOO GOOD. I sometimes even got mad at the author (in a good way) because of the twist and turns and THE ENDING. The ending was a twist but not too much, and it was SO SAD too. I felt so many different emotions just WOW. I devoured this book. I first got it from the library but IMMEDIATELY ran to Amazon so I can get my own copy of it. I love this book SO SO SO much and I promise it won’t leave you disappointed unless you’re used to reading like REALLY REALLY fantasy and slow burn books. Also don’t read it if you read Red Queen or Hunger Games. I haven’t read either so the plot isn’t so bad, but if you did you might find it boring because it’s a mix of the plots from both books.Overall I LOVED and DEVOURED this book and I recommend it to anyone that’s starting fantasy or YA romance. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this book and just O.M.G. PLEASE READ IT !!

Lauren Roberts’ Powerless is an enthralling romantasy set in a world divided by power—literally. The kingdom of Ilya is split between the Elites, who gained supernatural abilities after surviving a great plague, and the Ordinaries, who are powerless and hunted to extinction. Paedyn Gray, a clever street thief, has spent her life pretending to be an Elite, using quick thinking and deception to survive. But when she saves Prince Kai Azer’s life, she is thrust into the deadly Purging Trials, a competition designed to showcase the abilities she doesn’t have.Characters & Romance:Paedyn is a breath of fresh air in the realm of fantasy heroines—witty, sharp-tongued, and entirely reliant on her intelligence rather than magical gifts. Watching her navigate the trials with sheer grit was a highlight. Meanwhile, Kai is the morally conflicted prince with an undeniable charm, whose arc from executioner to protector is compelling. Their slow-burn romance, filled with tension, witty banter, and stolen glances, is one of the book’s strongest elements.“If I am to be her enemy, I want it to be because she loathes herself for wanting me.”Their chemistry is electrifying. From knife-to-throat scenes to moments of unexpected tenderness (like Kai braiding her hair and calling her “my pretty Pae”), every interaction deepens their connection. While the book is marketed as an enemies-to-lovers story, it leans more towards immediate attraction with Paedyn resisting the pull rather than outright hatred.Plot & Pacing:The story is fast-paced, and the tension escalates effectively, especially in the last 100 pages, making it impossible to put down. The Purging Trials introduce thrilling life-or-death stakes, though the pacing of each trial varies—some are drawn out while others are over too quickly. The world-building is intriguing but lacks depth in certain areas, sometimes relying too heavily on repetitive descriptions. However, as a debut novel, this is forgivable.Themes & Writing Style:Themes of power, survival, and identity are central. Roberts masterfully weaves romance with high-stakes action, making Powerless feel like a romcom wrapped in a dystopian fantasy. There’s humor, angst, and heartache in equal measure. While the writing is engaging, some aspects—like overused phrases and underdeveloped lore—could be polished in future installments.Final Thoughts:Despite its imperfections, Powerless delivers an addictive blend of romance and adventure. Fans of The Hunger Games, Red Queen, and Shatter Me will find familiar elements, but the dynamic between Paedyn and Kai keeps it fresh. The ending is a gut punch, setting up book two for what promises to be an angst-filled sequel.P.S. Kitt is an underrated gem, and I hope Paedyn’s actions don’t push him into villain territory. If Kai and Pae aren’t endgame, I will riot.Quotes:➴ “But im never sober around you, pae. Never not drunk on every detail that is you.”‧➴ “What do you want to call me?” “I want to call you mine.”➴ “I was thinking, that you couldn’t breathe. and as much as I like that dress on you, I figured you would look just as good in it with the laces undone.”➴ “I meant what I said. I can’t take my eyes off you. I can’t take my mind off you.”➴ “Oh, darling, as long as you still think I’m pretty, I don’t give a damn what I look like.”➴ “Every girl deserves something equally as pretty and deadly as they are.”➴ “When his eyes lock with mine, I wonder why I ever bother looking at anyone else.”➴ “Remind me to to make you smile like that again, when you aren’t dying, and I have all the time in the world to memorise it.”????Length: 528 Pages????Genre: Fantasy????Spice: ????️????Violence: ????????????Editing: Nothing that pulled me from the story????Series: The Powerless Trilogy????Ending: CliffhangerRating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️½

