Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

Heir of Fire 
By Sarah J. Maas
Publication Date: September 2nd, 2014
Source: Netgalley
Series: Throne of Glass #3

Lost and broken, Celaena Sardothien’s only thought is to avenge the savage death of her dearest friend: as the King of Adarlan’s Assassin, she is bound to serve this tyrant, but he will pay for what he did. Any hope Celaena has of destroying the king lies in answers to be found in Wendlyn. Sacrificing his future, Chaol, the Captain of the King’s Guard, has sent Celaena there to protect her, but her darkest demons lay in that same place. If she can overcome them, she will be Adarlan’s biggest threat – and his own toughest enemy.

While Celaena learns of her true destiny, and the eyes of Erilea are on Wendlyn, a brutal and beastly force is preparing to take to the skies. Will Celaena find the strength not only to win her own battles, but to fight a war that could pit her loyalties to her own people against those she has grown to love?

Miss my past reviews?
Throne of Glass book review
Crown of Midnight book review

It's official. I'm calling it. The Throne of Glass series is my new favorite series and it's also my top three favorite reads of 2014. I love everything about this series that Sarah J. Maas has created (and I love her! She is the nicest person and is one of those authors that will actually reply back to you on Twitter)

I thought that the first two were amazing, but this book is my favorite so far. We got to see Celaena face her Fae side and it was so cool! Getting to read about Celaene learn how to control her magic was one of my favorite parts of this book.

I LOVED the new Fae and Demi-Fae characters in this book with Rowan being my favorite. I loved reading about his backstory and I just really liked his character! He has so many layers and I can't wait to continue reading about him! I'm definitely interested in how he is going to tie into the rest of this series!

Okay, so although I really love Rowan, were you guys freaking out a bit though?!
It's insane because during the first two books, I adored Chaol. I really liked Celaena and Chaol together, but after the end of Crown of Midnight... I don't think that they can come back from that. Every time she thinks of him she thinks of her best friend lying dead on a bed. (Real romantic) I feel like that will always hang over them.

Another huge issue is one that Dorian already pointed out and that's that Chaol struggles with accepting Celaena for who she really is, Aelin. It's almost like he wishes that he could just love certain parts of her, but you can't do that. And now, Celaena is embracing her true Fae side even more. She is stepping up and is becoming who she was born to be. She should only surround herself with people that will help her move forward, and not hold her back. I mean she is a QUEEN. She has other people to think about.

I thought that Aedion was another very interesting character. Starting out you naturally hate him because he acts terrible to Dorian and Chaol. But I love that he proved me wrong. I'm excited to learn more about him! (read more of my thoughts about him in the "spoilers" section)

Manon Blackbeak was another new character that was pretty interesting. I'll admit, during her first few chapters I was bored and irritated. I JUST wanted to read about Celaena, but as I read I became more and more engrossed in her story. I read on Sarah J. Maas's blog that she originally wasn't planning on introducing her in the series until the last book, or the second to last book. She just loved her character so much and couldn't put off writing about her. The witches were scary though, and I honestly believe that some of them don't have hearts, but I think Manon does which makes her so interesting. I'm excited to read more about her and Abraxos. HOWEVER, I'm terrified because they are working for the king. I don't want those witches anywhere near my Chaol, Aedion, Rowan, or Celaena!

That ending. Oh man. I don't know how I can I wait until 2015. Until then, I'll continue to look at Sarah J. Maas's Pinterest board to figure out clues for the rest of the series!


*Spoilers*

About Rowan:
I feel like Rowan is really good for her. They are both warriors that have been through so much pain, yet here they are. Celaena started this book out broken and Rowan was there to help mend her. I'm not saying that they will eventually develop a romantic relationship, but there's definitely something there. Perhaps they will just be the best of friends and will always have each others back. Maybe a step beyond that, like parabatai in the Infernal Devices and the Mortal Instruments series. They are bonded now and can even use each other's magic which is super rare! I believe they said that the blood bond is for life, so one way or another, Rowan and Celaena will always be together.

About Aedion: When you find out he is ACTUALLY a really nice guy. WOW. He's very similar to Celaena. It's not just the eyes and that they share some Fae blood, they both have lost so, so much and are forced to serve the disgusting man that took it all away from them.. I'm definitely upset about the way things ended with him, but I think he will be okay. I can't wait for book four for them to finally be reunited!

