Tag: book review blog

Romance

My Review: The Unhoneymooners: by Christina Lauren

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Publish Date: May 14th, 2019
Number of Pages: 400 Pages
Publisher: Gallery Books
Genre(s): Contemporary Romance

Total Star Rating: 3.75 Stars

I can treat this trip like an actual vacation on a tropical island. Yes, it’s with my nemesis, but still, I’ll take it.”

– Christina Lauren, “The Unhoneymooners”

The co-author duo of Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings have come together to write another swoon-worthy, romantic comedy title that I think many readers will enjoy immensely!

I for one will always recommend their work towards anyone looking for a funny, romantic, witty, easy going beach read, but lately for me it seems like their books aren’t getting that extra oomph factor that I felt in their Beautiful Bastard series. I still enjoy their books, don’t get me wrong, but it just doesn’t seem like their standalone titles coming out now measure up as much to me.

This title is a great addition to anyone who likes the hate to love, enemies to lovers, fake relationships story tropes, and while it’s not the greatest story involving these kinds of storyline, it’s still a lot of fun to read!

What It’s About:

Olive Torres is a twin sister to Ami and while her sister is in better shape, always wins contests and giveaways, and is getting married to a gorgeous guy; basically Ami seems to have all the luck in the world…Olive does not. On the day of her sister’s wedding, Olive is forced to spend time with her arch-nemesis, Ethan Thomas, who is also the best man and older brother to the groom.

Like they always do, they bicker and get on each other’s nerves, but when disaster strikes and the whole wedding ends up getting violently ill at the reception (Yes, this includes the Bride and Groom), they have an unusual task before them…go on the honeymoon together!. Ami won the whole trip through entering her name countless times into a drawing, it’s non refundable and not able to be rescheduled, so with her luck seemingly about to change, Olive and Ethan unwillingly go to Maui together instead of the bride and groom.

They both expect the absolute worst to happen, and it definitely starts out pretty rough, but when more craziness ensues, and they have to pretend to be happy newlyweds in order to not tip off the other guests and the hotel staff, they just might discover that there might have been some hidden, unrequited feelings beneath all that anger and frustration…

What I Liked:

  1. It Takes Place in Minnesota! Being a native Minnesotan myself, I enjoyed the fact that this story took place in the Twin Cities whenever Olive and Ethan weren’t over in Maui. It gave me a little spark whenever Loring Park, Edina, Dinkytown and other known locations are mentioned because in my head, I’m like: “OMG, I’ve been there! I know exactly where they are! I live here!!” It’s also a little refreshing that it took place in places that are always used in books; like New York, Los Angeles, Chicago or San Francisco. Switch it up on the locations and settings of contemporary books, authors!
  2. The Massage Table Scene! I’m just going to leave that there for you to ponder about, so read the book to find out more!
  3. The Boat-Bathroom Scene! Another iconic scene within the story like the one above, but for entirely different reasons! Basically, if anyone’s seen The Proposal with Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock, get back to me when you’ve read this bathroom scene!
  4. The Ongoing Theme of Luck! The idea of people being lucky or having luck on your side and how it affects your outlook on the world shows up quite a lot in this book. I personally related to Olive a lot on this level because like her, I constantly believe I am unlucky in all aspects of my life, and so I’m a Debbie Downer a lot of the time because I feel like the universe or fate or whatever is against me…um actually bitch, I prefer the term “Rita Realist.”
  5. The Family Dynamics! Olive comes from an extremely large Mexican-American family, and some of the scenes of how much they’re willing to do for each other, how far they go to take care of each other and show their love & support was pure fluff and so heartwarming, so adorable that it became one of the highlights of the book for me!

What I Didn’t Like:

  1. Really? They’re Each Other’s Worst Enemies?…What I mean about this is that at the beginning of the story, when Ethan and Olive are still in the “hater” phase of their story, it honestly didn’t feel like they actually hated each other all that much. Sure, they were usually annoyed at each other while both trying to rile each other up, but it felt like the back and forths between them could’ve gone further, or have been more dramatic and over the top. It felt more like they were just an old married couple who just had to say some comment on everything the other did, or it was just plain old foreplay and neither one really even realized it until they are trapped in a honeymoon suite in Maui together. The backstory of their rivalry also felt a little weak to me, to be honest. It didn’t feel like something that would cause such a tense relationship over the years, and then to have her completely forgive him right away when he screws up again…It just didn’t add up to me.