OBSESSED‘Mark my words, Prince, I will be your undoing.’I lean in, ignoring the knife against my throat as I murmur, ‘Oh, darling, I look forward to it.’What on earth did I just finish reading?! There are 3 types of books, books that has a storyline that are not that interesting and you skim through, books you like reading during the night when you have time, and books you HAVE to read both during the day and night, because your obsessed, your not living in this world anymore but your lost in the book. THIS book is that kind of Obsession!!‘If I am to be her enemy, I want it to be because she loathes herself for wanting me.’The story line is good, the caracters are great. The TENSION in this book is on different level, trust me, Ive read like 500 books, and I never thought I would read a book full of soooo much FEELING, and the best thing about it…there was no lust or disgusting thoughts/feelings, it was all adorable and sweet and swoony…I cannot remember how many times I swooned, smiled, sighed and giggled. The dance lessons at night, the thumb war, the saving in the trials, the first meeting, the nightmare scene…I can go on and on and on…He tilts his head to the side, eyes roaming over my face. ‘Tell me,’ he murmurs, ‘what do you want me to call you?’ My eyes slowly meet his, confused by his question. ‘What do YOU want to call me?’‘I want to call you mine.’That banter between the main caracters, deserve an Oscar, it was not short banter you usually get, I loved every word!You cannot stop FEELING! The WANT, the LONGING, the HEARTPOUNDING looks and words, especially said by Kai, he is arrogant, cocky but still so fierce, intense, full of feelings.And the way he WANTS, I wish every boy could WANT nd FEEL that way!!Not until I looked into a pair of ocean blue eyes and realized that perhaps drowning was a beautiful thing. Not until I looked into a pair of fiery blue eyes and realized that perhaps burning was a painless thing. Not until I looked into a pair of sky blue eyes and realized that perhaps falling was a peaceful thing.And then she’s laughing loudly. I hold my breath, watching the way her head tips towards the sky, her silver hair cascades down her back, her eyes crinkle with amusement. She looks back at me too quickly, and I hope I’ve wiped the look of wanting from my face fast enough.The heart shattering ending full of hurt has me craving the next book like a maniac. I cannot wait!!From their first meeting to their last in the book, you will love every moment, just grab the book and read!!!‘I didn’t realize you had watched me so closely.’ ‘Watched? Darling, I’ve never stopped.’

