An Ember in the Ashes - Sabaa Tahir

Alrightyyyy. I decided to reread this book because I finally wanna finish off the entire series. I've only read the 2 first books of the quartet and never truly read all the way to the end. So here I am. rereading once more, which is probably my entire 2021 at the moment. 

An Ember in the Ashes is one of the first books that I read since discovering the Booktube community online and is what has gotten me into a lot of fantasy books. Sabaa Tahir has an intriguing way of writing this story and she knows how her way around words (she's very quotable). 

Set in a fictional roman-inspired world, a cruel empire is ruling. The book follows 2 characters Laia and Elias who both struggle with their demons. Laia her family gets raided and killed, except for her brother who gets taken to prison. She's determined to get him out of there and asks the help of the Resistance, a group of rebels who want to overthrow the empire. They agree to help her on one condition: spy for them as a slave in the most dangerous school on the most dangerous woman in the empire. 

Elias is a student at Blackcliff, a training school for Masks, where he is best out of his year. He made up his mind to desert the empire and his position the day after graduation. But on the day itself that he finally is fully a Mask, he is offered to participate in Trails. If he wins, he can become emperor of the empire. 

And thus both their stories begin.

The setting is really interesting. As I previously mentioned, it's inspired by Ancient Rome and I honestly could really see it in my mind! Maybe because I visited Italy so often already, but the entire world-building is created around words to how places look. I loved it and fell madly in love with it. Also, the differences between Martials, Scholars, and the Tribes were interesting to see. Martials are basically the 'upper' humans, scholars are the slaves and somehow the Tribes get left alone. So there is relatable discrimination going on which we can see even in our day-to-day life. 

The characters themselves are also an interesting mix. Laia is probably my fave. She's truly - TRULY - broken from what happens to her, but you get to see such a gorgeous development. By the end, she is fearless (not completely but you know what I mean) and takes risks to save other people. It's a contrast because she started out fleeing and running away, which made her feel utterly guilty for leaving behind her brother. The unexpected thing is that all of the changes in her happens so gradually that it feels very natural. She learns, discovers, and takes pain along the way as she grows.LOVED HER!

Elias is a somewhat complex character, but that is because his backstory is already pretty messed up. Basically, he is the son of the commandant of Blackcliff who left him with the Tribes-people just after he was born. Abandoning him. Then, at six years old he gets taken away to the school and learns then and there who his mother is and goes through a hard training of years. Luckily he meets Helene, who is the only girl within a decade to learn to become a Mask. They are best friendos and always have each other's backs. Until, of course, Elias starts to notice that Helene is acting weird and that is mainly how this book starts for him. Oh, and also the wanting to desert-thing because he doesn't like the empire. 

He doesn't necessarily have a lot of character growth in the sense of becoming strong and taking risks, but more so in the part of accepting who he is and what he wants. That's a big theme for him in the book. Along with the Trails, he uncovers more about himself and when he meets Laia she's some sort of moral compass for him. They have good chemistry and I loved their scenes together! Even though they didn't have that many. A great book-couple if you ask me!

All in all, I still love this story as much as when I read it for the first time so the 5/5⭐️'s still stands!

xoxo, peace out
Elke

Serpent & Dove - Shelby Mahurin (Ah, a la reading vie est belle)

 Okay, so this book did what it had to do. Entertain, relax and not make me think too much. 

Set in some fictional world, loosely based on France, 2 characters are forced into a 'holy' union: marriage. Now, the twist is Lou is a witch and Reid is a witch hunter. And thus starts the enemies-to-lover trope we've all come and love to adore. 

The 2 characters are painted as each other's opposites. Lou is free, doesn't care what others think, and just goes through life by day. Takes it as it comes. Reid on the other hand wants to control, learn and do everything by the book. So of course, other than the fact of witches and hunters, these traits are set to also give some good inner dialogue and a fun way of interaction between the two of them. The main characters I loved. The development they had in the book went so gradual that I didn't even really notice until the very end and then I went like 'Oh wow, they actually changed a lot and grew as people??? How did I not notice????' That's when you know you did a good job in building up you're character. When I'm not looking for growth in personality because it's coming naturally. 

