fantasy adventure
The Great Hunt by Wendy Higgins
Book Description:
“Aerity…” Her father paused as if the words he was forming pained him. “I must ask you to sacrifice the promise of love for the sake of our kingdom.”
She could only stare back, frozen.
When a strange beast terrorizes the kingdom of Lochlanach, fear stirs revolt. In an act of desperation, a proclamation is sent to all of Eurona—kill the creature and win the ultimate prize: the daughter of King Lochson’s hand in marriage.
Princess Aerity knows her duty to the kingdom but cannot bear the idea of marrying a stranger…until a brooding local hunter, Paxton Seabolt, catches her attention. There’s no denying the unspoken lure between them…or his mysterious resentment.
Paxton is not the marrying type. Nor does he care much for spoiled royals and their arcane laws. He’s determined to keep his focus on the task at hand—ridding the kingdom of the beast—but the princess continues to surprise him, and the perilous secrets he’s buried begin to surface.
Inspired by the Grimm Brothers’ tale “The Singing Bone,” New York Times bestselling author Wendy Higgins delivers a dark fantasy filled with rugged hunters, romantic tension, and a princess willing to risk all to save her kingdom.
My Rating: 4.5/5
**I would like to start off by saying that I received The Great Hunt by Wendy Higgins for free via Epic Reads in exchange for a review. Although I am super grateful and excited for any opportunity at receiving a book for free, I am also very strict with being honest. That being said, giveaways do not impact my reviews.**
THIS BOOK! I LOVE the old century fantasy kingdom theme going on here! These are my type of books!
Now, I am reviewing this as a person who has NOT read The Singing Bone by The Grimm Brothers for which this story is based off of, so I have nothing to compare (although I think I’d like to read it now eventually…)
I only have one bad thing to say about this book. I really disliked the “flirting” scenes between Princess Aerity and Paxton. It was not only painfully awkward, but besides his good looks, I have no idea what Aerity sees in him. Every other part of this book was written well but it seems when it comes to romance, this is not this author’s calling. I had high hopes that Paxton was going to be a new fictional boyfriend for me but between his horrible flirting and his cold demeanor, I was left with nothing to desire.
Other than that, there’s action, there’s adventure and there’s lots to be questioned!
Beside the actual story, I love that this author lives on the eastern shore of VA – cause that’s exactly where I live! Maybe she even stops by my book store… if not she should, I’ll buy her a coffee for writing such a good book ^_^
If you’re into basic fairy tale/old century type stories, you need to grab this one! I am SO stoked that I unexpectedly won this book and very happy with my decision to drop everything and read it. I can NOT wait for book 2!
Happy Reading! xo
Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas **WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD**
![IMG_7475[1]](https://thenerdybookmark.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/img_74751.png?w=705)
Book Description:
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.
My Rating: 5/5
AHHHH! I HATE reading unfinished series! I NEED to know what’s going to happen next!
- What’s going on with this war?
- How does Aelin handle her new position?
- How does Dorian handle his new position?
- How does everyone adjust to their new beginnings especially with this war a brewin?!
And the witches! Manon getting…. feelings? I mean, yeah we’ve seen glimpses of it through out but now she almost resembles a human!
This book definitely made me appreciate Heir of Fire a lot more. With everything it built up to, wow, just wow.
I wasn’t sure I liked where the story was turning and how it has changed so much and now I am so glad it did. It’s more action packed, more suspenseful, less childish more adult through their experiences. If you want a book with great character development, look no further! Each character changes, grows in ways you don’t expect, it’s amazing.
I need to address some scenes:
Happy scene: I’m so so so so soooo happy Rowan came back. I mean, that bath scene with Aelin and Rowan, meow ;] I wasn’t a huge fan of him in the beginning but now he is complete and utter SWOONworthy. That sexy, sexy man. And if him and Aelin don’t do it within the first half of the next book, I’m going to explode. The sexual frustration is killing meeee!
Pg 525:
![IMG_7494[1]](https://thenerdybookmark.files.wordpress.com/2016/03/img_74941.jpg?w=705)
Ermergerdddd…. is it getting hot in here or what?…
Sad scene: When Aelin visits Sams grave and confesses her self to him – ughhh, pull on my heart strings why don’t you! So sad but so sweet and heart warming .. and did I mention sad?!