About Dorain: Dorain, poor, poor Dorian. WHY does the world hate you? He's struggling with magic and he's trying his hardest to hide it from his dad, but it's getting harder and harder for him. His best friend Chaol is now hardly even talking to him.... but then he meets Sorcha. *sigh* Again, why does the world hate you Dorian?

I still can't believe that they just walked RIGHT into the King's trap there at the end. Poor Dorian. They just killed her so quickly. Now his nasty father knows about his magic and Chaol just leaves him there. I'm afriad for Dorian. I really am.

*End of spoilers*


Do you all love this series just as much as I do?!

City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

City of Heavenly Fire
By Cassandra Clare
Pub Date: May 27th, 2014
Series: Mortal Instruments Series #6

In this dazzling and long-awaited conclusion to the acclaimed Mortal Instruments series, Clary and her friends fight the greatest evil they have ever faced: Clary's own brother.

Sebastian Morgenstern is on the move, systematically turning Shadowhunter against Shadowhunter. Bearing the Infernal Cup, he transforms Shadowhunters into creatures out of nightmare, tearing apart families and lovers as the ranks of his Endarkened army swell.

The embattled Shadowhunters withdraw to Idris - but not even the famed demon towers of Alicante can keep Sebastian at bay. And with the Nephilim trapped in Idris, who will guard the world against demons?

When one of the greatest betrayals the Nephilim have ever known is revealed, Clary, Jace, Isabelle, Simon, and Alec must flee - even if their journey takes them deep into the demon realms, where no Shadowhunter has set foot before, and from which no human being has ever returned...

Love will be sacrificed and lives lost in the terrible battle for the fate of the word in the thrilling final installment of the classic urban fantasy series The Mortal Instruments!

Finally! The last book! I'm not really sad about it being over, however, because I know that Cassandra Clare plans on writing two more trilogies in the Shadowhunter world! To find out more information about her upcoming books, check out her blog!

I was also involved in a liveshow discussion with Christine from PolandBananasBOOKS, Regan from PeruseProject, and Kat from Katytastic! In that liveshow we discussed all of our favorite parts, quotes, etc and we even answered your guy's questions! (Video is after this review!)

I'm so happy with how this series ended overall. I loved how Cassandra Clare weaved in so much TMI information! I couldn't help but squeal! The chapters with the TMI characters were honestly my favorite parts of the book! This is most likely because I love The Infernal Devices trilogy so, so much!

The Unbound by Victoria Schwab

The Unbound
By Victoria Schwab
Pub Date: Jan 2014
Series: The Archived #2
Source: Gift

Imagine a place where the dead rest on shelves like books. Each body has a story to tell, a life seen in pictures that only Librarians can read. The dead are called Histories, and the vast realm in which they rest is the Archive.

Last summer, Mackenzie Bishop, a Keeper tasked with stopping violent Histories from escaping the Archive, almost lost her life to one. Now, as she starts her junior year at Hyde School, she's struggling to get her life back. But moving on isn't easy -- not when her dreams are haunted by what happened. She knows the past is past, knows it cannot hurt her, but it feels so real, and when her nightmares begin to creep into her waking hours, she starts to wonder if she's really safe.

Meanwhile, people are vanishing without a trace, and the only thing they seem to have in common is Mackenzie. She's sure the Archive knows more than they are letting on, but before she can prove it, she becomes the prime suspect. And unless Mac can track down the real culprit, she'll lose everything, not only her role as Keeper, but her memories, and even her life. Can Mackenzie untangle the mystery before she herself unravels?

With stunning prose and a captivating mixture of action, romance, and horror, The Unbound delves into a richly imagined world where no choice is easy and love and loss feel like two sides of the same coin.

Possibly closer to a 4.5 star rating? I don't know. Ratings are so hard...

I loved The Archived, so of course I was eager to start this book! I love that we got more of Wesley and Mackenzie!

Owen clearly shook up Mackenzie's life and the poor girl has to live with the scars he gave her now... I made a comment after reading the first book that the poor girl hardly ever got any sleep, but it just gets worse in this book!

I unfortunately guessed some things that were going on in this book early on... While I wasn't exactly surprised, I still really enjoyed this book and would love to have a third book! I want to continue on with Wesley and Mackenzie's story!