Some characters were a little bit off? I didn't understand why Beau, the prince, went along on the quest? He was introduced somewhere on page 300 of the 512 pages and I don't know much about him other than he is a prince? He didn't really add value to the crew. Whether he was there or not, nothing would've made a difference. Another character that felt weird was the girl Reid had feelings for in the beginning. I think the only use of her was to set up the arc for Reid about his past, but she felt flat that all I could think off 'Huh? Reid fell in love with her at the beginning of the book? ARE YOU JOKiNG ME???'

I liked the setting, although I read some reviews that people didn't really like it that much. Oh boy, I ADORED it. I love France so I could imagine everything perfectly (oui oui, mon chèrie). The only thing I will say though is the way the book was written. It was in a style that wasn't overly explanatory.So you got the basics of the outlook, but it was up to me to fill in the rest of the blanks with my 'fantasy'. 

Storywise I was intrigued. It's not the most eventful, action-packed read up until the end. But, what it does well is processing the situations that are happening. Both main characters are flawed and make many mistakes, but they react realistically to it. You don't get crazy, kick-ass magic but a well-formed and explained way of how it works and that you give and take for it. Despite the fantasy in it, it was realistic. 

So yeah, all in all, a good book. I give it a 3.5/5⭐️'s!

xoxo, peace out
Elke

The Shadow Between Us - Tricia Levenseller (The worst book in years)

 This book has to be the worst book I've read in years. I think the last time I disliked a book so much was when I gave 'Three Dark Crowns' a chance and absolutely hated it. How did this get published? Why is this a book you can buy? So many things wrong with it... I won't put a spoiler warning on this review, but I for sure will spoil some stuff. I am so ready to just RANT. 

The premise of the book is basically a girl who has a plan: 1) woo the king, 2) marry him, and 3) kill him to take the whole kingdom for herself. How can a concept like that go wrong? 

Let me tell you what.

There is zero to no worldbuilding . What does the castle look like? I don't know. What does the kingdom look like? I don't know. How is she dressed? Oh, be sure I know even into the littlest details how our main character Alessandra is clothed. But something other than that, like imagining what the world looks like, is too much to describe. It was horrible. 

Then Alessandra herself is just a horrible character. What do you mean with she's cunning and dangerous? I did not have that feeling? Okay, she killed her first love because of heartbreak and hides it for 3 years. Yeah, sure, but she makes it sound as if she's a mastermind in hiding and disguising it when in reality she cuts him with a knife, puts him in a trunk with her initials, and then digs a grave for him somewhere in the woods. Okay, but that doesn't take a criminal genius to do. Heck, be smart and at least burn the body so that there are no remains??? She is a dumb characterwho thinks she controls everyone, is an amazing feminist, and is the smartest person in the room. She didn't have any development and had the worst inner dialogue??? Also, her plan to woo the king is wearing a color different than the favorite color of the king and not wait in line with the other possible suitors for the king?

Then there was the king himself: Kallias. Oh boy, did he have the most confusing introduction. All it takes to get his attention is a girl in a black outfit and her being rude to him. Sure, the 'you're different from the other girls'-trope comes into play here, but at least try to make her stand-out more than just her style and rudeness. He also has some sort of shadow-power, which to me was the most confusing thing ever? Basically, when he touches someone for the first time, he can't use his powers or something? What is that about? So that's why he doesn't want to 'take a wife'. Also, he somehow gets to be super old if he doesn't wed? His father was 300 years old and nobody in the entire kingdom found that odd??? Is everyone naive and dumb who lives there? 

Also, this was supposed to be a 'slow burn romance' with the promised 'enemies to lover trope'. How on earth do you mess that up? There was NO tension at all between the two of them!!!! How they got feelings for each other is a mystery for me because, in all seriousness, they could have fallen in love with a stick or rock and that would have been the same relationship. To just expand that, the entire court and the rest of the characters are just flat-out bland. Do any of these people have brain cells? No, seriously, how odd and weird are they? Let me explain:

There are 4 side stories and this is how they got solved:
1) An old love of Alessandra wants to blackmail her for her status by saying she has slept with him before her courtship with the king. 
She has a weird plan to get rid of him by borrowing money from a friend (??confusing why but ok??) to only hear afterward that the king doesn't mind her having had previous bed-partners... so this plot was unnecessary and was also resolved by page 120...

