Thursday, 18 February 2016

Winter by Marissa Meyer

Warning: Spoilers! (duh.)

Princess Winter is admired by the Lunar people for her grace and kindness, and despite the scars that mar her face, her beauty is said to be even more breath taking than that of her stepmother, Queen Levana.

Winter despises her stepmother, and knows Levana won’t approve of her feelings for her childhood friend—the handsome palace guard, Jacin. But Winter isn’t as weak as Levana believes her to be and she’s been undermining her stepmother’s wishes for years. Together with the cyborg mechanic, Cinder, and her allies, Winter might even have the power to launch a revolution and win a war that’s been raging for far too long.

Winter by Marissa Meyer
Published November 12th 2015 by Puffin
Paperback 823 pages

Winter is the final book in bestselling The Lunar Chronicles series. This 800 page beast took me two weeks to read just from it's sheer mass but it is so worth it. Winter is the book you always wish would be the final in a series. It is so long and has so much content every question you had was answered and none of it felt rushed.

We have a lot of near misses in Winter. Our friends get to Lunar within the first 100 pages but it takes so long for us to finally defeat Levana. The length isn't an issue, in fact the pacing is bang on. Every time I start a final book in a series I always panic. It inevitably feels rushed and always feel like there needed to be another book. This was not the case with Winter. It was actually wonderful the amount of detail and the build up to the final fantastic battle for Lunar.

We join the team on the Rampion after they kidnapped Kai. They return him soon but not after making a master plan to get onto Lunar. Only 100 pages in I start to panic, oh god what is the rest of the book if she becomes queen so quickly. Luckily that didn't happen. A whopping 700 pages later she becomes queen and quickly decides to abolish the monarchy, but we will get to that. The journey there is this up and down roller coaster of fighting and rallying and sickness and poison apples. We have fake murders, real murders, several propaganda videos and finally get to see what is behind that veil.

As the team gets to Lunar they are immediately found. Obviously because Meyer has no interest in making this science fiction space opera more realistic. They flee the capital, this part steam punk, part sci-fi world of Lunar has been a long time coming and it didn't disappoint. Cinder gets caught and breaks free and gets caught and breaks free so many times. She is in so many sticky situations that my fists were clenched and my breath was short with each paragraph. My favourite escape has to be the balcony leap. Cinder is finally caught by Levana, who starts sending cyborg pieces of her to Kai, then at the wedding reception. Guess who's the entertainment? Levana begins this trial of Cinder and then BOOM! Cinder is manipulating guards, wolves are fighting and she rips herself from Levana's grip and leaps from a balcony. It was heart thumping goodness and there are so many other moments like this that I really don't want to spoil. Then with the final battle, it was tense, I felt like I knew that Cinder was going to win but with each passing moment and page I was less and less sure and then as the final fight between her and Levana begins and Thorne is stabbing her and slicing and apologising it was just AHHHHHH!

There is also this really lovely romantic underlying feel. Even with Cress/Thorne, Scarlet/Wolf and Cinder/Kai we have a new ship that I can so get behind . WINTER + JACE! They are so perfect together and I just adored them even with only one book to really see them, the relationship dynamics were immediately clear and Winter herself was this wonderful, a little nuts princess who was kind of rocking. Towards the end after everything with her manipulating Scarlet I was worried.

I really don't want to spoil any books here. I really don't, I put the spoiler warning just in case but I really want you to know this book is amazing. The perfect ending to a consistently wonderful series. There is no weak link in this series all the books are amazing. Anyway pick it up, the series or just the book. You won't regret it. There is a reason these books are bestsellers.

Happy Reading.

P.S - Winter doesn't have to be the end.

STARS ABOVE

A LUNAR CHRONICLES COLLECTION

The enchantment continues. . . .

The universe of the Lunar Chronicles holds stories—and secrets—that are wondrous, vicious, and romantic. How did Cinder first arrive in New Beijing? How did the brooding soldier Wolf transform from young man to killer? When did Princess Winter and the palace guard Jacin realize their destinies?