Sarah J. Maas is by far one of my most favorite authors I’ve ever read, and she’s my top favorite Young Adult author. Anything she writes is gold. Before embarking on a new read from her, I always contemplate and wonder how Maas will top her previous book. Yet, she always does. However, I must admit I was nervous for this book. It’s not a direct sequel to Empire of Storms, but a companion novel. The events of this book are said to be simultaneously happening as the events of EoS. This book is all about Chaol, one of my least favorite characters. Maas turned many readers off from Chaol when she spent a lot of time portraying him as whiny and one-dimensional, once he no longer was Aelin’s love interest. Yet Maas has just published a whole book about him and his adventures. This was a very risky move on her behalf, but let me be the first to tell you when I say, it is paying off! Chaol sets off to appeal to those who rule in Antica, the infamous and flourishing Khaganate empire that many have admired of decades. Maas spent a lot of time researching Ghengis Kahn. While research shows him to be a “villain” in history, his empire was established on the acceptance of all religions. This was very progressive for it’s time. Maas has recieved plenty of criticism for her Throne of Glass series and for this book. I love to include all opinions in my reviews in order to give my review a well-rounded feeling to it. Many critics have felt like Sarah appropriates culture without doing proper research. For the record, Sarah researched extensively and it shows. She also credits Ghengis Kahn at the end of her book. Critics have also complained about the lack of diversity within her work, but ironically enough, Chaol is the only white person in this installment. The new cultures introduced were very refreshing to see, and Maas portrayes them accurately, without being insensitive. I don’t believe she culturally appropriates. She pays homage. Her researched and careful portrayal depict this. There’s a difference. Maas spends a large amount of time world-building and introduces us to vital new characters that will play a major role in the next installment in the book series. The depiction of the Khagan family, particularly the Princes and Princess, were so overwhelming fantastic. They created such an interesting dynamic to the story and each character was so different from the next, despite being related to each other. With the introduction of the Khagan family, also comes the ruk-riders. I don’t want to reveal too much, but we can see a clear foe for the Ironteeth witches and their Wyvern mounts in the ruk-riders. The inevitable battle between these two groups is definitely one to look forward to.Chaol hopes to convince the ruler of the Khaganate to ally himself along side King Dorian and those that fight against the evil Valg King, Erawan. But that’s not all that drives Chaol to the Southern Continent. Chaol has also come to seek out Antica’s famous healers. At the end of Queen of Shadows, Chaol suffered from a devastating spine injury, which has left him paralyzed from the waste down.We meet Yrene, Antica’s best healer, a girl with a troubled past with an even troubling view on Andarlan and those like Chaol, who supported it’s previous sadistic King. Yrene hates Chaol at first, and their relationship begins with a lot of fiery dialogue. Another major criticism that Maas has had to deal with is her depiction of Chaol’s disability. Very reminiscent of Veronica Roth and the backlash she had to deal with, with her character from Carve the Mark, Maas has been accused of ruining Chaol’s character and trampling all that he stood for. Chaol’s journey through Tower of Dawn is dark. I won’t sugarcoat that. He begins his journey full of hatred and he’s resentful. He spends most of the book coming to terms with what happened to him both physically and emotionally, and Yrene is the one to help guide him through the darkness. Chaol hates to rely on others and often times it was painful to watch Chaol deny the help he so desperately needed. One of the quotes that grabbed my attention about Chaol’s disability is,”He knew—Chaol realized the guard knew just how it felt to have the chair touched, moved, without being asked.”Maas has a firm grasp on the nuances of what it means to be disabled because it’s obvious she did her research, yet again. People are critiqued her harshly, but she has been very good at accurately describing what it means to be disabled, even if she isn’t. Maas spent months in conversationg with sensitivity readers, as an author should when writing about very sensitive characters/world. Chaol’s journey is raw and honest. The ending in particular was such a beautiful thing to watch. The way his relationship develops with Yrene is organic. It rejuvenated Chaol as a person and literally brought him back to life—and to the light. We see how Chaol has grown throughout the series and throughout the book through this quote,“He could still speak with dignity and command whether he stood on his feet or was laid flat on his back. The chair was no prison, nothing that made him lesser.”I won’t dive too deeply into this quote because I don’t want to spoil anything, but Chaol’s mindset is no longer disabled like his body. He finally realizes his potential and that his circumstances have not dimished the person he once was, if anything, it has made him better. Chaol learns to change his outlook and comes to understand the value and worthiness of himself. Also, if it wasn’t for those horrible circumstances, he wouldn’t have fallen in love with Yrene. Maas and this book are not an ableist. Like Veronica Roth was not an ableist either. Book critics, be kind to who you throw under the bus, especially if you yourself don’t do your research when you’re ironically accusing the author that they didn’t do theirs. We not only see the strength a person has even while disabled, in Chaol, but the strength of Yrene who supported him through that terrible ordeal. Her strength is not one we’ve come to know throughout the series. She’s not a fierce fighter like Manon or Aelin, but she isn’t less bad-ass than they are either. Her compassion for Chaol and for others is something worthy to note. She may not have been disabled like Chaol physically, but she walked hand-in-hand with Chaol on a path towards healing and recovery. She was broken too, just in a different way. Chaol healed her as much as she healed him. It’s that kind of bond that Maas has created between these two characters that is just beyond amazing.”If he had not broken, then she would not break—not in seeing him as anything but what he was. What he’d served.”Maas spirits us down a path with Chaol that is rife with pain, darkness, and turmoil. We are thrust into his journey of healing and we come to love Yrene, the only one that is there to support him in his time of need. We see a love blossom in a way we haven’t seen done before in a Maas’ book. Some have stated that this book doesn’t need to be read on account of it being a companion novel and not a sequel, however I disagree. It contains one of the BIGGEST plot twists in the ENTIRE series, so PLEASE go out and read it. You will not be disappointed.

I actually really enjoyed this one! I’m so glad I decided to do the tandem read with Empire of Storms — because with that cliffhanger, I know I would’ve rushed through this book just to get back to the main storyline. Reading them side by side really helped me catch so many little details I would’ve missed otherwise.This is definitely not one to skip. It may focus on different characters, but it adds so much depth to the series. And let me tell you — your emotions will absolutely come into play toward the end. I may or may not have gotten a little teary-eyed when I thought something terrible was about to happen (you’ll know when you get there).Now… time for the final book. ????

