A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire by Jennifer L. Armentrout | BOOK REVIEW

* * * * *

I devoured this book. I love the characters, the world, the humour and the sexiness of this book. Jen has a brilliant way of crafting stories and I am absolutely obsessed. I’m already counting down the days until the next book.

Poppy continued to be a bad-ass inspiration. I loved the internal conflict she had throughout this book and her character development. She’s spent so many years being socialised to be the quiet, demure maiden and it was great to see her break out of that and grow her confidence. Her entire world-view has changed and I loved seeing her internal struggle to overcome her past and seize control of her own life.

Then we have Cas. I had mixed feelings of Cas by the end of From Blood and Ash but I am officially in love and 100% on board this ship. This book gave me the vulnerability I wanted from Cas, whilst also keeping the sexiness and the humour. I loved hearing about his past and seeing him confide in Poppy more and more.

Their relationship was brilliant to see develop, though at times, it felt like a long time coming. I liked that we learnt about Cas’ history with Shea. I also love that they’re heartmates! It made the marriage so much sweeter and I can’t wait for them to rule together forever (assuming we hopefully solve the Poppy-isn’t-immortal issue, that is). I’m also a little nervous because, in terms of the marriage imprint palm tattoo they have, it was mentioned that it fades when one of them dies and Poppy mentioned how sad a way that would be to find out your partner had died… sounds like horrifying foreshadowing to me…

From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout | BOOK REVIEW

 

* * * * *

I just finished a re-read of this masterpiece and I actually enjoyed it even more than the first time around! This book has super heavy and rich world-building and history that, during the first read, a lot of it went over my head and I kind of just cared about the romance. But, knowing what happens during the re-read, I let myself absorb more of the history and the world and things make a lot more sense now.

I want to start by talking about Poppy because… she’s absolutely awesome. I love how outspoken she is and that she’s not afraid to stand up for herself (and maybe get a little stab-happy…). I think Poppy is such a strong character- both physically and mentally- which is such a joy to read. She’s sassy, stubborn and empowering which is everything I love in a female character.

Hawke was the sexy love interest for this book and, while I do love him… I need a bit of redemption in the next book for me to be fully on board the ship. I love how funny and confident he is and I especially love how supportive he is of Poppy fighting- he doesn’t try to keep her away from the fight, he recognises how skilled she is and respects her need to protect herself. However… when the reveal dropped on us that he’s actually the Dark One, Casteel, it suddenly felt like I was reading a completely different character. I don’t mind that he’s flirtatious or cocky, but I hated how he seemed really unsympathetic to Poppy.

The Folk of the Air series by Holly Black | BOOK REVIEW

I have seen a huge amount of hype surrounding this series, especially on Bookstagram, and it sounded like exactly the sort of story that I would fall in love with. Fae. Fantasy. Arrogant but charming princes and an epic heroine. Sign me up. 

However, for me, this series fell short. It might've been because I had high expectations but I wasn't a fan. The characters weren't all that relatable or entertaining, though I do appreciate how complex they were. The romantic subplot was bizarre to me because it was the most toxic, unhealthy relationship and I couldn't even bring myself to ship them. The plot was intriguing and the plot twists and turns were probably the best part of this series but, overall, it wasn't my favourite. 

-spoiler warning-

THE CRUEL PRINCE

I have mixed feelings. I didn’t hate this book, but I didn’t love love it. There’s so much hype around this series so maybe my expectations were too high. Don’t get me wrong, I like this book, but it didn’t blow me away.

When it came to the plot, I really enjoyed it. The premise was interesting, the world intricate and I love how unpredictable it was. It was full of fun twists and gasp-worthy moments which was great. The climax was amazing, and I was gripped through the whole section of Balekin killing Dain and the rest of his siblings. I also thought the ending of Jude making Cardan High King and scheming for him to be under her control was awesome.

I think what generally didn’t make me give a higher rating was that I didn’t actually love any of the characters. Jude was okay and I thought her almost corrupt motivations for power was interesting but there was nothing about her that made me love her.

The Savior's Sister by Jenna Moreci | ARC BOOK REVIEW

* * * * *

Non-spoiler

I received an arc copy of this book from Jenna Moreci in exchange for an honest review. 

This book had me gripped from the very first page and, despite my love of The Savior's Champion, I preferred reading Leila's perspective (sorry, Tobias). As much as I love the action and bloodshed of Tobias' story, I can't help but love the political scheming, manipulation and clever manoeuvres that were weaved through Leila's story- it was like a game of chess whereas Tobias' side is more Hunger Games vibes. 

Plus, Leila is such an empowering character- she's intelligent, independent and also has a penchant for swift bloodshed which I absolutely loved. 

The side characters also captivated me- particularly Delphi and Pippa. Delphi was such a fierce and headstrong character in her own right and I also adored how comfortable and unapologetic she was of her sexuality. And Pippa... she's a sweetheart. She's that character that I wanted to roll up in a bubble-wrap and keep safe forever. Leila's relationship with her sisters (barring Cosima) was so lovely because this is how women should treat each other! We stan supportive and uplifting female friendships!

The Umbrella Academy Season 1 | REVIEW

* * * * *

I am officially obsessed with this show. It's nothing like I ever expected and I can't get enough. It's quirky and fun but mysterious and clever. It’s odd and wacky but addictive and fascinating.

This season was full of twists and turns, impeccable humour as well. 

The characters are truly what hold this show together and make it great. The show is full of weird and wonderful elements- time travel, magical powers, a chimpanzee, a robot mother- but the down-to-earth and complex characters are truly what make all of the other stuff believable.

We had such a broad range of characters and, what I loved most, was that they were all flawed! They all had complex drives and nuanced personalities. They all had troubled backgrounds, different experiences and fascinating motivations. We slowly unravelled their characters and what makes them tick throughout the span of the show.  

-spoiler warning-

I have no idea where to start. This season was packed full of so many plot threads and characters, it was almost too much for my brain to take.

Logically, I’ll start with Number One.