With nine stories—five of which have never before been published—and an exclusive never-before-seen excerpt from Marissa Meyer’s upcoming novel, Heartless, about the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland, Stars Above is essential for fans of the bestselling and beloved Lunar Chronicles.

Saturday, 2 January 2016

tbr

A Year Without Reading: A TBR!

Louise Wilkes 12:04:00 0

There's nothing worse for a book lover than to get to the end of the year and realise you barely read anything. My Goodreads challenge is pitifully low and I wasn't even close to winning. NaNoWriMo was a bust and overall 2015 had been a suck-ish year in terms of reading for me.

This isn't from not wanting to but simply in the immortal words that writers love to condemn,

'I DIDN'T HAVE THE TIME.'

I'm a third year at University living and tidying my first house. I have to work to pay for said house and at the end of the day, when I drag my knackered bottom to bed, I don't stay up to read. Having a year in which I only read about 20 books (I know that still okay for some people, but one year I got 200 down! Damn I was on point) and I'm sort of freaked out by it and hope this won't be the beginning of a sad bookless life. I'm being dramatic, I've just been busy. Adulting is all about finding routine, once I get that down, I'll be good.

However in 2015, I did purchase a lot of books, and in order to urge myself to get them done, here is a TBR for 2016 of sorts. These are the books I will definitely get read this year, hopefully this month.

A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
The Art of Being Normal by Lisa Williamson (Started in 2015)
Throne of Glass 5 by Sarah J Maas
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas
Stolen by Melissa De La Cruz and Michael Johnston
Let It Snow by John Green and More (I'll get it done one year, I swear)

These are just a few I'm hoping to read this year. To make up for my lackluster 2015, I'm also trying to read the books I've been neglecting, that I bought years ago and never read or finished. It's sad really, my TBR shelf is in need of a little TLC.

So how is your book year looking?

Did you rock in 2015?

Let me know!

Happy Reading.

Tuesday, 6 October 2015

sarah j maas

My Book Kryptonite

Louise Wilkes 09:24:00 0

There are some books, you think you're above. You snort at "tweens" reading twilight or roll your eyes dramatically at the thought of Shakespeare, but then there are those other books. Those books that you have a weakness for. If your reading ability was Superman, these books are your Kryptonite. You are defenseless against them and as soon as a book presents itself in that way, it is immediately in your basket.

For me, it Fairy tale re-tellings. I want to pretend I'm above it, silly little genre with barely any originality - but I don't. Fairy tale re-tellings are some of the most outstanding literature I have read. They are so original and it is so interesting to have people take the same story and twist and manipulate it into something completely new. So to honour my book kryptonite, here is a list of my favourites, and if that's not enough, you can find more of the genre here.

1. Angela Carter

Angela Carter was an English Novelist. She wrote Angela Carter's Book of Fairy tale and The Bloody Chamber and other stories. These are by far her most popular books and they aren't like regular re-tellings. Often seen as feminist literature, Carter's writing is violent and terrifying and really takes a good look at the female position within fairy tales and society. She looks at the impact of fairy tales on our society and flips them on their head. I would highly recommend any of her literature to any human person ever.

2. Leigh Bardugo

If you have not read Leigh Bardugo - do it now. Don't even bother with finishing this article. Just go. For a little context Bardugo's fairy tale stories are all companion novellas to the Grisha Series:
The Witch of Duva
Little Knife
The Too Clever Fox
Little Knife is my favourite and all of them are so mystical and amazing. The world she builds in these tiny little stories are just stunning.

3. Marissa Meyer

Cyborg Cinderella? Moon-person Rapunzel? NUFF SAID! Lunar Chronicles are amazing.

4. Sarah J Maas

Throne of Glass and A Court of Thorns and Roses, do seem far away from a fairy tale, but in fact TOG was originally based on Cinderella and ACOTAR is based on Beauty and the Beast. These series are both amazing representations of the ways authors interpret different stories. It is one of my favourite aspects of this genre. One of my all time favourites.