3.5 /5 ★↳ Rounding up to 4, instead of down to 3 ★Date Finished ~ 11.11.2024“???????????????????? ???????????????????????????????????? ????????????????????????????????…???????????? ???????????? ????????????. ???? ???????????????????? ????????????????’???? ???????????? ???????????? ???????????????? ???????? ???????????????? ???????????????? ????????????, ???????????????????????????? ???????????? ???????????????? ????????????????????????????????????????. ???????????????????? ???????????????????????? ???????????? ???????????????????? ???????????? ???????????? ????????, ???????????? ???????? ???????????? ???????????? ????????????????????????”???????? ???????????????????????????? ???????????????????????????????????? ~╰┈➤ I’m very glad I decided to tandem read EOS and TOD, because TOD was SO LONG. If I read all of EOS and then had to go back and read TOD, it would’ve been DIFFICULT. I do wish SJM had maybe added another character arc in this book besides Nesryn and Chaol, I feel like it didn’t do them justice and the beginning half just dragged.╰┈➤ I did enjoy this book, and my biggest critique really is that it is just so long. I also think I pinpointed why Chaol’s character arc bothered me so much – and it’s because it is so real to a normal everyday guy. Most men who have harbored misogyny would absolutely turn all their self hatred around on the woman most easily blamable. It really hurt for a while because I was really upset with Chaol’s arc, I loved him in the beginning – and found myself extremely irritated whenever he went on one of his rants about Aelin because I could never understand what he was so upset about. But that was exactly the reason, he was never upset at her but wasn’t ready to face his own self pity and loathing. So as much as it pains me – I must commend SJM on a very truthful male character. They can’t all be sunshine and rainbows.╰┈➤ The scene when Nesryn learns all of Maeve’s lore from the spider had me screaming!!! Like jaw on the floor, and instantly mad that she couldn’t share the information WITH ANYONE. Never wished for fantasy characters to have phones so quick.???????????? ???????????????????????????????????????? ~─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ARGHUN: Prince of Spies and the politician amongst them, beloved by merchants and power brokers. He oversees his father’s 36 viziers and initially takes the position that the Khagan should remain out of Adarlan’s war or should ally with Perrington.─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ SARTAQ: Commander of Ruk Riders of the northern and central skies and initially takes the position against allying with Perrington.─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ HASAR: Commander of the Armada and initially takes the position that khagan should remain out of Adarlan’s war or should ally with Perrington. Friends with Yrene and lover to Renia.─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ KASHIN: Commands the land armies (foot soldiers and horse lords). He is less refined than his siblings and initially takes the position against allying with Perrington. He is in love with Yrene Towers─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ DUVA: Married and pregnant with a foreign prince, and initially takes the position against allying with Perrington.─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ KHAGAN: The ruler of the Southern Continent.─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ TUMELUN: The deceased daughter of the Khagan.─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ FALKAN: He is a Shape-shifter and merchant who sold 20 years of his life for Spidersilk. He also is believed to be Lysandra’s long lost Uncle.???????? ???????????? ???????????? ~I am simultaneously looking forward to Kingdom of Ash and also not ready for everything that’s about to go down. I KNOW it’s going to be Battle of Hogwarts level devastation.

