Alona
It would've been better if I'd stopped at the first book which I liked very much. From here on I was just very lost.
That was so out of my comfort zone. I hope I will never read about cockroach in the anyone's ear ever again.
Awesome first book for bookclub with my friends. All of us even finished it and we had a lot to talk about.
As for the bookclub in the book - I wanted more from it. It was always somewhere in the background, always mentioned but rarely directly involved. The whole book had a bit weird plot structure. There was a lot of overshadowing and reader had no doubts about who the vampire was. But he was kinda the obvious monster. The main nightmare were lives of the women which looked more or less perfect but were very far from it.
Well, this book did provide me with the happiest of all possible endings, when the MC said that she wants a divorce. I hated her husband so much I couldn't understand how she can be with him in the same space. Especially when he opens his mouth. The murder should've happend sooner and to Carter.
This is the most problematic romanc book I've read in a very long time. The author tried to be funny, but I was only disgusted. I even made myself check if it was really written by a woman and not a man.
Then he winked, and boom, her nipples hardened. What the...? Thea looked down at her round, pink areolas, now tight and bebbled. Jesus. Her tits were like Pavlov's dog around him.
So, this one was better than the previous one.
I liked that main characters didn't play games with each other. They're both growned up people and I really could see that in the book. And I have to say that this doesn't happen very often (more like hardly ever). But the best thing in this book is that they said they loved each other and they meant it for real.
This book was a reread for me. First time around (in the far 2015) I was not impressed by this novel and I was not smitten with it now.
The idea itself is more or less good. But sometimes it feels as if the author wanted to make something grand from it, some big book of wise sayings. But I've already knew that as I started reading it (reread, remember?). I've heard that the series gets better with every book. I do want to check if it is true. I don't have big expectations, I just hope that it will be decent enough.
I know that this book is certainly not a masterpiece, but somehow I enjoyed its fast pace.
That ending was the most infuriating thing ever. I am fuming!
I forgot about the ridiculus barriers Cassandra Clare puts between the characters.
SO good that I started reading this series when the final book was already out because otherwise it would've been were unhealthy for me.
I would advise skipping this review as I'm highly biased. The third book of chronologically previous series - The Infernal Devices - was the first book that I've read in English. It holds a lot of sentimental value for me.
Chain of Gold follows a lot of offsprings of familiar characters. It always amazed me how in such series everyone has offspings. But I may give it a pass here fot the time period sake and Shadowhunters do tend to die fairly quickly.
This book did managed to return me to the old good days even if for a bit. Ths feels like a very familiar teen drama with something always happenning. Did this book need to be that long? Probably not. But it was fairly entertaining with constant action all over the place.
I can only complain for the suspense beeing a bit too open. As a reader, we see that something is wrong with some characters way too early, but other charecters don't (I'm starting the second book and they still don't see it). It is a bit tiring.
I was very unsure of the first book Jade City. But now I'm glad that I bought physical books so I couldn't give up on the trilogy so easily. I really started to appreciate this series where everything is not so simple and all actions do have consequenses.
I don't know what to say. This book got me confused and not in a good way.
It had a lot of good points - intricate writing, more or less good plot and even one surprising twist (the second one was not that surprising).
However, the ending crossed it all out. Considering that the book is supposed to be a stand-alone, it was so disappointing. The book ended with nothing. Literally nothing.
In the answers to questions, the author said that there may or may not be companion novels. I prefer one decent finale in the book that I've read to the one in possible companions.
That was so awesome. This book is unputdownable ^-^
I simply loved every page of it. It is great mystery done right.
A smart person would stop doing something after understanding that it's not her cup of tea. Well, I am not that person. Let's pretend, that I just don't like to give up so easily.
After watching a couple of comic book movies, TV shows and even reading one or two comics, I had to make my peace with the fact, that superheroes never be my favourite. Except for V from V for Vendetta, but I had to find at least one to my liking, right?
However, I wanted to give a chance to Vicious. My reasoning was pretty adequate - if so many people like it then maybe I will too. But, spoiler, nope.