Shocking scene: Aelin helping Manon – I mean they were fighting to the death and Manon is about to die and Aelin saves her – what?! At first I was pissed, I was all, “LET THE BITCH DIE! WASN’T THAT THE POINT?!” but later when Aelin fully reveals her reason behind helping Manon avoid falling to her death, it made sense and dare I say it was quite noble of her!
Brutal scene: Chaol and Aelin walk up to the castle and all of Chaol’s mean are spiked outside the castle, mauled, tortured. INSANE!
I love all of the elements this series brings. From the raw emotions, to the brutality, to the excitement and the giddyness, these books have it all.
2016 February Wrap Up
Another bad reading month -_-
Not to make excuses or anything, BUT I have been super busy between everyday life things such as taking care of the household/working to the many, many extras this month such as my husband re-enlisting in the military! Then this past week, I’ve been battling with my neck everyday and today it was mega dick. I woke up and thought, “IS THIS REAL LIFE?!”.. I couldn’t move my neck, argh, so much painnnnn! So needless to say, it’s the first day of March and I haven’t even touched a book yet. STARTING OFF THE MONTH STRONG GAIZ! Hopefully I can read a bit tonight, the pain meds have kicked in and I’ve been trying to be as active as possible around the house to keep my muscle from tensing. Then later, muscle relaxers. I expect much of you my little white, roundy friend.
Maybe I’ll start another book – the one I’m currently reading is boring me. But I also want to just finish it to get it out of the way. The struggle.
Total Books = 4
Average Rating = 3.5
1.) Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas – 4/5
2.) The Painted Lady by Amanda Moncrefe – 0/5
3.) Galadria: Peter Huddleston and the Rites of Passage by Miguel Lopez de Leon – 5/5
4.) Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas – 5/5
Minus the one st00pid book, this was a great month for good books! Hope you guys did better than moi!
Happy Reading! xo
2016 February Bookhaul
Total Price = $13.62
Barnes and Noble – $7.50
1.) Doctor Who The Encyclopedia by Gary Russel; paperback
Thrift Store – $6.12
1.) The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan; hardcover
2.) Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling; paperback
3.) The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald; paperback
4.) The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson; paperback
1.) Emotions by Arnulfo Cantarero; paperback: A special thanks to the author, Arnulfo Cantarero, for sending this my way! Please check him out on Goodreads!
2.) Galadria: Peter Huddleston and the Rites of Passage by Miguel Lopez de Leon; paperback (via Goodreads giveaway)
3.) Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling; paperback (special thanks to @thebookelves Instagram giveaway)
4.) Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs; paperback: (special thanks to @thebookelves Instagram giveaway)
5.) Orchards by ; paperback: (special thanks to @thebookelves Instagram giveaway)
6.) Delirium by Lauren Oliver; paperback: (special thanks to @thebookelves Instagram giveaway)
7.) Unwind by ; paperback (special thanks to @thebookelves Instagram giveaway)
8.) Galadria: Peter Huddleston & The Mists of the Three Lakes by Miguel Lopez de Leon; paperback: (A special thanks to the author, Miguel Lopez de Leon, for sending this my way! Please check him out on Goodreads!)
9.) Galadria: Peter Huddleston & The Knights of the Leaf by Miguel Lopez de Leon; paperback: (A special thanks to the author, Miguel Lopez de Leon, for sending this my way! Please check him out on Goodreads!)
10.) Atlantia by Ally Condie; hardcover: (special thanks to @author_jenniferparr Instagram giveaway)
1.) America’s First Daughter by Stephanie Dray & Laura Kamoie; paperback
Not a bad month guys, not a bad month…
Galadria: Peter Huddleston & The Rites of Passage by Miguel Lopez de Leon
Book Description:
The GALADRIA trilogy is about Peter Huddleston, a lonely boy who discovers that he is the heir to the throne of the amazing golden realm of GALADRIA! Armed with his trusty boomerang, an assortment of magical trinkets, and his friendly white tiger, Rune, Peter charges into dangerous and magical adventures in this action packed series! Filled with watermelon sized ladybugs, ancient oracles, enchanted weapons, water dwelling monsters, a 3000 room manor, and a troop of lovable, kooky characters, the GALADRIA series is an exciting collection you’ll cherish!
