Ritika Bhattacharjee

rating- 2.5/5

this review contains spoilers.

2.5 stars only for cap:) and because it made me cri. i.e, evoked emotion which is a good sign.
I HATE that this was marketed as a book with two people who are with each other only for sex, and i had to read a convoluted pov with a really immature voice for like 70 % of the book.
The Miles-Tate dynamic completely undermined miles' tragic backstory and his issues with dealing with his grief. This was Miles' story. Tate had zero contribution to the plot whatsoever, except for letting Miles walk all over her until he sorts his issues out.
Something else that bothered me was how different Mile's pov chapters in the past were in comparison to the rest of the book. his inner monologue was just VERY weird? like it's not only the centre alignment. (which i think was supposed to make it seem like a poem?? idek at this point.) Like it's literally just a normal pov writing but centre alignment. RachelRachelI'm talking to her.I tell her my name is miles. (that. but in centre alignment. almost his entire pov is centre aligned. I don't know why that's so weird to me, but like the waste of space for absolutely no reason, bothers me.)
Apart from this, his past pov was also weird to me because it seemed like the author was trying to portray him as a kid/ immature somehow. I remember there was something about them ‘playing house' which was just plain weird. They're 17 i think? i don't know if Colleen Hoover was trying to be poetic / metaphorical, it just ended up making me feel super uncomfortable. Like okay? she's pregnant, they live together and they're young. i get it. but ‘playing house'??...

The past plot was pretty okay (except for the incestuous and pro-life tones) but the writing was just not it, for me. While, the present Tate-Miles plot was trash but I liked the writing in this case (because she wasn't trying to be poetic/centre alignic)

This was my first Colleen Hoover book and i see why people like her so much, the emotional impact of the book was definitely there?.. Although the writing style wasn't my favourite, I do have a few other CoHo books on my tbr i want to read, so we'll see how that goes:')

rating-3/5

review contains spoilers

this just makes me want to go to maui on a fake honeymoon with a 6”4 tall dude who i hate.

idealistic fictional scenarios aside, i thought this book was a decent read. Recently, I've been on a contemporary binge and that just makes me appreciate this chaotic, unusual plot even more. After having read so many books in similar settings, this felt a little out of the box and different in the best way possible. The premise and the vacation setting was also refreshing. While other books with a fake-dating, enemies-to-lovers plotline would have me swooning, this one had me laughing out loud.
The banter between Ethan and Olive, the situations they find themselves in, amused me to no end. the couples massage? the scuba diving changing room scene? paintball with a bunch of teens? all of it had me cracking up. Their dynamic feels so natural and spontaneous that you just can't help but smile and try to keep up with their snarky banter.

a few pages into the book and i was sure this was going to be a five star read for me, until you know.. the second half happened.


SETBACKS
the second half of the book was just not for me i guess:( it brought my rating down to 2.5 stars but the ending and the epilogue was kinda cute:) so eh. 3 stars it is shrugs in defence
okay so the things I didn't like:

⇢ the pace inconsistency was extremely disorienting. i don't know if it's just me, but suddenly there was just WAY too much happening. The transition from Ethan and Olive supposedly hating each other to being a thing is TERRIBLY done, to the point where i even checked if my copy of the book might have like a chapter missing.

⇢ they should've called the book the unlucky honeymooners (or the unlucky marriage deception? the unlucky game? not very original i agree)
although the different views about luck was pretty cool, with the number of times they mentioned luck i was just annoyed. sorry not sorry.

⇢ the ami - dane plotline
mixed feelings about this whole thing. it felt very offtrack; and it wasn't because it didn't focus on ethan and olive. I love when subplots and side characters are more developed, so i feel like i would've loved it, if it was done better?
the whole ‘everybody doesn't believe Olive because she's a pessimist' was just not it. It was literally a ‘he said - she said' situation and BOTH Ami AND Ethan pick Dane's side? like they just dismiss everything Olive says??? because she's not the most optimistic person?? um hello?
i was extremely disappointed with Ethan here:( he was definitely in the wrong and i find it weird that Olive is so easily forgiving in the end.

⇢The faux hatred
the reason for all this ‘supposed hatred' is dumb and the fact that they spent two years being snarky to each other without a confrontation is unrealistic.

⇢Rushed ending
After the couple gets back from their fake honeymoon, there are tons of issues the book tries to deal with: finding Olive a dream career (Olive conveniently decides to be truthful and is fired from her job so this can work), changing her pessimistic outlook towards life, giving Ami a satisfying ending, appreciation for her large family, her desire for love. And while i'm guessing the author intended these moments to provide emotional value, none of them standout or hit the mark.


Overall, even though there was a ton of ridiculous stuff happening in the first half, followed with a lot of set up convenience, i did enjoy it. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said about the later half and the book significantly went downhill for me there.

“Because it was all you were willing to give me. And I'd rather have you hating me than not have you at all.”

rating- 5/5

kinda contains spoilers?

I've been internally screaming ever since i picked up this book. Aaron. Lina's inner monlogue. The romance. Literally everything about this book is so perfect?? Did i mention Aaron Blackford? yes him.
[b:The Spanish Love Deception|54189398|The Spanish Love Deception|Elena Armas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1610900883l/54189398.SY75.jpg|84555384] has easily made it to my favourites and is also one of my comfort reads now. i'm so in love<3

I have to admit i was reading way too much fantasy for a while there and that could be why i liked it so much. Although this is probably the first contemporary book I've read that's over 400 pages long, I practically DEVOURED this book. I also want to apologise for all the voice messages i sent to Pratha:) and Shreya<3: i was just veryyyy impressed by Aaron. sighs in love. Like the author definitely put something in this book. Because i get it, it's not even extremely special or unique, but i fleW through it and love it SO much.

Okay moving to the plot, the wedding theme? the workplace romance? i loved every aspect of the book. the tropes? i mean it has:
-enemies (more like rivals?) to lovers-fake dating-slowburn-sunshine x grumpy-one bed trope
How could you possibly not like it?
What i loved most is, despite having so many tropes the author does a great job at playing it out into the story and NOTHING feels forced.
The fake dating trope never gets old :)) I especially LOVE when in the fake dating trope, people don't find out about them ‘NOT dating' in this huge dramatic confrontational scene (I was terrified her family would find out the whole time) and instead they just gradually become a real thing< 3. It just makes my heart SO HAPPY. And THAT is literally this book's brand.

