Beautiful, Fierce, Heartbreaking Fantasy
348327
It was a joy to read my first fantasy novel that broke with the medieval European trappings and unfolded in post-technological, magical Sudan. There are difficult, brutal issues that reflect today's world, and the heroine, Onyesonwu, is an unforgettable force of nature. The usual fantasy tropes are present -- sins of the father, magical apprenticeship, a grand destiny, prophecies fulfilled in unexpected ways -- but they're given new clothes and orthogonal turns, making this book feel both recognizable and new. The ending was mysterious, a bit too much so, for my tastes. I would have loved to have understood more about how the Great Book shaped the world or was shaped by it -- I didn't have a good sense that Onyesonwu had figured out the solution, or if fate was just carrying her along.
1198718
I have never read a book by Naomi Novik. I am not one for spoilers or giving away information, but I will say that this book hooked me early on, and carried me through a fascinating and earthy-magical read, that left me crying when it was over. It was one of those books where you rush along, and then find yourself dragging your feet in the last fifty pages, not wishing it to end.
It is a beautiful take on magic, and very feminine and strong in perspective. I am grateful to have read it, and I'm now at a complete loss as to what to read next that will be so wonderful.
3791220
This series is an absolute gem of the sorcery/epic fantasy genres. From the very first volume, Born to Magic, I fell in love with the world of Navaeh. I was enchanted by Areenna's newfound magical powers, and the host of creatures presented in this fantastical world, their names often similar to the ones of animals in our world, yet sounding deliciously exotic. Areenna fights alongside her handsome prince, Mikael. He has his own magical powers to offer in the struggle against the dark masters who threaten to annihilate their world. Evil has never been more chilling than it's depicted in this world, yet love grows strong in the heart of good people. Their love for country, family and friends bind them together against the threat of extinction. A host of interesting, well-crafted characters surround the two protagonists and the battles between good and evil are epic, breathtaking. David Wind has created a masterpiece in this series, his writing here better than ever. I highly recommend The Tales of Navaeh as the perfect way to escape to a unique world of magic and wonder through Wind's masterful storytelling (I received a free copy in return for an honest review).
1918363
Assassins Fate is a heartbreaking and worthy conclusion to one of the best Fantasy series out there. It is an emotional and complex tale of friendship, love, and betrayal, bringing back all of our favorite characters and delivering a story that is both powerful and absolutely captivating.

Robin Hobb has been dazzling readers for over twenty years now with her writing. She has a gift when it comes to creating layered characters and making them suffer, as well as developing intricate plots that grasp your imagination. This novel has all of that and more. It is profound, touching, and painful in the best of ways.

Ill try my best to string sentences together, but I am having a hard time gathering my thoughts. I found out about the Reamls rather late  September 2015, according to Goodreads. I fell deeply in love with Fitz, Fool, and the other characters, going through all 14 books in a little over two weeks. So while I haven't been waiting as long for the end as some readers, I was both excited about Assassins Fate, and dreading having it in my hands. I actually cried a bit when I got accepted for the ARC. :P

There are really no words to describe how incredible this book is. It brings back so many characters weve gotten to know and love throughout the series, all fitting and fighting together. The book is told mostly from the POVs of Fitz and Bee, as each of them continue on from the previous installment. Even in this conclusion, there is a lot of character development, as our favorites face their final obstacles and struggle to protect what they hold dear.

The rich world-building is also another highlight. Hobb has created an unique universe that is fascinating, and in this novel we get even more of it. There are more details, secrets are revealed, questions answered. It is so satisfying to learn about things weve long wanted answered, especially with the way they fit together with and impact the rest of the plot.

I am so so so sad to see this series come to an end, but everything is so well-written and well-executed that I cant even be mad, haha. All the pieces fall to form a perfect, if bittersweet, ending. The story ends as I expected it to end, and it brought tears to my eyes. Fitz and the Fool broke my heart, but they got the beautiful conclusion they deserved.