5. ONCE UPON A TIME

I'm afraid I am about to be a cheater. This series is not a book, but it is still a masterpiece of fairy-tale makeovers. ABC'S Once Upon a Time is one of the most enjoyable shows I have watched. I adore the series and Emma and the way it uses contemporary life and society in order to highlight the characters past lives. Evil Peter Pan? Whhaaaatt? I love it. I love it so much, it has snuck it's way into my book blog. DAMN YOU EMMA SWAN!

So that's it, a few of my favourite book kryptonite. I sincerely hope you enjoyed this quick little bit and I urge you to let me know in the comments, what your kryptonite is.

Happy Reading

Sunday, 4 October 2015

unfinishable

The Unreadables

Louise Wilkes 01:03:00 0

Warning: Spoilers! (duh.)

Now, we've all been there. You start a book, sometimes by an author you know and love...then it sucks. As a determined reader I try, honestly I try but sometimes whatever is wrong with the book gets in the way. Therefore in order to relieve myself of guilt for denying these books a review, here are a few of the books I was unable to finish and a few reasons why.

The Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver

This book gives me a lot of sadness. I have loved every book Lauren Oliver has written but this book was just not up to scratch. Even the blurb seemed right up my street - a little mystery, sisterly relationships and a terrible trauma. Oooh the tension. It could have been something amazing, but if it was, I never got to it.

I had to give up at a hundred pages. The tension that was promised was not delivered and the pacing was so slow I knew it was ending toward a big finish, but as they say it isn't the ending that matters, its the journey -though an ending does help. So if you like a slow build to a shocking end, I'm sure you'll love this book but for me, Panic was such an outstanding novel that Vanishing Girls was a lot slower and less touching and therefore disappointing.

The Game of Love and Death by Martha Brockenbourgh

That title, it's beautiful, no wonder I bought this right? Even the synopsis Love and Death placing bets on two humans. Will they die or will they choose love. Oh it's exciting! Or I thought it would be. Love and Death essentially choose two humans of whom, if they fall in love it could cause disaster. They make them, soulmates shall we say. Flora and Henry are on either side of racial segregation. This gave me chills, oooh period drama, oohh forbidden love. But then Martha Brockenbourgh obviously felt very uncomfortable with her subject matter. Racist's were very polite and none of them even got near to using the dreaded N word. For a world that is so disgusted by dark skin at this time, a fact the author feels the need to emphasize. There is also the fact, the author refuses to tell the audience that Flora is coloured - we'll just have her play jazz music and have people look at her a bit funny, that should do it.

As a writer, I honestly believe that if you are trying to comment on society, a time that was wrong, political statement etc. You have to go for it. Don't be afraid to offend people because you will. The readers knows that anything you write isn't necessarily how you feel. You are not your characters and that was the reason, I could not continue with this book.

Take back the Skies by Lucy Saxon

Lucy Saxon, cool cosplayer, a friend with someone I know. How I wish I'd loved this, but I didn't. I was thinking this would be Arya goes off alone in Game of Thrones but this book was very young. It seemed like it was for a much younger audience than it was advertised for. The main character is about fourteen which is immediately a dead giveaway. There are many reasons to stop a book, but at one point when you realise a series isn't for you. I think it's brave to put it down and move onto different things.

This book is also one of those series in which each book follows a different character and I really didn't want to invest in a character and then lose them. I just can't set myself up for that kind of hurt (wipes eyes away dramatically).

So there are a few of the books I have been unable to finish. I have a whole bookshelf on Goodreads dedicated to them, so if that sounds interesting you can find that here.

If not I would love to hear about books you've read and forced to put down. It would surely help with my own book guilt. And don't be afraid to put down your books, there's always more round the corner and it won't be going anywhere.

Happy Reading.

Friday, 2 October 2015

Virginia Boecker. fall

Fall Haul

Louise Wilkes 08:50:00 0

I have gone book crazy this September onward. I moved house to Bolton and so the Arndale Waterstones has been within my reach. Safe to say my student loan now lives only in history books.

