The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern

 Oh, the magic, the ambiance, and the characters. This book is everything I long for. 

Set at the end of the 19th century, a challenge between two gentlemen starts. A challenge of skill and endurance. The two candidates are Celia and Marco. They both grow up training for defeating each other and when the time has come to begin the competition officially; the Night Circus is born. Welcome to a magical world that makes you feel as living in a dream. 


All I can say is "Wow". I reread this book. The first time around I've already found it magical, but now I discovered more things that I hadn't before. Let's take a closer look at why this book is one of my favorite ones out there:

1) The atmosphere 
Erin Morgenstern brings a vibrant world to life in the way how she describes scenes. There are passages that will tell you all about the outlook of the circus. What certain tents look like from the inside, or there are passages that tell you the way how an interior looks like. Don't worry, they're not endlessly long. They're the right amount of length to keep you invested to discover the world and to feel the magic in the entire scenery. Amazing how she does it. 

2) The usage of time 
The book follows two stories that are set in a different timeline, but come together at the end in some way. You have to see it as a chain of reactions happening in the first timeline which will trigger the second timeline. You can compare it a little to a Christopher Nolan movie where he uses time often as an important part of his storytelling (think Inception in the dreams, Interstellar in the Black Hole, or Dunkirk with the 3 timelines - so yes, a lot like that last one). Just as in these movies, Time plays a pivotal role in this book. Timing is everything. You just have to be at the right spot at the right time. In the beginning, it won't make much sense, but when eventually it comes together and you will understand. Let the time guide you. 

3) The characters 
Waw. I l o v e all the characters. 

Celia and Marco are everything you need in a book: A slow-burn romance, a lovers-to-enemy romance, and a forbidden romance. It's enchanting and daring and both of them are so different but just drawn to each other, despite the fact that they compete against one another until a winner is declared. Both of them grew up in different circumstances and had different training, but the way they fit together is perfect despite their imperfections. Both make mistakes, both feel overwhelmed, and both feel infatuated with each other. Their entire lives have been about the other, creating a bond that even their teachers cannot deny. 

Bailey is an interesting young boy we get to follow. He's nothing special. No particular skills, no big ambitions, and no special life planned ahead of him. The only thing he truly - truly - has is his fascination with the Night Circus which starts at a young age. And when he breaks into the circus at a young age on a dare, he meets Poppet, and here starts his weird, but a magical journey with the circus. I love his inner dialogue and love that we get to see the magic of the world through his eyes as opposed to Celia and Marco who create the magic. Bailey shows us what it looks like from an outside perspective. 

Of course, there are many other characters who bring this book to life such as Isobel, Poppet, Widget, mister Friedrick Thiessen, mister Chandresch, and one of my favorites Tsukiko. So many more people should be mentioned, but this review would go on forever otherwise, and let's be real, I hardly doubt many people want to hear me ramble on forever about how amazing everything written in this book is. 

So yeah, this sums up my thoughts about the book that I adore with my life. Having all the aspects I need from a story. Romance, tension, and magic. 

5/5⭐️'s, but it deserves so much more.

Rule of Wolves - Leigh Bardugo

OMGOMGOMG. I just wanna scream with excitement! This book is everything I wanted from Leigh Bardugo. She just read my mind and was like, "Yeah, let's give Elke the freaking book she wants". The perfect story and twists and turns and wittiness and omg I cannot keep on raving about it! 

This is gonna be a review full of spoilers because there is just sooooo much to talk about that got me this pumped up!!! So apologies in advance for the use of capslock and the amount of explanation marks hehe.

Woooooow, what a story! I don't even know where to begin. So much to process. I loved A L L of it. In King of Scars, I wasn't the biggest fan of Nina, but oh boy did she bloom! Finally, I felt that she was still thinking of Mattias. I was afraid that she moved on so quickly, but when she encountered the boy who actually killed him I was so happy to see so much emotion in her! And then her confiding in Hanne and how brave she was. OMG, Hanne is just going through life now as a freaking prince? They're so good together. Yes, girls. You are so powerful!!! Nina's character development was everything I wanted from her and she delivered! I AM SO HAPPY WITH THIS. The perfect end for her. <3

And OMG. Can we talk about Zoyalai???? Zoya and Nikolai are just perfect together. 

