Water For Elephants

Water for Elephants - Sara Gruen

3/5 Stars

"An atmospheric, gritty, and compelling novel of star-crossed lovers, set in the circus world circa 1932 illuminated by a wonderful sense of time and place. Winner of the 2007 BookBrowse Award for Most Popular Book."

Review

This book is a little outside of my normal reading tastes, but I actually ended up really liking it! I don't think it's something that is going to stick with me over the years or anything, but it was an enjoyable quick read while it lasted :D

Pros 

Naturally, I loved the circus setting and to be honest this was the only reason I picked this book up... I've also never actually read a non-fantasy circus book before, so it was refreshing to have a more realistic approach to the certain tropes that most circus books have! Also the animals were really cool... Rosie's adorable!

The scenes with Mr Jankowski as an elderly man were definitely the highlight for me. The relationship between him and his nurse was amazing and actually really made me want to read more books from an older person's perspective. It was just interesting seeing how he saw certain things differently as an older man and how some opinions change over time, while others stay unchanged. These scenes also had really thought provoking dialogue and were the only times the book connected to me more than just being an entertaining read.

The writing was nothing special, but I did find it really fast and easy to read, which has helped me get out of my reading slump! So that's definitely a pro!

I also thought that the two different timelines linked nicely together, which lead to a satisfying ending. :D

Cons

While the romance in this book had a few cute moments, it also had some cringey ones! I don't think it was done badly or anything, but I do feel like it was introduced too late in the story and they kinda just both liked each other and that was it... If that makes any sense?

Also all the plot points were really generic and predictable, so I was never really shocked or surprised. This didn't bother me too much though, as I did still enjoy the story while I was reading it, but I doubt it's going to be something I remember a few books down the line...

Every character felt a little under developed to me, especially Marlena. Again this could be down to her being introduced too late in the story. :( When I read about new characters, I always imagine them as real people and imagine them in real-life situations xD For example what kinda take-away they'd order, but I literally couldn't tell you anything about Marlena... If there were more sorta 'bonding scenes' with her and Jacob, I think her character and the romance as a whole would have been more fleshed out and engaging.

I did really like this book though and I'm forever thankful for it (hopefully) getting me out of this slump I've been in! I'm tempted to watch the film at some point too, so I'll be interested to see what the adaptation is like! (If only for Rosie!) :D

My Goodreads Review

The Dream Thieves

The Dream Thieves - Maggie Stiefvatar

3/5 Stars

It's been such a slow reading month for me, so I'm happy I've finally finished this! Even if it is 1 am... But everyone knows late reading nights make the best nights! Right?

I definitely preferred the first book over this one, but there were still a lot of things I really liked!

The Idea of dreams has always been something that have fascinated me, so naturally I love how this is the main theme. I just find it insane to think about. It's crazy how we don't control what we think about, but that makes everything so clear. Like how are we the most imaginative when are brains are switched off? It just blows my mind... But anyway late night thoughts aside, I really liked how all the magic is based on the idea of dreams and it's such an original concept and is actually done really well. It's interesting not fully knowing the limitations of what can actually happen in a dream, which makes for some fun theorising!

Noah is by far my favourite character, I just love how creepy and cute he is! That's just a perfect combo in my eyes! I also grew to like Ronan a lot more by the end of this one and I feel like he's definitely becoming more of a focus to the story, which will be interesting going into Blue Lilly Blue!

I loved all the one on one character scenes. It's hard to explain, but I think Maggie is excellent at writing conversations between two people. I dunno, I just feel like that's when her characters come to life and have their own characteristics and banter and the book instantly becomes more fun and enjoyable to read. However, when there's more than one character in a scene, I can't help but feel like everyone sorta gets lost in the crowd, if that makes sense? And that's when things started to drag for me. .