2) There's a bandit in the kingdom stealing money from the richest and giving it to the poor.
Turned out to be a guy from the court who wanted Alessandra for himself, and was also quickly discovered by her and nothing much really came of it... Also, this was the king's main issue in his kingdom for some reason? 

3) There's an assassin trying to kill the king. Someone other than Alessandra wants to kill him.
Hold your horses... turns out it was Kallias's dead brother who tried to kill him! You can think 'OMG, his own brother was alive and willing to kill him?' Oh boy, not only that... He also lived in the castle as one of his best friends for 4 years! All it took him was some hair-dye and a broken nose to keep him from being discovered. What. A. Mastermind.

4) They investigate the guy's disappearance who was Alessandra's first love (and she killed him).
It didn't matter. It came to light, she told the king, and he pardoned her LAUGHING at the fact that she killed that guy and that he had it coming for breaking Alessandra's heart. Are you OK sir???????

So all these stories didn't matter, had no influence, and she eventually forgot that she wanted to kill the king? In, like, the last 20 pages they also find poison in her room because they were putting her stuff into the king's room and they figure out she wanted to kill him. A little side note here, they already removed 2 times before that, her stuff into another room... 

She also has a weird relationship with her father and a sister, who we eventually never even meet. We only get 2 odd letters from her that show nothing to add to the story. They could have been erased from the narrative and nothing would've changed in the book. 

So when it comes to giving this book a rating I can clearly say that it gets a big fat 1/5⭐️'s. It's a miracle I finished it and am willing to give it a star.

xoxo, peace out

Elke 

Crooked Kingdom - Leigh Bardugo (The book that made me undone)

This book tore me down. I am undone by it. No mourners. No funerals. 

I'm currently feeling a lot of emotions at once: excited, sad, happy, mourning, melancholic. It's a recipe for not truly knowing what to do next. Crooked Kingdom was good. Better than good! It was exquisite. I remembered a lot of stints from reading the book for the first time, and that's why I feel so surprised by how I'm now reacting towards the story. 

I'll try not to spoil too much in this review, but that will be a difficult task... so beware of the spoiler warning.

Crooked Kingdom, just like Six of Crows, tells the story of 6 people brought together into a 'criminal' mission to assure their money. The story immediately sets off at the moment where the first one stopped. It started with a chapter of Wylan (which I was very excited about to finally get into the brain of this genius boy) and the question 'Why am I here?'. The perfect question that you can ask the rest of the six of them: Kaz, Inej, Jesper, Nina, and Matthias. Everyone has their reasons and everyone has their strengths to add to this crew. An irreplaceable mix they are. 

I don't want to dive in too deep into how the story develops but I do want to mention that the book has an incredible pace that makes it very difficult to put your copy down. I legit couldn't stop! I didn't know how to. I was so consumed by everything, wanting to... no NEEDING to know what happens next! We got amazing cameos of characters from the 'Shadow & Bone'-trilogy and we got some amazing new ones. Everything that happened, happened for a reason with many twists and turns and of course, misdirects. I truly start to wonder if Leigh Bardugo herself might be some criminal mastermind? The way she writes scenes and knows what to do put in for words and how it all just can make sense. No, I think she has another job next to being an author... (I'm on to you Leigh!)*

Let's please all go through each character! I would love to start with Jesper. Our dear smoll Jesper who has a gambling addiction, who is cocky, and who knows his way around guns. This book really dove into his backstory. You'll learn a lot about his heritage, his family and his secret 'skills'. You also see him in a more delicate way. His emotions come out more and his relationship with Wylan is all I lived for in this book. The ship that I was happy to happen!

Wylan is definitely the more 'pure' boy in the team. He is not roughed up the same way that the rest of the crew is, but you do get to see him develop beautifully in this tale. He probably has one of the biggest changes in him throughout these two books. He truly figures out who he is and what he likes. Just as with Jesper, you'll learn a lot about his backstory in this one. His tragic family story of shame. A lot of it was already revealed in SoC, but this time you truly see what the boy had to deal with and how he ended up in Kaz's care. Lucky for Wylan, he did, because otherwise, he would've never met glorious Jesper. 