Conclusion:

Christina Lauren continues to put out another story that is hilarious, fun, easy-going, and lighthearted rom-com of a book that fans of the romance genre will soak in like a 99 cent Mai Tai 😉

I recommend the title to anyone who wants to read a fake relationship, enemies to lovers story trope that has plenty of awkward, laugh inducing moments with a quirky, clumsy heroine and a cynical, aloof guy who turns out to be amazing with a huge heart of gold!

I still wanted a little more from the authors; this title is good, but still not their greatest in my opinion. I feel like they just need to stop playing it safe and really go somewhere, you know? Drive it home and really just go wilder with it. Despite my subtle disappointment, I did enjoy this book of theirs, and will continue to read their stories until my wish is granted!

Side note: If they ever make this into a movie, PLEASE cast Gina Rodriguez to play Olive and maybe someone like Sebastian Stan to play Ethan…I will accept nothing else!

Thanks for Reading!

— Nick Goodsell

New Adult Romance, YA Fantasy, YA romance

My Review: A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses #1): by Sarah J. Maas

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Publish Date: May 5th, 2015
Number of Pages: 419 Pages
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Genre(s): YA Fantasy, Romance, New Adult

Total Star Rating: 3.75 Stars

Another title to add to those that fall under the modern retellings of classic fairytales, this one being Beauty and the Beast, but coming from the author of the bestselling Throne of Glass series, there’s no way I wasn’t going to give this a try. Like any SJM book, the reviews are mostly lovingly obsessive and elated over having another YA Fantasy series of hers to get into, and with reading the blurb on what this book is about, it also makes total sense.

After completing this book, I felt the same things as when I read Throne of Glass for the first time: intrigued, entertained, and hopeful for all the possibilities where this story could possibly go. We have a young heroine, a fascinating world, gorgeous fae men, snarky comebacks, and a teasing sample of the evil that threatens their world, and all the while this book also feels like pure set up for what else may come our way, and oh boy, there will probably be a lot coming! The main differences in this story is:

1.) it’s more high fantasy and less grimdark like the beginning of TOG

2.) Romance is put on the forefront instead of a story of revenge/redemption.

What It’s About:

Feyre Archeron, the youngest of three sisters along with only their father, has grown up used to being the only one who can actually take care of her family, who live in poverty and can barely scrape by. They live in the southern, mortal lands of Prythian, where humans have an uneasy treaty with the High Lords of the Fae, who all have their own kingdoms throughout the land north of the invisible force field known as “The Wall.”

The Map of Prythian, courtesy of the series wiki page

When out in the woods hunting for food, Feyre witnesses a wolf trying to take the deer she pursued, and ends up killing it out of self defense. She has no idea the choice she made right then and there would change her life forever, because it turned out that the wolf was actually a powerful fae who’d altered their appearance, and mortals killing anyone fae comes with deadly consequences.

The High Lord of the Spring Court, Lord Tamlin, comes to her home to take her and have her live at his chateau as his prisoner (although, if how she lives there is called a prison, she’s not really suffering too much). Tamlin wears a golden mask that hides most of his features, but seems weary of answering a lot of the questions that pop up along the way, which only makes Feyre even more curious to want to find out more the longer she’s there, but as she learns why, her initial distrust and hostility slowly turns to passion and lust as she also discovers the dangers that lurk within the magical realm.