Assassins Fate is everything I hoped for this series. Hobb delivers a story rich in characters and world-building, with a well-developed plot, lots of twists and turns, and action. It has its heartbreaking moments, but it also has its sweet ones. I loved every single moment of it, and I will always hold this series close to my heart.
1368490
Gorgeous writing, lovely world building with distinctive characters
3553594
Laini Taylor manages to weave a tale of beauty, filled with creatures from high fantasy, or maybe what we may imagine could be found in the bowels of hell (monsters), as well as the angels we may imagine from heaven, until we get to know them a bit better...  It's impossible to take sides in this fight, is either right?  Are both wrong?  Hard to say.
We are kept guessing from the beginning, what, or who, is Karou?  Not only that, but what are the teeth for?  Why does Karou have eye tattoos on her hands?  And oh, so many other questions kept me flying through this one.  This story managed to feel completely unique while still bringing in elements we may be more familiar with in YA of today.  Laini's writing is full of beautiful and vivid descriptions and she weaves a tale of beauty.  Never knowing what could happen next and just waiting for the next twist to happen, this is a story of family, of love, of hate, compassion and confusion.
As with Laini's other works, her words flow like poetry and characters are vividly drawn.  I don't think there's a person alive who could compare with Laini's writing.  It's just a beauty all it's own.

I loved so much in this book it's hard to know where to begin.  Karou is fabulous and I connected with her immediately.  She doesn't know much of anything so as things are revealed to her about things, they are revealed to us.  The things she thinks and does make sense.  Only one time in the book was I screaming 'no' at her and that was something I wanted to find out more as well.  So I was afraid, but curious.  So maybe more of a half hearted no?
The romance in this book is done in a way that I would think I wouldn't care for it if I heard that it would be like that.  But it worked.  And in the end, it really worked.  I mean, there was a reason the two of them were so drawn to each other immediately.  You just have to trust that things are meant to be.
Towards the end of the book we suddenly start seeing some back story and while in third person (like the rest of the book) we are put in a different time.  It's very important to the story but I was anxious to get back to Karou.  I wanted to know all that information, but faster.  But to be honest, the way it was done was probably perfect.  I mean, I couldn't have put the book down at that point if I had to!  And it was like puzzle pieces suddenly snapping into place.  And even though we are thrust into a different time and situation it wasn't really a 'thrust'.  It was done so smoothly that it didn't really confuse me or upset the balance of the book.
The ending... oh crap.  What a freaking ending!  Laini, you bad bad girl!  I will die, surely die, of needing more, like right freaking now!  Quite the cliff hanger folks!  Yes, we get the answers we need from this book, but then a bomb is dropped that opens up to more.  And what a bomb!  Man, it's torture.  Pure torture.
I recommend this book to everyone.  Seriously.  This is going to hold great crossover appeal to adults and while maybe a bit heavy for the younger crowd (middle graders) I wouldn't say there's a lot of inappropriate content (not that I'm remembering anyway...).  I think I loved this one best out of all of Laini's books, though I love her others as well and highly recommend!

Disclosure: I received an advance copy of this book free of charge through amazon vine for review purposes.  All opinions expressed are my own and I was not paid or influenced in any way.
4297652
The thing I'm saddest about with this book is that I can't send it back in time to my younger self because I would've gone <I>nuts</I> for this when I was plowing through every single fantasy book I could find - almost none of which were about girls having adventures.

It's a small sadness, because my very much adult self was delighted by the whole story - though particularly the latter half, in which our young hero does a lot of growing up and her perspective shifts in really rewarding ways.

I was also delighted by the surprise of additional vignettes after the story drew to a close. These added fascinating (and deeply poignant) layers to everything that had come before, and I'm really glad that they were included in the volume I bought.
2937150
Heart of the Winterland is an excellent fantasy story with strong fairy tale themes. I particularly enjoyed the way Kristen wrote two stories within one novel, with the events of two hundred years prior to the central story composing their own compelling narrative.