(view spoiler)Now for the discussion time! (Spoilers ahead)

I was disappointed a bit where this story went. This is just because I was really hoping that they would become partners! I wanted them to become Crew so badly! Instead it was just Mackenzie (still a keeper) trying to keep her position and not lose her job, again. Which was fine, I just wanted to learn more about crew and what better way than through the eyes of Mackenzie as her and Wesley become partners!

I guessed that Owen would come back and that he was the one making the voids.. I was a tad disappointed that I guessed that, but as I said before I still enjoyed it!
I felt terrible for Mackenzie and was so happy when Wesley got to stay over and try and help her sleep.

I wish we would have had more Roland in this book as well! He's such a great character! I love that he believed in Mackenzie and even lied for her like when she took his notebook.

One thing that I liked was that Victoria Schwab didn't spend a lot of time on that love triangle with Cash and Wesley. We all love Wesley and although Cash seems nice, he wouldn't fit in her world.. I think Mackenzie wished that she was normal at times so that she could be with a guy like him, but she knows by the end that she's not normal. She will never be normal, and it's time she stops pretending and fantasying and just live her life. I'm happy that she was so certain about Wesley and that the only reason why she couldn't just bring herself to be with him was because she didn't really want to drag him into her problems, which I can understand.

Overall all I really liked this book, and I hope we get another book!

The Archived by Victoria Schwab

The Archived
By Victoria Schwab
Pub Date: January 2013
Series: The Archived #1

Imagine a place where the dead rest on shelves like books.

Each body has a story to tell, a life seen in pictures that only Librarians can read. The dead are called Histories, and the vast realm in which they rest is the Archive.

Da first brought Mackenzie Bishop here four years ago, when she was twelve years old, frightened but determined to prove herself. Now Da is dead, and Mac has grown into what he once was, a ruthless Keeper, tasked with stopping often—violent Histories from waking up and getting out. Because of her job, she lies to the people she loves, and she knows fear for what it is: a useful tool for staying alive.

Being a Keeper isn’t just dangerous—it’s a constant reminder of those Mac has lost. Da’s death was hard enough, but now her little brother is gone too. Mac starts to wonder about the boundary between living and dying, sleeping and waking. In the Archive, the dead must never be disturbed. And yet, someone is deliberately altering Histories, erasing essential chapters. Unless Mac can piece together what remains, the Archive itself might crumble and fall.

In this haunting, richly imagined novel, Victoria Schwab reveals the thin lines between past and present, love and pain, trust and deceit, unbearable loss and hard-won redemption.

My Rating:

My Thoughts:

A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

Game of Thrones
By George R.R. Martin
Pub Date: 1996
Series: A Song of Ice and Fire #1
Pages: 807

In A Game of Thrones, George R.R. Martin has created a genuine masterpiece, bringing together the best the genre has to offer. Mystery, intrigue, romance, and adventure fill the pages of the first volume in an epic series sure to delight fantansy fans everywhere.

In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes of the north of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are massing beyond the kingdom's protective Wall. At the center of the conflict lie the Starks of Winterfell, a family as harsh and unyielding as the land they were born to. Sweeping from a land of brutal cold to a distant summertime kingdom of epicurean plenty, here is a tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, who come together in a time of grim omens. Amid plots and counterplots, tragedy and betrayal, victory and terror, the fate of the Starks, their allies, and their enemies hangs perilously in the balance, as each endeavors to win that deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones.

My Rating:

My Thoughts:



I really enjoyed this book. I was very happy that I didn't have trouble reading it because I thought it might be a little bit of a tough read. I was afraid that I might confuse all of the people (because let me tell you there are SO many characters introduced in the beginning), but I didn't have much of a problem! (Another thing that I think helped me is after the first 100 pages or so I watched the first episode of the TV show and was able to remember all of the faces). I DO like the TV show by the way, although they made the characters a lot older of course. I don't mind at all.

Okay, BACK to my review. So, I like that this story jumps around to different people's perspectives. I couldn't imagine if this story had been told from say JUST the Starks or something.
I enjoyed this book although there is definitely a lot of violence, including rape so I obviously don't recommend this to children.(Which is why this is an Adult novel) but anyways, I really started to love this book about half way through the book. Some of my favorite characters are Tyrion Lannister, Daenarys Targaryen, and Arya Stark. I also really liked Bran and Jon.. and Robb. There's just a lot of likeable characters in this story (and a lot of unlikeable characters). I enjoy that some of the character have these gray areas to them (which I'm sure we will learn more about in rest of the series). I highly recommend this book to fantasy lovers!


