I've really missed doing these posts (actually missed them so much that I started putting this one together about a week into September...) so I've decided to make them more frequent. I'll either be posting one of these book updates each month, or every other month (depending on how much I'm reading). We'll see when it comes to it I guess! Anyway, here's what I was reading throughout September:
L-R:
Fire - Kristin Cashore | 5/5 stars • Bitterblue - Kristin Cashore | 4/5 stars • Not That Kind of Girl - Lena Dunham | 1/5 stars • Queen of Shadows - Sarah J. Maas | 5/5 stars
Deathless - Catherynne M. Valente | 5/5 stars • The Shattered Court - M. J. Scott | 3/5 stars • Angelfall - Susan Ee | 3/5 stars
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My top picks:
Fire by Kristin Cashore
“I'd thought once, actually, of taking your mind, if you asked. I'd thought I could help you fall asleep at night."
He opened his mouth to say something. Shut it again. His face closed for a moment, his unreadable mask falling into place. He spoke softly. "But that wouldn't be fair; for after I slept you'd be left awake, with no one to help you sleep.”
Fire is the second book in the Graceling series. At first I was slightly disappointed that the characters are different to those in Graceling (for the most part) but after I got into it, I really enjoyed it as a completely different story in the same world. It also creates a nice transition into Bitterblue, the third book in the series. I'd recommend Fire if you've already read Graceling or are thinking of reading it (I don't think it really matters much which order you read those two in!) or if you're looking for an interesting but easy to read fantasy.
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Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas
“She was fire, and light, and ash, and embers. She was Aelin Fireheart, and she bowed for no one and nothing, save the crown that was hers by blood and survival and triumph.”
I'd waited for this book for so long, so I'm really happy to say that it didn't disappoint!
Queen of Shadows is the fourth instalment of the Throne of Glass series, which has long been one of my favourite series's. The series follows the story of Celaena Sardothien, once Riftholds most renowned assassin, and by this book following quite a different path.
If you've not read or heard of the Throne of Glass series, I'd recommend it if you're into fantasy worlds, faeries, a strong female protagonist who just happens to be an assassin, a King who's outlawed magic and is intent on conquering the known world, and of course, a map at the beginning of the book!
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Deathless by Catherynne M. Valente
“Oh, I will be cruel to you, Marya Morevna. It will stop your breath, how cruel I can be. But you understand, don’t you? You are clever enough. I am a demanding creature. I am selfish and cruel and extremely unreasonable. But I am your servant. When you starve I will feed you; when you are sick I will tend you. I crawl at your feet; for before your love, your kisses, I am debased. For you alone I will be weak.”
I say, Death, keep off, I am your enemy, and you will not deny me. I say these things, and the world listens, Masha. Because my magic is as strong as an arm. I am never denied.”
"You keep calling him that. The Tsar of Life."
"That's what he is." And am I the Tsaritsa of Life, then? half her heart asked. The other half answered, Not even for a moment were you ever queen."
"Koschei, Koschei," she whispered. "What would I have been if I had never seen the birds? I am no one; I am nothing. I am a blank paper on which you and your magic wrote a girl. Just the kind of girl you wanted, all hungry and hurt and needing. A machine for loving you. Nothing in me was not made by you."
I think the quotes above could easily some up the perfection that is this book, but I loved it so much that not reviewing it properly would be a crime against literature.
After seeing a few positive things about it online, Deathless sat on my 'to read' shelf for a long time. A few weeks ago, I finally got around to buying a copy, and I definitely don't regret doing so.
Deathless is loosely based on a Russian folklore tale, Koschei the Deathless, mixed up with other pieces of mythology and mythological characters/creatures that you may have heard of (e.g. Baba Yaga). It's set in early to mid twentieth century St. Petersburg (or as it was known then, Petrograd/Leningrad). What with my love of both mythology and history (especially WWII era history), this was already the perfect book for me. The protagonist, Marya Morevna, is a Russian girl who is able to see the magic hidden in the world during the time of war and poverty in her home of Petrograd. The story follows her life and her encounters with this magic, including those with Koschei, the Tsar of Life, who comes to take her away to court her when she's a teenager. However, war has also seeped into Koschei's kingdom, and Marya's life is fraught with trials and power struggles.
I often go on about how I love strong female protagonists in books, and I do, but I'm also aware that a lot of the time these girls just seem to be that way for absolutely no reason; they're just "strong females" for the sake of being so, it seems. What I love about Marya is that she's vulnerable, she's broken; her home and her heart are torn from war and heartbreak and loss and trials, and yet, she's a solid, formidable character. She suffers, and she grows from that suffering. She's beaten down, and she gets back up and fights even though she physically has nothing left.
Catherynne M. Valente's writing style flows as smooth as poetry; she uses the most perfect literary techniques, such as the idea of repetition in threes which is often seen in fairytales, to enhance this book in the best possible way. Her writing, combined with the story, created a book which sucked me right in, and when it spat me back out, left me lost and hungry for more.
Recommended for:
Lovers of fantasy and fairytales, lovers of history, those interested in WWII, those interested in war stories in general, readers looking for something that's not quite your typical romance, mythology fanatics, people who enjoy getting their heart broken by fiction, wannabe Tsaritsas, and those who've seen the world naked.
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21 read, 179 more to go :)
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