| BOOK REVIEW | EMPIRE OF STORMS BY SARAH J. MAAS

Empire Of Storms
Author : Sarah J. Maas
Series : Throne Of Glass
Genres : Fantasy, Young Adult
Publication : September 6th 2016 by Bloomsbury Children’s Books

Synopsis : The long path to the throne has only just begun for Aelin Galathynius as war looms on the horizon. Loyalties have been broken and bought, friends have been lost and gained, and those who possess magic find themselves at odds with those who don’t.

With her heart sworn to the warrior-prince by her side, and her fealty pledged to the people she is determined to save, Aelin will delve into the depths of her power to protect those she loves. But as monsters emerge from the horrors of the past, and dark forces become poised to claim her world, the only chance for salvation will lie in a desperate quest that may mark the end of everything Aelin holds dear.

In this breathtaking fifth installment of the New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass series, Aelin will have to choose what—and who—to sacrifice if she’s to keep the world of Erilea from breaking apart.

It’s the fifth book in the Throne Of Glass series. I really LOVED this book !! It’s the fifth book in the Throne Of Glass series. If you haven’t read the previous books, this review will spoil you.

Even when this world is a forgotten whisper of dust between the stars, I will always love you.

Plot

We follow Aelin and her friends weeks after Queen Of Shadow’s ending. She is trying to find people to help her rebuild Terrasen’s court. But obviously, things won’t be easy ! Moreover, Erawen is more threatening than ever.

I LOVED this book ! But let me tell you why.
First, the plot. The story is so intricate and interesting. Sarah J. Maas crafted an amazing world and plot. She still manages to surprise me. I guessed some minor events but there are so many plot twists ! I was totally hooked !

Remember who you are. Every step of the way down, and every step of the way back. Remember who you are. And that you’re mine.

Now let’s talk about the characters. Aelin is surrounded by so many hot tempered people ! Lysandra is becoming more and more important, she is a key character.

Rowan, Aedion, Dorian, Manon, their fates are not entwined.  We also got Elide’s POV. SHe is still on her own, trying to find her queen. She is sort of accompanied by Lorcan. This lonely fae warrior is slowly getting fond of her. She is crumpled but knows how to survive, forcing his admiration.

Some mysteries are now explained. We now can see the big scheme and everything is becoming clear.

I really enjoyed this installment. It’s different from the previous books but as addicting as intense !
Another thing I enjoyed and was more than happy to find once more was the banter, the wits ! Aaah, Aelin’s sarcasm is everything.

Strangely (not at all !), I didn’t miss Chaol. He really got on my nerves in the previous book.

Aelin was no savior to rally behind, but a cataclysm to be weathered.

Characters

•  Aelin is definitively more cunning than ever, always a step ahead in order to be clever than Erawan. She is keeping things from her friends. And yet she has a fragility when it comes to Rowan.
  She is such a strong character but also a drama queen hahaha !
• Rowan is so cute in this book ! He slowly opens up and that’s wonderful to witness ! And his relationship with Aelin is goal !
• Aedion is taking his role seriously ! And now he also deeply cares for Lysandra. He tries his best to protect her without seeming to haha !
• Lysandra is a key character, I really admire her ! She is way less powerful than Aelin but she takes a lot of risks nonetheless ! SHe is so different from the Lysandra we got to meet in The Assassin’s Blade.
• Manon, ah Manon ! She is such an amazing character ! And I love love love her banters with Dorian ! Fierce, cruel, cunning and totally loyal to her thirteen and her legacy. She wants to get their land back. We learned a lot more about her in this book !
• Dorian is becoming stronger and stronger. He seems more on his guard, sometimes icy. He is harder than he used to be. I’m sure he will be very important for the series’ ending.

To put it in a nutshell, this book has all the ingredients to be a wonderful YA fantasy book. I was hooked and it was difficult to put it down !

About the author

Sarah J. Maas is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Throne of Glass series (Queen of Shadows, Book 4, will be out in September 2015), as well as the A Court of Thorns and Roses series.

Sarah lives in Bucks County, PA, and over the years, she has developed an unhealthy appreciation for Disney movies and bad pop music. She adores fairy tales and ballet, drinks too much tea, and watches an ungodly amount of TV. When she’s not busy writing, she can be found exploring the historic and beautiful Pennsylvania countryside with her husband and canine companion.