My main problem with the story was with the way it was told. The first half of the book I was just jumping from present to character's past and back again before it made any sense. Maybe I am getting old, but I do appreciate when the storytelling is consistent.
The second thing that bugged me was a slow way of things happening. If we look at the first half of the book and exclude flashbacks, it was only about digging grave. Sorry, but not good enough for me.
Overall, it had too many moments of facepalm for me.
Bitterblue was bittersweet. I liked to see al the old characters, but I didn't really enjoy the story. It felt dragging a lot. And the ending was not here not there. With the same success, I could've stopped after the first book.
I had hard time remembering that I'm reading a book and not a magazine interview. Which is great. I like being confused.
Ми з цією книгою не зійшлись. Можливо, якби я прочитала її раніше, коли була більш impressionable, це склалось трохи по іншому. Але зараз для мене це тільки велика загадку, чому цю книгу так рекомендували всім і з будь якого приводу.
Я не відчувала емоційної прив'язаності до жодного з героїв, більшість з них викликали в мене тільки різні ступені роздратування. Закрученість стилю авторки з одного боку перешкоджала сюжету, а з іншої хоч якось мене розважала своєю гіперболізованістю.
Загалом, я дуже сильно відчувала нестачу одного дуже важливого персонажа - психіатра, який би поговорив з кожним з героїв.
Книгу читала для книжкового клубу і це єдине, що змусило мене дочитати. Зате обговорення було класним))
That moment when you think that the author can't get any worse and somehow she discovers a new low.
At this point, I'm convinced that Sarah J. Maas just writes her own fanfiction and you can't convince me otherwise. She even does her own crossover with that ending.
Were my expectations of this book lowest of the low? Yes. Was I disappointed anyway? Hell, yes!
In this book there weren't any good points, so let's move on straight to the bad part:
- the only parts with the plot were the prologue and the last 4-5 chapters. Yes, the book, which is 800-pages long, has a plot that took only 80 pages.
- what was there else? we had a bunch of characters who wanted to fck someone and they either didn't or did. Yep. Seven hundred pages of absolutely nothing. Seven hundred pages of a bunch of “males” (why does Sarah J. Maas treat her character like animals? You have no idea how often the term “breeding” was mentioned in this one) hanging out in Bryce's apartment whining about their father/alpha/queen over and over again. - one of the early plot points was looking for a couple of rebels - Sophie and Emile. All of them were looking for those super-powerful thunderbirds (of course, they are super-powerful, it's Sarah's fanfiction) for at least 70% of the book (when they had a spare moment between whining and fcking of course) and then we get to know, that Bryce found Emile around 20% of the book and just didn't tell anyone. Haven't even mentioned it in her POV. Because she's so “smart” and “powerful” and “awesome”.
- By the way, about Bryce. Does this “female” know how to speak like a normal person? Her every line has to be snarkiest than the previous one. I have no idea how anyone can stand her. She literally can't listen to anyone else except herself. The freaking prince of “Hel” has to tell her to stop fooling around and finally start learning her powers. Did she listen - no. She started to do something only after her friend's throat was ripped out (don't worry, he's alive. apparently for these being ripped throats are nothing).
- and for Bryce's other friend. This time a dead one - Danika. She was alive for 5 chapters in the first book. But she's still the main plot drive (of whatever is left of the plot). This “female” had more secrets than Bryce had pairs of “feminine” lace underwear. Side point, Sarah J. Maas has to start her own “How to find your femininity?” courses with how often she describes something as “utterly feminine”Back to Danika - now we know that she helped rebels, had a mate, looked for another heir for wolves and she loved Bryce (as a friend), but never ever really told her anything. What a busy girl.
- another point - Bryce's and Hunt's relationship. They are mates. The truest of truest mates. Who is surprised? No one. They just make me sick. No matter what is happening around them, they behave like sex-starved idiots. Someone was killed - don't worry, let me fck you. They argued - all is forgotten, we just need to fck. Everywhere, anytime. And when they are not in the process, they are thinking about it constantly. At this point of my life, I'm so ready to puke is I see more curled toes, silk slicknesses, and velvety iridescent heads of giant penises. Sarah continuously tries to convince me, that they have true love “because they truly see each other for who they are”, but she hadn't shown it even once. When they try to start any meaningful conversation it just inevitably turns to sex. I wouldn't argue, sex is a very important part of relationships but it is far from only one.
