Lord of Shadows Review

Title: Lord of Shadows
Author: Cassandra Clare
Rating: 5/5 stars
Date Read: 5/28/17


I love this book and it is my favourite read of the year. Sorry ACOMAF I love this book more. If you don't know this is the second book in Cassandra Clare's The Dark Artifices series. The order of which to read Cassandra Clare's books before anyone asks yes you do need to read Cassandra Clare's other books before reading this series in order to avoid spoilers. Also this may be my second or third favourite book in the Shadow world.

The rest of the review is going to be spoilery so read at your own risk.

SPOILER SECTION






This review is going to be all over the place because I have so much to say. It will probably not be in order.

One of my thoughts after finishing the book and getting over the ending was where is Simon and Izzy. We did not see them at all throughout the book and I was very disappointed since Izzy is my favourite TMI character. We did see Magnus and Alec though and their kids. I swear every time Max and Rafe were mentioned I was smiling. I am so glad that we got to see their children.

In the beginning we follow Kit and he is talking to Jace and Jace finds out he is stealing weapons from the institute. And there was the talk between Emma and Clary and we finally figure out my Clary said no to Jace when he asked her to marry him. I see why and I understand.

I am surprised though that we did not see both Jace and Clary for the rest off the book. I expected to see them at the big meeting at the end.

A question you may have is who do I ship Mark with. Answer I don't know at the moment. I sometimes will ship him with Christina and then I will switch to Keiren. It keeps changing. I am not on a solid ship yet but I will hopefully join a side in the next book.

Also I should mention that I am so glad that we get Dru's point of view. I don't ever remember reading from Dru's prospective in Lady Midnight and I feel like Dru had so much character development in this book and I appreciate her so much more as a character. I really hope though that we do see Tavvy's POV in the future because I am curious to see what he is thinking.

Back to Dru. I love that she played a bigger part in this story and I really liked how she was the one who kept Jamie a secret from the others. When she touched the thing in Jamie's bag (yes I was suppose to take notes but failed because I didn't want to stop reading) she saw a faerie with GREEN eyes and WHITE BLONDE hair. So if you don't know Christine over at Polandbananasbooks has a theory that Sebastian and the Seelie Queen had a baby. Is that the baby. I know the faerie is about thirteen and the events happened 5 years ago but still. Time is different in faerie and I wonder if that is the baby!

Of course we know that Malcolm isn't dead and I wasn't surprised by it. I had a feeling when the centurions and the Blackthorns plus Diana and Emma were fighting the sea demons that Malcolm was going to come mainly because his body was in the ocean. What surprised me was the Arthur sacrificed himself to save the children. He should be remembered. Also another thing that surprised me what that Annabel was the one to kill Malcolm. I thought she was going to be happy to see him but clearly she wasn't

Lets talk about the Centurions. I hate Zara. She reminds me of Gildroy Lockhart because she takes credit for what others had done. At the end when she is caught lying I have a feeling she is going to want revenge.

No lets talk about Diego. Diego is, was, I don't know at this point, engaged to Zara. What the frick was what my first reaction was. Why? He was cheating on Christina and he already broke her heart once and she gave you another chance and you blow it!? I do have to say though the explaination was logical.

Okay time to talk about that trip in faerie. We meet the Unseelie King for the first time and when Mark, Christina, Julian and Emma are rescuing Keiren and when Emma fights a faerie and the king orders her to take of the helmet it was her father?! I was like what the hell is happening. It wasn't her father though. I was also shocked to see that seraph blades and runes did not work in the Unseelie lands. I knew from the moment they mentioned that something was up with the Unseelie king.

We also meet Mark and Helen's faerie aunt, Nene. I really hope we get to see some more of the faerie family.

In the faerie lands Julian meets the Seelie Queen and she makes a deal with him to give her the black book and they will side with the shadowhunters end the cold peace and destroy the Unseelie King. Of course she mentions that she found a way to break Emma and Julian's parabatai bond and that is to destory all parabatai relationships. No. Why? They had hope and now they have no hope again.

Let's talk about Ty, Livvy and Kit before the ending. Kit and Ty are literally best friends and I am pretty sure are either going to date or become parabatai. I love how Ty was the one to give Kit his first rune I feel like Kit trusts Ty from the very beginning which is something big since he tried to run away and steal things in the very first chapter. When Livvy and Kit kiss I was like WHAT and WHY? I did not see that coming but Livvy did say they should just be friends when they were about to kiss again. And they did not kiss again. But still. I loved the side adventures they had with the shadowmarket and when Magnus rescues them from the Market. I was like MAGNUS IS BACK Livvy is going to be fine. (not really you know what happens at the end)

I haven't talked about Julian and Emma at all throughout this review so let's talk about them. When they were in Malcolm's house and they expressed their feelings for each other I was so happy. They finally are sharing their honest thoughts! Also the moment when Julian sees Annabel for the first time. Holy. I was surprised she showed her face. She talks to him and refuses to give him the black book.

I need to talk about Cortana before I reach the character limit. Cortana stabbed one of the Unseelies imortal 7 riders. I forgot what they are called and cannot find the name in the book. Cortana is the blade that killed a immortal rider and no rider was ever killed before. I was like wow. And at the end when Emma uses Cortana to break the Mortal Sword. What!? I was so surprised I read that section twice just to make sure I was reading it right. I am pretty sure Cortana is going to be very important in the next book.

Now I need to talk about the ending before my fingers fall of from typing this extremely long review. When the Blackthorns see Helen again I almost cried. It was like the happy family reunion I was waiting for. Of course it is ruined when Annabel takes the the mortal sword and stabs LIVVY?! It took me so long to process it. I was shocked even though I saw it about 5 seconds before it happened I was still shocked. Livvy risked herself throwing Julian her blade and she had to die. Why? I need to know what happens next and I know that Julian is going to be over protective of the younger Blackthorn's now.

Annabel also kills Robert Lightwood. He was going to take the sword from her and she kills him?! I swear she is working for the Unseelie King since we saw the half crown before Annabel vanishes. I think Annabel is working for the Unseelie King.Robert was also the person Magnus recommend that Emma and Julian tell their problems to. And he was going to help them. Why did he have to die. He was the one person who had the power to help them.

I love the diversity in this book and it adds a lot to the story. Diana is transgender and I love how it shows that it is okay to be you. I personally wasn't the biggest fan of Diana in the first book and she seemed a little shady and I knew she was hiding something. I did not expect this. I really loved her story and I appreciate her so much more as a character.

I have so much more to say and this is the longest review I have ever written.

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Most Anticipated Summer Releases 2017

Hello readers! Today I will be sharing with you my most anticipated releases this summer. I hope you are also excited to read some of these books. I am currently writing this with four days left till the release of Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare. I can tell you now I feel a long review coming you way. Two actually because I am currently reading ACOMAF by Sarah J. Maas when I am writing this. Let's just get into the releases.

The first book on this list is Our Dark Duet by Victoria Schwab. I haven't read the first book which is This Savage Song yet but I plan to read it soon. (she says this about every book). This is the second book in the Monsters of Verity duology or series or trilogy. I honestly have no idea. If you don't know what it is about it takes place in a world where monsters are born when bad things happen. The worse it is the more powerful the monster. I believe we follow two character, a human and a monster, however the human wants to be a monster and the monster wants to be a human. I also heard this is a no Romance book and I am looking forward to that.

Release Date: June 13, 2017

The next book on my list is Once and For ALL by Sarah Dessen. I only read two other Sarah Dessen books which are What Happened to Goodbye and Saint Anything and really enjoyed both of them. This book is about a wedding planner and it is all I really know about it to be honest. It sounds like the perfect summer read and I plan on reading it this summer.

Release Date: June 6, 2017

This next book I have to share is Lucky in Love by Kasie West. I honestly find Kasie West's books to be okay but her books are cute fluffy reads that I need when I am in a reading slump. I highly recommend reading her books to get you out of a slump. Fun fact: I love reading contemporary in the summer so it is perfect timing. I don't know much about it but I know it has to do with a girl who won the lottery and I am excited to read it.

Release Date: July 25, 2017

I am pretty sure you have all heard something about the next book on my list which is Because You Love to Hate Me by many people I don't want to name because I don't know them all from the top of my head and am too lazy to google it. If you don't know this book is a collection of short stories that have to do with villains I think. A bunch of Booktubers and authors teamed up together to create it. The booktubers giving the authors prompts to write about. That is what I heard and am not sure if it is true or not. Anyway I am excited to see what they write and cannot wait for it. Sadly I will be on vacation when this is released and probably won't read it till August.

Release Date: July 11, 2017

Aug 29
The next book on my list is one I am surprised at myself to be anticipating. The Dazzling Heights by Katherine McGee. This is the second book in The Thousandth Floor (series? duology?). This series has a lot of drama and it is often compared to Gossip Girl though I can't compare the two because I never watched Gossip Girl. The first book is about a bunch of teenagers who live in a thousand floor building in New York where the richest live at the top and the lower you are the lower the class you are. The first book is one of my guilty pleasure reads and I do want to know what happens next obviously.

Release Date: August 29, 2017


Do you see any books on this list you are excited for? Let me know in the comments! Also comment any other anticipated releases you may have. Thanks for reading and I hope to see you in my next post!

A Court of Thorns and Roses Review

Title: A Court of Thorns and Roses 
Author: Sarah J. Maas
My rating: 4/5 stars
Date Read: 5/15/17



I have finally read ACOTAR. I am marathoning the first three books.

I really enjoyed this book. It is not my favourite Sarah J. Maas book, but I did enjoy it. I found the beginning slow and quite boring to be honest. As the story progressed however, it got so much better and I ended up not being able to put it down.

I am not going to describe this book because honestly the goodreads summery does a really good job at describing it so if you want a summery click the title above.

The question I am sure that you have is team Tamlin or Rhysand. Honestly I am not going to lie I am not a huge fan of Tamlin. Everyone likes him in the first book but I only found him okay. I have also finally met the famous Rhysand and Rhysand was also okay. He wasn't the most amazing character I have ever read and I feel like I would like him more once I read ACOMAF. Right now at the moment I don't care who Feyre ends up with. I am leaning more towards Tamlin to be honest, but I HAVE ONLY READ THE FIRST BOOK AND MY OPINION MAY CHANGE.

I really enjoyed this book and I absolutely love the world that Sarah J. Maas has created. The way she develops the world is phenomenal and I need more of it. Thank god I don't have to wait to read ACOMAF.

I enjoyed the characters and as I said before I don't really care at the moment who Feyre ends up with at the moment. I thought Tamlin was okay in the beginning but towards the end of the story, I did not really like him but I don't hate him as much as others do. Rhysand was okay as well. I feel like he needs some more character development. Feyre was a strong female character and the story is told from her point of view. I really enjoyed her as a character.

My favourite character is Lucien. I don't know why to be honest, I just really enjoy him as a character and I can't wait to see him in the next book.

Overall I really enjoyed the book and I can't wait to continue on with this series!

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The Beat on Ruby's Street Review

The Beat on Ruby's Street by Jenna Zark
My rating: 3.5/5 stars
Date Read: 5/10/17

A copy of this book was provided in exchange for an honest review

This is a solid read. I liked it but it didn't stand out to me.

This book is a historical fiction book that takes place in the 1950's and we follow the story from the point of view from Ruby. Ruby is an 11 year old and absolutely loves poetry. One thing I like about is that we see Ruby's hobby throughout the story. In some books they mention that a character likes something and will never acknowledge it again. In this story however the hobby is shown and it is very believable that Ruby does like poetry.

In the beginning of the book Ruby is accused of stealing fruit which leads to her adventure which is what the story is about.

One thing I wanted was more background to the characters. I wanted some flashbacks to see more of her past. I feel like that could of added to the story. Another thing too is the ending. I was like "that's it?" I wanted a little more of an explanation of what happens. I felt like the story just stopped and I wanted more of a conclusion.

I will say I loved the writing. It was very easy to read and should be easy for a young reader to understand. The Beat on Ruby's Street is told in first person and it is very easy for me to tell that a 11 year old, almost 12 is telling the story and I loved that. At times the way Ruby describes things is funny and it made the story more interesting.

This is a very short book I will admit and I feel like it could of been slightly longer. I would of liked a little more world building because I only knew it took place in the 1950's because the story said so and there was one line they said which I cannot find.

Overall I would recommend this book to 11 or 12 year olds. I
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Cruel Beauty Review

Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge
My rating: 2/5 stars
Date Read: 5/6/17


I heard a lot of mixed reviews about Cruel Beauty and it has been sitting on my TBR shelf forever. I decided to pick it up and have my own opinion.

I loved the beginning. It had a strong and very solid beginning. As the story continued it slowly went downhill and I ended up forcing myself to finish this book and skimmed the last fourth of the book because I could not take it. Some parts are predictable and there was a love triangle that I absolutely hated. The love triangle could of worked if it was executed better.

This book is told in first person and we follow the point of view of Nyx. When Nyx was born she had been betrothed to a evil ruler because of her father's careless bargain he made with the ruler. Now she has become of age, she is to marry him and break the curse he has placed on the people of Arcadia. She finds herself unexpectedly falling for him.

If you couldn't tell this is a Beauty and the Beast retelling. The key points in the original are shown and when reading it you could tell it was a retelling of Beauty and the Beast which I really liked.

If you like Greek Mythology, there is also a Greek Mythology element to the story. However it is stories of gods or worshiping the gods. It is not a Percy Jackson type of story.

I thought the world building could of been better. I found myself very confused with the world and I didn't understand how the magic system worked or if there even was a magic system. That is how confused I am. I may be confused because I skimmed part of the book or wasn't totally invested in it that I missed important elements. To be honest that may of been the case.

Character development was meh. Some of the characters were decently developed and others had almost no development. I also wanted more background story of the characters.

Overall I wouldn't recommend it, but there are many people who like the story so if you are a fan of Beauty and the Beast, I recommend giving it a try.

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Bookstagram Tips 1.0

Hello everyone, today I will be sharing some of the bookstagram tips I learned over the last six months. I am so grateful to be in the bookstagram community. It is so fun to interact with other readers and to see what new books are out!

1) You do not need a high quality camera, a phone camera works just fine. I use my phone camera to take my photos and they come out just fine.

2) Instagram editing works just fine as well. You do not need to spend money on a photo editor. The tools I recommend using are Brightness, Contrast, Shadows, Highlight, and Warmth. Those are the 5 that I use the most.

3) Good lighting is key. Good lighting helps you photos become more clear. Natural sunlight is the best for lighting. Take your photos in a room with a window during the daytime. Make sure it is a sunny day.

4) Pretake some photos. Take some photos in advance in case you have a busy week unexpectedly or you have a big test to prepare for.

5) Write your hashtags in a word document so you can copy and paste them in your caption. This way you don't have to write the hashtags you use for every photo. It does save a lot a time. The hashtags I use are
#bookstagram #bookstagrammer #booknookstagram #bookstagramfeature #bookishfeature #bookish #bookishglee #read #reader #reading #booklover #booklove #bookloving #bookworm #booknerd #bookgeek #bookaddict #bibliophile #bookhoarder #instaread #(author of the book featured) # (Title of book featured) #(series featured)

6) Tag the author and publishing company in your photos. Sometimes the authors even see your photo and comment!

7) Be active. People tend to unfollow people who don't post a lot. Post daily or ever other day. I know it is a lot of photos but it helps your bookstagram grow. Don't stress if you miss a day or two.

8) Comment! Reply or like comments that people post on you photos and comment on other people's photos. Who knows you may even make a good friend.

9) Participate in challenges. I don't personally participate in challenges mainly because I find them stressful, but I know a lot of people like them. Try it out, it can be fun.

10) Don't worry about your follower count. I would rather have 10 active followers then 1,000 ghost followers. It also ruins the fun of bookstagram. We are here to meet new readers and talk about the books we love. It is not a competition to see who has more followers.

11) You can take photos of books you get from the library. Take a photo of the book the way you normally do. Go to your story, and use the drawing tool thing (you know what I am talking about) and draw the library bar-code. Then take a screenshot of it and use the screenshot as your photo. This will help protect you personal information.

Thank you so much for reading and I hope some of these tips help you out!
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Feel free to DM me or comment here if you have any questions!

Other amazing bookstagrammers to check out:
@_queenslytherin
@fandomverse10
@everywordadoorway
@ginnyweasleysbookshelf
@readbycaitlin
There are so many more accounts I love. To see them all click on following under my account.

The Hate U Give Review

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas
My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Date Read: 3/3/17


The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas is one of the most important books released this year and it is a must read. This book deals with important topics today. It has to do with shooting a shooting of an unarmed black man.

This book follows Starr Carter who witnessed her friend Khalil get shot by a white police officer when Khalil had no weapons. The book is told in first person and we follow the point of view of Starr. Starr is the only witness and knows that Khalil was actually murdered.

Starr lives two lives. One in Garden Heights where she lives and one at Williamson school. Garden Heights is a black community and Williamson school is a school that teaches mostly white students.

Starr is such a strong character. She has gone through so much and still stayed strong. I loved that about her. Starr felt like a real person and her emotions are realistic and very believable.

One of the characters Maya is from Taiwan. My mother is from Taiwan and her last name before she married is actually the same as Maya. I found it very cool and it was nice to be represented and Maya had a big significance to me when reading this book and I really appreciate having her in the story.

As you can tell this book is based on the Black Lives Matter movement and in very relative today. It is very informative and has very important messages.

Overall I did enjoy the story and I highly recommend it. Just remember every person is important and deserves to be treated with respect.

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The Iron King Review

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
My rating: 2.5/5 stars
Date Read: 4/28/17

I am not going to lie I was disappointed by this book. I did not care for any of the character and I absolutely hated the love triangle. I wanted to love it but I just wasn't invested in the story.

This book follows a girl named Meghan Chase and has to do with Faeries. That is all you have to know going into this book. I don't want to say to much because knowing too much about it ruined some of my enjoyment for the book. Not the books fault on that part.

I did enjoy some parts of the book. It was interesting and had me hooked halfway through. After that point though it just kept going downhill. I just didn't like like the direction the story took. It was very predictable to me. All my predictions were right and I wish some of my predictions were wrong to make the story a bit more interesting.

The writing was not bad. It wasn't amazing but it did not bother me. It is told in first person and we follow the point of view of Meghan. Meghan was annoying at times. I honestly did not care much about any of the characters. I think all the characters can be developed better.

I love the world of Nevernever. The world development in my opinion is much better than the character development. I still think the world building could of been better but it was pretty good overall. I understood the world and the concepts of Nevernever easily.

I absolutely HATED the love triangle. I already sensed it in the beginning of the story when we were introduced to love interest number two. I don't ship the character with any of the guys. I just wish that the author kept it Romance free because I also felt like her relationship with one of them is rushed.

I will give book two a chance because I heard this series gets better. Overall I would recommend it if you like faeries in books. Just be aware that it is very predictable.

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