ALSO coming back to AARON-

“If you get any more perfect, I'm going to believe you were made just for me.”

it was a pretty good read honestly:), i haven't read any nicholas sparks books before this (no I haven't read the notebook) and it really caught me off guard. I was a bit skeptical with the way it started out but ended up reading it in one sitting.
absolutely love jamie and landon. You should definitely pick it up if you liked the movie or just want something short and heartwarming to read:)

BAH! HUMBUG!

haha. I really, really liked this book. It's definitely the only classic i've read in one sitting It's only about a 100 pages long, so you should definitely check this off your tbr, as soon as you can. Every book I've read with a Christmas theme, talks about a Christmas carol by Charles dickens and now i can finally say i've read it. It's a heartwarming story that reminds us to be grateful and happy and spreads the message of compassion & humility. I listened to the audiobook simultaneously here:

https://youtu.be/ZmOioOyFMRk

and the voice modulations were my favourite thing ever. The narrator does a great job at Scrooge's voice and had me laughing at his dialogue in the beginning. The message conveyed is as beautiful as the story itself, and as you travel with the spirits of the Christmas past, Christmas present and Christmas yet to come, smile and be grateful for everything you have:)

rating - 3/5

review contains major spoilers

kinda wanted to write a super detailed review because most of my grishaverse reviews are LoNg, but honestly i could sum it up for you:
i like it and i don't?
the plot wasn't my favourite, but my love for nikolai and now zoya, carried me through this book.
AND zoyalai. THE SLOWBURN please- i waited two entire books for somethiNg, ANythINg to happen. the tension practically killed me.

things that just weren't for me:
-while i liked the crows' cameo and it kind of told us about what they were all doing currently; as of writing this review, i'm not sure how i feel about this. Alina's cameo on the other hand just felt very off character to me.
These just seem unnecessary and forced in this already complicated and hard to follow plot.

-The alternating point of views were disorienting because they were just so different and kind of broke the flow/ narrative for me?

-THAT DEATH Leigh has to stop killing off characters out of nowhere. David:'''(. Genya has already been through enough:( that just broke me.

basically, this book is a 3 star read solely because of Nikolai and Zoya. period. did not care for any of the other characters as much.
–(not so sure about Hanne and Nina's ending but the grishas ruling fjerda plotline is pretty cool. LOVE that)
–(don't even get me started on the darkling: in my head, he died at the end of ruin and rising.)

Most of what i said in my king of scars review applies here too, hate that it completely undermines the grisha trilogy since it's one of my favourites. But THE WAR scenes were so beautifully written. loved that this book had a war setting since all the previous books hint at immense conflict and this would have lead up to nothing, otherwise.

Also the last line- SOC 3?????!!

anyways, going to go cri now because i'm done with the grishaverse:(( and i'm so attached to these books and characters.

overall rating- 4.5/5okay i did not expect that? i picked this up expecting a short novella of the grishaverse and it turned out to be a whole collection of stories that are so beautifully written. like this should literally be a standalone instead of a novella. I'm so impressed?! [b:The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic 34076952 The Language of Thorns Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic (Grishaverse, #0.5, 2.5, 2.6) Leigh Bardugo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1491842507l/34076952.SX50.jpg 55087763] is a small collection of six folk-tales. All these tales are beautifully crafted, short and yet convey important profound messsages. I used to read tons of folk tales when I was a kid, so this made me feel super nostalgic:(AYAMA AND THE THORN WOOD- 5/5 ☆☆☆☆☆this was definitely one of my favourites. it's a story of courage and outcasts, of those who are different and of wanting to be heard. i loved it even more because of the little stories ayama tells the beast. the message of the story: “tell the true stories instead of the easier ones” and i think that's so important because we've all heard the usual fairytales- princes saving girls, beasts turning into princes, the ‘they lived happily ever afters' but what if it that wasn't actually the case. what about honorable beasts and weak, evil kings, females saving the day instead of your conventional prince? this is such a beautiful story and honestly I wish i grew up reading more stories like this, instead of the fairytales we were fed.THE TOO-CLEVER FOX- 3/5 ☆☆☆https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4174921964THE WITCH OF DUVA- 2/5 ☆☆https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4181077942LITTLE KNIFE-4/5 ☆☆☆☆https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4188079548THE SOLDIER PRINCE-5/5 ☆☆☆☆☆okay wow. Leigh's writing. period. ( that's three periods, i know. go away) I was so excited to read a folk tale set in Ketterdam and this did not disappoint at all. The story flows extremely smoothly and the different povs were also done well. Droessen's character was so creepy but like also, so interesting??? i'd read an entire book about him honestly. And the ending- Althea-WHEN WATER SANG FIRE-5/5☆☆☆☆☆This was definitely my favorite of all these stories. it was also the longest and considering i was in a little bit of a slump, i kept putting off reading this and i really shouldn't have bothered because it's by far, one of the best short stories I've ever read.Despite it being only about 80 pages long, it's definitely up there in my list of books. Something else that stood out to me, is the world-building. Considering i didn't know anything about this world, I wasn't confused at all. The world building is beautifully done due to the author's way of tangling the world building with the plot.‘When water sang fire' is a tale of sildrohers - a magical race of sea folk who inhabit the waters off the coast of Fjerda. (kinda like mermaids). The story follows Ulla and Signy, two little sildroher girls who aren't very special and yet the magic they create together, brings them to notice of the young prince. There might even be blood magic and going to human lands involved. (just saying. )Trouble roused that day as two girls tangled together like rockweed, but then closed its eyes, pretending to sleep, leaving Ulla and Signy to their games and whispered confidences, letting them murmur their secrets and muddle their dreams as the years passed, waiting for winter and the prince's birthday party.OVERALLI love how real & raw these folktales are, the dark theme and wrongness of all of them.an excerpt from the author's note:“I think many of us hear in familiar tales, because we know—even as children—that impossible tasks are an odd way to choose a spouse, that predators come in many guises, that a prince's whims are often cruel. The more I listened to that note of warning, the more inspiration I found.”I love the recurring themes of freedom and discovering yourself in all these stories, and [a:Leigh Bardugo 4575289 Leigh Bardugo https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1534446099p2/4575289.jpg]'s storytelling is just chef's kiss. The element of surprise and unpredictability in all her writing draws me to her books everytime, and i'm not complaining.Language of thorns has short stories that are all extremely well written and have no connection to the main grishaverse novels. These books are a great way for somebody to get a taste of the author's writing and i'd definitely suggest everybody to pick them up.

honestly loved the fact that i couldn't guess what the story was about from its title.things we learn:-Semyon's terrible at naming who names a river 'little knife' please--Little knife is infact, extremely cool.“Will you remain here with the father who tried to sell you, or the Prince who hoped to buy you, or the man too weak to solve his riddles for himself? Or will you come with me and be bride to nothing but the shore?”like the other stories in the grishaverse, it did not end the way i expected it to. [a:Leigh Bardugo 4575289 Leigh Bardugo https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1534446099p2/4575289.jpg]'s writing never fails to surprise me. and since i love anything that catches me offguard, i absolutely love all her books.“She lived in happy solitude, and grew old, and never worried when her beauty faded, for in her reflection she always saw a free woman.”These short stories can be treated as standalones since they don't really have any connection to the actual novels and are a great way to get into [a:Leigh Bardugo 4575289 Leigh Bardugo https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1534446099p2/4575289.jpg]'s books. You should absolutely pick it up whether you have read the grisha trilogy and six of crows or not.