This could be why I found myself enjoying the Gray Man's scenes more than the other POVs, as it tended to be more solitary and just a man with his thoughts for the most part. Although It annoyed me at the start how forced his 'mysteriousness' was, but I must admit he did start to intrigue me after that! :D

My main issue with The Dream Thieves is how hard I found it to picture everything on a page by page basis. Normally when I read I play a little movie in my mind, so without that I was left with just words on a page... I had this same problem with the first book, but now that the plot lines are getting more in depth, it became increasingly difficult to follow what was happening. Some more description on the setting and people's actions would have sorted this out for me, although it could just be down to my pesky reading slump at the moment D:

I also thought Kavinsky was kinda dumb... Everyone knows him apparently but I was just there like...who even is he? Why was he even there... go away... I don't get why he was suddenly introduced out of no where for some dumb Fast and Furious style car races xD Towards the end I obviously gathered why he was there, but I feel like he could have been introduced A LOT earlier, so it didn't feel so cheaply thrown in.

I will say though, that while I preferred The Raven Boys, I definitely like where things are going now! The ending got super interesting, so I'll 100% be continuing on with the series!   

My Goodreads Review

Howl's Moving Castle

Howl's Moving Castle - Diana Wynne Jones

3/5 Stars

While I had no recollection of the plot, I remember absolutely loving the Howl's Moving Castle Studio Ghibli film as a kid, so I went into this expecting to escape into a world of feel-good nostalgia. And I was for the first 100 pages, but then everything changed with the reading slump attacked... It took me over 2 weeks to get through the next 200 pages, but it wasn't even the book's fault, just me being a big dumb dumb. D:

As to the book itself, I really like how imaginative this world is and how ridiculous everything was! Just the idea of having a moving castle itself is super fun to me... I mean, what more could you want in life?! Well a dragon would be pretty cool but anyway... 

I also really liked how the story was introduced. The first few chapters were definitely my favorites, as it was entertaining to learn about everyone's wacky personalities and the randomness of the magic. Seriously, the magic is just completely crazy, but that's what I loved about it! Sometimes it's nice not to have a really in depth and detailed, scientific magic system... Sometimes I just want a living scarecrow and a cursed fireplace... is that so wrong? 

I know for a fact that I would have continued to love this book after the first 100 pages, if I had read it at a different time, which is why is why it's an annoying 3 stars... It deserves so much more but i just didn't enjoy reading it and it became a chore :( There was nothing I didn't like about it, but I just kept losing concentration and then losing track on the plot and eventually I just had no idea what was going on because I kept zoning out. Like I said though, this wasn't the book's fault, just me and the pesky little reading slump! *Shakes fist to the sky* 

I'm hoping to get out of it soon though and get back into reading again :D 

My Goodreads Review

The Raven Boys

The Raven Boys - Maggie Stiefvater

4/5 Stars

“There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.”

Why did it take me so long to pick this book up?! D: I've had it on my shelf for so long, but I've always just kept delaying it and delaying it... I think in part, this is because the whole Raven Cycle just sounds so perfect to me and I was scared to be disappointed by it all... I can tell you now that I'm not disappointed!

I absolutely love how unconventional and original this plot was and how every scene had a purpose! Psychics, fortune tellers and the whole spiritual energy thing are some of my favourite things to read about and I love how Maggie Stiefvater used this to form different prophesies, which really helped to mold the plot. I love how Blue was an 'amplifier' to this energy, which I thought was super cool and I adored the dynamic between her and her creepy little family! Basically, my goal in life is to become a creepy fortune teller xD

There was also a lot less romance than I expected (given the synopsis) and I really appreciated this, as it really helped the main plot lines to develop faster, which were a lot more interesting to me. I assume that the romance part of this book will progress in future books, but I just hope it doesn't ruin the series for me! *Firmly crosses fingers and toes*

The Ley lines were fascinating to read about and actually reminded me a lot of The King's Road in Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell (one of my all time favourite books). They are by no means the same thing, but they are similar in a way that they are both confusing as heck xD But I actually really love this aspect of it, because it just means that no one is really sure what the limitations are and therefore the consequences of using the them are unknown. This uncertainty is so interesting to me and makes this aspect of the plot completely unpredictable. Coming to think of it, Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell also uses the whole Raven King thing... These books are completely different, but it's actually pretty interesting to compare them. :D

I do have a few minor problems with this book, but nothing major:

I felt like some scenes could have done with a bit more description and explanation and just expanded on a little bit more. The scene with that carved raven comes to mind.... Still not 100% sure what that was all about, as it was just quite hard to imagine what was happening. I think if some scenes had a little bit more description, it would have really helped with my imagery and understanding.  I will say that overall I really liked Maggie Stiefvater's writing though and found her prose to be very enjoyable and even beautiful at times.