I have been heavily into Kingdom themed novels since reading Queen of Shadows by Sarah J Maas. I knew I would have a bad book hangover, so I prepared thoroughly. Witch Hunter by Virginia Boecker declared that fans of Maas would enjoy this. Naturally I trust everything the yellow font on the front of a book says.

Elizabeth Grey is one of the king's best witch hunters, devoted to rooting out witchcraft and doling out justice. But when she's accused of being a witch herself, Elizabeth is arrested and sentenced to burn at the stake.

Kick-butt heroine caught herself in a pickle. Sounds right up my street.

Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine promised me medieval-type adventure with the included literature love of The Book Thief. I love purchasing the first book in a new series. It always sort of feels like a promise, like something great is yet to come and knowing their is more of the adventure out there, really matters when I'm choosing material to read.

Ruthless and supremely powerful, the Great Library is now a presence in every major city, governing the flow of knowledge to the masses. Alchemy allows the Library to deliver the content of the greatest works of history instantly—but the personal ownership of books is expressly forbidden. Jess Brightwell believes in the value of the Library, but the majority of his knowledge comes from illegal books obtained by his family, who are involved in the thriving black market. Jess has been sent to be his family’s spy, but his loyalties are tested in the final months of his training to enter the Library’s service.

The Kingdom of Little Wounds by Susann Cokal is my favourite buy for fall. I have read nothing of it other than the blurb. The blurb and the title though, it sounds amazing, I have high hopes for this book, especially seen as the author has won several very impressive awards, this book even being shortlisted for the Printz prize.

On the eve of Princess Sophia’s wedding, the Scandinavian city of Skyggehavn prepares to fete the occasion with a sumptuous display of riches: brocade and satin and jewels, feasts of sugar fruit and sweet spiced wine. Yet beneath the veneer of celebration, a shiver of darkness creeps through the palace halls. A mysterious illness plagues the royal family, threatening the lives of the throne’s heirs, and a courtier’s wolfish hunger for the king’s favors sets a devious plot in motion.

Next on the agenda were the books I'd be waiting to buy or that weren't available in bookstores in my hometown. Naturally after reading Fairest by Marissa Meyer and eagerly waiting for Winter, I had to buy it in paperback and it was so worth it. The cover is even more beautiful in real life. It's like shiny and fiery and just breathtaking.

In this stunning bridge book between Cress and Winter in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles, Queen Levana’s story is finally told.
Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the fairest of them all?
Fans of the Lunar Chronicles know Queen Levana as a ruler who uses her “glamour” to gain power. But long before she crossed paths with Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress, Levana lived a very different story – a story that has never been told . . . until now.

Then, I returned to the Grishaverse, with Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. This book is a monster, it is huge, only 500 pages but has a good inch in height more than the other books. Cannot complain though because I have been waiting for this for over a year since Bardugo announced it via tumblr. I already knew I was buying this book as soon as it was published. The Grisha series was amazing, I loved it and I'm praying for a Darkling character who turns out not to be completely bonkers.

As I am a fan of Frozen by Melissa De La Cruz and Michael Johnston, I purchased the sequel Stolen.

Months after Nat and Wes said good-bye on the shores of the Blue, Nat is learning how to control and use her new power. She and her drakon are the last of their kind—and she’s risked her life for their reunion. When she receives a mysterious distress call, she races to help, soliciting the guidance of her new friend, the beautiful and aloof Faix Lazaved of the Blue. Still heartbroken over losing Nat, Wes is racing cars on a New Vegas racetrack while his team is scattered and lost. When he finds out that his sister, Eliza, is being held in the golden domes of El Dorado, he does what he’s best at—running to her side—and gambles on luck to see him through one more time.

As I'm also a lover of Disney, I couldn't help by help myself to The Descendants by Melissa De La Cruz. I went to Cuba in the summer and Disney Channel was all about The Descendants Movie and to an extent the book. I like Melissa De La Cruz's easy to follow pace and I like Disney. So what's not to like - nothing that's what.