 

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| TAGS & CHALLENGES | THE SUPERLATIVES TAG

 

Hello lovelies ! It has been a loooong time since I posted a tag. To be honest, I kind of missed it !

I was tagged by Kat from lifeandotherdisasters to do the superlatives book tag !

#1 MOST LIKELY TO BE IN THE MOVIES: THE BOOK THAT WOULD MAKE THE BEST MOVIE

A Darker Shade Of Magic by V.E. Schwab, obviously ! Ha,how AMAZING it would be !

#2 BIGGEST DRAMA QUEEN/KING: THE MOST (OVERLY) DRAMATIC BOOK OR CHARACTER

For that one, I think Meggy from chocolatenwaffles would agree : Celaena from the Throne Of Glass series !

#3 BEST DRESSED: THE BOOK WITH THE BEST COVER

Strange The Dreamerby Laini Taylor. I chose from my bookshelves, obviously ! Look how pretty it is !

#4 MOST CREATIVE: THE BOOK WITH THE MOST UNIQUE PLOT, CHARACTERS, & STRUCTURE

The Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson. The plot, the magic, everything is unique !

#5 MOST POPULAR: THE BOOK WITH THE MOST RATINGS ON GOODREADS

Oooh. Tough one ! Probably Harry Potter !

#6 MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED: THE BOOK THAT IS GOING TO BE APPRECIATED FOR MANY YEARS TO COME

Harry Potter, again ! I hope it will stay a reference, a series that will make a lot of children dive into the reading frenzy that we got !

#7 CLASS CLOWN: THE BOOK THAT MADE YOU LAUGH OUT LOUD

Percy Jackson is such a funny series !! I laughed so much while reading it !

#8 MOST IMPROVED: THE BOOK THAT STARTED OFF SLOW, BUT REALLY PICKED UP

Again, I picked The Final Empire by brandon Sanderson.

#9 CUTEST COUPLE: CUTEST COUPLE IN A BOOK

#10 BIGGEST HEARTBREAKER: THE BOOK THAT BROKE YOUR HEART

Me Before You by Jojo Moyes. Oh God, this book !! You need to read it ifyou haven’t, already !

That’s it !

I tag :

Aurélie from Bettierosebooks

Joey from Thoughtsandafterthoughts

Lois from Mymidnightmusing

I hope you enjoyed this post ! See you soon & have a lovely week end !

| MEMES | TOP TEN TUESDAY – TOP TEN CHARACTERS THAT WOULD MAKE GREAT LEADERS

Hello lovelies ! It’s time for a TTT ! Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke And The Bookish.

Today’s theme is Top Ten Characters That Would Make Great Leaders. I chose to keep leader in a general way.

• Lila Bard from the Shades Of Magic trilogy by V.E. Schwab. She is fearless and hotheaded at the beginning but she surely learned from her mistakes and is totally able to lead a team or even a country !
• Kestrel from The Winner’s trilogy by Marie Rutkoski. She is calm and has a cunning mind, perfect for politics. But she is also true to her heart.
• Zuzana from the Daughter Of Smoke And Bone trilogy by Laini Taylor. She is fierce and always gets what she wants !
• Ismae from Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers. She knows how to see what’s right. She would make a great leader !

 

• Hermione Granger from Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling. Do I need to say why ?!
• Dorian from the Throne Of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas. Cool tempered and far from being a hot head. The perfect ruler !
• Alec Lightwood from The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare. Calm, he knows how to analyze a situation.

• Peeta Mellark from The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.
• Adrian from the Bloodlines series by Richelle Mead. Well, not at the beginning of the series, obviously hahahaha !
• Four from the Divergent trilogy by Veronica Roth. For the same reasons than Alec.

That’s it ! What’s on your TTT this week ?

 

| MEMES | TOP TEN TUESDAY – TOP TEN BOOKS THAT FEATURE STRONG FEMALE CHARACTERS

Hello lovelies ! It’s that time again ! Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke And The Bookish !

Today’s theme is Top Ten Books That Feature Characters _______. I decided to make my top ten around strong female characters.

Let’s start !