Moving on to Nina. Nina is our amazing Grisha. She had a lot to deal with in this book, and we all know by now that she is also part of the 'King of Scars'-duology so she still has a lot of suffering ahead of her. The last book had a terrible thing happening to her so a lot of it in this one was recovering from it and how to move on from that point. She probably is the most driven Grisha to have wandered this world because her will is something no one else can compare to. She is the biggest fighter of them all, even if odds are against her favor. 

Matthias his piece does contain spoilers so skip him if you don't want to be spoiled! 
Oh dear Matthias. I was truly weeping when I read your last chapter. I knew it was coming. It's the most vivid memory I had since finishing the book for the first time and I didn't want to get to the point again. How much I loved his character. He's changed so much in these two books. He opened up, learned about so much, and more! His death made me so sad and I felt sorry for him and Nina. I felt sorry for how short their time was and how quickly it had ended and why it had ended for him. I was so afraid for him, reading this book and I can't let it go. His character will be missed so much. Just like all the dregs say "No mourners. No funerals". Rest in Piece Matthias.🖤

Our favorite acrobat and Wraith: Inej. Inej is the perfect shadow and nobody can replace her. Even Kaz knows that. She deals with a lot of inner monologue about her past which gives a clear idea of who she was before. Inej is pure and dangerous. She knows it, and it's what makes her character intriguing because thanks to her pureness, you can't believe that what she's doing is evil. She has a clear goal in mind and I know she will achieve whatever she says she wants to pursue. She has great things coming her way. I can just feel it.

Kaz is the last one of the crew and also the mastermind behind all the planning and scheming. He is still as deadly as in the last book, but more softened around the edges. He knows loving is a weakness and he will never ever show it again, although we all know that that's not true. He has his issues with touching, just as much as Inej, and the scene where it happened (you all know what I'm talking about if you read the book) had me completely in pieces. It's difficult to ship them, knowing they're both in pain, but at the same time, they're perfect for each other? His character development is small, but big at the same time. Kaz underwent a lot in his 'previous' life. He endured pain, deceit, and loss. He has a hunger for revenge and for being cruel. That's why we all love Kaz Brekker so much, and nobody would want him to change too much.🖤

So yes, this book was amazing. Crooked Kingdom ended an adventurous, beautiful and exciting story of six people who happened to be criminals and who became unlikely partners, lovers, and friends. 

5/5⭐️'s and more. The night sky doesn't hold enough starsto offer them. 


xoxo, peace out
Elke 

*This is a joke, please don't take it seriously! I have no proof that she is one 😉

Six of Crows - Leigh Bardugo (Probably her best book written to date)

 I started this book with the question "will I still like the book as much as when I read it for the first time" & "will this book keep its 5/5 status"? Oh boy, let me tell you what.

I. Couldn't. Put. It. Down. It got to the point where my boyfriend had to say "Elke? Can you just try to get some sleep"? 'cause I was so bound to devour it. In my mind, I was just thinking "Okay, if I sleep now I'll wake up early and will be able to finish it completely." Just to give you a little inkling of how addictive this story is. 

Why is this book so good? Well let's dive into it, shall we?:

The story is about a crew of criminals, a lot of money, and a heist. Doesn't that already sound like the best concept ever? Casa De Papel probably had its inspiration here (probably not, but hey? They could've??). And what Leigh did different here in comparison to the Shadow & Bone-trilogy is giving each of those crewmembers a character. They were all different. All skilled at something. Each one of them has a reason to participate in this ludicrous and dangerous heist. They're morally not well in their head and they, for sure, know that everything has a price. The leader of them is Kaz who is probably the most complex character in this crew. Everything he does is with the idea of gaining something. No mercy. No sorry's. Just profit. I love how he compares himself as a businessman, but that could be indeed the best way to describe him. A cunning, cheating, violent businessman. There was even a part in the book where Kaz is torturing a guy (like, written in a very detailed way) and I just sat there reading "Huh, I sometimes forget how cruel they are because I just love all of them"!

Throughout the book, you get to know the characters and their demons. How they wound up with each other and what happened in their past. Let me tell you, none of their stories are pretty, but it gives you a grasp of what their personal motives are. You mix these people together with each other? Then you get a cocktail of witty conversations, a lot of action-packed scenes, and a lot of shameless flirting with death. 