Powerless, Reckless, and Fearless swept me into a whirlwind of emotions I hadn’t experienced with any other book. At the start, everything seemed to point toward a good ending, but the more I read, the more I began to doubt where it was heading. That uncertainty lingered right up to the end. Even though the finale felt right for all the characters, it still hit hard—because they all suffered, in different ways, and it wasn’t easy watching them go through it.”Fearless” is a wild ride from start to finish. We follow Paedyn—this brilliant, brave girl who’s been faking powers in a society where power means everything. After all the twists and betrayals in the first two books, things really hit a boiling point in this one. Paedyn and Kai cross paths again, but it’s anything but simple. With secrets swirling and political tensions running high, they’re constantly walking a tightrope, trying to figure out who they can trust and how to survive the next big threat. What I absolutely loved about this story is how Paedyn proves that you don’t need magic to be powerful. Her strength comes from her smarts, her heart, and that unshakable will to do what’s right—even when the odds are stacked against her. And then there’s her relationship with Kai… whew. So many highs and lows, and every interaction between them kept me completely hooked. The book also weaves in powerful themes—loyalty, inner strength, and the courage it takes to stand your ground. It’s packed with emotion, jaw-dropping moments, and action that doesn’t let up. If you’re looking for a story that keeps you guessing and makes you feel every step of the way, Fearless won’t disappoint.In Fearless, Paedyn Gray emerges not just as a survivor, but as a symbol of integrity in a fractured world. Introduced in Powerless as a girl hiding her truth in a society that fears difference, Paedyn could have easily become hardened or bitter. Instead, she clings to compassion, loyalty, and a quiet fire that refuses to die out. Her bond with Adena reminds us of the strength in female friendship, while her connection to Kai adds a tangle of desire, doubt, and duty. Paedyn’s strength lies not in perfection, but in perseverance—she is a character shaped by pain, yet still full of hope.Kai’s character is defined by quiet conflict—a prince shaped by privilege, yet increasingly aware of its costs. His composed, rational nature conceals a deeper emotional complexity. Unlike many in his world, Kai recognizes the fractures beneath the surface of his society. His connection with Paedyn doesn’t just challenge his beliefs; it redefines them. Her strength draws something out of him: respect, introspection, and eventually, a spark of vulnerability. He approaches each choice with caution, rarely ruled by impulse, which gives his arc a sense of gravity and anticipation. In Fearless, Kai stands at a crossroads between duty and self-discovery, and that uncertainty makes him magnetic to watch.Fearless is the kind of finale that leaves you both breathless and content. The story kept me on edge all the way to the last page, and the emotional payoff was well worth the wait. Watching Paedyn and Kai face their final trials, and seeing the future of Ilya unfold, felt like a proper, earned conclusion. Lauren Roberts managed to wrap up every thread in a way that felt natural and satisfying. The tension, the action, the emotional beats—everything hit just right. And although the epilogue is from Kitt’s perspective, it still felt like the perfect goodbye. This is one of those endings that makes you reflect on the entire series with a full heart. The romance between Paedyn and Kai is one of the most captivating parts of Fearless. Their connection starts off shaky—distrust and differences keeping them apart. Paedyn seems defenseless in a world where power means everything, and Kai, full of strength, doesn’t know what to make of her. But slowly, their walls come down. Through trials and shared experiences, they begin to understand one another. Their journey from tension to tenderness adds such emotional depth to the story.Lauren Roberts’ writing style pulls you in from the get-go. It flows so naturally and paints such vivid pictures that it’s easy to get lost in the world she’s built. One thing she really nails is building tension—there were so many scenes where I couldn’t flip the page fast enough! She’s got a knack for capturing emotions, too, making you feel totally in sync with Paedyn and Kai. The action scenes are packed with energy, and the dialogues? So well done—they flesh out the characters and their bonds beautifully. Overall, her writing in Fearless hooks you and doesn’t let go.Quotes????⭐She looks at me, eyes as bright as the sea itself. I stare into them, memorizing the multitude of hues they hold in the flickering lantern light. My favorite color is a shade of her, a sliver of the vibrance she exudes. And I will gladly drown, gladly burn, gladly fall into those blue eyes until the day she looks at me for the last time.⭐You think I would not beg to run away with you? My duty may be to the king, but my heart, Pae, is wherever you are. It is in the palm of your hands, the pad of your thumb. So if you leave, I will follow. If you stay, I will bow. Because there has never been a moment when you did not own the only piece of me that mattered—loving you made me matter. And I ache to be full again.⭐“Paedyn, I love you. Like nothing else before, I love you. And I’ve been waiting to tell you since I realized your eyes are my favorite color and your freckles the only constellation worth looking at. I could lie—say that you’ve stolen my every thought and heartbeat like the thief you are, but all of me was already yours. Pae, you are my inevitable.”⭐“You really are becoming quite the gentleman.” “Only for you, darling.”⭐Paedyn rivaled me, the stars, the very sea with her gaze. She had me in the palm of her hand the moment she grabbed mine in that alley. And for the first time since I was a boy, fear gripped my heart. Right then and there, I knew she would be my undoing.⭐She is my dream. She is my piece of paradise. She is my inevitable.