• Celaena Sardothien from the Throne Of Glass series. She is a fierce and skilled warrior and isn’t afraid of sacrificing herself for the ones she loves.
• Karou from A Daughter Of Smoke And Bone trilogy. She lost a lot and yet she keeps fighting to save the world.
• Feyre from A Court Of Thorns And Roses by Sarah J. Maas. She is such a badass character from the beginning of the first book and she keeps fighting fiercely no matter what !
• Lila from the Shades Of Magic trilogy. Oh little Lila, you are far from being a fragile thing ! Deadly, that’s what she is !

• Emma Carstairs from The Dark Artifices trilogy by Cassandra Clare. I am currently reading the second book, Lord Of Shadows and she is amazing ! She is so ready to give up everything to assure the Blackthorns security and happiness. No matter how harsh the consequences can be for her.
• Vin from the Mistborn trilogy. From transparent to a powerful allomancer ! She is unbelievable.
• Hermione Granger from the Harry Potter series. Let’s be honest, this top ten couldn’t exist without her !

• Claire Beauchamps from the Outlander series. She is a warrior of her own ! Gifted with herbal medicine, she becomes an ally to the Mackenzie clan.
• Lily from It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover. She is a different kind of badass. Not a warrior, she isn’t a fantasy heroin, but she is a hero nonetheless. I won’t say more because I don’t want to spoil anyone.

That’s it ! My Top Ten is a Top Eight ! I hope you enjoyed it ! What’s on your top ten this week ?

| MEMES | TOP TEN TUESDAY – TOP TEN BOOKS THAT WILL MAKE YOU READ THE WHOLE DAY AWAY

Hello everyone ! It’s that time again ! Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke And The Bookish.

Today theme is : top ten books that will make you read the whole day away !

The most obvious picks for that TTT are romance books. They are, in my opinion, quick reads but also you can’t help yourself but want to know EVERYTHING.
So, the whole After series by Anna Todd is one of these books. SO gripping, I was literally obsessed with his story ! It was unputdownable !
Anna And The French Kiss and the two companions novels by Stephanie Perkins. I adored these books and it was so difficult to put them down !
The Rusk University series by Cora Carmack. Same deal haha !
The Fill-In Boyfriend by Kasie West. Such a cute and gripping story !

But they are also fantasy series that can fit in that TTT. The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling of course being the most evident one.
The Throne Of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas is another amazing series that is captivating !!
The Infernal Devices trilogy by Cassandra Clare totally had this effect on me. I was living, breathing and eating among Jem, Tesssa and Will.
The Six Of Crows duology by Leigh Bardugo is another perfect example ! So gripping ! And it reminds me… I still need to write my reviews for these two books… ahem.

The Lunar Chronicles series by Marissa Meyer is another series that comes to my mind for this week’s topic.
And there’s also the Shades Of Magic series by V. E. Schwab. I adore these books and I can’t wait to finally get my copy ! My preorder never arrived…

That’s it ! I hope you enjoyed this Top Ten Tuesday ! Have you read any of these books ?

| BOOK REVIEW | QUEEN OF SHADOWS BY SARAH J. MAAS

Queen Of Shadows
Author : Sarah J. Maas
Series : Throne Of Glass
Genres : Fantasy, Young Adult
Publication : September 1st 2015 by Bloomsbury USA Childrens

Synopsis : The queen has returned.

Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she’s at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past…

She has embraced her identity as Aelin Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen. But before she can reclaim her throne, she must fight.

She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die for her. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen’s triumphant return.

The fourth volume in the New York Times bestselling series continues Celaena’s epic journey and builds to a passionate, agonizing crescendo that might just shatter her world.

This is the fourth book in the Throne Of Glass series. This review will spoil you if you haven’t read the previous books.

You make me want to live, Rowan. Not survive; not exist. Live.

Plot

I really REALLY enjoyed this book ! It’s so fast-paced and interesting ! Moreover, there are so many plot twists, I kept being surprised !
This one is my favorite book in the series so far, really !
Another thing I enjoyed about that book is that there’s a lot of character’s development. Aelin is changing but she’s not the only one. The most surprising and important change ahappened to Manon. She changed a lot. She pushed Asterin, her beloved second away until she was ready to face the truth. The truth about herself, about the Ironteeth, about her leader.