Next to an amazing cast of thieves, criminals, Grisha; there's also a good world built up around them. Ketterdam is the starting point and I adored it because it's (what my guess is) based on the Netherlands and Flanders. Being a Flemish girl myself and having lived in the Netherlands for some months, I absolutely adored it. The names of streets, the last names of characters, ... The vibe was so well described that it was easy for my imagination to bring this world to life. 

Another great aspect of the story was the pace. They did not hang around in comparison with Shadow & Bone. No, they were always scheming, always busy doing something that was advancing the story. The heist itself is more than 300 pages in the book. Just imagine how detailed it's written? They're traveling with a purpose and take on everything they encounter. You basically just fly through the book because every time you think 'I can put it to rest now' something new happens that keeps you on your toes. The best book I've ever read when it comes to great action scenes!

So to answer the first two questions of this review: YES. It's still as good as reading it for the first time and yes it's still worthy of its 5⭐️'s. 

The biggest MUST READ from Leigh Bardugo!

Now, on to Crooked Kingdom.

xoxo, peace out
Elke

Ruin & Rising - Leigh Bardugo (The end of the Shadow & Bone - Trilogy)

 Well well well. Here we are. Finally, the end of the Shadow & Bone-trilogy. About time. 

I might've complained, hated, and laughed at a lot of the things happening in this story, but overall I quite enjoyed it! Let's dive into the last review about Alina, Mal, and the Darkling... 

There were some things in this book that I again found very annoying. Something that has bothered me throughout the entire series was the whole 'Saint' idea , but for some reason, it was worse for me more than in the previous books. In this one, Alina truly starts to think she is one, which is just a ridiculous thought. Let's be real. You read through her eyes and can tell that she doesn't even know how to act in front of people. She's the most inconsistent character out of all of them. 

Can I also complain about the fact that they're traveling the entire time???!!! "Let's go to find the 'firebird'." *5 seconds later* "Oh no, let's go to West Ravka"... "On second thought, let's go to the Fold!" - I HATED IT. It didn't really feed into my love of worldbuilding that I had come to love. Nothing felt build up properly or was round up. They always arrived in a new location after 'near death' and then they have to flee, again, after 'near death'. This made it very difficult for me to read and stay in the reading flow. 

Furthermore, I would looooove to complain about her and Mal's relationship. What was that entire thing of a mess? Okay, so I think Leigh wanted to set up some love triangles throughout the entire series (see the Darkling and Prince Nikolai), but nothing really came through, did it? From the beginning, I knew that it was gonna be Mal even though she kissed the other guys... It just bothered me that all these sorts of triangles were unfinished? It always came down to ' Mal deserves a normal life' and ' I'm too powerful for Mal' or 'Mal and I could never work because of my fate'. Come on???? Fate is what you make for yourself (at least that's my opinion). Besides, I already touched upon this in my last review, she's just being enabled by everyone to start thinking this way... In all honesty? The fame just went to her head haha. That's just my opinion oops haha... 

Let's get onto the spoiler parts of my review where I do touch upon the specific storyline and what happened... 

What I did like was Mal in the story. I loved the fact that he ended up being the 3rd amplifier. That served Alina right in her face. "No girl you ain't the only person who's born 'special'!" I just lived for that haha. 

Another thing that I enjoyed sooo much was Zoya her character being more out there! Leigh was already setting up her arc for in the King of Scars-duology which is just amazing. The hints weren't even subtle about her being queen someday and I truly do believe Zoya will end up marrying Nikolai in Rule of Wolves.* Additionally, it was a nice set-up from Leigh to not dive in too deep yet into what is happening to the new king. All in all, a good way to not end their stories yet. ;) 

Now okayyyy, let's get to the big finale. I LOVED it. I enjoyed so much that she killed off Mal and the result of that was giving up her powers even though they all thought she was going to be the most powerful Grisha in the universe? THE TWIST! I did not see that coming! Well done Leigh. What a misdirect! I applaud you! It was the perfect ending because the Darkling just dies as a 'commoner' and we all basically go back to the status quo. They all are no ones. The perfect way to round up a story where so many people left their lives and gave up things. 

*I'm writing this review before the release of Rule of Wolves so this is pure speculation. 