I'm not sure how i feel about [b:The Witch of Duva 13643163 The Witch of Duva (Grishaverse, #0.5) Leigh Bardugo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1336644891l/13643163.SX50.jpg 19258458]. It is dark, haunting and beautiful and gave me extremely dark Hansel and Gretel vibes, however i did not like the story as much as I thought i would. Although the ending surprised me, I wasn't impressed with the overall story. (maybe it's just not for me)A few things that put me off were the pace and structure of the story. there was just way too much going on in the end and i struggled to keep up (the fact that i haven't read any folk or grimm's tales before or that i read this at 2 am didn't help either)However i do think it offers a lot for such a short story:) and [a:Leigh Bardugo 4575289 Leigh Bardugo https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1534446099p2/4575289.jpg]'s storytelling stands out, yet again.

rating- 3/5[b:The Lives of Saints 54205369 The Lives of Saints (Grishaverse) Leigh Bardugo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1593535795l/54205369.SY75.jpg 84577530] is a collection of the short stories of miracles and martyrdoms of the saints in the grishaverse. The stories are pretty short and make for a fast read.While it makes a great addition to the grishaverse, most stories of the saints have the same recurring theme of: miracle is performed,-they are either branded as evil and killed by the people -or become a hero and die doing good deeds.due to this there were only few stories that stood out to me. Reading about the familiar saints like Lizabeta, Anastasia, Nikolai, Grigori, Juris or for that matter Alina and the Starless saint was really nice but i don't think any of the other stories will stay with me for too long.The illustrations are beautiful and although i read the ebook, I'd love to have a physical copy for the illustrations alone.I also listened to the audiobook for a few stories and BEN BARNES narrates it. (I feel like that's more than enough reason to listen to the audiobook immediately.)overall, i liked the lives of saints but it doesn't stand out to me like the beautiful and haunting writing in [b:The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic 34076952 The Language of Thorns Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic (Grishaverse, #0.5, 2.5, 2.6) Leigh Bardugo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1491842507l/34076952.SX50.jpg 55087763] does. The stories are fast and don't add anything to your existing knowledge of the grishaverse. you could pick it up if you're in a reading slump or need short stories to read in between books.

“Just because you escape one trap, doesn't mean you will escape the next.”

rating - 3/5
I haven't read books with talking animals for a while now. This sure made me nostalgic. A pretty well told story i think, athough it's definitely not my favourite short story in the grishaverse.
I saw the plot twist coming towards the end although the too-clever fox didn't. eyeroll.
(considering there was quite a bit of foreshadowing for it, i'm pretty sure a lot of people did)
However, I really liked koja despite his slight well, more than slight not-too-clever-ness in the end. And Lula's a tiny little sweetheart:) The fact that i was invested in a story that's literally just 30 pages long only proves how good [a:Leigh Bardugo|4575289|Leigh Bardugo|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1534446099p2/4575289.jpg]'s writing is.

“You are strong enough to survive the fall”― Leigh Bardugo, King of Scars

rating- 4.5/5

//This review contains A LOT of spoilers for the grisha trilogy and king of scars. Do not read this if you haven't read the books.\

buddy read with shreya:)


okay but this book was so hard for me to rate. I absolutely love the characters (cough cough nikolai cough cough) and i loved it? but there's also a few major things i didn't like:(

i'm going to start with what i disliked, so i can get that out of the way:

Undermines the Grisha Trilogy:
what upset me was how [b:King of Scars|36307634|King of Scars (King of Scars, #1)|Leigh Bardugo|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1525110825l/36307634.SY75.jpg|57978319] takes everything you've learnt about the grishaverse so far and throws that out of the window.
a grisha's power isn't limited within the orders? between the orders? they have been using amplifiers wrong this whole time?!! (the entire original trilogy focuses on the search of the three amplifiers. please-)

i don't know if it's just me but the whole “we are all just things” ideology seemed very abstract to me. scientifically, it does make sense you know, because all elements are ultimately made of atoms. But but, that would mean all grisha could manipulate everything? there would be no limits to their powers? this is just all over the place-

somebody tell me why [a:Leigh Bardugo|4575289|Leigh Bardugo|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1534446099p2/4575289.jpg] was so determined to change everything??? I ABSOLUTELY loved the original grisha trilogy (maybe even slightly more than [b:Six of Crows|23437156|Six of Crows (Six of Crows, #1)|Leigh Bardugo|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1628438817l/23437156.SX50.jpg|42077459]. yes we exist.) I agree she wrote it a while ago and might want to change the way she's done a few things. But changing the entire grisha magic system? and it all happened so fast agghd.
[ i find it hard to cope with change, leave me alone :( ]

note: i know this is set up a little bit in the shadow and bone trilogy as well, through morozova's journals but he's continuously passed off as a man consumed by too much power. And i just liked how organised the grisha system is okay? angry huff.

The Darkling:And i don't know how to feel about the darkling being back:/. I absolutely loved the way things ended in [b:Ruin and Rising|14061957|Ruin and Rising (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy, #3)|Leigh Bardugo|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1392398530l/14061957._SX50_.jpg|19699754] (well atleast for the darkling *sigh*)“In this moment he was just a boy -brilliant, blessed with too much power, burdened by eternity."And it just felt right. everything. where alina kills him with a tiny tendril of his own power, when they were both burnt. It was this profound moment where somebody who was essentially thought to be immortal and who had immense power was defeated by this young self deprecating orphan from keramzin. His character arc was closed in [b:Ruin and Rising|14061957|Ruin and Rising (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy, #3)|Leigh Bardugo|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1392398530l/14061957._SX50_.jpg|19699754] really well, and his resurrection feels contrived to me idk.

Yeah, that's pretty much it. i don't like how this book undermines the original trilogy when it's one of my favourites:/

SX50

SY75

THE LAST FEW CHAPTERS
I was considering rating the book about 3.5 stars, and then i read the last few chapters. And they completely blew my mind. Kind of like [b:Ruin and Rising|14061957|Ruin and Rising (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy, #3)|Leigh Bardugo|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1392398530l/14061957.SX50.jpg|19699754] tbh, The author has a thing for crazy endings i guess.
The plot twists were unpredictable and weren't something i expected.
What's with Brum appearing out of nowhere in the grishaverse haha. i feel like all his appearances are like that.

BUT what fascinated me most was the Ehri-Isaak-Mayu thing. i've read some reviews and none of them mentioned this. like- I DID NOT EXPECT THAT? THEY WERE BOTH GUARDS PRETENDING TO BE ROYALS?!!! why is that so cool.
Okay but killing the ravkan king & their fake princess and framing Fjerda for it? The Shu are so smart please. I feel like we always forget that, and paint fjerdans as the real villains. Parem, Kherguud. ALL shu. (shurewd shu. why am i like this?)

Nikolai and Zoya
NIKOLAI is another reason this book is up there. He's literally so incredible please. i loved the charming, confident, sarcastic nikolai that we see from alina's pov and i love self-doubting, using-his-charm-and-humour-as-a-defense-because-he's-not-as-confident-as-he-seems-nikolai that we see from his own pov. (To all the reviews i read, that said “he's not the nikolai i fell in love with” pLEasE. you guys can't handle a character that's self deprecating, like not everybody has high self-esteem??? and it just makes him seem so much more realistic in my opinion.)