Twenty years ago, all the evil villains were banished from the kingdom of Auradon and made to live in virtual imprisonment on the Isle of the Lost. The island is surrounded by a magical force field that keeps the villains and their descendants safely locked up and away from the mainland. Life on the island is dark and dreary. It is a dirty, decrepit place that's been left to rot and forgotten by the world. But hidden in the mysterious Forbidden Fortress is a dragon's eye: the key to true darkness and the villains' only hope of escape. Only the cleverest, evilest, nastiest little villain can find it...who will it be?

Another book I purchased on a whim simply as it had an authors name on, is Silence is Goldfish by Annabel Pitcher. I have read every book Pitcher has written and she is a very talented British writer. Sh has this impeccable way of writing each of her books the same but also different. Ketchup Clouds was written in letters to a murderer and My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece was directly focused around the London Bombings. She is a very contemporary style and I have never regretted reading one of her books, so here is to this one. *Raises mug of Irn Bru, clinks like it's champagne.*

My name is Tess Turner - at least, that's what I've always been told.
I have a voice but it isn't mine. It used to say things so I'd fit in, to please my parents, to please my teachers. It used to tell the universe I was something I wasn't. It lied. It never occurred to me that everyone else was lying too. But the words that really hurt weren't the lies: it was six hundred and seventeen words of truth that turned my world upside down.
Words scare me, the lies and the truth, so I decided to stop using them.
I am Pluto. Silent. Inaccessible. Billions of miles away from everything I thought I knew.

Another favourite author of mine is Sarah Crossan, of whom I will be seeing at Manchester Literature Festival later on in the month. Crossan's novel The One, is based around two twins who are conjoined. Much like The Weight of Water it is written in verse and I loved that book so I think I will love this just as much, maybe even more.

Tippi and Grace. Grace and Tippi. For them, it’s normal to step into the same skirt. To hook their arms around each other for balance. To fall asleep listening to the other breathing. To share. And to keep some things private. The two sixteen-year-old girls have two heads, two hearts, and each has two arms, but at the belly, they join. And they are happy, never wanting to risk the dangerous separation surgery.

The last few books I purchased were spur of the moment. For the most part, I judged a book by it's cover. The Catalyst by Helena Coggan is just stunning looking. Almost like an iris with the shadow of people walking inside it. It really captured my interest and I picked it up. This year's Divergent? We shall see.

Rose Elmsworth has a secret. For eighteen years, the world has been divided into the magically Gifted and the non-magical Ashkind, but Rose's identity is far more dangerous. At fifteen, she has earned herself a place alongside her father in the Department, a brutal law-enforcement organisation run by the Gifted to control the Ashkind. But now an old enemy is threatening to start a catastrophic war, and Rose faces a challenging test of her loyalties. How much does she really know about her father's past? How far is the Department willing to go to keep the peace? And, if the time comes, will Rose choose to protect her secret, or the people she loves.

The next stunning cover was The Night Owls by Jean Bennett. The gold spray paint, the golden map lines behind. My eyes were just in love instantly and I had to buy it.

Meeting Jack on the Owl - San Francisco's night bus- turns Beatrix's world upside down. Jack is charming, wildly attractive...and possibly one of San Francisco's most notorious graffiti artists. But Jack is hiding a piece of himself. On the midnight rides and city rooftops, Beatrix begins to see who this enigmatic boy really is.

Last but not least, The Jewel by Amy Ewing I bought not because of the cover, which is kind of The Selection by crapper. I got this because it reminded me of Only Ever Yours by Louise O'niell. In which I loved the concept but the narrative didn't go where I hoped. This book seemed to follow much more what I expected from Only Ever Yours.

The Jewel means wealth. The Jewel means beauty. The Jewel means royalty. But for girls like Violet, the Jewel means servitude. Not just any kind of servitude. Violet, born and raised in the Marsh, has been trained as a surrogate for the royalty—because in the Jewel the only thing more important than opulence is offspring.

Purchased at the surrogacy auction by the Duchess of the Lake and greeted with a slap to the face, Violet (now known only as #197) quickly learns of the brutal truths that lie beneath the Jewel’s glittering facade: the cruelty, backstabbing, and hidden violence that have become the royal way of life.