All in all, this book gets 3.5/5⭐️'s again. That would be my overall take of the series too. It was enjoyable but could've had better-developed characters with more traits other than 'witty, flirtatious and handsome'. Storywise, I enjoyed it a lot and the way everything was set up made the book a real page-turner. A must-read for people who love epic adventures and power!

Now, I will devour the Six of Crows-series. I cannot wait to see all of my favorite characters in the Grisha-verse. 

I'll see you in the next review! 

xoxo, peace out
Elke

Siege & Storm - Leigh Bardugo (A story easier to remember)

 Okay, this book was a little bit better than the first one and therefore it gets a 3.5/5⭐️'s. 

I reread the book for the second time, as I did with the first one, and again I couldn't remember a single thing. I really forgot everything that I read back in 2017 which felt, at the same time, great because it was as if I was experiencing everything in the story again for the first time, so there's that. I wasn't really spoiled by my previous memories! Anyways. Let's get reviewing!

The ending of the book was just flawless. I adored the pure chaos of it all and actually enjoyed the relationship-issues between Alina and Mal? I will soon get into more detail about that. ;) 

Note: I'm so sad. I wrote an entire review of me ranting like a crazy person, and when I pressed 'published' my laptop said I had no internet connection meaning I lost nearly everything I wrote :'( can someone please just cry along with me while I'm trying to recreate my rant????? Thank you! Also, PS, there are some spoilers in here because I did get a little carried away with the word vomit coming out of me! So, beware... 

Now, the beginning was a little bit weary for me. What was the entire point of them running away from the Darkling if they're gonna be captured again by him in, like, the first 20 pages of the book??? It was super confusing and made no sense to me. It felt like a waste of writing and I assume Leigh Bardugo didn't know how to start up the story again after ending the first book so they're just discovered again in 5 seconds. Anyways, I found it pointless and was flabbergasted that the book just commenced like this. 

Luckily, everyone's favorite privateer comes into play soon and made me enjoy reading a lot more! Nikolai is a character who keeps the flow of the story going. He's lighthearted, flirty, and an all-around fun character to have in the book. He even made it possible for me to like Alina a little bit more??? How did that happen? I don't know, but he put he helped her give some more depth into her own thoughts. And I did not know that was possible with such a plain character! 

Another thing I enjoyed was the dynamic of Alina and Mal. Yes, finally something that feels 'realistic' between the two of them. I could completely understand Mal of feeling that he gave everything up just to follow Alina. Like, yes dude, you should be annoyed with her. She's just being mean to you and expects you to follow her everywhere like a little puppy. You're your own man! She's not what makes you, you!(Although debatable because, still, they don't have really specific character traits so I don't really know him that well... but here's to changes in the hope of the next book).

What did disappoint me was the lack of action in the middle of the book? I think we spent like 200 pages doing nothing? Just strutting around on the palace grounds and denying proposals? Don't get me wrong, I loved the dialogue with Nikolai (and lucky for us, he's in nearly everything), but I lost track of why they went all the way back to the palace? She wanted the Second Army of Grisha, but nothing happened with them? What was the point then? Nowhere in the book, I had the feeling that she would be a good leader to them? Does she barely interact with them? This was just a little frustrating. 

The Darkling, on the other hand, I still don't understand? Is he still a possible ship or not? Like, why is he so attracted to Alina??? Just because of her power? Even then, a little bit more of 'relationship depth' could be written here... Also, the thing about "like calls to like" what is that about? Alina is NOTHING like the Darkling? The only thing they have in common is that they're both powerful, but that's that??? And she's like that because of everyone enabling it to her. She's being seen as a literal Saint and being treated like a freaking princess? The only person who's not doing that is Mal, and even he is being pushed away in this scenario. No, I'm not on board with the whole "like calls to like" thing. She's powerful, but I just wonder how powerful in comparison to other Grisha? Because that's never been truly discussed or explained. So yeah... that's that rant. 

Overall, the book was good and better in comparison with the first one. Hopes are, that the last book will be even better! Although, I don't want my hopes to get too high for the grand finale as I barely can remember what happens. Only of the very last pages, I have a vague memory of. All in all, this means the trilogy is almost over and I can soon move on to my beloved Six of Crows! 

xoxo, peace out
Elke

Shadow & Bone - Leigh Bardugo (A story easy to forget)

 This book gets a solid 3/5⭐️'s from me. "Why?" you might ask.