“He was a king who had only begun to make mistakes. He was a soldier for whom the war would never be over. He was a bastard left alone in the woods. And he was not afraid to die this day.”

Soldiers did not cry. Princes did not weep. Nikolai knew this. But the tears fell anyway. “Dominik the brave. Hold on a little longer.”Dominik squeezed his hand. “This country gets you in the end, brother. Don't forget it.”

ZOYA

“In that moment, he wished things might have been different. That he might not die tomorrow. That he could be led by his heart instead of duty. Because Zoya was not kind and she was not easy. But she was already a queen.”

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"i like to think we would find each other in every universe."

heartstopper X Detroit: become human (a video game? that the author really liked and decided to make fanart based on her characters, for; i love how this ended up being a whole mini comic). i have no idea what detroit: become human is and i still loved it!
people who haven't read heartstopper or have and haven't read this: you really should:)
it's Nick and Charlie but in an entirely different situation and world. I loved Nick as an Android and Charlie as a detective as much as i loved our high school Nick and Charlie< 3
you can read it here: heartstopper: become human

< Nick and Charlie 3tw: eating disorders, self harm, ocd love how the series just gets progressively better and better:). it's so much more than a contemporary gay romance. it deals with sensitive topics and feelings of teenagers in such a beautiful way. I've read [b:Radio Silence 25322449 Radio Silence Alice Oseman https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1448470869l/25322449.SY75.jpg 45055773] by [a:Alice Oseman 7789423 Alice Oseman https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1603122242p2/7789423.jpg] and loved it, so I'm not surprised with the author's ability to write about mental health in such a raw and real manner but also somehow making it extremely simple to understand. she's incredible at it! i love her writing for the same reasons.this volume in particular dealt with eating disorders, self harm and ocd. nick and Charlie's journal entries were so heartwarming please:') i want the next volume right now :((also if you're reading this review and haven't read this series, you should definitely pick it up rn. they'll get you through a slump since they're very fast reads and will leave you smiling:)))

if you haven't read this already, WHY????? you've been deprived of nick and charlie's existence for long enough. don't do that to yourselves anymore. READ IT!!!i love the illustrations and i love the characters. tara, darcy, tao AND TORI. GOD i love her so much:) she's so effortlessly incredible and cool!honestly, she makes me want to read [b:Solitaire 20618110 Solitaire Alice Oseman https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1680269555l/20618110.SY75.jpg 39901420] immediately.anyways, onto volume 3 and 4, i am absolutely binge reading them all today!

3 facts for you:
1) i stayed up till like 3 am reading this.
2) i read all four volumes in one day.
3) you should definitely read heartstopper right now.

the third volume is all the love and friendships and characters in the first two books, but now they're on a paris trip. COULD IT POSSIBLY GET BETTER THAN THAT? { i haven't travelled in almost 2 years because of covid and this just made me so impossibly happy:) } THE PARIS SQUAD is my favourite friend group ever. they're just so precious.
I love Nick and Charlie so much and the whole time, i just wanted to yell at everybody who was mean to them.
!please!read! heartstopper!
(this is your sign to pick up the book)

PLEASE. this book is so precious:''')
I was putting off reading this for a while now because i haven't read any graphic novels before, but this did not disappoint AT ALL! nick and charlie own my heart now:)

The illustrations are so pretty sighs in love. I found myself reading slowly so i wouldn't miss the little details in the illustrations (like they're nothing out of the world? BUT so simplistic and perfect< 3???!!)

ALSO WHAT WAS THAT ENDING.
watch me binge-read all the volumes today (angry huff)

rating- 3.5/5

this was the first self help book I've read, so i don't really have anything to compare it to; but i feel like the book made pretty solid points (that are really common sense but things we often forget.) They were well articulated and written with short stories and instances both from the author's life, and otherwise.
i also loved the psychology references to Freud and William James since psychology is one of my subjects.
overall, i think it was a decent read and would recommend it if you're into self help books that are simplistic.

rating- 4/5buddy read with pratha < 3 book trigger warnings: depression, anxiety, emotional abuse, animal cruelty(review might contain minor spoilers)!“I wonder- if nobody is listening to my voice, am I making any sound at all?”― Alice Oseman, Radio Silencesometimes it takes me a while to really understand how much i like a book. this is one of those books. i bumped this up on my tbr so I could do a buddy read. (never done one before and loved it. absolutely recommend). Going into the book, I expected a thriller (just me?) with plot twists and surprises. There were surprises for sure, but the book was far from a thriller with out of the world plot twists. Ironically, realism was one of the things that stood out to me in this book. The author was able to portray themes of teenage emotions, depression, anxiety and academic pressure in an extremely genuine manner (probably the best i've seen in any book). I loved how different this book was from anything else i've ever read. A podcast based sci-fi show? diversity and representation that didn't seem forced? layered characters with unstructured thoughts and real emotions who don't have everything figured out? also wait for it: platonic male and female relationships. it had it all.Honestly though, this is something i have to say: if you relate with everything Frances and Aled had to go through, i'm sorry. i'm sorry that the education system has brainwashed you into believing your grades define you, and low grades would mean you're destined for failure. that is absolutely not true. grades are just letters at the end of the day, and that's about it. it's upsetting how grade oriented our learning is. I'm indian, so throughout the years i have been judged only on the basis of my grades, so much so, that i didn't really see how it affected me. Like Frances, i put all my energy into just proving my academic potential and later struggling to meet those high expectations i set for myself. Needless to say, this book resonated with me. It truly makes you feel like somebody's listening:) “I got four A grades [...] I expected to be happy about it. I expected to be jumping up and down and crying from joy.But I didn't feel any of that. It just wasn't disappointment.”“It must be useful to be smart,” she said and then laughed weakly. She glanced down and suddenly looked very sad. “I'm like, constantly scared I'm going to be a homeless or something. I wish our whole lives didn't have to depend on our grades.”The only reason it was a 4 star read for me was because of the simplicity of the plot (but looking back i think this adds to the realism aspect of the book)In my opinion, [b:Radio Silence 25322449 Radio Silence Alice Oseman https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1448470869l/25322449.SY75.jpg 45055773] is one of the most realistic and authentic contemporary books i've read. I couldn't put it down and was constantly thinking about the characters, who are again extremely well written. I would recommend this to anybody who has struggled or is struggling with anxiety and academic pressure (which, let's face it, is pretty much every teenager ever.)edit: also found out that this existed, months after reading the book and now i like it even more:- https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRHhZ2y6V9ygqpZpCByznhvnVCrPMJ8Aq