⚠️ SPOLIERS AHEAD ⚠️lauren robert’s. you’ve done it again. i can’t believe i cried more during this than i did for powerless! maks death was so sad, i couldn’t help crying. there were so many plot twists that kept my heart beating and aching for more. it did feel slow at times, but it was still good! i really wish that this was a longer series so i could keep enjoying these masterpieces of books!! above all, i am beyond happy that Kai and Paedyn got their happy ending, and the fact that they named their child Kit in honor of Kitt was so touching! i feel like what happened to Blair was too much, though. there wasn’t much she did to make me hate her besides killing Adena, which definitely made me hate her, but at the same time she was just competing in the trials. she didn’t deserved to have half of her face scorched and then become a poor stranger, scavenging around Tando. also, the epilogue was so cute with Adena and Mak keeping Kurt company ????pushing the flaws aside, this is my favorite series of books and i hope to see more from lauren robert’s in the future!! ????????

I’m so sad to leave this series, this world, but it was perfect. Everything about this last book was perfectly written with both Pae and Kai’s povs and other writings too. It delivered the emotions, the plot and the betrayals in a way that was captivating and crushing at the same time. I did an immersive read with both the ebook and the audiobook and it was great. The story never felt rushed or forced, it flowed naturally and kept me up all night. I am absolutely obsessed and I want to read it all over again.Read this if you’re in the mood for…- forbidden love- love triangle- marriage of convenience- found family- high stakes trials- betrayal and secretsI will not be moving on from this book for a long time. I already miss these characters. It’s my favorite book in the series.Here are a few of my favorite things….- Kai’s dedication and desperation for her- Pae’s sass and quiet love- the full circle moments with the forget me nots- the letters. painful to read but so good.- Kitt’s last chapter broke me in the best way.- the willow treeI could keep going and going about my favorite things because it’s the entire book. All of it was so good.I will always recommend this series but especially after that.

I enjoyed the first two books and couldn’t wait to read the last one. I absolutely love Kai and Pae’s relationship, though I was not fond of the lying once she was betrothed to Kitt. It wasn’t a marriage built on love, but cheating is never the answer. Speaking of Kitt, this boy seemed extremely inconsistent and I felt bad for how it ended up. I wasn’t surprised about Pae’s genealogy, though I didn’t know how it would occur. The use of trials again seemed like the easy way out and the plot seemed to have twists for the sake of it, with the majority happening close to the end. Overall, it was a decent story, but not my favorite. As with the other books, it is not clean though easy to skip scenes.

What an excellent storyline! A great story of human nature and its endless ability to corrupt that which could have been its greatest moment. Can not wait to begin the third installment

Neal Shusterman has done it again. Thunderhead is a book that’s engaging even without knowing the characters, but having read Scythe (the first book in the series) makes it even better. In this book, you learn more about the Thunderhead, which is one of the best ideas in this book – What if the AI that took over the world was good? Finally, the book ends with the one of the best cliffhangers I’ve read in a while. Buy this book if you’re willing to read the next, for you will most likely be sad to drop the story here.

Rowan is doing his own thing, going rogue, and I was cheering him on like a proud mom the whole time. I just wish we got more of him — his chapters were among my favorites, and I wish I got more of them.Scythe Anastasia is taking a unique approach to gleaning, which naturally ruffles a lot of feathers within the Scythedom. We also see her become a leader among the junior scythes and we see the ground that the new-age scythes are gaining and how problematic that is.We’re introduced to a new character in this book and he plays a significant role at the end. Though, I’m not going to lie I found myself really bored by a lot of his chapters, wondering where the heck this was going. It does have a purpose at the end, even if his storyline dragged.One of the most interesting elements in this book is the deeper look we get into the Thunderhead itself — a sentient, all-knowing AI that manages this near-perfect society. It oversees everything except the Scythedom, which sets up some really compelling tensions.There’s a lot of political intrigue, power plays, and plot twists throughout the book… but nothing prepared me for that ending. It’s a jaw-dropping cliffhanger.I have no idea where book 3 is going to go from there and I don’t expect a happy ending, but I do hope its happy-ish.

There are so many twists and turns in this book! It is absolutely so much better than the first, and I loved the first book. If you read the first book, you definitely have to read this one.

The arc of the Scythe series is so good. My kids and I listened to it in the car and when my husband came home from work we dramatically read the good parts. It was so fun as a family. Books one and 2 are great. 3 has some weird ranting leftist stuff mixed in. Over all a great story.