Calisandra, a princess of a kingdom frozen in ice, begins to awake from the spell that has held the kingdom in stasis on her two hundredth birthday. With her trusty companion Voice, she ventures out to discover what lies beyond the castle where magic has held her for all of her life. Along the way she discovers friendship, loss, and heartbreak, as the world beyond is revealed to be much more dangerous than the books she has spent her life reading.

I loved the world building and backstory to the world Kristen has created in Heart of the Winterland. A strong debut novel, I am looking forward to many more in the future!
331641
I felt like I had to mentally prepare myself before delving into the epic fantasy that is Falling Kingdoms. As you can clearly tell from the blurb, there are a lot of characters, each with their own agenda that at times intersect. I knew this wasn't a book I could sit down and finish in an afternoon; I knew I would have to think when I read this. Falling Kingdoms isn't a spectator book--you cannot sit idly by and enjoy the scenery. Morgan Rhodes crafts such an intricate tale that you must be prepared to fully surrender yourself to her world.

And I feel so much richer for doing just that.

This book is so grand and large, I'm sort of at a loss for where to start. Let's begin with the writing:

Rhodes is a genius. Her world building skill are phenomenal. She created not only a fantasy world, full of magic and folklore, but also her own countries. She created back stories and histories for these countries, but never once did I feel like I was being preached at. She has perfected the art of revealing through storytelling. Her settings are lush and rich, making me feel like I was walking through the barren lands of Limeros or the meadows of Auranos.

But the characters are what drive this story. These complicated, emotional, and brilliant characters that bring the story to life. Usually when given several prominent characters who each get a turn telling "their" story by alternating chapters (but not alternating POV's--this one is solely third person, thank God), I find myself attached more to one character than the others, so I will occasionally skip ahead to get to the parts I care about. Not true at all with this story. I loved Cleo's spirit, Jonas's determination, Lucia's innocence, and Magnus's brooding equally.

I'm not a girl who goes out of her way to read fantasy. I tried reading Game of Thrones when the show came out and found myself hopelessly lost by the third chapter. Same with Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind (again, loved the tv show Legend of the Seeker), but once more found myself confused and overwhelmed. But there is something magical about Falling Kingdoms that sucked me in. I could have spent another month immersed in this world and not tire of it.

If you're a fan of fantasy, even in the smallest measure, this is your book. If you're like me--somewhat intimidated by fantasy and the sweeping magnitude of it, this is also your book. Falling Kingdoms is a book that I can easily see wowing a variety of audiences and readers for years to come.
4219872
This is one of the most amazing series of books I have ever read. It is beautiful and bold and heartwrenchingly, terribly true and honest in every awful way that it describes heartbreak and bravery and sacrifice and loss. This book speaks to me, shouts to the very core of my being, even when it is almost physically painful to keep reading. Victoria, wherever you are, whatever you're doing, I applaud you for being able to do something no one else can. To show us what it is like to be human in a very short time, your only tools, the pen you use and the words you write. Thank you for writing this book that keeps you wanting to slam it shut and never look at it again, but at the same time, yearning for more, wanting to keep reading so much it hurts.
4929825
Split is emotional, raw, and narrated by one of the more realistic voices I've come across lately.

Split is stunning. Each character, from our narrator Jace to his brother Christian, are all unique and realistic. Jace's voice is especially spot-on, and so real. He's charming, athletic, guilt-ridden and complicated. In comparison to Jace, the other characters don't shine quite as much. The abuse aspect of this story is very heartbreaking, because it's just so complex. It's bitter, honest, and extremely frightening. There's one scene in particular that had me cringing at the mere thought of it happening. It's difficult to read, to imagine, and it's scary because this does happen in life. But it's Jace's secrets that were some of the hardest to learn.