"I would give you a crown if I could," he said. "I would show you the world from the prow of a ship. I would choose you, Zoya. As my general, as my friend, as my bride. I would give you a sapphire the size of an acorn."

This was some foreshadowing!!! I thought they would marry at the end of the book, or something when I read this quote. But oh boy was I surprised. Yeah, Nikolai is some sort of consort and will probably marry Zoya. BUT HE GAVE UP HIS CROWN FOR HER AND JUST HANDED IT OVER TO HER. Zoya is officially a queen. She already was one before, but now it's, like, legit??? He accepted being a bastard and the fate of not being a king anymore. Come on, how can you not love Nikolai??? Everyone should deserve a man like him. For real! Here is also my favorite quote from him when talking about his seducing skills that had me laughing out loud:

"I have a gift for persuasion. I once talked a tree out of its leaves."
"Nonsense."
"Well, it was autumn. I can't take full credit."

Thank you Leigh for this amazing character!!

Also, Alina and Mal made an appearance??? This book just makes me want to S C R E A M. Honestly??? How do I move on after reading all this???? The Darkling wanted to see her, and we really should thank him for that request because that's exactly the request every reader wanted???? 

Now, Let's move on to elephant in the room here. THE CROWS WERE IN THIS BOOK. All of them. How???? It was amazing to see Kaz, Jesper, and Wylan again! The little heist was so needed and made my heart all fluttery! I looooooved the interaction between Nikolai and Kaz. And Jesper being typical Jesper with Wylan being the voice of reason. Like, how much did all of us need to see them again??? And even though Inej was hunting slave traders and is not involved, we get a glimpse of her at the end and I just cannot. And the freakin' last sentence of the book is this??? 

"Get a message to the Crow Club," she said. "Tell Kaz Brekker the queen of Ravka has a job for him."

I sense a new book coming and this is gonna be the death of me. 

I think I'm gonna explode with emotions of happiness! This book is worth more than 5/5⭐️'s!!!!

Previous Reviews of Leigh Bardugo's books:

• Shadow & Bone
• Siege & Storm
• Ruin & Rising
• Six of Crows
• Crooked Kingdom
• King of Scars

A Sky Beyond the Storm - Sabaa Tahir

 An Ember in the Ashes. Finito now. What a ride Sabaa Tahir took me on... 

Finishing this book has been a challenge for me as I couldn't care less about the story anymore, but the characters got me through. It will be a review with spoilers, so beware! 

Allow me to explain. 

The story? Well, it was all over the place. I don't understand what the hell happened in the last book???!!! It was too much for me. I couldn't remember the beginning at all. There probably were 10 revelations throughout the entire book and I'm not sure that all of them mattered? I don't even remember more than half of it. And I finished it yesterday evening. Sooooo... yeah, I felt that it was rushed, not dwelled on, and just quickly written. Moreover, some things I wished Sabaa Tahir would elaborate on, she just left unsaid. I'm a little bit grumpy about the story. I couldn't follow 100% what was happening with the jinn? They couldn't die except with the scythe or something and then you had Grimaur (or something) which was a weird thing, and then next to that you have all the attacks of the Commandant, and in between somewhere Laia keeps escaping the Nightbringer. Oh and then you have the attacks on the Tribes people and the Waiting Place that is going to shit while the Soul Catcher is having inner battles with humanity. Confusing much? Yeah, because it was for me. These could have easily been divided into another book with more depth. 

And I was not happy with the ending that much. Though I did feel emotional (and yes even shed some tears) I felt... no closure? Maybe that's what Sabaa wanted with this book. But the characters deserved so much more than the trauma they went through. 

The theme was also clearly 'love', but man. Love hurts like a bitch in this one, doesn't it? 

Helene. Dear Helene. She really got dragged into the mud by the author. She's the main reason I cried in the book. Her ending was too tragic. I wanted it for her to be better. She lost E V E R Y T H I N G. I was sure that in some way she would get a happy ending. Yes, she does stay alive. But what happened with her sister wasn't fair and what happened to Harper wasn't fair. Their deaths were so quick and useless. So undeserved for her to lose again so many people around her. So much death and darkness. I truly admire her character. Because despite all that sadness in her life, she goes on. But it was just heartbreaking. Crying I did for her. Especially when she looked at Harper's corpse and said the following words: 

  “You got there first my love, I envy you so, for how will I endure without you?”