““Well, then,” said Supreme Blade Kahlo, raising her hand in a grand dramatic gesture, “let the wild rumpus start!””I tend to be one of those people who read the next book in a series I’m following as soon as it’s published (earlier if I can get my hands on an advanced copy) and then spend the next year hanging precariously over a cliff while I wait to find out what’s going to happen next. All I can think after finishing this book is how grateful I am that this time, I’m late to the party.I read Scythe for the first time shortly after it was released and began this book soon after it was published. Then something happened, which I can’t even remember now, that took me away from it before I finished and unfinished it’s remained. Until now. I don’t know how I would have managed if I’d had to wait a year to see how everything unfolds from here but it wouldn’t have been pretty. This is a series you definitely need to binge.I love vigilante Rowan, AKA, Scythe Lucifer. He’s not just making corrupt scythes deadish; he’s making sure they don’t come back. As he researched his potential targets and stalked them prior to taking their lives, he reminded me of the Green Arrow. I wanted his kills to come with a catchphrase … You have failed this Scythedom.Meanwhile, Citra (now Scythe Anastasia) did me proud as a junior scythe. Taking on the best of what both of her mentors taught her but making it her own, Citra’s scythe MO was compassionate and thoughtful, and everything I expected from her.“She is a fresh voice of reason and responsibility. She can make the old ways new again. Which is why they fear her.”However, it was her strength, tenacity and courage that really captivated me. It’s one thing to do the right thing but it’s another thing entirely when the right thing isn’t the easy thing and your decisions come with consequences you can’t necessarily predict and aren’t always in your favour.The big surprise for me, though, was Greyson. I didn’t expect much from him, even though it was clear from the beginning that his role in this series was going to be significant. I enjoyed watching as he began to transform into Slayd. His journey introduced me to unsavouries, whose particular brand of rebellion I found fascinating.I need to live in the restored Great Library of Alexandria. It contains 3.5 million volumes of scythe journals!Favourite no context quotes:“Permission is the bloated corpse of freedom.”“We are forever impaled upon our own wisdom.”“Deadish men tell no tales for a while.”To borrow a new favourite phrase, this book was “fun-and-a-half”. I’m starting The Toll immediately.

I’ve been putting off reading this series for ages! I thought since I’d seen the movies a million times, I basically knew the story by heart. Nope! As always, the book delivered so much more richer details, deeper understanding, and moments I completely missed while watching the films.Now I truly see why children and adults alike adore this series. It’s magical, fun, and full of heart. I can’t wait to dive into the rest of the books!

This is, of course, the book that launched the multi-billion dollar franchise about the orphaned boy named Harry Potter that finds out he is a Wizard when he turns 10 years old, and has been accepted to Hogwart’s School for Witches and Wizards. It would eventually spawn seven books, eight movies, a spin-off series, and a play. For the few who do not know the story, this book basically establishes Harry learning that his parents were Wizards and killed by an evil wizard named Voldemort, who also tried to kill Harry as an infant. The attempt to kill Harry failed, and Harry was sent by Albus Dumbledore, the headmaster of Hogwarts to live with his aunt and uncle and then chronicles his first year at Hogwarts where he meets two schoolmates who would become his best friends, Ron Weasley and Hermoine Granger.For those who have seen the movie but have not yet read the book, this is the shortest of the novels so it has the least amount of material removed in the movie adaptation. That said, the movie did change some things and did shorten some sequences. For example, the opening sequence with the Dursleys is more extended in the novel and things like the trip to the zoo play out a bit differently than was shown in the movie. But, all the main plot points from the book ended up in the movie, especially once Harry gets to Hogwarts, so that will not be much different.The book is age-appropriate for kids about 10-11 years old and up. Rowling intended that the kids reading it would be about the same age as the characters in the book, so for the first novel around 10-11 years old. The books get increasingly darker and more adult with each new book, but really for this book a kid only really needs to understand the concept of death and “good guys” versus “bad guys”. Otherwise, the novel is pretty tame. It has a good blend of humor, action, and suspense, and touches on themes of family, friends, right vs. wrong, and the like. Even though it is technically a “kids book” it is enjoyable enough for an adult, and even though it was written in the mid to late 1990s, it holds up well enough to be enjoyable even years later. It can easily be enjoyed by people in their 20s, 30s, 40s, etc., whether your first experience with the Harry Potter universe was as a young kid, as a teenager, or (as in my case) as an adult because of watching the movies. And, because it is only a few hundred pages and meant for young kids to be able to read it, adults who are fairly quick readers can probably get through it in a couple of days without a problemUltimately, by now anyone reading this likely knows enough about Harry Potter to know the overall story and knows whether they like it or not. But, if you are just getting introduced to the series and are looking at the reviews if you are into fantasy novels or themes like magic, this is definitely worth reading. While it is nowhere near the best book of the series, it does a good job establishing the main characters, telling the stand-alone portion of the story, inviting the Sorcerer’s Stone, and setting up what is to come down the line.