It turns out theres an ancient curse on the land, and Feyre may have something to do in order to being able to help faerie kind break it before its too late, and the man she comes to love will be lost forever…

What I Liked:

  1. Lots and Lots of Great Characters! SJM absolutely excels at creating fun, interesting characters and giving them a unique dynamic to help drive the story. In this title, I’d say my favorite characters are Lucien, the crafty but loyal best friend of Tamlin, The Suriel who is a low fae that is extremely hard to find but has to tell the truth of any question you have should you capture him, and Rhysand…oh Rhysand…how much I want to say, but in due time with later book reviews…in this title, he’s a conflicting character; an intriguing villain/anti-hero, the High Lord of the Night Court and the most powerful of all the High Lords of the Fae, but is the right hand man of a madwoman…well, those fae males can’t be entirely perfect.
  2. Hints at More to Come! Like the first TOG title, this book felt like it was just entirely set up for what’s to come later on in the series, and one thing I love doing is brainstorming, thinking of all sorts of ideas of what those possibilities may actually be, and even helps me develop my own ideas for writing.
  3. The Worldbuilding! SJM seemed to have took more time and delicately plan out the world she wanted to have this story take place in, and seems to want to share every aspect of it, except that she doesn’t go into as much detail as I’d have liked about the other courts within Prythian. There’s seven total courts total, and they are differentiated by the seasons (Summer, Spring, Autumn, and Winter) along with the time of day (Dawn, Day, Night). The reason I put this in the “like” column is because my hope was that these courts are all shown to us later on in the series, and I was incredibly interested to see how the author made these different kingdoms come to life.

What I Didn’t Like:

  1. It’s Slower Paced…SJM’s writing has improved over time and has become so much more eloquent and compelling, and there’s a ton of action going on in her other series around the time this title was released, but you may feel like you’re taking a few steps back with this one, as the overall pacing is much slower than what we’ve gotten used to. The worldbuilding is given much more specific attention, but the real danger/action doesn’t start until the last third of the book, which is kind of a shame because the author writes action so incredibly well. This story feels a little less plot driven, but more character driven and just plain exploring a new and unusual world, which isn’t always the best route to go in terms of a fantasy genre novel. Luckily, there are little snippets that hint at danger that can keep you guessing and wondering enough to keep on reading!
  2. It’s Not really a Retelling…So after reading this book, I can conclude that while there are many aspects that may be seen as similar, it’s not entirely an actual Beauty and the Beast retelling, or if it is, it’s not the best in terms of that aspect. Tamlin seems to be put in the position as the Beast: the ruler of the cursed land, the one who must somehow break that curse, and has his subjects who also share the punishment with him. While I personally know more into the story as I type this review, I know this is not true at all…but like I said, more on that later in other reviews…All I can say to sum it all up is, yes, the first part of this story feels like another retelling, but then when Feyre goes under the mountain, it changes the whole game!

Conclusion:

Sarah J. Maas does it again with the start of another fantasy series that feels so very different from Throne of Glass, and allows us to once again start over with her words, but this time after having her writing improve dramatically over the years. The world she’s created for this is much more complex, but the pacing is slower than what we’ve come to be used to with her writing…Feyre is no Aelin, that is for sure… Romance takes a bigger, more central role to the story, and the vibe is much more sensual than most YA titles seem to go towards, which leads me to say that for those that care should know that it’s a little more mature than what the genre usually gives us. If you don’t cringe at sex scenes, yay for you! Enjoy 😉

I don’t necessarily recommend this title for those looking for a Beauty and the Beast retelling; it’s there, but it’s also not prominent in the overall execution, but more for those searching for a love story involving the Fae. It is a love story in a way, along with the threat of an evil overlord who threatens the world, but those who like stories that focus on romance will definitely enjoy this title!

Thanks For Reading!

— Nick Goodsell

YA Fantasy, YA romance

My Review: Red Queen (Red Queen #1): by Victoria Aveyard

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Publish Date: February 10th 2015
Number of Pages: 383 Pages
Publisher: HarperTeen
Genre(s): YA Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Dystopian, Romance

Total Star Rating: 3 Stars

This book was like all those pretty, smiling, happy, fabulous girls who are social media influencers on Instagram…sparkly, bubbly, shiny, fabulous, but with hardly any actual substance or flavor. Hmm…maybe it was more like drinking a White Claw…

Anyways, I’d been seeing this series pop up quite a lot all over the internet: lists of popular YA Fantasy titles, those gorgeous covers all over Bookstagram, Tumblr, Pinterest, etc., and seeing a lot of glowing reviews from fellow readers who’ve loved them, so to me, that meant I’d had to give them a try and see what all the hype was about.