My Rating: 4/5
**I would like to start off by saying that I received Galadria: Peter Huddleston & The Rites of Passage by Miguel Lopez de Leon for free via Goodreads giveaway in exchange for a review. Although I am super grateful and excited for any opportunity at receiving a book for free, I am also very strict with being honest. That being said, giveaways do not impact my reviews.**
This book is so cute and fun! I entered this giveaway several times and was excited to find out I had finally won!
It’s a super quick read, only 159 pages long and I would definitely classify it as a middle grade read. It’s a pretty basic concept story but with it’s own fun twists! Each character has their own huge, identifying personality, different from the others which makes it a memorable, quite silly at times, read. But don’t let that fool you – there’s also some eeriness lurking along with a great battle 😀
For us older people, this is a great breaking book (in between reads) to just relax and enjoy the ride! For the younger, this would be more than a ride but an experience. I would definitely recommend this for people who want an easy read with whimsical characters full of adventures around every corner with a touch of magic!
I really hope to one day get my hands on the 2nd book so I can continue following Peter and see what he does with Galadria :]
Happy Reading! xo
Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas
Book Description:
She was the heir of ash and fire, and she would bow to no one.
Meanwhile, brutal and monstrous forces are gathering on the horizon, intent on enslaving her world. To defeat them, Celaena must find the strength to not only fight her inner demons but to battle the evil that is about to be unleashed.
My Rating: 4/5
I don’t know what happened with Heir of Fire or how it has the highest rating out of all of the books so far. This book is definitely slower than the others – starts slow, continues slow, ends … well it actually ends really good *snicker snicker*. There were maybe 2-3 scenes that could be classified as “exciting” but nothing at all like the novellas or the first 2 books. I thought the book started to pick up around pg. 160, but it did not. It faltered. Even if it did pick up and soar, that’s still an unusual start for a Sarah J. Maas book!
Besides it being a suuuuper slow read, the story takes a different turn, different environment completely which took me a while to adjust to. If the witches were from the get go, I might’ve enjoyed it more or if they were in their own story altogether, I just do not like them in this series. It felt awkward. I’m still confused by it!
I don’t have much to say about Heir of Fire because….well….there wasn’t much going on. I still enjoyed reading it though. It wasn’t TERRIBLE, it just wasn’t the same.
Conclusion: Sluggishly Slow But Good.
Happy Reading! xo
2016 January Wrap Up
Total Books = 5
Average Rating = 4
What a month full of Mrs. Sarah J. Maas! But she is queen so clearly it was a great month for Ashley 😀
With that being said, here’s my finished reads for the month of January:
1.) The Assassin’s Blade by Sarah J. Maas – 5/5
2.) Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas – 5/5
3.) Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas – 5/5
4.) The Adventures of Miss Petitfour by Anne Michaels – 3/5
5.) The Truth by Jeffry W. Johnston – 3/5
Hope you guys have a safe and wonderful month full of reading!
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
Book Description:
“Nothing is a coincidence. Everything has a purpose. You were meant to come to this castle, just as you were meant to be an assassin.”
When magic has gone from the world, and a vicious king rules from his throne of glass, an assassin comes to the castle. She does not come to kill, but to win her freedom. If she can defeat twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition to find the greatest assassin in the land, she will become the King’s Champion and be released from prison.
Her name is Celaena Sardothien.
The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her.
And a princess from a foreign land will become the one thing Celaena never thought she’d have again: a friend.
But something evil dwells in the castle – and it’s there to kill. When her competitors start dying, horribly, one by one, Celaena’s fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival – and a desperate quest to root out the source of the eveil before it destroys her world.
My Rating: 5/5
Brave, brave, brave Celaena!! She’s so strong, I’m so proud of her!
In case you haven’t noticed, Celaena is my fictional bff.
ALSO – THESE COVERS I WILL NEVER GET OVER!! No matter how many times I see them, I just want to rub my face all over them, they’re so pwetty!!