I read the book back in 2017 for the first time and honestly? I didn't remember 95% of it. I wanted to reread it because of the Netflix series coming out next month so that I can critically analyze everything they did differently from the book (yes, I'm really that kind of person). So I should have known not to expect too much from the story if I forgotten it after only 3 years...

The characters are absolutely plain. Alina, our main character, has barely to no character development. She's just born 'special' with some sort of powerful magic that just summed up who she is. Her typical traits? I don't know. What does she like? I don't know. There is no specific way to describe her at all. What makes her, her? I don't know. 

Mal is another character I don't understand. He goes from being a 'player' to 'I cannot live without Alina' in like 1 second after she showed powers? Dude, don't be that hopeless haha. Also, you only liked her when she was gone all of the sudden and showed some insane power making her 'super special'??? I didn't like him at all.

The Darkling is also a whole other figure. Should the reader be terrified of him? Like him? Have sympathy for him? Ship him with Alina? Like, I wasn't sure where he was on the enemy - friend scale towards Alina? We also got, like, 3 very confusing kissings-scenes from him. 1 was apparently a distraction kiss, 2 he was high on success and 3 he was kissing as revenge? WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO MAKE OUT OF THIS? This is not a love triangle I signed up for??? It lasted for about 70 pages...

To be honest, the only character I found intriguing was Genya and that only thanks to the bonus chapter I found at the end of the book. This chapter at least showed some complexity to a person with an internal conflict. I also know I'll like Zoya further on in the storyline, but the first book barely had scenes in it with her.

So why did the book still get 3⭐️'s? Easy. The setting of this world was amazing. Let's face it. It's a mixture of East and North European culture-vibes, which, I personally, love so much. Additionally, the setup of the story is good. The concept of Grisha is amazing and has a lot of potentials. I know, because I LOVED Six of Crows where the world is more expanded of this universe. So that's why it's still getting as many stars like this. 

I will continue to read the books, just in the hopes of getting soon to Six of Crows, which are the ultimate best-written books of Leigh Bardugo. 

xoxo, peace out
Elke

King of Scars - Leigh Bardugo (me hoping to see Six of Crows characters again!)

 I started reading this book yesterday afternoon, and oh boy, I read late into the night wanting to finish it. I devoured the entire thing and cannot wait till the 30th of March to get the last book of the two-book series!

Good, let's dive into it in more detail without really spoiling anything. ;) 

The characters

I loved all three main characters. They're not good or bad, but very human in the way that you feel connected to them. They each deal with their own trauma and grieve which makes them to some extent very relatable. Although I liked all Nikolai, Zoya, and Nina; I have to say that the latter seemed sometimes a little bit off. I would have loved to see more development about her losing the love of her life and how she's dealing with it. But that didn't happen which, this may sound bad, was very off-putting in some way? I had the feeling she said goodbye and immediately moved on??? 

As for Nikolai and Zoya's story, they both deal with their own demons (Nikolai LITERALLY) and slowly grow close together without it being overdramatic? I LIVE FOR THESE SLOW-BURNING ROMANCES! Anyways, they both have an interesting storyline on which I will indulge further later. 

The writing
Leigh Bardugo does have a flair to write cocky dialogue, action scenes and loves to plant little seeds that will explode at the ending of the story. I enjoyed the pace of the book a lot! The style of always alternating between characters in the chapters was something I at first needed to get used to, but agree with now. There were moments in the book that I wasn't invested in certain side stories (sorry Nina, but I will elaborate on that further soon) so it was nice to think "God, I hope this chapter is over soon because I will see the world through Zoya's or Nikolai's eyes after this." It got me through reading these boring pages! 

The story itself
Now, I might have dropped a little bit already how Nina's story did not interest me at all. I think the reason being is that I found her chapters offputting. in the beginning, I was very invested. She is grieving over her lost love (we're all still traumatized by that ourselves) and she just puts him in the ground and that's that? Like, we were all grieving along with her? There was no closure for the reader at all??? And then it immediately moved on to, again, some sort of heist; which I normally adore but couldn't take seriously because she started daydreaming about a new character who I, frankly, didn't really like... I am curious to see how it will develop further, but she's not the reason why I'll read the sequel.