The first book was a very fun read, I’m quite happy with how the movie adaptation kept up with it. Tho I will say I enjoyed the book more, excited to read all 7 books!

This is a good looking book, great cover. Ive been reading a kindle for many years. This is the first hard back book ive bought in a very long time. Its a great story, the pages are nice and thick with a great font. I love all the little drawings too. It all goes together and helps bring the story alive. Wonderful book all around

Harry Potter looks like your ordinary eleven-year-old kid, and has it much worse than a typical one. Orphaned as a baby, Harry got stuck with his Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon Dursley, plus his cousin Dudley, the most spoiled and horrible pig of a boy on the planet. With them, Harry leads a miserable existence, until one day an owl brings him a mysterious letter. What the letter contains opens an entirely new world for Harry, one that begins with this enchanting first book in the series.I came to the Harry Potter series quite late; I didn’t read them as a kid due to the witchcraft controversy, and just never got around to it after that. I finally bought Sorcerer’s Stone for my Kindle to see what all the fuss was about…and because, I admit, I’ve always wanted a little magic in my life in some form. J.K. Rowling does not disappoint. Her writing is geared toward children, so there are some things I would normally object to, such as telling over showing, narrative summary, and the use of adverbs to describe how people do and say things. But again, considering the audience, I’m inclined to let that stuff slide.The story itself is, as I mentioned, enchanting. Harry has the perfect pair of eyes through which to view Hogwarts for the first time. Reading this book felt like starting at a new school myself–everything is new and different, there are new friends and adversaries to meet, and adventure waits everywhere. J.K. Rowling does a beautiful job describing and presenting the Hogwarts environment. Harry, Ron, and Hermione deal with typical middle school stuff, such as strict teachers and school bullies. But how many other kids do you know who also bond over getting a mountain troll out of the girls’ room? Playing a literally killer game of chess? Smuggling a dragon onto the school roof so it can be transported to safety? Each mini-adventure and plot point is excellently done.As for the characters, they’re engaging and incite plenty of empathy. This is especially true and important for protagonist Harry. In the beginning, he naturally incites a lot of pathos, but this boy is not a victim. Once he gets his legs under him, and his self-esteem gets a needed boost, he becomes quite the little hero without being obnoxious about it. My favorite scenes definitely involve him standing up to Draco Malfoy, especially for other students like Neville.Ron gets a chuckle every now and then, although he’s frustratingly impulsive at times. Basically, he’s the kind of kid you just want to hug. As for Hermione, I can see her becoming one of my fictitious soul sisters. Like her, I was a diligent and perfectionist student, though I hope for my classmates’ sake I wasn’t quite that much of a know-it-all. Like Hermione, I also struggled with making friends, but those I have are friends for life. (I’m not gonna lie; I’m kind of mad and disappointed that this isn’t the Hermione Granger series).J.K. throws in a couple of twists at the end; they’re nothing an adult couldn’t figure out, but they are enjoyable. I also loved the trio’s final adventure as they searched for the Stone, particularly Hermione’s talent at solving the logic puzzle. Other highlights for me included the Mirror of Erised, Harry’s first Quidditch game against Slytherin, and Hagrid himself, a well-drawn secondary character. He sort of acts as Harry’s fairy godfather…or should that be hairy godfather?For any parents who might be wondering about the witchcraft element: No worries. What’s here is downright tame, if it exists at all. It’s mostly kids waving wands around, changing matches into needles, and learning how to fly on broomsticks. The scene in the Forbidden Forest involves some talk of astrology and the slaying of a unicorn, but nothing too intense. Personally, I’m ready to put on my Ravenclaw robes, pick up my fictional wand (beechwood with unicorn core, 10.5 inches, slightly springy) and read the next book.

I finally picked this up, after watching all the movies. This book pulls you in and doesn’t let go. J.K. Rowling built a world that feels so real. It’s not just a story about a boy finding out he’s a wizard, but also an adventure packed with so much heart. The character development is so much more than what you get with the movies. It’s the perfect start to an iconic series.