This is the end of my review without spoilers. I want to discuss now some of the characters and events that took place in this book in more detail! So please, don't continue reading unless you've also reading this book!


As I mentioned before, there are many characters that have a lot of gray areas to them, and aren't very clear cut. Joffrey is one of the main characters that I disliked. From the beginning I thought he was a snob and I'm just happy poor Arya wasn't paired with him (she would have probably tried to kill him and then in turn would have been killed), in a way I was happy it was Sansa, mainly because I didn't really care for her character. Like there's practically A WAR going on around her, and yet she is just focused on her pretty dresses. SO many times in this story I wanted to slap her. Although now that I've finished the book I obviously pity her and I'm extremely happy that she finally sees what a slug Joffrey is. I think most of her faults just came from her naivety. She is basically trapped there with Joffrey unless someone comes and saves her. Of course, at one point in this story she would have LOVED to be trapped in a castle with Joffrey. Be careful what you wish for Sansa...
I didn't expect that Joffrey was actually Jamie and Cersei's child. I feel like it was really, really obvious and yet I missed that. I intensely detest Joffrey though. Like at the end when he told Sansa he would give her Robb's head as a gift? GTFO Joffrey.

Okay that's the end of my rant on him.
As I mentioned above Tyrion was one of my favorite characters. I feel a lot of sympathy for him and I like that instead of just despairing that he will never be as strong as say his brother Jaime, instead he spends his time readings and "sharpening his wits." I really liked his character and obviously don't believe that he was ever part of the ordeal with the knife and Bran's attacker.

I really enjoyed Dany's character although I felt a lot of sympathy for her. She had to deal with her crazy, power hungry brother. I admit I was surprised that his life in this book didn't last as long as I would have expected. I thought he was going to be around for a lot longer. His death though.. ugh.
I felt terrible that Dany was forced into this marriage, although as time goes on she obviously starts to learn the new Dothraki customs. Her status was apparently a precarious one which we see when Khal Drogo gets injured. It makes total sense by the way that he would be brought down by an infection. Like he's never lost a fight, but his cockiness was his downfall.. He should have tried to take better care of himself. I suppose men that fight as much as him usually have early deaths though.
I was actually really sad when her son didn't make it. I wonder why it was born the way it was, all scaly and stuff? Was it because she went into that tent where when Drogo was being "saved." That part was a bit confusing for me. And then Drogo is basically a vegetable afterwards and Dany ends up killing him in the end anyways...
That ending though. DRAGONS. How cool is that? I'm so eager to read the next book to figure out how they will play into this!

So many things haven't been explained yet such as who really did set up the attack on Bran? I don't believe that Tyrion had anything to do with it. Another thing we still don't know has to do with the Wall. We still don't where the freaky dead people came from and why they came back to life. If was pretty freaky when every single animal (aside from Ghost) is trying to get away from the dead men. Yuck.
I want to know more about Jon's mother too! I hope that others knew about Ned and Jon's mother's relationship. I hope it didn't die with Ned.

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas

Crown of Midnight
By Sarah J. Maas
Pub Date: August 27th 2013
Series: Throne of Glass #2

After a year of hard labor in the Salt Mines of Endovier, eighteen-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien has won the king's contest to become the new royal assassin. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown – a secret she hides from even her most intimate confidantes.

Keeping up the deadly charade—while pretending to do the king's bidding—will test her in frightening new ways, especially when she's given a task that could jeopardize everything she's come to care for. And there are far more dangerous forces gathering on the horizon -- forces that threaten to destroy her entire world, and will surely force Celaena to make a choice.

Where do the assassin’s loyalties lie, and who is she most willing to fight for?

My Rating:

(Yes I rated it 6/5 ice cream cones! It was THAT good!)