“Has anyone noticed this whole city is looking for us, mad at us, or wants to kill us?”“So?” said Kaz.“Well, usually it's just half the city.”― Leigh Bardugo, Crooked Kingdomrating- 4.5/5if that quote doesn't sum up the entire book, i honestly don't know what does.I finished reading this a week ago. It took me a week to recover , just enough, to put how i was feeling on paper. (screen?). Just saying.okay, so here goes nothing. This review contains spoilers for Six of crows and Crooked kingdom. Please DO NOT read it if you haven't read either.________________PREMISE [b:Crooked Kingdom 22299763 Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows, #2) Leigh Bardugo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1456172607l/22299763.SY75.jpg 42090179] picks off right where [b:Six of Crows 23437156 Six of Crows (Six of Crows, #1) Leigh Bardugo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1651710803l/23437156.SY75.jpg 42077459] ends. It follows Kaz and his crew right after they pull off an impossible heist. Except things didn't turn out the way they thought it would. (when does it ever). Now they're up against powerful forces both from in and outside Ketterdam, with no money, allies or resources.THOUGHTS I liked Crooked kingdom even more than six of crows?? and i REALLY liked SoC. No because I am absolutely in love. I love the morally grey (but still somehow moral?) characters. SO MUCH. I love their character development and their banter. I love the group dynamic and I love the writing. i just love, love and love. “Crows remember human faces. They remember the people who feed them, who are kind to them. And the people who wrong them too. They don't forget. They tell each other who to look after and who to watch out for.”But i mean there has to be something i didn't like if i didn't give it 5 stars right? yeah we'll get to that {spoiler alert: i go back and forth over what I didn't like, a little bit (well a lot) and don't actually hate anything as such}, but lets start off with everything i liked:)I think my favourite part of both [b:Six of Crows 23437156 Six of Crows (Six of Crows, #1) Leigh Bardugo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1651710803l/23437156.SY75.jpg 42077459] and [b:Crooked Kingdom 22299763 Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows, #2) Leigh Bardugo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1456172607l/22299763.SY75.jpg 42090179] is that the characters never lose themselves. In the face of adversity, when talked about in a relationship dynamic and honestly just in general, there was never a moment where i read something, say kaz or nina did and thought to myself- that doesn't seem like something he/she would do, you know? everything just seemed right. It's beautiful how [a:Leigh Bardugo 4575289 Leigh Bardugo https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1534446099p2/4575289.jpg] managed to give each character such a strong voice and a sense of individuality while still making sure this doesn't get blurred when they work in a group.Their backstories were further developed and wylan got the attention he deserves! (safe to say, he's definitely one of my favourites now).“Until this moment, Wylan hadn't quite understood how much they meant to him. His father would have sneered at these thugs and thieves, a disgraced soldier, a gambler who couldn't keep out of the red. But they were his first friends, his only friends, and Wylan knew that even if he'd had his pick of a thousand companions, these would have been the people he chose.”Pace inconsistency was an issue for me in [b:Six of Crows 23437156 Six of Crows (Six of Crows, #1) Leigh Bardugo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1651710803l/23437156.SY75.jpg 42077459], but [b:Crooked Kingdom 22299763 Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows, #2) Leigh Bardugo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1456172607l/22299763.SY75.jpg 42090179] fares well in that aspect and is fast paced throughout. The transition between the books is smooth and the author doesn't waste any time but gets right into the plot.AND KAZ AND INEJ. I love them so much. (everybody freaking out over them just holding hands is just so funny in my opinion). also this quote absolutely broke me:“I would have come for you. And if I couldn't walk, I'd crawl to you, and no matter how broken we were, we'd fight our way out together-knives drawn, pistols blazing. Because that's what we do. We never stop fighting.”also nina & matthias and wylan & jesper. all of them. ugh.(there's so many cute moments, can't really pick a quote tbh)Something else i REALLY REALLY liked was the appearance of characters from the grisha trilogy. when characters from different books in the same universe have a crossover kinda or even just referenced, it's my favourite thing ever. worlds colliding. my heart<3. it just made me so happy to read nikolai's humorous sarcastic retorts again:') even if it was only for one chapter. okay, onto what i didn't like:SETBACKSso right off the bat, i know that both [b:Six of Crows 23437156 Six of Crows (Six of Crows, #1) Leigh Bardugo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1651710803l/23437156.SY75.jpg 42077459] and [b:Crooked Kingdom 22299763 Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows, #2) Leigh Bardugo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1456172607l/22299763.SY75.jpg 42090179] are fast paced books, and i get that. i do. but to me at times it just felt like there was a lot going on? I struggled to keep up with the numerous sub plots and fail- safe plans. it's just A LOT was going on for my mortal brain to comprehend. I'll probably reread it a few months later and see if this changes the second time around.the ending!major spoiler¡ (adding tags too)something else I didn't like was matthias's death. honestly i think most people would agree that it did nothing to the plot whatsoever and felt extremely abrupt.i thought about this for a while and couldn't come to a conclusion so here i am.right so, execution? wasn't the best in my opinion. they went through ALL of that in both djerholm and ketterdam only for matthias to be shot a few streets away, AFTER they'd managed everything? i don't know..very anticlimactic honestly.the idea though? it makes sense in my opinion. I've seen so many people write off the death as unnecessary and i agreed. but after the initial shock and sadness wore off, i really thought about it and i feel like it does have some symbolism and merit. could it have been executed better? absolutely. but well, it is what it is :')and also when i say the death does have some merit to it, i don't mean that in the- (*read in mocking singsong old man voice*) "it's not possible for all of them to be alive after going through all that." or "well, somebody had to die" way. I'm a sucker for happy endings so it wouldn't have been unrealistic to me if they were all alive in the end. i mean they pulled off an entire heist, managed to deceive so many people. THE THEME IS HOPE and being able to pull off the impossible for saint's sake (yes I'm swearing like grishaverse characters now). so no I'm not FOR killing off characters, only to make it seem more realistic.But i thought of it this way and this just makes more sense to me. Matthias has immense character development; he goes from an angry barbarian {saying that makes me so sad now:''''') remember the princess and the barbarian story bahaha} to somebody who understands he grew up in the wrong environment and that he was filled with hate but not born with it. his younger self however was hateful and misogynistic, and he'd probably done a lot of hateful stuff before the ship with nina *sob*. The young fjerdan kid who shot him? he's so much like young matthias. It's almost like his past was catching up to him.So in a way, matthias was essentially killed by his younger self.poetic? RIGHT. still hurts i know:( but seems less unnecessary now doesn't it? moreover, i love how his last thoughts weren't hateful or of revenge, but just about nina and saving fjerda from their mindset. (crying, brb)something else to make you sob and break your heart even more?if you didn't already know this, matthias's first chapter and his last chapter starts and ends with the same words:“Matthias was dreaming again. Dreaming of her"heartbroken for the rest of my life < / 3OVERALLThis book definitely made it to my favourites. The grisha magic system is unique and the plot is captivating and catches you off guard just the right amount. you should absolutely read it, if you haven't already. it'll make you laugh out loud, cry and smile throughout. super excited to pick up the [b:King of Scars 36307634 King of Scars (King of Scars, #1) Leigh Bardugo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1525110825l/36307634.SY75.jpg 57978319] duology next, since i personally loved the grisha trilogy and nikolai is one of my favourite characters:)my other reviewsmy review of shadow and bonemy review of siege and stormmy review of ruin and risingmy review of six of crows

It was times like these when I thought my father, who hated guns and had never been to any wars, was the bravest man who ever lived.