It had everything needed in order to go down as something great: fabulous marketing, other author’s and booklover’s recommendations, beautiful aesthetics with the covers alone, and even an interesting sounding premise…Unfortunately, while the plan was golden (or silver?), the execution left a little more to be desired, and I just don’t feel like sugar coating my disappointment…I don’t owe it to anyone to beat around the bush on my reviews any longer…

What It’s About:

The Official Blurb:

A world that is divided by blood; Red and Silver.

Reds are the common-folk, the laborers, the lower class, and the oppressed. The silvers have god-like abilities who rule with a powerful fist over all those they deem below them. The story revolves around Mare Barrow, a 17 year-old red living in the poverty-stricken land known as the Stilts, who doesn’t like the way things are, but has no choice but to accept it. Challenged by a handsome stranger, she goes to the silver palace and begins to work as a maid for the royal family.

By total accident, Mare is put in a life or death situation that reveals to herself, and all the silvers in attendance, that she too possesses a great power that can threaten the status quo of everything. Never before had it been known that someone with Red Blood has ever had a special ability like the Silvers, and to avoid panic and hysteria, the royal family takes her in and claims that she’s a long lost Silver princess that has returned home. No one but her and the royal family know the real truth.

Mare becomes engaged to a royal prince, but enemies find cracks within the seemingly pristine walls, and Mare inadvertently becomes a spy for the Red Guard, a covert militant group of rebels hoping to end the Silver Tyranny. Mare begins to feel the pressure from both sides and one wrong step could mean not only her own death, but all those she cares about…

What I Liked:

  1. The Cover Design! Whoever designed the covers for this series was a freakin’ genius, because I will say that the aesthetic of the books is absolutely magnificent! The glossy, silver background with the upside down crown with red blood flowing down from it is a simple, yet effective design, and the whole series look so gorgeous side by side on your shelf as the spines darken with shades of blue, just like an incoming storm.
  2. Mare’s Attitude! Like a certain blonde heroine from the mind of Sarah J. Maas, Mare Barrow has some sass to her personality, some spicy attitude that made me like her as the heroine of the story. She’s strong willed, incredibly brave and determined all while being separated from her family and thrown into a pit of vipers with special abilities of the silver court.
  3. That Surprising Climatic Twist! Honestly, it was the saving point of the whole book, but man, did it deliver! It shocked a new life into the book much like Mare’s ability to manipulate lightning that left me entertained, yet curious enough to keep reading on.
  4. The Developing Romance! Like a typical angsty teen novel/series, there’s a love triangle that brews between Mare and the two royal siblings. Tiberias “Cal” Calore VII and his half brother, Maven, both try to win over her affection throughout the story, the former being engaged to someone else to add more drama to the mix. Cal and Mare were much more interesting to me, and becomes a huge part of my overall interest of the whole story.

What I Didn’t Like:

  1. Too Many Clichés…It’s extremely difficult to find a book with absolutely no clichés, but I can draw the line when there’s so many aspects that feel overused in a single book: One, there’s the fact that Mare feels like she’s not that pretty, yet has two guys pining for her. Two, she is brought to a school-like setting to train and hone in on her craft. Three, there’s the sexier, mean girl who instantly hates Mare and makes her life a living hell with her posse of other bitches. Four, there’s the wise mentor who’s definitely got more going on underneath the surface. Five, there’s the love triangle. Six, there’s the dystopian world with oppression and rebellion brewing, and war on the horizon…like I said, it’s fine when there’s one or two major clichés in a single book, but this many just feels ridiculous and makes the story boring and not as enjoyable.
  2. Lacking Originality…Along the same thoughts with the many clichés , it felt like this book has taken small chunks from many other successful stories to make it into something that feels new, but really isn’t. Certain stories that come to mind as examples are The Hunger Games, Red Rising, Throne of Glass, The Selection, Game of Thrones, and plenty of others that you could probably think of. It may feel new to certain readers: those who haven’t read any of the mentioned books prior to this one, but for me it felt like a bunch of recycled material.
  3. It Was So Slow Moving…This book has some incredibly slow pacing… I think the author spent a little too much time on attempting their version of worldbuilding, but even that wasn’t all that satisfying because of too many info dumps that weren’t relevant to the story, or to simply be used as plot convenience later on. Seriously, there were so many houses listed with their sigils, colors, and abilities but they actually hardly do anything in the story, and I found it hard to actually remember all of them later on, probably because I didn’t care enough. There was way too much emphasis on it that wasn’t necessary. It may have been more interesting had the story focused more on the revolution aspect of the plot, but instead focused more on the romance and the mean girl antics instigated by the fact of the protagonist is flirting with the HBIC’s betrothed.
  4. There’s No Flipping Map…It’s a teen fantasy/dystopian novel, with tons of cities and regions mentioned in this world that the author created, but there’s no map of the land to give us any reference to fully understand what the author’s talking about. I feel like this is such a big faux pas; a big no-no when it comes to any sort of fantasy novel with a fictional world. It’s a minor issue to some maybe, but it’s the small things that can also make a big difference in the overall reading experience!