Violet must accept the ugly realities of her existence... and try to stay alive. But then a forbidden romance erupts between Violet and a handsome gentleman hired as a companion to the Duchess’s petulant niece. Though his presence makes life in the Jewel a bit brighter, the consequences of their illicit relationship will cost them both more than they bargained for.

So that is my Fall Haul, I really did go a little crazy but then again, I will never run out of anything to read. I hope you enjoyed this and I would love to here what you have been reading this Autumn, so keep in touch.

Happy Reading.

throne of glass

Queen of Shadows by Sarah J Maas

Louise Wilkes 01:00:00 2

Warning: Spoilers! (duh.)

The Queen has returned

Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she's at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past . . .
She has embraced her identity as Aelin Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen. But before she can reclaim her throne, she must fight. She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die for her. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen's triumphant return. The fourth volume in the New York Times bestselling series continues Celaena's epic journey and builds to a passionate, agonizing crescendo that might just shatter her world.

Welcome all Fire Breathing Bitch Queens! It's that time again, that time I wait all year for.

IT'S THRONE OF GLASS FOUR Y'ALL!

This is where you cheer, I know, it's exciting. So I'm just going to get on with it, because we have alot to discuss. Now, for those of you who don't know, Throne of Glass is in essence the story of a Notorious Assassin who happens to be a Lost Queen of a country at war. It is by far cooler than it sounds. I wrote a review of the previous book, so go here for that:

CLICK ME FOR HEIR OF FIRE

Okay, so where do I even begin? A bit of time has passed between Heir of Fire and Queen of Shadows. We skipped the journey back to Adarlan and even the first few weeks of Celaena *cough* I mean Aelin - this is gonna be tough. So we miss Aelin getting settled in, and I thought that it would be awhile before we saw Arobynn Hamel. I was wrong, first chapter, Celaena has a new name, new hair and has tracked down Arobynn in the Vaults. It was great to just get into it, just to kick off with what I was waiting for once she realised she was going to see Arobynn again.

Now In The Assassin's Blade, I wasn't sure what to make of Arobynn, he was sadistic and violent and almost kind of like an abusive boyfriend. I never got to feeling there was anything sexual going on between them other than his need to be dominant over everyone else but in this book he was super creepy. I think he was initially shocked to see her and his guard was dropping a little because things weren't fully under his control. He had sent Aelin to Endovier, waiting for her t learn her lesson so he could save her as and when he pleased. It was way twisted, but I'll get to that.

We start this book and Celaena Sardothien is "gone". After all the awful things she has done Aelin decides to cast off her name and become Aelin instead. I can't imagine this will be permanent. She says hroughout the book that Celaena is gone but she isn't. There are moments, when she's joking with Lysandra (who is rad is this book) and with Rowan that are still Celaena. As fan theories go I believe Celaena's journey now is going to be accepting that she is Celaena and she is also Aelin. She has to accept the life that was before she can move on. That means accepting Nehemia's death, all the death she caused and Sam's death. She cannot just remove that grief by tattooing her back and changing her name. So I have a feeling this is going to take part over the last two books.

Aelin is just as bad-ass as Celaena. She's like demon Buffy the Vampire Slayer just slashing around being awesome. After seeing Arobynn the first time, we kick off with Aedion's rescue. I loved this section of the book, Aelin keeps all her plans a secret from the reader, so as it all happens it is so shocking and keeps you on the edge of your seat, The thing with the roses and the dancers and Dorian. Oh Gods, Dorian. I feel for Dorian in this book and generally he just annoys me. I never really understood his relationship with Sorscha. It felt very forced to me, whether that was Dorian forcing it to get over Celaena or Sarah J Maas herself. Demon Dorian is kind of terrifying and I honestly worried he would die. During the rescue, when he's grinning at Aelin and she's about to mercy kill him. Then she pauses, begging for him to remember, giving him a minute. This book made my heart race.