Nikolai and Zoya had a way more interesting plot, had more 'real' dialogue, and was very genuine. Nikolai struggles with what the Darkling cursed him. For Zoya, it's her quest to protect him. At the same time, you get a background story of why they are this way. Despite being so different, they both fit perfectly well together. Them in the waste, the love for their country and kind??? It was incredible. Also, I mentioned before, the slow-burning love and affection they have for each other is great. It's not too overwhelming in this series which I think is awesome for people who hate sappy love stories. 

All in all a good book, but no 5⭐️'s because of Nina unfortunately. 

xoxo, peace out
Elke

A Court of Sliver Flames - Sarah J Maas (Amplifying my love for Nesta)

 Okayyyy, where to start???? 

This book about Nesta has been a long time coming. Unlike more than half of the ACOTAR community who hate Nesta, I actually adored her from the beginning of the series. Starting from the first chapter of A Court of Thorns and Roses until the very last of A court of Silver Flames. 

1) Her character is the most complex one in the entire series. She's someone who I relate to. From having the feeling of letting everyone down and shutting them out to regaining her strength in the most unexpected times that it even takes her by surprise. ACOSF made this abundantly clear now how her headspace is working. I loved every minute of it! Of course, I also understand how people dislike her. And honestly? It should be that way. She's a very 'grayish' person. She's not all good or all bad, and it would be abnormal if everyone likes her. That has never been the intend of SJM in the first place. 

2) Now about the book. Can I just dieeeee? I'm very surprised about the story. Somehow very fresh to see the Inner Circle from a different set of eyes. I had to read everything in one sitting (thus if I make mistakes, please don't come for me, I barely slept last night...) and devour it completely. I won't spoil anything, but man the SMUTTTT is what I lived for! The book reads incredibly and the world building, tension and new characters are written as to how only SJM can write. It's a necessary book to read if you want to hang a little bit longer on to the entire ACOTAR-series. Oh also, a must-read if you're into SMUT heheh.

3) We also (FINALLY) get to see a lot more of Cassian! I loooooooove his character. He's my favorite male in the entire series too (sorry Rhysand stans) and has absolutely NO FILTER which basically makes him an open book to read for everyone. His emotions are difficult to control when he's around the people he loves, but he will do everything to protect them. Cas is respectful and understanding of my smoll bean, Nesta, and that's all I wanted for her. 

All in all, a good book and I cannot wait to read the last 2 books of the series (PLEASE SJM DON'T MAKE US SUFFER AGAIN FOR 3 YEARS!!!). 5/5⭐️'s! 

xoxo Peace out,
Elke 

Kingdom of Ash - Sarah J Maas (a true masterpiece)

(Hi there! Before we start a quick note: I know it's super random that my first review of the blog is about a book that is the last in a series. Just so you know, I reread all the ToG-books back in December and am not planning on doing a review of it now as I've probably forgotten half of the contents already, because that's just how I roll. I read I love, I forget after 1 week. Hope you understand! Now, let's get to the review!)

I spent 12.2 hours reading this book. Intense, emotional, and happy. 

Intense because it truly was a wild ride to reread this series one book after the other in such a short time. When I started the series, only books nr 1 & 2 were released. Aelin's name was just a mere whisper that had no big scheme in the story yet and Celeana, our favorite assassin, was the main character. Every year I waited for another book to release which meant having a break in the meantime of the ToG-story. This, the big rereadathon, has been a thrill to relive the incredible characters; see their development, powers, and courage grow. Eternally, this will be one of my favorite worlds created.

Emotional because despite the tale of these heroes, it brought along a lot of heartache, sadness, and grief. The gorgeous characters that we lost in this world should not be forgotten because without them no big grande finale would have been there. Aelin and her entourage would not have been the characters that they ended up being at the conclusion of this series. 

And at last Happy. It was the story of a lifetime. Not only for these characters but for readers too. The world we've gotten to know and love ended in such a perfect way. And that is something no one can take away from us. 

Thank you, SJM, for everything you did with your words. Thank you for helping me see that everyone is a Fireheart and that everyone can face their fears. Thank you. 

In conclusion: This book is a 5/5⭐️'s for me. 

xoxo, peace out
Elke