There’s so much action in this book ! The previous ones all had a slow-paced beginning but that wasn’t the case for that one ! Straight to the action !

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.

It’s fast-paced, full of incredible scenes and witty ! Aelin hasn’t lost her temper, she’s wilder than ever. And I’m glad she’s found a friend in the person of Lysandra. These two were made to be friends, allies.

In this installment we get to learn so much about the plot, the Valg princes, and the “big evil plan”.
As you can see, I’m trying my best to avoid spoilers haha !

She was a whirling cloud of death, a queen of shadows, and these men were already carrion.

Characters

• Aelin is way more unpredictable in this book. Back to Rifthold, she lost her powers. But she is resourceful and always finds a way.
  She is so fierce ! She is also stronger than ever and ready to do anything it takes to stop the king, save her cousin, and spare Dorian.
• Chaol has the bad role in this book. But I can understand his point of view, being reticent to put so much power in the hands of someone so unpredictable and unstable ! But he is smart and is able to make what’s right.
• Rowan, ha Rowan ! He is sooo swoon-worthy, all alpha male and fae warrior ! He wants to protect Aelin and it was cute to witness his love for Aelin !
• Aedion is a character that Ireally appreciate ! We get to learn a little more about his past and his fae legacy, and it’s really interesting ! And his little rivalry with Rowan was so entertaining !
• Lysandra is such a brave character ! I am glad I read The Assassin’s Blades before, though ! It’s easier to understand her knowing her past, especially her past with Aelin.
• Dorian is in such a dark place. I was so afraid for him during the whole book !
• Manon is the one I learned to love in this book. I loved her chapters, witnessing her doubts, her will to protect her coven.
• Elide is another brave character. I can’t wait to read more about her, she is such a survivor !

Fire-breathing bitch-queen.

I buddy read this book with the lovely Donna from chocolatenwafflesblog ! And for once I didn’t have to defend Lady haha !

About the author

Sarah J. Maas is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Throne of Glass series (Queen of Shadows, Book 4, will be out in September 2015), as well as the A Court of Thorns and Roses series (out 5/5/15).

Sarah lives in Bucks County, PA, and over the years, she has developed an unhealthy appreciation for Disney movies and bad pop music. She adores fairy tales and ballet, drinks too much tea, and watches an ungodly amount of TV. When she’s not busy writing, she can be found exploring the historic and beautiful Pennsylvania countryside with her husband and canine companion.

| MEMES | TOP TEN TUESDAY – TOP TEN BOOKS TO READ IF YOUR BOOK CLUB LIKES FANTASY SERIES

Hello lovelies ! How are you ? I can’t believe we’re already in November !! Anyway, it’s time for another Top Ten Tuesday ! It’s a weekly meme hosted by The Brooke And The Bookish.

Let’s talk about my top ten books to read if your book club likes fantasy series !

This top ten couldn’t exist without the Harry Potter series ! This is such an amazing series ! I grew with Harry, Hermione and Ron.
The Daughter Of Smoke And Bone by Laini Taylor is such a great and compelling trilogy !! Speaking of trilogy, I had to talk about my favorite : The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare.
Throne Of Glass is another amazing series that isn’t finished yet. I am waiting for Empire Of Storms to be released in US paperback so I can grab it !!

Percy Jackson And The Olympians by Rick Riordan is another great and funny series ! I laughed SO MUCH while reading these books !
The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare is one of the very first series I read in English. It strengthened my choice of reading in English !
The Grisha trilogy is an awesome series I didn’t want to read for so long ! How wrong I was !

The Mistborn trilogy by Brandon Sanderson talks about such a complex world where magic is based on metal ! I found it brilliant !!
The Sword Of Truth by Terry Goodkind is another complex fantasy series ! I only read the first 5 books so far but I highly liked it !
The Shades Of Magic trilogy by V. E. Schwab is not finished yet but I loved the first two books and I can tell you that A Conjuring Of Light is one of my most anticipated releases for 2017.
Finally, the Fever series by Karen M. Moning because it’s such an addictive read !!!!