My Thoughts:

I thought that I loved the first book, but this book shined even brighter than the first! I realize now that the first book's events just had to happen so that we could set up this world and this series. I've been reading the author's blog quite a bit, and I'm thrilled that she plans to write at least 6 books! I loved that we got to find out more about the wyrdmarks, but I still want to learn more about the Fae! (Hopefully in this next book?) I still continue to adore Celaena in this book and her relationship with Chaol. *sigh* This book made my interest in Dorian grow and I can't wait to continue to read more about him! I must say, I did not see that ending coming. At all. Maybe it was obvious to some, but that hit me in the face like a ton of bricks. It's going to feel like a very, very long time until book three is out, but at least we have the novella bind up that comes out next month!

What did you all think of this book? Let me know in the comments below!

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Throne of Glass
By Sarah J. Maas
Pub Date: Jan 1st, 2012
Series: Throne of Glass #1

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.

My Rating:

My Thoughts:

I really, really enjoyed this book. Many of you already know that I'm a huge fan of fantasy and this book didn't let me down. The main character, Celaena MADE this book. She is a fierce, assassin who has a much softer, lonelier side as well. I love that we got to read about her fighting and climbing walls (and just being overall really awesome) and then we see her all dressed up in elaborate gowns. (I loved all the pretty dress talk.)

I really enjoyed the relationship between her and her instructor, the Captain of the Guard, Chaol. Dorian was an enjoyable character to read about as well with his love of reading and puppies. I think anyone will feel sympathy for him for being related to such a disgrace of a man, his father, the King. I love the bits of magic that was thrown in this book with Wyrdmarks, the Fae, and Queen Elena.

I can't wait to read more about Celaena! I did struggle a bit with pronunciations, but I found this handy chart on the author's website!

At this point I know that there are four novellas out about her past life and I believe there's to be a bind-up of those plus a fifth coming out in March. I can't wait to start reading the second book, Crown of Midnight as well!

Video Review:

The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

Goodreads Summary: 

Seven half-bloods shall answer the call, 

To storm or fire the world must fall.
An oath to keep with a final breath,
And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death.

Percy is confused. When he awoke from his long sleep, he didn't know much more than his name. His brain fuzz is lingering, even after the wolf Lupa told him he is a demigod and trained him to fight with the pen/sword in his pocket. Somehow Percy manages to make it to a camp for half-bloods, despite the fact that he has to keep killing monsters along the way. But the camp doesn't ring any bells with him. The only thing he can recall from his past is another name: Annabeth 

Hazel is supposed to be dead. When she lived before, she didn't do a very good job of it. Sure, she was an obedient daughter, even when her mother was possessed by greed. But that was the problem — when the Voice took over her mother and commanded Hazel to use her "gift" for an evil purpose, Hazel couldn't say no. Now because of her mistake, the future of the world is at risk. Hazel wished she could ride away from it all on the stallion that appears in her dreams. 

Frank is a klutz. His grandmother says he is descended from heroes and can be anything he wants to be, but he doesn't see it. He doesn't even know who his father is. He keeps hoping Apollo will claim him, because the only thing he is good at is archery — although not good enough to win camp war games. His bulky physique makes him feel like an ox, especially infront of Hazel, his closest friend at camp. He trusts her completely — enough to share the secret he holds close to his heart. 

Beginning at the "other" camp for half-bloods and extending as far as the land beyond the gods, this breathtaking second installment of the Heroes of Olympus series introduces new demigods, revives fearsome monsters, and features other remarkable creatures, all destined to play a part in the Prophesy of Seven.
Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon

My Review/Discussion:

The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan

Goodreads Summary:

 Jason has a problem. 

He doesn't remember anything before waking up on a school bus holding hands with a girl. Apparently he has a girlfriend named Piper. His best friend is a kid named Leo, and they're all students in the Wilderness School, a boarding school for "bad kids", as Leo puts it. What he did to end up here, Jason has no idea—except that everything seems very wrong.

Piper has a secret. 
Her father, a famous actor, has been missing for three days, and her vivid nightmares reveal that he's in terrible danger. Now her boyfriend doesn't recognize her, and when a freak storm and strange creatures attack during a school field trip, she, Jason, and Leo are whisked away to someplace called Camp Half-Blood. What is going on? 

Leo has a way with tools. 
His new cabin at Camp Half-Blood is filled with them. Seriously, the place beats Wilderness School hands down, with its weapons training, monsters, and fine-looking girls. What's troubling is the curse everyone keeps talking about, and that a camper's gone missing. Weirdest of all, his bunkmates insist they are all—including Leo—related to a god.
Goodreads | Amazon | Book Depository

My Review/Discussion: