Day: August 18, 2019

REVIEW: Marked by P. C. Cast and Kristin Cast

Lindsay Short1 Comment
Marked (Marked #1) by P. C. Cast and Kristin Cast
Format: audiobook
Duration: 306 pages
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Synopsis

Marked begins with Zoey going to school like any other normal day – except when she arrives, she gets marked with a crescent moon on her forehead by a vampire tracker. She knows what happens if you are marked and don’t go to the house of night – you’ll keep getting sicker and sicker and eventually die. She brings it up to her mother, hoping for some understanding, but since her mother remarried she obeys her new husband instead of sticking up for her daughter. Her husband freaks out and wants to have and intervention call with the church to bless Zoey. Zoey ends up sneaking out and visiting her grandmother who is understanding and helps her get to the house of night.

At the house of night we meet the other students who soon become Zoeys best friends and confidants, as well as an elite club called the Dark Daughters. This book follows Zoey’s journey in the house of night, the changes she endures while becoming a vampire, and figuring out what makes her different from everyone else?

Review

Plot – If you’ve been on my blog for one second you know that I’ve been enjoying the “A Court of Thorns and Roses” series, which is about faeries. So, I thought a book about vampires would be similar enough to hook by interest but different enough to be unique in it’s own way. To be honest, I felt like not a lot of exciting events happened in this book. The events felt mundane to me and didn’t pull me in a way where I felt like I had to keep listening. The most interesting parts were when Zoey was trying to come to terms with the changes being a vampire entails.

Characters – Zoey is a strong character and you can appreciate her growth and development throughout the book. She started out as a frightened high school girl and evolved into someone who doesn’t take bullying at all. Her friends all have their own individual personalities that all mix together into a coherent, amusing friend group. It made me wish I was sitting with that group during my school lunches. I loved how they all supported Zoey right from the start and stood by her until the very end.

Overall – I was disappointed since I felt like this book was bland and a weak start to the series. I’ve heard a lot of praise about this series and to be frank, I just don’t see it. It was an easy read but nothing that really drew me in and made me beg for the next book. Part of me is hesitant to continue the series. Friends on goodreads have told me it does get better but I am still on the fence about it. I may try a different vampire series instead!

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Have you read this series? Do you think it’s worth it to continue if I felt like the 1st book was only okay? Are there any other Vampire book series you recommend?

REVIEW: A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas

Lindsay ShortLeave a comment
A Court of Wings and Ruin (A Court of Thorns and Roses #3) by Sarah J. Maas
Format: ebook
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Duration: 699 pages
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“…what we think to be our greatest weakness can sometimes be our biggest strength. And that the most unlikely person can alter the course of history.”

Page 309, A Court of Wings and Ruin

Synopsis

Feyre is back in the clutches of the Spring court – but she has a plan up her sleeves. Even though it is difficult to be so far from Rhys, she knows what needs to be done. The third installment of this series goes through the difficulties with making alliances with neighboring courts so they can still thrive after the war with Hybern, how Elain and Nesta are handling being made from the cauldron, and the actual war itself.

Review

After all of the heat and excitement I was feeling from A Court of Mist and Fury, I was definitely excited to jump right into this book. I hate to say this but this book did not live up to the first two.

1 – I felt like some parts were kind of slow and dragged on. The book was quite long so it really could have been cut down a considerable amount.

2- A lot of the lines were overused. I can’t even begin to count how many times someone used a “vulgar gesture” or “mate.” It would have been better to just start leaving it out after it was used a couple times or use something else instead.

In the end, the book did have some great parts that still made it earn 4 stars out of 5 from me. I love Rhys and Feyre’s relationship as well as the friendships within the night court, and the humor sprinkled throughout the book. I am currently reading book #3.1 A Court of Frost and Starlight. I plan on starting Sarah J. Maas’s other series – Throne of Glass. This series is definitely well worth reading despite this book not being as strong as the 2nd.

“And I wondered if the road ahead – the road to true peace – would perhaps be the hardest and longest one yet.”

Page 689, A Court of Wings and Ruin

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Have you read this series? How did you feel about the 3rd book compared to the others? Have you read Throne of Glass? Which series did you think was better?