It's difficult to say much about this story (without giving anything away), except to say that you should read Split if you haven't already. Split will move you and give you something important to think about.

HIGHLIGHTS: Avasthi dives into a difficult story with ease. Her writing flows effortlessly, her narrator is realistic, and the story is impossible to pull away from. The first chapter, even the first line, hooked me. The bonds of family were interesting too, at just how much pain people can let others cause them because they love them. It's sad that the saying "you hurt the one's you love" is so very true.

LOWLIGHTS: I would have loved to see more of the side characters, like Mirriam and Dakota. Or at least a bit more depth to them.
2392101
Naomi Novik won the 2016 Nebula Award for this beautifully told fantasy, rooted in fairy tales. The heroine is courageous, compassionate, and messy. The evil she confronts is ancient and terrible. There are many times when the tale turns away from the usual fantasy road to one less-traveled. I both admired and enjoyed the book. I note, however, that I was able to set it down for three days without that sense of desperation that I get when a story has laid its claws into me. I liked this very much, but I didn't quite love it.
1429002
Embers is an amazing literary journey through the fiery realm of Abiassa. A princess dares to take fate into her hands when she transfers her health and fire-harnessing powers to her crippled brother, the rightful heir, in the hopes he can be the one to battle their kingdom's greatest enemy. But Princess Kaelyria's sacrifice comes at a high price as the Fire King charges Prince Haegan with high treason. Haegan must flee his father's wrath and find a way to save his sister before Poired Dyrth declares war on the entire realm and sealing the fate of all in it.

This is Ronie Kendig's first book in the genre and she masterfully threads a story full of sacrifice, hope, promise, suspense, romance, mystery, and magic, in a way I've not yet read before. This story invites you into a world full of delightful characters who come to life the minute you start reading and travel with them on a mission to help (or hinder) Prince Haegan.

I highly recommend this novel for anyone new to the speculative/fantasy fiction genre. This story will satisfy the fans of this genre and will rival the best authors currently in this market. Ms. Kendig's shaped a story that will resonate with the reader long after the last page and will leave you in nail-biting anticipation for what's coming next.
1668939
I found this book on a recommended LGBTQIA+ booklist, and I was absolutely enthralled with it. The writing was beautiful, the action sequences were heart-stopping, and the villain was the WORST kind, unspeakably evil. The romance in this book was heartbreaking and it had me hooked from the very beginning. This book used some of my favorite tropes (mainly the separation of the love interests for a long period of time and Oh My God The Pain, followed by the inevitable shaky reunion) and I loved all the characters. I could feel my heart crying and I could feel my heart being torn out of my chest at certain parts. But I'm just dramatic. But I also love this book to pieces. It is so good. I also love it because literally no one is straight except like 2 people, they actually ACKNOWLEDGE THE MAIN CHARACTERS BISEXUALITY (AMAZING) and they say during one point that all the werewolves identify as fluid. It's just gorgeous. Beautiful. 10/10 would read again
3461827
This isn't my usual choice of read as I generally prefer urban fantasy but I looked at one of the prequel stories that Helen Scheuerer released prior to Heart of Mist and it was so well written and the character voice so strong, that I was really looking forward to reading the full book on its release. And it did not disappoint!

Descent
The beginning is gritty, visceral and emotionally-raw. Bleaks gut clenched as she vomited onto the dirt that spun before her. We meet MC, Bleak, struggling to live with the magic she has, or her condition as she terms it, early on. We quickly learn that Bleaks condition means that she can hear peoples thoughts. And, despite her defensive and surly manner, her drinking and pick-pocketing, we quickly come to empathise with her.
There is brilliant exposition and characterisation woven through the story as skilfully as Bleak ties her fishermans knots!
The regions of the world are wonderfully introduced in such ways as the goods throughout the market and in the descriptions of the soldiers early on in the narrative. There is a lot of world-building, with lots of names, history, and religion to get to grips with but all this is interspersed extremely well throughout the narrative.