Then, there's Chaol. I have always been a Celaena and Chaol ship. My ship is sunk, though I still retain hope. Gods when he sees her and he is such and arsehole through the entire first half of the book. It's not until they have the talk on the rooftop that I finally realised, he was waiting for her. He'd heard the rumours of her and Rowan and then she showed up this different person. I had so much hope for them after her speech at the docks before she left in Crown of Midnight, and now I realise that's what Chaol felt. He was waiting for her and was so blind sided when she came back. Even as she first saw him, she started talking about how her heart has healed and without him in their. Despite the holes in my ship, I do still hold up hope. As long as she doesn't end up with Dorian I am happy. I was really surprised to love Rowan in this book. He was okay in Heir of Fire, a bit dark and broody for my taste. Rowan in this book is a lot more fun, the back and forth between the pair is so funny. And the thing with the almond oil and Arobynn made me laugh for a good twenty minutes. Gods it was so funny. On the subject of new ships, I like Nesryn, I think her and Chaol are an excellent match. If Aelin and Chaol are off the cards, then Nesryn is awesome enough to be with Chaol. She's basically medieval Katniss.

My ultimate favorite scene in this book, my favorite scene of the whole series was Manon VS Aelin SMACKDOWN! I thought it would be a while before Aelin and Manon met but Maas surprised me again. This entire scene was perfection. These two amazing fighters just whooping each others butts was the ultimate in awesome, and then when Aelin saved Manon from the temple they had knocked down with their fighting was great. Then the life debt came into play and it was so cool. This entire series is not only impeccably written, so well written that as a writer it makes me feel awful every time I read it. It is edited to perfection. I would love to see a first draft and see how it compares. Maybe that would make me feel better. This book is not just well written and funny, it is cool. There is so much cool going on, like the best action film with the best romance and characters you could ever imagine. Each book gets better and better.

Now here's a ship I can get behind. MANON & DORIAN! I can get behind that, the little moment they had. Not to mention that Manon is vaguely Celaena-like, maybe explaining his attraction to Celaena in the first and second book. They just immediately had chemistry, and when she flies past his window and they both catch each others eyes despite being miles in the air. It was so romantic. I liked Rowan and Aelin, they have banter and I knew as soon as Rowan showed up in Adarlan that it was going to happen. It felt very natural, really liked them together.

Lysandra was a lovely little flower in this book. If you remember her from The Assassin's Blade, I hated her in that. Then it turns out she was playing the game, and that she is a shapeshifter. Way cool. I love how easy their friendship is. Girl friendships are always portrayed with a little jealousy and snideness between them but even after years of being manipulated into hating each other, it is as simple as saying they are now friends. Loved it. And now she's joining us in Terrasen, so I can't wait to see what will happen.

Fan Theory Time: What do you think will happen in the last two books? (That is very sad to say)

Personally, I think Rowan will die. I don't want him to, but there is no way they could break up and Aelin end up with someone else and in two books a lot can happen. I think he will die and it is gonna suck but I will be surprised if Rowan is endgame. He will also die before they "bang". There has been too much emphasis on them wanting to do it and not having ht time or privacy which if you recall the prequels, is a very Sam situation.

Manon and Dorian are total endgame, as are Aedion and Lysandra but she is gonna make him work for it.

I have said since the first book that Sam isn't dead. My theory keeps being pulled apart each book, but I am still waiting for him to like walk in and be all 'Hi guys, not dead. My bad.'

I think Aelin will learn to accept her past and Celaena will come back in atleast some form.

Obviously at some point we will finds this Valg King and have to kill or trap him or something, but we literally just learned about this so it feels like the beginning of a whole new series.

I am way behind Manon to be in Aelin's court. I love it. I could even ship them. What a twist that would be. It would be like Korra and Asami all over again and I was way happy about that.

I am hoping Elide will make it to Aelin. I felt so bad when she had to walk to Terrasen, she can barely walk upstairs and now she's going on a cross country hike. It was sad but also the imagine was kind of hilarious.

Anyway, thank you so much for reading. I utterly love this series and I hope you do too. Give me your fan theories. Slag off the Aelin name switch or just say how cool it was.

I will go down with this ship! CHAOL & CELAENA FOR LIFE!
Happy Reading.