I also didn't really connect with any of the characters. A few of them started to grow on me by the end, particularly Adam and Ronan, but for the most part I was more interested in the plot, which is rare for me! I didn't hate them or anything, but I just didn't love them either. This is the first book in the series though, so hopefully I'll grow more attached as it goes on! If I had to pick a favourite, I'd go for Whelk for some reason, despite his name sounding like a type of tree... A Whelk tree...is that a thing? It sounds like a thing...

Overall I'm so happy I finally got to this and no longer have to feel guilty every time I see it sat on my shelf! This was a solid start to the series and I'll be getting to sequel soon! I'm actually really looking forward to it, especially as the series is complete now :D

My Goodreads Review

The Way of Kings

The Way of Kings - Brandon Sanderson

3.7/5 Stars

Speak again the ancient oaths,

Life before death.

Strength before weakness.

Journey before Destination.

And return to men the Shards they once bore.

The Knights Radiant must stand again.

I finally liked a Brandon Sanderson book! I hope everyone is happy now :D 3rd time lucky whoop! Admittedly I didn't like the first 500 pages or so, but as soon as part 3 kicked in I started to enjoy it so much more. I'm glad I stuck at it! If I were to rate individual parts it would look like this:

Part 1 - 2.5 Stars
Part 2 - 2 Stars
Part 3 - 5 stars
Part 4 - 4 stars
Part 5 - 5 stars

So there was a lot I liked but a lot I didn't like too, but overall it comes out as 3.7/5 Stars. :D

Pros

Jasnah. She is everything I love in a character and I'm so happy I've read this book for her and her only.

It's very clear that Sanderson loves this world he has created and I loved the amount of time he dedicated to the world building and development of his ideas. They all felt original and not just copy and pasted. I mean... Shardblades are pretty damn cool... What's not to love about a massive Final Fantasy type sword? Nothing, that's what. Your argument is invalid.

I loved everything about Shallan's POV and thought it was perfectly executed, from start to finish. Everything I wanted to happen, happened and of course Jasnah got plenty of page time! I also loved Szeth and hope to see more of him in the sequel and hopefully learn more about the Truthless too! Also how the POVs interlinked together was just genius and by the end I couldn't help but be impressed with the overall structure of the book.

I have a real hard time concentrating during action scenes and I have no idea why... They just bore me, but I think these scenes were written well. While they were still my least favourite scenes in the book, I did prefer them to action scenes in other books. That must count for something, right?

All of the religious and philosophical talk in this book was fascinating and I loved every second of it. Personally this is when I like Sanderson best. I appreciate how he always considered multiple sides to topics on morality and religion and really makes you think about it yourself and make up your own mind on what's right or wrong. Chapter 36 is still by far my favourite chapter in the whole book and that was down to it exploring this question of morality.

Oh and I also loved whenever Jasnah had a sassy Meryl Streep moment.... that's all ;)


Cons - ( All these opinions are down to personal preference and I am 100% in the minority)


My main issue with this book is how everything was introduced. When characters are introduced they are just simply a name and are built from there, instead of having a solid foundation. I understand we're not going to fully know a character from the first meeting, but when they are just a name it is really hard to care about what's happening to them.

This was particularly a problem with Dalinar's chapters, as everything was newly introduced later on in the story. However, I feel like Dalinar isn't at the start of his journey, which makes it harder to jump into his narrative, as opposed to Shallan, who is very much at the start of her journey... So this probably contributed to the confusion too. If that makes any sense? As his POV progressed though, I started to like him more and more and caught a grasp on his plot, although a lot of characters (including Adolin) are still just names too me.

Don't get me wrong I like Kaladin, but it annoyed me so much how he was portrayed to be so likable and 'good'. He definitely came off as a perfect character, who could do no wrong, which really ground my gears. Also I found it really hard to connect to his plot for the first two parts and I think that's because there wasn't really an over-arching story-line. For example from the start Shallan had a goal of trying to steal Jasnah's Soulcaster, so there was a clear aim and purpose But with Kaladin I just felt like for the first 2 parts, it was event after event after event without really going anywhere.

I also am not a massive fan of this whole Roshar world. *Gasps* I know... This one is 100% a personal preference, so ignore it if you wish xD I think the world is incredibly well crafted and all, but I just don't like how barren and boring it was to imagine... It sounds petty I know, but when I read, the world is a huge thing for me and if I get bored of the landscape it really hinders my enjoyment. As the plot took over this wasn't a problem though.

I had mixed feelings about the Spren. I think they're a really cool concept, but it was sometimes awkward in practice. Example:

"Anticipationspren sprung up around members of the army." 

I don't know it just sounds so dumb to me. There were just a few instances like this and most of the time I think it worked well and was actually a intuitive way to express feelings. So I guess this is more of a pro overall.

Despite these issues it feels wrong rating The Way of Kings any less than 4 stars, as a lot of my complaints are down to personal preference or just me being a big dumb dumb xD I'm looking forward to carrying on with this buddy read and have every hope that Words of Radiance will be a 5 star read. There best be more Jasnah :D

My Goodreads Review

Red Rising

Red Rising - Pierce Brown

2/5 Stars

The Earth is dying.

Darrow is a Red, a miner in the interior of Mars. His mission is to extract enough precious elements to one day tame the surface of the planet and allow humans to live on it.

The Reds are humanity's last hope.

Or so it appears, until the day Darrow discovers it's all a lie.

DNF at around 60%

After just starting The Way of Kings, I really can't see myself picking this book back up. Dystopian books just really aren't my thing, but they say your taste buds change every seven years so I gave it a shot! However, I definitely need to wait a couple more years... 

Pros 

There were actually a fair few things I liked about this book, as I thought it used a few interesting ideas to build up this world. For example, how you have to pull a man's legs when they're being hung to combat gravity etc. I thought these little bits of detail were really cool and I could tell a lot of thought was put into the world building. 

While I didn't really care much for the world, I thought that the actual amount of time spent to world building was perfect. Too often in YA, world building takes a back seat, but I thought Red Rising did a good job of exploring this Sci-Fi world without disrupting the overall pace of the story. It is also important to note that I never tend to like books, which are set in space or anything like that, but if you do...Then I think you'd really enjoy this world.

Cons

I could not stand the writing in this book! I just found it excruciating to read, as it consistently used short sentences, which over dramatised every single thing and it just got exhausting. Darrow could be getting dressed and it would be like... 

I bend down and pick up the sock. It feels different. Everything feels different now. I slip it on my left foot and pause. Something is wrong. I gasp out in panic. It's a Tuesday. These are my Wednesday socks. I have to be more careful.

Okay that may have been a bit of an exaggeration, but you get my point. That's honestly how every paragraph felt for me and it was just so unnecessarily exhausting and left me disconnected from the plot.

I also really didn't like how Eo was used, as she was literally only there to serve as motivation for Darrow. It's like the Author thought "Oh, my main character lacks motivation... I know Let's (anyone who has read it knows)... It just felt really cheap to me.

This book also started out very Cliche, which I actually don't mind in books. It just happens to be that I don't like many Sci-Fi or dystopian Cliches... So I was just left annoyed at how predictable the start was. However, things did pick up and the story started to become its own by around 150 pages, but by this point I had lost all interest and concentration to even understand what was happening. 

With all this considered, I don't actually think this is a 'bad book' and I do think that anyone, who likes Sci-Fi dystopians, would really enjoy this read. Unfortunately this genre just isn't for me, but hey... You can't like everything :( 

Pantomime (Micah Grey #1)

Pantomime - Laura Lam

4.75/5 Stars

Gene's life resembles a debutante's dream. Yet she hides a secret that would see her shunned by the nobility. Gene is both male and female. When her parents plan a devastating betrayal, she flees home and joins a circus.

This Book is seriously underrated and more people need to read it! It is honestly one of the best Young Adult books I have ever read!

Anyone who knows me, knows that I love circuses and I think this book does an excellent representation of showing the magic and mystery surrounding a fantasy circus. I mean ... what's not to love about bearded women, creepy clowns and contortionists.? However, what really set this book apart from a few other circus books I have read, is that there are Chimaera! I just think that Chinaera fit so neatly into the setting of a circus and really add to the dark, creepy and imaginative atmosphere it should have!

Putting my slight circus obsession aside, this was still a highly enjoyable read and had a very intriguing plot throughout. I found the pacing to be perfect, as I was never once felt bored, but at the same time no plot points ever felt rushed or glossed over.

The main character, Gene or Micah, is now one of my favourite YA protagonists! Gene is intersex and therefore both male and female, however she goes by the name of Micah, disguised as a boy for the main course of the novel. I have personally never read a book with an intersex main character and I found it so interesting to see the world from this perspective. I don't know how accurate the representation of being intersex was, but frankly this is a fantasy book, not a contemporary... and I loved how Laura Lam put her own fantasy twist onto this topic.

Gene is also a runaway (for valid reasons) and ends up at a circus, which is a trope I will never grow tired of! Despite her understandable running away, I appreciated how Laura Lam briefly included the effects this had on Gene's family, which is something that I feel isn't discussed enough with these kind of things. I find that the family is often forgotten about and never heard of again, when in reality they have just lost their child...

I also loved all of the side characters in this book, especially Aenea, who is an aerialist in the circus, but also all of the smaller characters, who each had their own unique roll to play in putting on a show. Despite this, I would have preferred it if there was more time dedicated to more circus members and their back stories, but I understand how this could have disrupted the pace of the novel for a lot of people... Maybe I'm just being greedy!

I never tend to take much notice to the romance in books (especially in YA), however I actually adored the romance in this novel and there was no insta-love. It was more lighthearted and slowly built, which I feel a romance should be at the beginning stages and not confessing your love for each other after two weeks, like some other Young Adult books... *eyerolls* I also found Gene to be highly likable in this respect as she was often kind and calculated, but also selfish when she needed to be and put herself first, which is something I personally admire in protagonists.

Despite all of this, I do have a few little quibbles.

In the beginning stages of the Novel , I found it very hard to picture the main character, which is never normally a problem for me! It was only half way through, when there was a description of Micah's Auburn hair that I started to get a solid image in my mind. I don't know if I missed some earlier description, but it definitely bugged me a little bit.

I also wish there was slightly more world building. I don't think the world building was bad by any means, but I just wish there was a little more! This could just be a personal preference, as I know not everyone cares for lengthy descriptions of places and lore, but I do ... :D Also, I understand how this is the first in a trilogy and I hope that a lot of things mentioned will come into play in the later installments.

Another thing to note is that this book switches between the past and the present a fair bit, which I personally don't like in books, as I prefer a chronological narrative. However as I read on I adapted and understood the reasons behind this choice in structure and it actually kinda worked for me by the middle stages.

I do think that these issues are very minor and down to my own personal preference and not objective flaws to the story itself and should by no means put you off giving this book a shot! If you love circuses, or just want a fun YA book then look no further! Or if you want to read Caraval then read this instead, as it deserves so much more attention :D I'm not salty over that book... I swear ;)

My Goodreads Review

The Dragon Reborn (Wheel of Time #3)

The Dragon Reborn - Robert Jordan

5/5 Stars

 I don't think I have ever been this invested in a series before and I'm so happy! I understand some people's reasoning for not liking The Wheel of Time, as yes... it's filled with a lot of cliches and tropes (at least in the first book) However, I just happen to love each and every one of these tropes! While I'm glad more modern fantasy has developed and become more original, I just find it so refreshing to go back to the genre at its core and this series just makes me so happy for them reasons :D

The Dragon Reborn is actually my favourite book so far and this is why...

In this instalment, there is much less POV time for Rand and I actually think this does wonders for the series, as it allows every other character and plot line to develop massively. For example, I feel as though the female characters really come into their own in this book and become their own individual person with their own distinct personalities. Whereas previously I couldn't help but get confused between Egwene and Nynaeve, as I didn't think there was much separating them. While they are still not my favourite characters in the series, I absolutely loved their scenes in this book as they reminded me so much of why I love A Feast for Crows (A Song of Ice and Fire #4), due to all the
slowly built up secrecy and court intrigue! (but the White Tower version)

We also get more Perrin, who is my favourite of the 3 Edmond's Field boys! I also started to really grow towards Mat in this book, as he became so much more entertaining to read about and not annoying in the slightest! I also loved Queen Morgase, as she reminds me of Queen Elizabeth 1 crossed with the Queen of Hearts and it just makes me laugh xD I also found Lanfear incredibly interesting as a character and can't wait to learn more about her and her motives!

But what really made this book my favourite in the series so far was the pacing and how it was structured. The pacing was consistently on the increase and slowly built up to an epic climax that definitely satisfies! Also we stayed with one character enough to really develop the story arc before switching POV, instead of switching every other chapter, which can sometimes be quite jarring as in other fantasy books. And then to top it off plot points from the previous two books come back into play and it's just.... *claps* Well played Mr Jordan well played.

I absolutely love this series and I am so glad there are still 11 books to go! All it needs now is a circus and my life is complete!

Spoiler alert- Nynaeve tugs her braid... a lot...

My Goodreads Review

The Wicked + The Divine, Vol 1 : The Faust Act

The Wicked + The Divine, Vol 1 : The Faust Act 

4/5 Stars 

I haven't read many Graphic Novels, but I was suddenly in the mood for one and The Wicked and the Divine has been sitting on my shelf for a while now so thought I'd finally pick it up. 

I'm so glad I did because it was so much fun! After recently reading American Gods by Neil Gaiman, I can't help but draw comparisons between the two, as they have similar concepts. (not plot). I have to say that I found this way of tackling the theme of Gods in our modern world to be much more entertaining. I actually found myself laughing to myself (on the inside) at the witty lines from each character. This use of humour also really helped to outline the characters' personalities and different quirks. Plus, the fact that the Gods come back as pop stars I found funny in itself :D

The plot was no where near as confusing and hard to follow as some reviews suggest, but maybe I just accepted that I wasn't going to know every single thing about everyone straight away. However, whether people liked the plot or not, I think it's a common opinion that the art is amazing and beautiful to look at! 

This has definitely encouraged me to pick up some more Graphic Novels in the future and carry on with this series :)

My Goodreads Review

The Graveyard Book

The Graveyard Book - Neil Gaiman 

4.5/5 stars 

I absolutely loved this audio book! I normally don't like it when authors read their own books, as I normally feel it lacks a good performance, but Neil Gaiman does an excellent job of bringing his characters to life. 

These characters are all very quirky, much in Neil Gaiman's style, but these ones are my favourite from his books so far. Bod was an adorable character and I never found him annoying, which is rare for a small kid! I also loved every side character and their interactions with Bod, as they were often either funny, or discussed interesting themes, such as death, Good vs Evil and Youth. 

However, what I loved most about this was the atmosphere. One of my favourite things is when Gothic themes and settings are made fun and lighthearted. So if you know any other books like that, then please let me know!

My Goodreads Review

The Sky is Everywhere

The Sky is Everywhere - Jandy Nelson 

3/5 Stars

I don't read a lot of contemporary, so I'm far from an expert, but I actually quite enjoyed this book. 

One of my favourite things in any story is when an unlikable protagonist is done well and I feel like this book is a good representation of what I mean by this. Yes, Lennie (The main character) does some horrible things, but by no means does she ever try and justify these actions or make up excuses. She recognises her mistakes and knows she has done wrong, which is refreshing for me to see in a contemporary novel. 

However, every other character felt kind of empty to me, especially Lennie's best friend Sarah, who really wasn't given enough page time (is that a thing?) to show off her own personality, as I do feel like she would be a fun character if explored further and not just used as a plot device for Lennie to blow of steam. 

I did really like the idea of having a poem of sorts at the end of each chapter and I thought that was a good way to add to the tone of the story, whilst also nicely breaking up the narrative. 

Overall, I did find myself not being too interested in the overall plot and romance, not that it was bad, it just isn't my kind of thing. However, it was an enjoyable quick read in between some much bigger fantasy books! :D

Side note: The constant mentioning of Wuthering heights actually makes me want to finally pick it up!

My Goodreads Review

American Gods - Reivew

American Gods - Neil Gaiman 

3.5/5 Stars 

My thoughts are all over the place with this book... So I'll separate this review into pros and cons to try and avoid rambling! 

Pros

I absolutely loved the overall concept of this book and found it highly inventive and imaginative. The first 200 pages or so were amazing, as I loved the slow burned discovery of the plot and what was happening in this world. 

I quite liked Shadow, as a main protagonist, as it was refreshing to see a more laid-back main character, instead of someone who's always whining or fuelled with determination etc

There were a lot of ideas in this book discussed and while I didn't fully understand them all, the ones that I did understand, were thought provoking and interesting to read about. 

I also appreciated the structure of the Novel and how it weaved short stories into the narrative and to begin with these were my favourite parts of the book, as they always gave vivid, memorable and sometimes bizarre imagery.

Cons

I thought for a while about why I wasn't enjoying this book quite as much as the novel progressed and I think it's due to the lack of commitment. Neil Gaiman includes loads of unique ideas, but without committing to any particular aspect. While I like Shadow as a character, I feel like there isn't much character development for him or anyone else. There also wasn't much focus on the general plot surrounding the war between Gods either. Also i felt a strong disconnect from the actual world, despite admiration how imaginative it is. So I liked each aspect, but nothing was fleshed out enough for me to be fully engaged in the story.

While I loved the earlier scenes with the Gods, I felt like they were completely characterised by their abilities and lacked any personality traits. Maybe that's the whole point? I don't really know, but this is just a personal pet peeve I have and why I also don't like most superhero films. I feel like these Gods could have been even more intriguing, if a few of them were explored in more depth and made into their own fleshed out characters. 

After the halfway point, I found myself getting distracted a lot and I think that's down to the fact that I just wasn't immersed in the world or story. However, I do think this is a problem I have with Urban Fantasy in general and not necessarily this particular book, but it is something that affected my overall enjoyment. 

Therefore by the end of the novel, with all of these factors combined, I had lost track of different characters (as they were only briefly mentioned previously and just felt empty) and I also lost track of the actual plot as I feel like there wasn't much of a focus leading up to the main events. But with all this in mind, I still sort of enjoyed reading it, as confused as i was....Which is why this book is so hard for me to review... and why I've probably contradicted my self a lot!

Overall

With a re-read of this book in a couple of years, this definitely has the potential to be a 5* read for me, as I did really enjoy the themes and ideas, but for now i just don't know how to feel about it. I am looking forward to watching the TV adaptation though, to see if any of my issues are addressed.

My Goodreads Review

The Great Hunt (Wheel of Time #2)

The Great Hunt - Robert Jordan 

5/5 Stars

The thing about this series is that I understand the few negative opinions surrounding The Wheel of Time in general. Yes, it is jam-packed with fantasy tropes. Yes, the women aren't quite as well developed as the men are (as of this point). Yes, certain things seem somewhat convenient for the characters and plot advancement. However, it just doesn't bother me and for someone who reads mainly modern fantasy, it's refreshing to go back to the roots of the Epic Fantasy genre and it can't be denied how much this series makes me smile! 

I found the plot in this second book to be even more enjoyable, as it still stuck to the Dungeons and Dragons style from the first book but also felt more adventurous for the characters and therefore me. In terms of the story itself, the plot expands along with the world, as we travel to new places, which of course brings along new characters. 

Robert Jordan seems to love introducing new characters... a lot. Normally i'd get bogged down and confused with all the names and trying to keep track of it all. However, much like in 'The Eye of the World', I found the character introduction scenes to be by far my favourite, as it's so interesting to learn more about the different cultures from this world through the eyes of these new people. So it's a good job there's a lot of them! 

The only negative thing I would say is that whenever the characters travel through 'The Ways' I find the writing to become quite jarring and confusing, forcing me to often re-read certain parts in order to fully grasp what's going on. However, throughout the rest of the novel, I find it to be incredibly clear and visual, which more than makes up for this. 

While this series is a massive one, I can definitely understand the popularity as (so far) it has never failed make me happy whilst reading!

My Goodreads Review

The Eye of The World (Wheel of Time #1)

The Eye of the World - Robert Jordan 

5/5 Stars

This book reminded me of why I love fantasy. It contains numerous tropes, which are now over-used and even goes parallel with Lord of the Rings at times. However I think The Wheel of Time does Lord of the Rings better, which isn't an easy task... 

The plot reads very much like a Dungeons and Dragons campaign, filled with random Trolloc encounters but also meeting mysterious men at strange inns. While being cheesy at times, I couldn't help but smile while reading these scenes as they felt so nostalgic to me as a fantasy reader.

My favourite scenes are by far whenever a new character is introduced (which happens a lot). Robert Jordan introduces his characters in such an entertaining way that clearly highlights their personality and specific skill traits that could either benefit or hinder the group. 

The world building in this book is phenomenal, as we explore various places in this first book, while still only scratching the surface of many places yet to come. This makes the scope of the world, but also the potential of the narrative for later books insane.

By the end of this first book I found myself growing attached to nearly all the main characters, particularly the main 3 guys (Rand, Perrin and Mat) and can't wait to read the next 13 books!

My Goodreads Review

Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Promise

Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Promise 

4.5/5 Stars

This is a perfect continuation to one of my favourite TV series.

The existing characters were all very vivid and the writing perfectly matched their individual style and personality and I couldn't help but hear their voices in my head whilst reading. The new characters introduced were each fun and unique and perfectly fitted into the world of Avatar. 

This bind up also includes many important themes with an emphasis on multiculturalism, the effects of friendship but also it explores the grey area of what's right and wrong. While still having frequent comedy moments. (mainly Toph and Sokka.) 

I would highly recommend reading the bind up edition, as it includes frequent side notes from the writers, discussing various scenes and changes that were made and their reasons behind it, which really added to the reading experience. 

My Goodreads Review

Carval

Carval - Stephanie Garber 

1.5/5 Stars

I picked this up because of the constant comparisons to the night circus, but ultimately I was left disappointed.

I found the writing to be very frustrating and the forced metaphors really just got annoying and didn't really make sense most of the time to me.

While I enjoyed some aspects of the plot, the characters were completely forgettable and had no personality or feeling to them at all. In fact, i have instantly forgotten about all of them.

Magical circus settings are by far my favourite setting for a novel to take place in, however there was next to no world building in this book, which really stopped it being the 'magical adventure' it claims to be.

My Goodreads Review

Mage's Blood - David Hair

4.75/5

Most of the time the Leviathan Bridge lies deep below the sea, but every twelve years, when the tides sink and the Moontide comes, it is revealed - linking Eastern and Western continents. At first, traders went back and forth across the bridge, but then the Rondian Empire - hell bent on ruling the East - sent its first two Crusades, and its mage-led armies pillaged their way across the new world. Now the Third Crusade is mustering.

Wow... I picked this up based on the interesting premise and I'm so glad I did. Despite being 700 pages, I flew through it and that was down to the excellent pacing, as I never once felt bored.

In short we follow three main characters - A training mage, a mercenary hired to spy on the royal family and a market girl greeted by an unusual man.

These 3 main story arcs are each unique, having their own twist and turns and various intrigue. The way they slowly start to interweave with each other is beautifully crafted and doesn't feel at all forced.

There's 4 types of magic (or 'gnosis') in this world, each split up into 4 sub categories. As the book continued the magic system continued to get more and more interesting. While being slightly confusing at first, I quickly got a grasp of the capabilities of each type of gnosis and how some mages naturally suit certain types better.

This is also the first Epic Fantasy I have read, where there are huge influences from both eastern and western cultures from our world. It was so interesting how the conflict was created, using these cultural differences in a fantasy setting, through this diverse cast of characters.

I recommend this book to any Epic Fantasy lover or even for people looking to get into the genre, as it certainly got me back into reading Epic Fantasy. On to book 2! :D

My Goodreads Review