zea

5★
i went into this knowing next to nothing, and what i was left with was nothing short of an emotional rollercoaster of tears, excitement, love and friendship. this was impossible to put down and i had to stop myself from reading a few times just to take a breather. i didn't know what to expect but i sure as hell was not disappointed

4★ —
some of this felt a little too YA for my liking but the mystery of Caraval and Julian as a character kept me feeling intrigued enough to push through. i ended up really enjoying the mystery surrounding the game, and while Scarlett and Tella were both a bit annoying in some parts, i liked how they stuck up for one another with their father

3★ —
i found a big portion of this book very boring but when it was good, it was good. the mystery was fun. dante was my favourite part of the whole thing. and tella became my favourite of the two sisters

5★ —

❝ I had never known happiness before her, and if there is to be an after in which she doesn't exist, I know I never will again. ❞

it's 4:14am and i'm crying

4★ —
wow okay this was so fun and nearly impossible to put down! the dual POV was great, the spice was spicy, and the romance was the perfect slow-burn to go with the muder-y vibe. loved it and i neeed the next book to come out, like, yesterday

wow okay, i finished this book in a day because i was so excited to be back in elfhame with cardan and jude.
i think if i wasn't so attached to the characters and their individual storylines, i would've rated this 3/5. i loved it, but the book was over too quick, and had it been a mere 100 pages longer, so much of what happened could've been elaborated on.
there were plots that could've been expanded ever so slightly, and there are still so many questions left unanswered from the wicked king.
all in all, it was an exciting read. i just wish it was longer

╭┈◦•◦❥•◦ 2024 goodreads reading challenge

✧. ┊ goals:
: ̗̀➛ read 85 books
: ̗̀➛ try not to dnf
: ̗̀➛ join more buddy reads



ˏˋ°•*⁀➷

✧. ┊ january:
fav:fourth wing by rebecca yarros
lowest rated:heir of fire by sarah j. maas
number of books read: 9

✧. ┊ february:
fav:kingdom of ash by sarah j. maas
lowest rated:queen of shadows by sarah j. maas
number of books read: 6

✧. ┊ march:
fav:the crimson moth by kristen ciccarelli
lowest rated:shatter me by tahereh mafi
number of books read: 20

✧. ┊ april:
fav:the throne of broken gods by amber v. nicole
lowest rated:captive of the pirate king by rebecca f. kenney
number of books read: 14

4★
i'm so glad i read this one after Heir of Fire. the emotional impact with the relationships between characters hit harder during the later books in the series and even though i knew what was coming, it didn't stop the tears

0★ really.

this was terrible. dnf

4★
because this book started off a little slower than the previous one but it picked up quite quickly! the action, politics, relationships.. i loved it all!
this series has easily become one of my favourites, but i'm gonna need the next book ASAP because wtf was that ending? i'm so shaken.

3★
the first 60% felt really long and dragged out but the rest of it was so fun and i really enjoyed seeing some of the characters from TFOTA make an appearance! it took more than half the book but i eventually got over my dislike of Wren, too

3★
this wasn't my favourite book of the series but it was a fun read and, as usual, i loved the adventure and all the tie-ins and plot twists. and i loved Ruhn. just everything about Ruhn

3.5★
i read this in tandem with Empire of Storms.

okay, i've always had a soft spot for Chaol, so i was happy to read a book about him and his own adventure, and how he overcame his own struggles and new injury. [SPOILERS] →
.
.
.
i'm so happy Chaol found his happy ending! i love him and Yrene. i think they compliment each other so well, with him being a bit rash and her calm nature. the Nesryn and Sartaq chapters bored me a little. but overall it was a fun read, now i can't wait to see how they get back to Rowan and the rest of the crew!

5★
wow this book. there was non-stop action from start to finish. i loved all the POV's, and somehow the relationships between characters — both romantic and platonic — were so well developed in just this one book. there was a lot of war. A LOT. and i'm not sure if i can put myself through the emotional duress again for quite a while to come, but i would love to re-read this at some point. it was perfect

4.5★ i read this in tandem with Tower of Dawn.

this book took the series to a whole new level for me! prior to this i didn't care much for many of the characters. but i loved this adventure, i love Manon (her chapters bored me to death in Queen of Shadows), and i can't wait to read about the fates of Lorcan, Elide, Lysandra, Aedion, Dorian and of course, Aelin and Rowan.

3★
i really had to force myself to get through a big portion of this book. it got a bit more interesting near the end but not enough for me to rate it higher.

3.5★
to my own surprise, i actually enjoyed this! it was fun, albeit a bit confusing at times. i would've liked if the last 10% of the book didn't drag on like it did but im looking forward to the rest of the series nonetheless

3.5 ⭐️ this was a re-read so i knew what to expect but i kinda hate how the ending of this book makes me feel. am i sad? excited? shocked? who knows

♾️★ —
❝ It was almost as if he were a weapon specifically designed to compromise her. ❞

this book has everything i love: witches, magic, enemies to lovers, forbidden love and so much more. i can't believe i have to wait until Feb 2025 for the next one

2.5★—
throne of glass meets the hunger games with a sprinkle of the triwizard tournament

5★ —
❝ Hate me all you want, but don't regret me. Promise me that. ❞

pirates, vikings, magic, enemies-to-lovers, found family... what's not to love

4★ —
❝ I am coming to love him, in two different ways. Face to face, and word to word. ❞

i was so sure that this was going to be a five star read but somewhere around the halfway mark, i realised there was next to no world building whatsoever and what i had been envisioning, did not match the vibes or the era or the magic. other than that i loved the story and the romance aspects! i can't wait to get started on the sequel

5★
maybe i'm just a sucker for all things romantasy but this book had me on the edge of my seat for the entire duration and it definitely lived up to the expectations and hype. i'm so glad i don't have to wait to start the next one because the cliff hanger — while it was all a little predictable — still has me reeling. i so look forward to seeing what the characters (and dragons!!!) get up to in the second instalment: Iron Flame

3.5★
i can't help but compare this to the original trilogy. while i still enjoyed the adventure they were on and the tension between Wren and Oak, the stolen heir feels like one long introduction to the prisoners throne. i look forward to reading it, though!

1★—

❝ I'm a pirate, love. I'm a little sick and twisted. ❞

really should've committed to the dnf