Conclusion:

It was an okay book, but not all that great. I can see why it’s become an incredibly popular title amongst others within the genre of YA Fantasy; its glossy, shiny, aesthetically pleasing (both in book covers and all the attractive characters), and even the premise sounds interesting enough…but beneath all of that, there’s not a whole lot else to go off of.

I recommend this title to those who are just starting out in the YA Fantasy genre, and for those who aren’t looking for anything too complicated or complex to read. It’s beginner level material, and unfortunately while I am still slightly interested enough to continue reading on, I hope the series will become stronger and more developed as things progress and the revolution that will so obviously occur later on will breathe new life into the story.

Thanks for Reading!

— Nick Goodsell

Erotica, LGBT, Romance

My Review: American Prince (New Camelot Trilogy #2): by Sierra Simone

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Publish Date: March 17th 2017
Number of Pages: 316 Pages
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
Genre(s): Erotica, Romance

***Warning!! This review reveals spoilers from the previous book in the trilogy, so read at your own caution! You’ve officially been warned!***

To see my full review for book #1 – American Queen – Click HERE

Total Star Rating: 4.25 Stars

Wow…just wow, you guys!

My mind was officially blown as I closed this book in the wee hours near sunrise because I couldn’t put it down and couldn’t get any sleep even if I’d tried. This second book in a surprisingly well written romance/erotica trilogy absolutely wrecked me because just when I thought more couldn’t possibly be uncovered, more shocking secrets exposed for the good of the written story, the floor freakin’ exploded from underneath my feet and I’m plummeting down 100 stories and my mind is officially fucked…

So for those that have read the first book, we know by now about the interesting relationship that formed between the President of the United States, his newly wed wife, along with the Vice President. It’s a continuation of the unconventional relationship formed between Maxen “Ash” Colchester, Greer Galloway-Colchester, and Embry Moore, and with that cliffhanger ending the author gave us going in, I had to know immediately after finishing the previous title. Luckily, I thought ahead and got this title for that specific need, ready near my bedside table for the answers I knew I’d need.

This kind of book is rare, and it’s unfortunate that people will write it off because it’s in the romance/erotica genres. It’s so incredibly beautifully written, intense; a smart romance and not just various sex scenes filling up a barely there, poorly thought out plot. Yes, the sex scenes are very descriptive, and get pretty intense at certain points, but they aren’t what drive the story. The secrets, the deceit, the plans made behind closed doors, the motives of the characters and scandals that threaten to tear everything apart is what sets this book apart from all the other romance titles out there on the market.

I can’t reveal too much about what happens within this book; part of the experience is reading it yourself, and because if people thought that the first title shocked your system, it has nothing on this one, and it will absolutely steal your breath away!

What It’s About:

Ash, Greer, and Embry had consummated their relationship the night of Ash and Greer’s wedding, but then the unexpected happened, and Greer was taken by some mystery (but not really) force. With not that much of a mystery to solve, it was Melwas (the leader of an enemy country) that kidnapped her and took her away. Embry and Ash both have to come up with a plan quick in order to rescue her and bring her back safely without causing an international incident and possible war.

As they deal with political intrigue, scandal and tragedies, and global crisis, we learn more about Embry and who he is in all this. You’ll see his side of certain events of the past and what’s happening currently in the story, and learn all the unknown depths of him and get so many answers that will leave you shocked, uprooted and desperate for more!