Depth
I thought the characters were all very well fleshed out. Particularly Fiore and Swinton. Bleak is rescued by Henri, a proud warrior and queen of the Vallians. These people are a warrior clan that live in the forest and have a strong matriarchal society. A fifth of the book in, were introduced to Dash, who lives in the main city in Angovia. As the story progresses, it becomes apparent how much the Ashai, (people with magic) still exist in the populace. I got really into the narrative from Bleaks point of view and struggled a little with the shift to Dash. I think this is a personal preference though as I tend to like stories narrated from one or two viewpoints. Still, I was very invested with Bleak, Swinton (captain of the guard) and Henri (warrior queen) as all of these characters were involved early on with Bleak. I felt the shift to Dashs narration (although understandable for developing the wider world) detracted a little from the immediacy of the story.
After Bleak's defensiveness, her surliness, her closing herself off for so long, I would have liked more to pass/happen between her and Bren when he found out the enormous secret she had kept all her life from him. It was true to character for bleak but it was annoying how she did just walk away. Theres a fantastically gory scene three-quarters of the way in when Bleak comes into her magic in a way we haven't seen. All the anger and pain shes been keeping at bay seeps out and the events definitely linger with you.

Ascent
I was very eager to see what happened to Bleak by the end of the book. There is plenty left open-ended and I will definitely be purchasing a copy of the next book in The Oremere Chronicles.
4603240
Such a strong finish to an imaginative fantasy series. The ending wasn't quite what I was expecting, but it still brought me to tears. This is what YA fantasy should aspire to, and I hope in a few years my daughters will treasure this series as much as I do. Alina, Mal, Nikolai, and even the Darkling are unforgettable characters.
3208126
Dragonswood is a dark alluring powerfully epic high fantasy filled with wonderfully delicious hidden secrets, intrigue, and enchanting mystical realms that will leave readers breathless. From the start, it is deeply compelling and masterfully written, filled with wonderfully developed characters and dangerous action-packed trials facing them. Carey exudes stunning world building skills and introduces a unique spin on fulfilled prophecies. It is a lively mystical tale unlike any other that has come before it. Vastly fascinating and cleverly suspenseful, with the perfect harmonious blend of paranormal and fantasy.

Tess, the heroine, finds herself at a cross roads with fate and faces the question of how to shoulder the destiny that lies ahead of her and how to survive the outcome that may befall. The world surrounding Tess visions becomes desperate, as they keep showing a mysterious man wielding a sword. This raises many questions as to who he is and what part he has to play in this epic battle. Carey's characters are brightly vivid with a twinge of darkness and beautifully developed, while still possessing hidden flaws of their own. Tess, for example, is a strong and loyal heroine and friend, yet even she will falter a bit in the way of betraying her friends to a degree. It paints the perfect portrait of not being perfect, yet still possessing likable and desirable characteristics that readers will find appealing.

The romance between Tess and Garth is wildly daring and is exquisitely heart pounding, fueled by a strong magnetic attraction that builds and builds, pulling towards destiny and each other. It is handled in such a truly magical and splendid way, that readers will fall hopelessly in love with these two. It's just so natural and pleasing. Dragonswood is an action-packed, highly intense story that will leave readers clamoring for more of the fantasy and the developing mythos as unpredicted twists and turns become more and more evident in the journey. It is such a riveting fantastical story that will surely hook readers. Fans of Scott Tracey's Witch Eyes, Amber Argyle's Witch Song, or even the intriguing writing style of Tamora Pierce will be sure to enjoy this novel.

Readers will definitely not want to miss out on this high epic tale of fantasy, filled with talking dragons who's status as lords are vastly important to the mythos and magical realms in which they live in or precarious little faeries they'll be introduced to along the journey. It is sure to remind them, that it's not necessarily the destination that makes the story worth telling, but the journey along the way.