I've had this book in my shelf for the longest time and never got around to reading it. I'm so glad i finally did. The first half of the book was pretty slow and took me a while to read, but the brilliant prose makes up for the pace. Looking at the world through six year old Scout's eyes was an absolute delight. As a child, Scout doesn't understand the full implication of the things happening around her, making her an objective observer and a reporter in the truest sense. We see things exactly the way they happen which makes it so different from the usual adult pov. However, it's important to understand that the narrator is two Scouts: the little girl experiencing the story and the adult Jean Louise who tells the story. The adult Jean Louise can better understand the impact of various events while Scout as a child was simply living through them.

My favourite part about this book is how unflinchingly honest it is. Scout isn't afraid to ask questions. She looks up to her father (Atticus) and views him as a voice of reason and somebody who would answer her questions truthfully. Her relationship with Atticus stands out throughout the book.

SY75

“They're certainly entitled to think that, and they're entitled to full respect for their opinions... but before I can live with other folks I've got to live with myself. The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscience.”

Final Thoughts

SY75

“Lawyers, I suppose, were children once.”

“There is no safe place for the Grisha. There is no haven. Not for us.” ​There will be, he promised in the darkness, new words written upon his heart. I will make one.

This short story gives us an insight into the old Ravka, where the Grisha were unwelcome, through the eyes of a young darkling. It depicts what he had to go through as a child and the isolation and loneliness he feels due to his powers. The darkling is an extremely well developed character and this small point of view from a young darkling helps us understand his motives better, builds his character and makes him more interesting

The only complaint i have is that it's only 40 pages long :') i NEED more from the darkling's pov.

"In the end, maybe love just meant longing for something impossibly bright and forever out of reach.”

rating- 4/5

overall series rating- 3.5/5

(skipping to my thoughts instead of my usual review format because i just need to get them out of my head.)

The book caught me off guard, not going to lie. I DID NOT expect the plot twist or the turn of events at the end of the book. The first few hours after I finished the book, was just me marvelling at the ending because,

a) not a lot of books surprise me with plot twists, since i think of probable ways it could end in my head. So if a book does have an ending I haven't thought about, I get really excited. (more on that in a bit)

b) i was expecting something predictable, like Alina destroying the fold, being the saviour of Ravka and the likes of that.

I did think of a possible ending that involved her leaving things behind and living a normal life with Mal, but i didn't know how that would work out with her powers being a factor.

(like i said, not sticking to a review format, so might as well include this)

So, coming back to me being excited, the first thing i did, was call my best friend (who has read six of crows, but not the grisha trilogy) and told her how the ending wasn't something i expected and i loved it.

The first thing she said was, "wait aren't you upset that Alina died?" and i was like "OH."

This is what made it cooler in my opinion. I remember how I'd read that six of crows contains spoilers for the grisha trilogy, however i didn't think they'd be given the narrative the rest of the people were given. It kind of makes me feel like I'm a part of this small group of people who actually know what happened in the battle. it makes me feel special okay? shush.

So i found out, on Leigh Bardugo's Instagram highlights where she says it's not necessary to read S&B before SoC, but preferrable because you'll be "spoiled (or deliberately misled by a wicked author)" HAHA

and this whole thing fascinates me so much, i don't even know why. and i've already started ranting so, there's no going back

there's tons of people i know who haven't read the Grisha trilogy but only the Six of Crows duology and they won't know this. (I'm aware they probably don't care, but just let me feel special okay.)

it's just so smart. the fact that, what people think is a spoiler isn't actually one and

also how, if people read SoC first and then move on to these books, they'll still be surprised. Leigh Bardugo is one smart author.

THE ENDING

now, when the initial surprise wore off, i actually began thinking about whether i liked the ending and if this was what i wanted for Alina.

“They had an ordinary life, full of ordinary things—if love can ever be called that.”

The thing with this is, people either absolutely love the ending or hate it.

i have mixed feelings about the ending. The romantic in me who loves happy endings is happy, she's thinking of the love Mal and Alina share, despite everything they've had to face. however there is also a cynic in me and while she's happy that Mal (who's suddenly a new person who wants the best for Alina. A starking contrast to Siege and Storm Mal, whom i did not like at all) and Alina get their happy ending, she's not sure if Alina wanted this for herself.

I'm sure nobody likes risking their lives constantly and the fact that she was considered a living saint, did not help with the-wanting to live a normal life part.

But we all know that Alina grows to like her powers, understands that they're a part of her and using them makes her feel content. She has immense character development in the first two books and starts believing in herself. So does this ending negate all that character development? yes.

In a way the full circle ending: Alina going back to keramzin, just a normal girl, an orphan makes it feel complete. However, the ending makes me happy, not content. I can't help but think about everything Alina could've been and everything she could've done (even WITH Mal by her side, since that's what she's so vocal about * sigh *)

I feel let down that, what could've been a really strong female protagonist in upcoming books, is now just living idly with no powers, (again there's nothing wrong with a domestic life, I'm just a little disappointed that she had to give up her powers.)

To me, it felt like Mal finally got what he wanted. Alina losing her powers, living a normal life with him.

In Siege and Storm, when Mal and Alina are on the run, hiding her powers makes her miserable. In my opinion, Alina's powers going to all the otkazats'ya because of Morozova was not some elaborate noble plotline to give powers to the common folk but a way for making Alina powerless and live her life with Mal without worrying about hiding it.

"Morozova was a strange man. He was a bit like you, drawn to the ordinary and the weak."

An indication of Alina not wanting this for herself is definitely how she describes herself as hollow, empty and not quite like herself without her powers.

"nothing left", i said softly feeling the emptiness inside me, the emptiness everywhere.

CHARACTER ARCS

Mal- still don't like him I'm sorry, but i guess love is love so, I'm trying to be happy for Alina and Mal, believe me i really am.

It's a little hard for me to believe that Mal is suddenly everything we've wanted him to be. I like him in this book, he's trying, acknowledging Alina's feelings and all in all, just not being a d!ck. But what didn't work for me is the transition. i was still seething over Siege and Storm Mal when i went into this book, only to find a whole new person there. it just didn't seem realistic to me.

“It’s a vow that if I can’t be anything else to you, at least I can be a weapon in your hand.”

“You were meant for more than me, and I'll die fighting to give it to you. But please don't ask me to pretend it's easy.”

The darkling- yeah. I'm not going to lie, I'm a little devastated. one of the best written antagonists in my opinion. Leigh Bardugo does a great job at humanising him throughout the books, and especially at the end. the death scene upset me more than Mal's and that's saying something. His backstory is so well developed and the fact that this book gave us most of his backstory, is another reason for me to like it.

“In this moment he was just a boy - brilliant, blessed with too much power, burdened by eternity.”

Nikolai- Absolutely still love him. still my favourite character. his humour is unmatched and brightens up the book when required. the whole darkness plot, in the second half of the book seemed unnecessary to me, but i agree it makes him more interesting in the upcoming books and I'm excited to read King of Scars

“I hope you weren’t looking to me to be the voice of reason. I keep to a strict diet of ill-advised enthusiasm and heartfelt regret.”