Helene deserved the world and more but ended up the opposite in my opinion. <3

I was a little bit annoyed with Elias and Laia. I somehow expected more scenes with them together. And when they did have them, I missed a lot of the F E E L S... It was, again, pretty rushed or not following through on the promises of a passionate relationship. Elias is constantly thinking as a Soul Catcher and I thought that Laia would get him out of it, but it eventually was Mauth who just said "Yo, you're right. You need feelings to understand the tribe better. Here ya go, enjoy". So yeah, that was just utter disappointing... I did like their ending together, though. They deserve to be happy because Laia endured a lot too.  

There are also some honorable characters I wanna take a look at who should be remembered in this series: 
1. Keris. 
I. Loved. Keris. Yes, give me a good villain who carries through on her promises of being evil, except when it comes to her only child. Yes. Yes. Yes. Ruthless. Dangerous. And absolutely unapologetic murderous without remorse. Her backstory gave a little insight, but I would love to just read everything about her. Give me an entire book to devour! I gladly will! She was incredible and someone I feared more than the Nightbringer. 

2. Marcus. 
Damn, I would've loved to have some more Marcus. I think the was more potential for him to see him go completely mad and seeing the ghost of his brother, but also by being a father now. I think that's a missed opportunity that could've been something great. Anywho, he should've died at the end. But there could've been so much more to him! 

3. Izzi. 
Dear Izzi died way too soon. I think that's also a theme with Sabaa Tahir. She kills the people you least expect. Izzi is having a taste of freedom for the first time ever and within months she's dead. She shouldn't have been. And the way she died also felt utterly useless. Totally by surprise. It was so quick and that's what made it so hard to say goodbye to her. She's set up as a true friend for Laia, which makes you feel that she'll make it to the end. But no. In the middle of book two death sweeps her away. She was funny and careless and brave. RIP <3 

4. Harper. 
I did not see this death coming. yet again, it died just as Izzi's. Quick, that made saying goodbye to him way worse. The reason why is that he is set up in a way that he's got so much unfinished business in the world left! Helene for god sake is his love and he never truly got to say it or the fact that he never gets to properly talk with his brother. I thought that he was gonna make it till the end. But I was wrong. And it broke my heart as I previously mentioned.

Also there were some things that I wasn't too happy with: 
1. Darin. 
The freaking guy who was the main reason the story is starting. We don't get a bond with him as a reader. We barely see the relationship he has with Laia, don't learn about his struggles properly that he had because of Kauf and we don't really know what he endured. [And then, he just died by screaming "Laia, I'm here and the Nightbringer just breaks his neck after that? After all the people saying that he shouldn't go after her????????!!!!!!!! It was so useless. His character was one of the most disappointing. 

2. Musa. 
What. Was. The. Point. Of. MUSA?! Why was he there? He did nothing really worthwhile? He was written as if going to be a major player in the entire story against the Nightbringer, but he just spies. Oh yeah, and also is the estranged husband of a princess who dangles along somewhere in a kingdom that doesn't want to help and she then just dies so also meeting her and the king were totally for nothing written into the series? The only thing I enjoyed was the humor. But that was it. For the rest, no idea what he did there. 

3. The freaking pace. 
Again. Can someone give me a timeline of what happens when to who? 'Cause I sure can't follow anymore. How old is the baby? How many months have passed since Livvy died? How many weeks is the Blood Shrike fighting in the city???? Aaaaaargh. I could not make sense of it. 

4. Fighting. 
I don't know. I often felt as if it was just Helene and Harper on a killing field, just the two of them against an army of like 1000 men haha. I could not deal with it. There was no imagining that they were standing there with an army. 

5. The Nightbringer. 
What the hell? Can someone please explain his entire arc again? Anyone? No? Okay then. Beloved or something. Whatever... 

Okay, I know I rambled a lot now about everything here, haha, and if you even read it till the end then you're a real miracle! Don't get me wrong, I loved the series. Otherwise, I wouldn't have so passionate written this review, and of course, there are some things that I dislike. But I still liked the story, although nothing could top the first book in the series: An Ember in the Ashes. It was the best with an amazing world-building and great backstories. 

I would like to give this book a 3.5/5⭐️'s (but on Goodreads standards, it's getting a 4)!