I guess, it's high time for me to jump off this Sarah J. Maas trainwreck.
It was an okay book for me. The story was quite engaging but the resolution was too crazy for my liking.
Leaving a mystery unsolved in the second book is even worse, than doing the same thing in the first book.
Also, why the hell David is supposed to be a love interest? That guy needs therapy, not a relationship.
Such a good finale for the whole story. You know, maybe there are a lot of drawbacks in the plot or its execution, but this novel and the whole series were just a balm for my soul. Therefore, I regret nothing.
Whoever is reading this, be careful, there are major spoilers ahead.
The funny thing about the great concept of the book is that it is not everything to make it great. And this part, it was different. It was interesting to see the point of Thunderhead on all that is happening, on his role and his limitations.
However, I was not impressed with the certain points of the plots. I believe with the level of technology in the Scythe settlement constant resurrections are a given. But do Goddard and Rand really needed to come back alive after being burned? Especially after the fire was supposed to make them unressurectable. Why couldn't there be other villains? Why keep such a focus on the dead ones if you had such an opportunity to broaden the world?
Nevertheless, the ending of the book was epic, even if it slightly reminded me of the Titanic's drowning. Such destruction. Well, I still don't understand what Thunderhead wants to accomplish by marking all people besides Greyson as unsavories, but I'm curious to see.
The fact, that series gets better with each book made me forget that the next book can turn out a bit worse than the previous one. Unfortunately, I was unpleasantly reminded about that.
Well, it is not bad, but it could've been better. My main problems with it is that some things just were too much.
For example, Lucia in addition to all the magic she already had got, discovered one new power. Maybe, it is just too much abilities for one characters.
Unfortunately, that wasn't the only thing that disappointed me. In the end of the book we get much more Santa Barbara then I could've wished for. I understand that Frozen Tides is fourth out of six books, and the author has to write about something in the last two books. But why, oh why did you need to add identical twin of the dead guy and resurrect the other dead character? Now I have to deal with them in the fifth book.
But I'm not giving up, at least not yet. With just two books left, I very much would like to the series and to be done with it.
Do I need to mention here again that I loved it? Because I sure did.
Usually, I'm not a novella person at all, but I really enjoyed these ones. Getting to know Bear, Jordan and D.C. more is something that I didn't want to miss. I'm really amazed of how these three stories made me openly laugh at one moment and almost cry at another (almost because I did everything that I could to contain my tears as I wasn't alone).
Now I just have to survive till February, so i can get my hands on Vardaesia.
After finishing the forth book in the Medoran Chronicles, I would like to take a moment to reminisce on my journey.
Akarnae wasn't easy for me. I had to struggle through clumsy beginning and suffered from a lot of information being dumped on me. Also, I needed some time before Alex started to grow on me. The I needed to come to terms with the fact, that this series will not give me unexpected turns of plot, as they will be seen from mile away. But nothing good comes without price.
Raelia was much easier for me to read. I was already invested in story and curious what's going to happen with my already beloved characters. But with all series numerous drawbacks, I am willing to forgive everything for this crazy humour.
Draekora came out just out of nowhere. That was the first time where plot managed to surprise me and I loved it. Well, not all of it as only some things were unexpected as others were so painfully obvious, that it hurt a bit to read - but again, humour, characters and their relationships were so much worth it.
Graevale came next and I hadn't been able to peel myself from it. This book was such a crazy combination of fun and bitter moments and I actually regret that I already finished it. That was emotional roller-coaster for sure.
I can officially call myself a masochist as now I need to suffer waiting for Vardaesia and hoping that I will love it no less than previous books.
P.S. See, book series can still be written without love triangles and bitchy characters making the most part of drama.