That’s it ! What was your TTT about ?

| MEMES | TOP TEN TUESDAY – TOP TEN BOOK I READ/BOUGHT BECAUSE OF RECOMMENDATION

Hello lovelies ! It’s that time again ! I know I haven’t been posting a lot lately but I’m in the process of moving out ! So… basically I’m super busy haha !

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke And The Bookish ! Today’s topic is : All About Books You Read Because of Recommendation.
I decided to do the top ten books that I read/bought because of recommendation.

Let’s start !

First, the romance/contemporary books.
Cindy from Lespetitsmotsdeci recommended two of these : Maybe Someday  by Colleen Hoover and Archer’s Voice by Mia Sheridan. I am so glad she recommended me these, especially Maybe Someday !!! It holds a special place in my heart ! I also read after because a lot of bloggers/bookstagrammers (including my dear Sharon from bookishgirl89) and I really don’t regret it haha !

These fantasy books I read because of booktubers ! Daughter Of Smoke And Bones by Laini Taylor was because of Katytastic ! Vicious  & The Archived by Victoria Schwab are because of Jessethereader. And Throne Of Glass by Sarah J. Maas is because of many booktubers haha !

These 3 books are on my TBR, waiting for me to make time to read them ! I bought them because I heard great things about them  !
First, Les Fiancés De L’Hiver by Christelle Dabos was also recommended by Cindy from Lespetitsmotsdeci and I can’t wait to start it ! 2 weeks ago I was at the New Romance festival and I got to meet a lot of romance authors. I bought The Air He Breathes by Brittainy C. Cherry and Beautiful Bastard by Christina Lauren because other bloggers attending the event recommended them to me !

That’s it ! What’s the top ten books that you read because of recommendation ?

| MEMES | TOP TEN TUESDAY – TOP TEN FAVORITE VILLAINS IN BOOKS

Hello lovelies ! It’s that time again ! Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke And The Bookish !

This week’s theme is : top ten favorite villains !

Beware this post contains spoilers, so if you haven’t read the books featured on the pictures, maybe skip this post !

The first six villains are the ones that I really like and can’t manage to hate haha ! First is obviously The Darkling from The Grisha trilogy ! It’s such a complex character, he is dark, twisted and yet I can’t help but really like him. There’s also Sebastian Morgensten from The Mortal Instruments series. This guy is pure evil but yet … There’s also Blake from the Lux series, even though he is less appealing than the two previous ones !

 

Holland from the Shades Of Magic series is another perfect example ! There’s also Dimitri from the Vampire Academy series, when he is a strigoï. And finally, Seth from the Covenant series when he is driven by his need of power.

These 6 villains I can’t help but love them or care deeply for them ! Now for the following ones, it’s different : I love to hate them ! The perfect villains you want to strangle personally, you know ?

In no particular order : Thiago from the Daughter Of Smoke And Bone series, The Commandand from An Ember In The Ashes, the King Of Adarlan from Throne Of Glass series and finally Voldemort from Harry Potter ! These 4 villains are creepy and have such a twisted mind !

That’s it ! Tell me about your favorite villains !

| MEMES | TOP TEN TUESDAY – SONGS THAT MADE ME THINK OF BOOKS

Hello lovelies ! It’s time for another Top Ten Tuesday ! TTT is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke And The Bookish.

This week’s topic is audio freebie. I decided to list my top ten songs that made me think of books.
You know when a song reminds you of a book you’re currently reading ? That’s what I’m talking about !

Just Like Fire by P!nk reminds me a lot of Clary Fray from The Mortal Instruments series. It suits her perfectly and that’s the song that inspired this post !
Part Of Me by Katy Perry makes me think of Celaena Sardothien from the Throne Of Glass series.
Eye Of The Tiger makes me think of Alex from the Covenant series. The fighting spirit she’s got matches perfectly with this song !
Unconditionally by Katy Perry reminds me of Claire and Jamie’s romance. Outlander is such an amazing series !

I knew you were trouble by Taylor Swift is perfect for After‘s Tessa and Hardin. Their back and forth relationship.
Shatter Me by Lindsey Stirling and Lzzy Hale is perfect for Fallon from November 9.
Cake by The Ocean by DNCE matches All Played Out.

That’s it ! My TTT is a top seven hahahaha !