The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman | "Book Review"

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman

Fantasy / Horror / Adult

Paperback, 181 pages

Summary:

This bewitching and harrowing tale of mystery and survival, and memory and magic, makes the impossible all too real...

summary from: goodreads

5 out of 5 stars

I decided to choose this short summary instead of a longer one because I think it's better going into this book not knowing much. For the same reason my review is going to be a short one, just me stating my general feelings for this beautiful book.

( There are quotation marks in the title of this post because I can't really consider this a book review, but I also don't know how else to call it. It's just simply me saying how much I loved this book. )

I genuinely loved everything about this book. The writing was simple yet captivating and magical. The story full of wonder, happiness, sadness. I couldn't put this book down. I know that I am going to read this book over and over again, always discovering something new. I find it not possible to find fitting words to describe this book and do it justice. Nor the right ones to end this post, so I am going to end it with a few beautiful quotes, which this book is full of.

Quotes:

“I lived in books more than I lived anywhere else.” 

“I do not miss childhood, but I miss the way I took pleasure in small things, even as greater things crumbled. I could not control the world I was in, could not walk away from things or people or moments that hurt, but I took joy in the things that made me happy.” 

“Nobody looks like what they really are on the inside. You don’t. I don’t. People are much more complicated than that. It’s true of everybody.” 

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas | Book Review

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Fantasy / Young Adult / Romance

Paperback, 404 pages

Summary:

In a land without magic, where the king rules with an iron hand, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She comes not to kill the king, but to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she is released from prison to serve as the king's champion. Her name is Celaena Sardothien. 

The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. But something evil dwells in the castle of glass--and it's there to kill. When her competitors start dying one by one, Celaena's fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival, and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world.

summary from: goodreads

4 out of 5 stars

I am really glad that I decided to pick this book up. From the start the premiss of this book drew me in. I love books about assassins and having a strong female makes it even better.

I liked that the book is from the perspective of many characters. What I liked even more is that there wasn't a specific chapter dedicated to one point of view but that they altered within chapters. I also loved the fantasy and magic elements of this book, they were very well thought out. There even was some mystery which made this book even more captivating.

There are many books with strong female characters but Celaena Sardothien sets herself apart from any of them. I love her character, her strengths and weaknesses, simply everything about her was intriguing. She may be my favourite female character ever. I loved reading from her perspective, following her train of thought was amazing and very fun to read. Another thing I loved about Celaena is her character development. At the beginning of the book she leaves a death camp and is in a weak state, which is understandable. Throughout the book we see her grow and become the person that she was before that year of hell, and I really appreciated that.

Dorian Havilliard, the Crown Prince, is a very interesting character. He isn't the usual prince, he doesn't really want to be one, he enjoys spending his time reading rather than fighting. He was kind, sweet and understanding. His and Celaena's interacting was amazing and I think they brought some lightness to the story, which otherwise would have been much darker.

Chaol Westfall, the Captain of the Guard, is a strong and serious character, at the beginning of the book. He seemed very judgemental and cold. Through the book we find out more about him and he unravels into a great character. Seeing him warm up to Celaena and interact more and more with her was amazing.

I very much enjoyed the romance in this book. It wasn't the main plot of the book, it was more of a side story which made the book even more enjoyable for me. The relationships between the characters didn't feel forced, everything seemed natural and was well placed out.

Overall, the story was interesting, the characters captivating and the world Sarah J. Maas created fascinating. I am very glad that this series is going to be six books long (if I am not mistaken), because I simply need more of this story.

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo | Book Review

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

( The Grisha #1 )

Fantasy / Young Adult / Romance

Hardback, 356 pages

Summary:

The Shadow Fold, a swathe of impenetrable darkness, crawling with monsters that feast on human flesh, is slowly destroying the once-great nation of Ravka.

Alina, a pale, lonely orphan, discovers a unique power that thrusts her into the lavish world of the kingdom’s magical elite—the Grisha. Could she be the key to unravelling the dark fabric of the Shadow Fold and setting Ravka free?

The Darkling, a creature of seductive charm and terrifying power, leader of the Grisha. If Alina is to fulfill her destiny, she must discover how to unlock her gift and face up to her dangerous attraction to him.

But what of Mal, Alina’s childhood best friend? As Alina contemplates her dazzling new future, why can’t she ever quite forget him?

Glorious. Epic. Irresistible. Romance.

summary from: goodreads

4.5 out of 5 stars

I am finding it rather difficult to gather my thoughts and write a review of this book. In my opinion this book was simply amazing. I loved it very much and for that reason I find it hard to put my feelings into words to describe, and do justice, to this book.

This book has a very quick start, it immediately immersing the reader into this world. There was no dull moment, no time to catch your breath. I loved every moment of it. The plot was very interesting and thought out. There were many plot twists that kept me engrossed and urged me to continue reading. After I finished reading it I needed a time to process what had happened.

I loved the characters. Alina, at the start of the story, was very naive and weak. Throughout the book we see her grow as a character and come in terms with who she is and what she wants. It was an amazing character development. She wasn't a perfect character, she had flaws and made mistakes, but she realised them and strived to do better.

I loved the Darkling. I am not going to say much about him because I really don't want to spoil anything. He is a mysterious character, he is powerful and his name itself terrifies many people, nobody knows what he might do. Enough said.

In the beginning Mal was not a character I was interested in. He seemed boring and not someone I would like. I am still not quiet sure what to think about him.

The writing style was amazing. The descriptions were vivid and it was easy imagining everything that was happening. Other than this I can only say that I loved this book and that I am very exited to read the sequel and find out more about this world and the characters.