May 2018 – Playground of Randomness

Month: May 2018

25
May
2018

Fiction Friday: Book Review- Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo (Grisha Verse #2)

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Picking up shortly after the first book, Alina and Mal try to live a regular life away from Grisha magic and the problems that come along with it. However it isn’t long before they are discovered by the Darkling and his new team of monsters (Seriously that guy is like a damn roach. CAN HE NOT DIE?)
The Darkling still has plans for Alina and her magic. But Alina is not the girl she once was and will not go quietly. I loved how Alina’s character has developed. She is stronger and more sure of herself.
However, the more she tries to fight against the Darkling and his power to save Ravka, the more issues she seems to create between herself and Mal.
This book would make an excellent drinking game if you took a shot everytime Alina called “Mal”or everytime they had issues. I understand that they are still teens and angst is part of the YA world but COME ON! Can’t they be like Kaz and Inej and put their issues aside for a while? There is an entire world at stake.
I feel like at this point I am just tolerating them just so I can find out what happens to the Grisha. I ship Grisha. Mal and Alina can go be fed to the Darkling’s monsters.
That being said, the ending of this book blew me away and I had to get the next one immediately. Mal and Alina have one more book to stop getting on my nerves with their teenage relationship issues.

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18
May
2018

Fiction Friday: Book Review- Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows #2) by Leigh Bardugo

categories: Books, Reviews

Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Picking up shortly after “Six of Crows”, “Crooked Kingdom” follows Kaz and his gang as they plan their revenge after being double-crossed. Kaz wants his money and he wants his Wraith back. This is both personal and business. But while Kaz and the team are trying to stay alive, avoid the police and save Inej, Ketterdam is overrun with foreigners hoping to cash in on jurda parem in some way. There is also a new threat to Grishas (because when it rains, it pours) everywhere- a new type of being hunting the Grisha.
I felt like this book had a slower pace than “Six of Crows” but I enjoyed how this book showed that even the great Kaz Brekker makes mistakes and can be caught in his own traps. After finishing this book, I was left heart-broken and desperately needed more. After binge-reading this series it was impossible to think that I would no longer wake up and go to work while listening to this story. I needed to know more about these characters and their lives. What were their childhoods like? When would I see them again? What were they doing at this exact moment? Are they okay? I developed a very unhealthy attachment to this world and I love it. This was a compelling read and I loved the many plot twists and turns. I can’t wait to read the other books set in the Grishaverse.

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11
May
2018

Fiction Friday: Book Review- Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

categories: Books, Reviews

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Six of Crows follows dirty hands Kaz Breker as he tries to assemble a crew to do the impossible – break into one of the most heavily guarded prisons and kidnap a prisoner.
His team consists of a gambling sharpshooter, a heart render and the man who wants to kill her, a girl who specializes in secrets and a privileged youth.
If they don’t get killed, this job will leave them rich and able to achieve their wildest dreams. Of course the tensions between them mean that they will have to learn to work together first.
Compelling, well-written with incredible world building this book was such an adventure. The characters are funny and colourful. The plot was surprising and suspenseful. There were crazy twists around every corner which I loved! After finishing this, I had to get the next book immediately. This book is definitely worth all its hype.

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10
May
2018

Book Review- The Wren Hunt by Mary Watson

categories: Books, Reviews

The Wren Hunt by Mary Watson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review and I loved it so very very much. There are no words to express how delightful I found this book but I will try.
Wren is an augur- she sees patterns that predict the future. But the augurs powers are slowly draining away. In order to save her family, Wren takes an internship with the mysterious and powerful judge Cassa Harkness. Wren’s real job is to be a spy and report anything that could help the augurs win against the judges. It also involves Wren spending constant time in the presence of the boys who chase and humiliate her as part of a “game”.
From the very start of this book I was just as terrified of these boys as Wren was. They are bullies who think nothing of using physical violence to get their way.
This was a well-written book with flawless world-building and many twist and turns. The day that I received this book, I had previously seen it all over my social media feeds and for good reason. This is a pretty unique read and I would love to read more. Because of what I had heard about this book, I made a game out of guessing the plot and while I was pretty close, this book still managed to throw me for a loop which was so fun! Definitely read this if you’re a fan of fantasy fiction. THIS BOOK IS GOLD!!!

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08
May
2018

Fiction Friday: Book Review- Shadow and Bone (Grisha Verse #1) by Leigh Bardugo

categories: Books, Reviews

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ravka is divided by a creepy place of darkness called the Shadow Fold. The Shadow Fold is crawling with bloodthirsty creatures such as the volcra who eat humans. Plain Jane (and utterly boring) Alina Starkov crosses the Fold with her regiment and is attacked. Several people die but when her best friend is attacked, Alina manages to save him wiith a mysterious power she didn’t even know she had. (Can you tell how skeptical I am about Alina? Because I am really trying to hide it. She’s a sweet girl. Just very boring. And not smart. Anyway…)
Alina is sent to train as a member of the Grisha- a group of people with special powers. However, Alina isn’t just any Grisha. She is one of her kind and incredibly power. And her power could save Ravka.
This is all incredibly cliche but let’s go with it (you’ll see why in a minute). As Alina adjusts to her new life as a Grisha, she discovers that nothing is as it seems in her new home.
This was a great read but I didn’t think that the ending was much of an ending. It just felt kind of incomplete. It was like the story was pausing when I desperately needed more (thankfully I had the next book already). Definitely DO NOT read this unless you have the entire series. I’m currently dragging myself through the second book because I don’t want to finish it without having the last one with me.
This was a well-written book with an intriguing plot. Alina annoyed me with her obsession with Mal and their love story seems forced to me (I support another ship) but I’m hoping she’ll grow out of it with time.

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