"You are no Lantsov" snarled the king. NIkolai merely bowed. "I find i can live with that fact"

Genya- love her. although i disliked the whole nichevo'ya bite fate, i love how she embraced it; considering vanity was something that was very important to her. I wanted this to be remedied somehow, but i no longer want that. scars are reminders but they don't have to be terrible.

“Na razrusha'ya. E'ya razrushost."

translation: I am not ruined. I am ruination.

her relationship with David is also something that stands out. they both are beautiful together.

"Beauty was your armor. Fragile stuff, all show. But what's inside you? That's steel. It's brave and unbreakable. And it doesn't need fixing.”

I'm excited to see Genya in the upcoming books (i think she's there?) since she'll be leading the second army and i want to see her in a role of authority.

Setbacks

one thing that I've found to be a problem in both shadow and bone, as well as siege and storm is the pace inconsistency. this book fared better in that aspect and did have better transition from slow scenes to fast paced scenes, however towards the end of the book, there was just too much happening. The final battle was very short and didn't seem to have the depth that was required.

And of course, the damned ending.

What I loved

1. the amplifier plot twist.

2. Nikolai Lantsov.

3. also the ending (i can't decide if i like it or not, leave me alone.)

Overall

pros- unpredictable plot twists

cons- bittersweet ending?

Both Shadow and Bone and Siege and Storm surprised me, but Ruin and Rising, topped them both. Leigh Bardugo's books just get progressively better and better as the trilogy continues. Her writing has always stood out to me and the story's narrative flows extremely well, which makes them so much easier to read. I couldn't put the books down for too long, and I'm happy i finished the trilogy.

The world of the grisha is captivating and interesting. it's very unique and I'm glad the author decided to expand this world and continue writing more books in this universe.

i can't wait to read more of the grisha world in Six of Crows, I'm super excited for this one:)

"The ox feels the yoke, but does the bird feel the weight of it's wings?"

rating- 3.5/5

The first book definitely surprised me, and although I had a few complaints, I loved it. Siege and Storm on the other hand, is harder for me to review.

The book was very, very slow towards the beginning and at certain points, to the point where i was so sure, i wouldn't like it. The pace was inconsistent and a few parts were incredibly slow, while a few had me struggling to keep up with everything that was happening. This is something that bothered me in shadow and bone as well, and I'm hoping will be resolved in the third book. (I understand a few scenes have to be fast paced, but the transition should be smoother so the reader is eased into the fast paced scenes instead of feeling like they were abruptly thrown in into an action sequence.)

However as soon as Nikolai was introduced, the rating of the book in my head significantly increased (i was thinking around 3 haha). Nikolai is definitely my favorite love interest with mal and the darkling as the other options, I'm pretty sure everybody thinks the same way, if not my favorite character (scratch that. he's my favorite character)

Also, was I the only one who wasn't surprised by the Sturmhond plot twist? I mean he's described as a young boy with green eyes, there's no way he's not a love interest. there's also so much foreshadowing for it, considering he never talks about where he's from (any doubts i had were later confirmed when I googled sturmhond fanart- i strongly advise against googling fanart until you're done with the book. google images are the dark web, for, every book spoiler to ever exist is on there.)

PREMISE

Alina and mal are trying to run away from their lives at Ravka but can Alina really hide her powers for too long? On the other hand, the darkling has new powers that further threaten Ravka's future. With the help of a funny, charming privateer she returns to the country she abandoned only to find it worse off. Alina finds herself slipping deeper into the darkling's magic and discovering a different side to herself, while trying to lead the second army, hoping to cope with the hopes of the common people who believe she's a living saint and also dealing with relationship problems (mal. why. just why)

CHARACTERS

ALINA

unlike a lot of people, i liked Alina in the first book. I understood her self deprecating nature and constant self destruction, it was what made her more real to me. Siege and Storm Alina, on the other hand has completely blown me away. I absolutely love her. She's embracing herself and understanding that she has a dark side under all that light. Her hunger for the third amplifier, calling to the darkness, feeling like the fold was a part of her, understanding the volcra, every single thing intrigued me. the character development is immersing and I'm looking forward to witness Ruin and Rising Alina. I'm curious as to how Leigh Bardugo will transition her from being extremely weak and unable to call her power to ultimately what I'm guessing will be the saviour of Ravka and the destroyer of the fold.

"So many men had tried to make her a queen, now she understood that she was meant for something more"

MAL

no. just no, I'm sorry. shadow and bone mal was okay in my opinion, but book 2 mal is just not it. he loves alina, there's no doubt about that. he protects her, and even abandons his post as a tracker, something that is very dear to him, for her. But he loves the Alina who was his childhood bestfriend, who was at the sidelines, not the grisha Alina. he's constantly insecure about the fact that he's an otkazats'ya, while Alina is powerful. I now understand why so many people disliked him in the first book, they saw what was coming and the behaviour that indicated the same. the fact that he is oblivious that Alina isn't doing her best and continues to push his insecurities at her just infuriates me. the darkling('s vision? I'm still a little confused) that made Alina flinch while mal was stupid enough to think that it was about him (I know I'm being harsh but he just can't look past himself.) was the last straw. I don't see Alina with mal and will be very disappointed if that's what happens in the end.

"i don't need to think about it", Mal shouted "and neither does she"

This is him talking about going back to Os Alta when Nikolai, Alina and Mal arrive at Kribirsk. ugh. just, ugh

"At least she didn't flinch when i touched her" he spat

this was when alina had WAY too much on her plate already, i just dislike him so much, i can't, i'm sorry. i don't know if mal can redeem himself after this.

NIKOLAI

I am absolutely and completely in love with Nikolai Lantsov. He is everything. i repeat, everything, mal is not. he understands Alina, while also NOT being extremely morally grey like the darkling. he's humorous, sarcastic and extremely endearing. The birthday dinner scene with Vasily and the political intrigue in it, was one of my favourite scenes in the book.

"When people say impossible, they usually mean improbable.”

"i like mongrels", i said. "they have cute floppy ears." "my ears are very dignified"

“I took a breath. “Your highness—”

“Nikolai,” he corrected. “But I’ve also been known to answer to ‘sweetheart’ or ‘handsome.”

THE DARKLING

I cannot stop hoping for a redemption arc * sigh *, but then again, this is for the darkling's personality and not as a love interest. I don't see the darkling as a love interest anymore and in my honest opinion, his personality and character wouldn't be suitable for the same. his motivations and backstory are just way too strong to be deterred by something as trivial as feelings. he's still one of the best written and extremely well developed characters. And although he was absent throughout most of this book, the few appearances, use of the nichevo'ya and the visions/appearances Alina could see, left me wanting more.

"we are alike", he said, "as no one else will ever be", the truth of it rang through me. like calls to like.

Things i loved:

1. NIKOLAI. NIKOLAI LANTSOV. ABSOLUTELY.

2. The character development of Alina

3. The ending. i have to admit, the ending is definitely not something i expected. it saved the book for me.

"For the living and the dead, she would make herself a reckoning. She would rise. "

4. Did i mention, nikolai lantsov. yes. him.

Setbacks:

1. as mentioned earlier, the pace inconsistency

2. mal's character development

3. genya. (this was dropped out of nowhere, and goes long lengths to tell us how far the darkling's willing to go, to assert authority and fullfill his motives. it really upset me, considering Alina couldn't even tell her apart from Baghra. i hope this is remedied in Ruin and Rising, because Genya did nothing wrong and does not deserve this. It breaks my heart that she had to choose between helping Alina and her loyalty to the darkling since he gave her status, something that she has never had and has forever wanted.