I find this book a little difficult to talk about because it’s basically the build up to what happens at the end. We meet people, we watch Celaena retrain and go through these tests (which I actually thought would be a little more difficult than they were but whateves) and we watch her go back and forth through these beautiful men (TEAM CHAOL FTW).
I stand behind what I said through The Assassin’s Blade, if you can, READ IT BEFORE THRONE OF GLASS!!
I already know that this is going to be a favorite series of mine. Personally, I enjoyed The Assassin’s Blade a little better, but that in no way makes this book any less than a 5/5…. if that makes any sense… heh.. heh…
Short, sweet and to the point. READ THIS BEWK!
Happy Reading! xo
The Assassin’s Blade by Sarah J. Maas
Book Description:
Celaena Sardothien is Adarlan’s most feared assassin. As part of the Assassin’s Guild, her allegiance is to her master, Arobynn Hamel, yet Celaena listens to no one and trusts only her fellow killer-for-hire, Sam. In these action-packed novellas – together in one edition for the first time – Celaena embarks on five daring missions. They take her from remote islands to hostile deserts, where she fights to liberate slaves and seeks to avenge the tyrannous. But she is acting against Arobynn’s orders and could suffer an unimaginable punishment for such treachery. Will Celaena ever be truly free? Explore the dark underworld of this kick-ass heroine to find out.
My Rating: 5/5
Wow… just… wow! And to think these are only the novellas!
I feel a little sorry for anyone who wasn’t able to start off with this in the series (which, obviously, I chose to and not fro). Not that it’s a terrible thing to read it by release date, I just can’t imagine you’ll have the same mind blowing experiences I had! Reading it later on and not FIRST will definitely spoil a lot of great events. Still readable though.
If this is just a glimpse of what’s to come, I can’t wait. I’ve already jumped in to Throne of Glass. So far, these books are living up to the hype!
The love for books Celaena has is all too relatable:
I really hope in the future we run in to Ansel again. I really adored the relationship her and Celaena had! Of course you can imagine I was crushed when she was betrayed (in her own friendly kind of way) but at the same time, like Celaena, I can’t put that arrow through her neck. I’m rooting for you Ansel! Turn your life around and do the right thing! ILOVEYOU!!!!
On to Mr. Sammy Sam Sam. I didn’t really quite get him at first. I could easily put him off to the side. He did nothing for me… but as his relationship with Celaena grew, my relationship with him grew as well and I am in UTTER shock at what happened to him. I won’t give away spoilers for those who haven’t read this series yet because it is a good one to not know about. As sad as I was for this, thank you Sarah, for not being a baby and doing what you did. Respect.
This book was interesting in the fact that it was an upward slope to jaw dropping greatness! Just when you think you read the best novella out of the book, the next one greets you with a slap across the face saying, “NO BITCH, IT GETS BETTER STILL!”
And do I need to point out the cover? SWOOOOOON!!
Please please please, if you have not started this series and are wondering whether or not to start with The Assassin’s Blade, do yourself a favor – START HERE!
The Ice Dragon by George R. R. Martin
Book Description:
In the world of A Song of Ice and Fire the ice dragon was a creature of legend and fear, for no man had ever tamed one. When it flew overhead, it left in its wake desolate cold and frozen land. But Adara was not afraid. For Adara was a winter child, born during the worst freeze that anyone, even the Old Ones, could remember.
Adara could not remember the first time she had seen the ice dragon. It seemed that it had always been in her life, glimpsed from afar as she played in the frigid snow long after the other children had fled the cold. In her fourth year she touched it, and in her fifth year she rode upon its broad, chilled back for the first time. Then, in her seventh year, on a calm summer day, fiery dragons from the North swooped down upon the peaceful farm that was Adara’s home. And only a winter child—and the ice dragon who loved her—could save her world from utter destruction.
My Rating: 4/5
Beautifully done! There’s not much to say about this short story. The illustrations are gorgeous, the story is lightly impactful. I would have devoured this when I was younger. This is a great fast read for adults as well. I read this to break from my “series” binge before I dive into finishing off another and it was perfect for that. Definitely recommend it to children as well as adults who are either fans of George R. R. Martin (because there are definitely pieces of him in here that you may already know and love) or fans of fantasy!
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