Review: The Assassins Blade - Book #0.5 Throne of Glass Series - Sarah J Maas - March 2014 Having started my journey of the *Throne of Glass* and the first three books in the series, reading *The Assassin’s Blade* felt like an essential journey into Celaena Sardothien’s past. This prequel collection, made up of five novellas, offers an enthralling backstory that explains how Celaena evolved into the fierce and cunning assassin we meet in the rest of the series. However, reading it fourth in the series—like I did—left me feeling that it would have been better to start here. The insight into Celaena’s life *before* her time at Endovier is invaluable and makes her character arc that much more powerful. The five novellas take readers through significant moments in Celaena’s life as a member of the Assassin’s Guild, leading up to her betrayal and eventual enslavement. Through each story, we get a glimpse of a woman struggling with her identity, power, and feelings for Sam Cortland—her fello...

Review: Heir of Fire - Book #3 Throne of Glass Series - Sarah J. Maas - September 2014 Every year, I try and make it my goal to read at least one author's complete booklist, and this year as I stood staring at my bookshelf and seeing that I had almost all of Sarah J Maas's books, I picked her. This is also an author that I had been meaning to read for at least 10+ years as well, I just never got around to her books as when she first came out. I had been in a bit of a fantasy burnout stage as it was the end of the vampire era for me. So far I have read the first three ACOTAR books and now the first three TOG books and I am saying I am more Team ACOTAR than TOG, though this series could grow on me. Heir of Fire was a chunky read and has left me this week with a book slump as I haven't started a book since Tuesday night when I finished this one. I think it was because of the size, it took a lot out of me energy-wise. In Heir of Fire we read as Celaena headed to see Queen Maeve...

Review: Crown of Midnight - Book #2 Throne of Glass Series - Sarah J. Maas - August 2013 One of my goals this year for 2024 is to read the entire list of Sarah J. Maas's books, so I found on Instagram an order a friend had put together that combined all of her three series - this was because there is some crossover of a couple of characters/ scenes or places. I have read the first three ACOTAR books and now it jumps to the TOG series and this was the second TOG book to read. Now there must be something with the book #2's in the series as the same thing that happened with the 2nd book in ACOTAR happened with this book. The beginning and most of the story for this one felt quite slow-paced for me and I was in that mindset of "If I wasn't determined to finish her books, then this would be a DNF". I however, persevered and pushed my way through the book and it did take me three days to read - in saying that the first two days I only read a couple of chapters but by da...

Review: Throne of Glass - Book #1 Throne of Glass Series - Sarah J. Maas - August 2012 2024, is the year I plan to conquer Sarah J. Maas and all her books. Throne of Glass is Book #4 in her reading order as the first three books were the first three titles in her ACOTAR series. For me this particular book, I tried to read back in September 2013 and I could not get into it and at the time rated it 2 stars which was a DNF. Fast forward 14 years and it gets a borderline 4Ps for me as I think due to being invested this time around in her books, I felt more determined to read it and enjoy it as nobody wants to sit there and read a book that they are finding boring and hating. For me, the hardest thing I felt was the fact that I had to work extra hard in separating my universes and characters as I was so used to Feyre, Rhysand, and Tamlin - the world of Fae. In some way, I missed seeing them and felt a bit of sadness as they weren't existing in this book. I did get used to it though as w...

      Review: A Court of Wings and Ruin - Book #3 ACOTAR Series - Sarah J. Maas - May 2017 This series and author is one of my reading goals for 2024, I am aiming to complete all of her titles and I have been given from a fellow bookstagrammer, a reading order that combines all three of her series as some of them interweave and have crossovers of characters. In ACOWAR, I didn't go into this one with high expectations as unfortunately book #2 felt a bit of a slog reading for me. I got there but it wasn't a favourite, especially after reading the first book which was a 5-star read. This one, however, was a good read and more action-packed as the war with Hybern was coming up quickly and we read as some of the high courts of Prythian banded together to fight against Hybern - the evil human King.  Tamlin can go suck it as he's just a petulant fae who throws tantrums as Feyre wanted Rhysand and not him. I did love the fact that Lucian followed Feyre instead of staying wit...

Review: A Court of Mist and Fury - Book #2 ACOTAR Series - Sarah J. Maas - May 2016 After having all of Sarah J. Maas's books on my bookshelf and friends recommending them a bonus was that near the end of 2023, I started to get back into reading fantasy novels after quite a few years away from them. I made it my goal for 2024 to finally complete all her books as every year, I pick an author that I am determined to read all of their books. Last year was Riley Sager and this year it's Sarah J. Maas. I loved the first book and went into this one excited, however, my hopes were dashed as this book felt like a total flip of the script and the opposite of the first book. It left a lot of emotions and furious ones with me as lots of things frustrated me about this book. I also found this one a slog to get through and took me 3 days of reading at various times to finish it whereas the first one was read in 1 day. I also feel that, if I wasn't 100% determined to finish this series I...

Review: A Court of Thorns and Roses - Book #1 ACOTAR Series - May 2015 You know how there are series of people who are like "You have to read this or else", this was one of those for me. I have had friends galore recommending this series and then this year I decided to do a 12 recommendations by 12 friends reading challenge and one of those 12 books was ACOTAR so here I am. I read it on Monday in one day and I have to admit, I enjoyed it more than I thought I would. You see years ago, I was a big fantasy reader and then one day I woke up and couldn't read it - I felt like I had gotten fantasy burnout but now - I am back into this fantasy book rhythm and I have been enjoying them. I have to admit as I began reading this book, I was a little confused as if I had missed a chapter as it does jump straight into the story of Feyre - the youngest of three girls whose family is poor. She is the Katniss of the SJM ACOTAR universe, the hunter and the one providing for her family...