Overall, despite the issues, i couldn't stop reading and just had to know what was going to happen, which according to me, is a good sign. The world building is immersing and the world of the grisha is growing on me and I absolutely cannot wait to read Ruin and Rising to see what happens to Alina and Nikolai and what's in store in terms of plot:)

“And there's nothing wrong with being a lizard either. Unless you were born to be a hawk.”

rating- 3.5/5

okay I'm not going to lie, i didn't intend to read these books. i almost picked up six of crows and only later decided I'm going to read the grisha trilogy first. (solely because I've heard the grishaverse is a tad bit complicated to understand at first, + i just like reading things chronologically, it's just one of those things, don't ask)—and honestly? I'm glad i did—most of my friends have read six of crows and have absolutely loved it, but they don't really like the grisha trilogy or don't even plan on reading it? this made me a little sceptical at first and i even considered skipping these books and moving on to six of crows, as I'm aware most people have done. Naturally, my expectations weren't very high going into it. But, to it's credit it did take me by surprise and i liked the book a lot.

PREMISE

(i don't understand why this is a thing since it's literally in the synopsis thing of the book and also people who read detailed reviews are people who've already read the book, right?)

it follows Alina Starkov - an orphan who is a cartographer in the first army, in a world where the common people- who work in the armies and people with powers - the grisha, live together. She discovers dormant powers that are the only way to save Ravka from its downfall due to the dark barrier called the shadow fold dividing it into two. we follow her journey and development as she discovers lies and secrets that change everything.

my views on the book

Shadow and Bone is a very straightforward and uncomplicated book with few plot twists. (to the point where most readers find it plain and boring), but in my opinion this makes it a fast, enjoyable read. If you want a light, breezy read after a complicated book, then this might be for you. Leigh Bardugo's writing is simple, engaging and flows really well, that makes you want to keep reading. The first half of the book was comparatively slower, while the second half distinctively fast, that put me off a little bit, but not enough to stop reading. The plot had a few drawbacks and was a little tropey. but if you can look past the cliches, then it's definitely something you should pick up.

WORLD BUILDING

The world building is something that stood out to me and although, it does feel like we're thrown into the world. (In most fantasy books, the character whose point-of-view we read the book from, is also as clueless as the readers; either because they were unaware or less informed about the workings of the world. In that case, both the characters and the readers learn about this new fantasy world together. In shadow and bone however, that was not the case. Alina already knew about the grisha and their orders, how everything works, etcetera. So there was little explanation of the world for somebody who knows nothing about it. It did feel a tad bit abrupt, but it wasn't something that bothered me.)

Apart from the straight-off nature, the world building was pretty commendable. it was gradual and not rushed. i really liked the concept of the Russian inspired - Ravka. (I'm aware of the numerous linguistic mistakes in the Russian that was incorporated, as many reviews have pointed out. However, as somebody who doesn't know Russian, this is not something i found out until after i read other reviews and therefore it did not influence my views)

CHARACTERS

Alina Starkov is a strong female lead and definitely stood out to me. Most people don't like her (mostly because of the 'not like other girls' trope) and find her to be whiny and self deprecating. but then again, I'm someone with low self esteem and that's how our thought processes work. it doesn't necessarily mean she was ugly or skinny, that's how SHE views herself, which is completely okay. And I think this makes her character more real and endearing.

“The thought filled me with grief, grief for the dreams we'd shared, for the love I'd felt, for the hopeful girl I would never be again.”

Malyen Orestev (mal) is also one of my favourite characters and although his absence in the first half of the book is very noticeable, he almost makes up for it in the second half. the reviews about Mal did shock to me, to say the least. i honestly don't understand why everybody hates him so much. I'm not sure if we read the same thing? because i remember him being a little rude to Alina only once and he also apologizes for this later. Again, like Alina he has his flaws, but to me was different from the typical love interest which again helped him to stand out.

"I love you, Alina, even the part of you that loved him.”

The darkling's character is extremely well developed. I'm sure he has a backstory and motivations that set him apart. I'm yet to read The Demon in the Wood, and he already intrigues me. In the first half, i almost thought there was going to be a redemption arc but after the stag bit— i almost cried. animals dying is just:(— i knew there was no going back. I'm curious to see how the author develops the darkling's character- throughout the next two books in the series.

“The Darkling slumped back in his chair. “Fine,” he said with a weary shrug. “Make me your villain.”

A few setbacks:

first off, something that bothered me was the way Alina's powers were said to have been dormant for many years. she clearly remembers feeling her powers when she got tested by the grisha examiners and yet she's constantly surprised she has them. also, i think that her powers suddenly appearing in the fold was a little far-fetched. In my opinion, it would have been nicer to have a few displays of her power throughout the years. for example, a little sun-ray or a sudden burst of light when she's very angry or something along those lines.

Moreover, instead of making her completely oblivious to those powers, the book should have portrayed her to having some idea that she had powers but being afraid to embrace them. This would have been easier to believe. Alina being a little confused as to what those rays of lights were, that only got more and more frequent with the years, would have given us more time to get accustomed to the change from the cartographer Alina in the first army to grisha Alina, THE sun summoner- who's the only one who can save Ravka. This would've made the transition smoother (although i do understand that the point of the sudden display of her powers was to bring an element of surprise, i believe an easier to digest plot is more important than the occasional surprise plot twist.)

secondly, i thought maybe a few Mal or the Darkling point-of-view chapters would have made it a more interesting read. Despite liking Alina, the single point of view does get a little plain.

what i loved:

definitely the plot twist. it wasn't something i was expecting. the book like i said, is very simple and most issues resolve easily. The plot twist involving the darkling definitely saved the book. it's not something most readers would expect considering the first half of the book was quite predictable. It makes the darkling so much more interesting and your whole view and whatever you have gathered so far, suddenly changes.

The ending also stood out to me. After the morozova's collar was put on Alina, i wasn't sure the book would have anything else to offer and i thought the plot would continue in Siege and Storm. what happened in the fold in the end, again, wasn't something i was expecting and took me by surprise.

"I had spared a life. The power of that life belonged to me as surely as it belonged to the man who had taken it."

“They are orphans again, with no true home but each other and whatever life they can make together on the other side of the sea.”

Overall, Shadow and Bone is a decent read. there are quite a few tropes at play, but as long as you don't let this divert you from the world and plot, you'll be fine. the writing is way better than i expected and more importantly, extremely good for a debut novel. it flows very well and nothing feels forced. The magic system is unique, well thought out and i loved the science point of view being involved instead of making it seem like pure witchcraft/magic as most fantasy books do.

The characters are definitely flawed, but this is what makes them seem real and easier to connect with.

You should definitely give this book a chance, if you haven't already :)