What I Liked:

  1. More of Embry Moore! Probably my favorite character in these books, this book takes a closer exploration of Embry Moore and his backstory of the events that take place within this story. He’s a complex character: he’s charming but aloof, he’s got his secrets like everyone, but has done some questionable things as well. It’s always been on the reader’s mind what his reasoning behind a lot of things was exactly, and this book reveals all of it, making it some truly shocking stuff! I also found his inner turmoil to be so interesting; he acted like this indifferent, cocky, privileged playboy, but inside was a man with many demons, so much self-loathing to where he doesn’t believe he deserves happiness for himself, despite the sacrifices he’s made for those he loves, even when they don’t know it. He’s fine with people writing him off but actually does so much behind the scenes, and it’s all so incredibly heartbreaking, so emotional, and it all makes him easily one of the best characters in the series, possibly in any book I’ve ever read.
  2. Greer Still has a Voice in the Story! Upon starting this second book, part of me wondered if the story would change immensely because we’d be looking through someone else’s perspective, someone who wasn’t there for everything we’d experienced previously up to that point. Luckily, we kept that base of having Greer continue to tell it from her perspective as the heroine of this story. So much happens to her, so it only makes sense to continue seeing inside her head as things progress and/or escalate.
  3. The LGBT Exploration! By going more in-depth with Embry Moore, it of course covers his complex relationship with Ash over the years; the secrecy, the fear, the tension and of course the unrequited love. It’s more of an LGBT Male/Male romance story, while still having their relationship with Greer also continue to take importance. Having a M/M romance/erotica read was refreshing, as there’s not too much of it in literature. It was a sweeping tale of ambition, bravery, sacrifice, lust, and loss. It goes into the many different sides of love: You can’t choose who you love, you can’t control the circumstances, and sometimes you could meet “the one,” but the timing is off. How you react to all of this, what you do about is a core theme of this book.
  4. The Overall Character Development! For all the characters, it’s truly something to see how different they are by the end of every book. I’m serious, things change so dramatically; plans change, people change and sometimes it causes relationships to change. They are all flawed, but so real and so raw. The ending is great proof of this, and while it’s sad to see how things developed, It also causes me to commend the author on the wonderful job they did with their craft.

What I Didn’t Like:

  1. It felt So Short!…I know, this isn’t much to go on, but seriously…I wanted more! I wanted to have about 100 more pages of this story; of what, I have no idea…

Conclusion:

Another jaw-dropping, heartbreaking, shocking addition to an incredibly smart, beautifully written romance/erotica series written by someone who sets the bar on how to write for the specific genre. It explores the mind of Embry Moore, Vice-President, and the darkness that all but fully consumes him, but makes him think he’s a bad guy, someone who doesn’t deserve happiness, someone to write off…but none of that is true. He’s a tortured, complex soul and while he’s confident, charming, noble and charismatic, he’s got a dark side that draws him back, makes him aloof, cold, secretive and reckless. This title will take your breath away, send a jolt down your spine, and make you question everything/everyone around you!

Thanks For Reading!

— Nick Goodsell

YA Fantasy, YA romance

My Review: The Assassin’s Blade (Throne of Glass #0.5): by Sarah J. Maas

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Publish Date: March 4th 2014
Number of Pages: 435 Pages
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Genre(s): YA Fantasy, Romance

Total Star Rating: 3.75 Stars

This book was simply supposed to be a distraction to keep readers/fans of the series busy while we waited (barely) patiently for the release of the next book in the Throne of Glass Series, Heir of Fire. What we weren’t expecting was to have our hearts completely ripped out from our chests, torn in half, and then shoved back down our throats to keep us moving forward like nothing actually happened, but we know…we know, and we remember and will never forget, and it still causes us to wake up screaming in the middle of the night. That is how I felt after reading this book!

Instead of a single story like most books, this title is actually a collection of five novellas, or short stories, that act as prequels towards the first original book. These were initially only available as e-books, but with the growing popularity of the series, Bloomsbury threw us a bone and gave us this gorgeous printed edition of all the titles in one collection.

Some people like to pass off prequels, myself included, because let’s be honest…prequels are so limited from the get go: you already know what’s going to eventually happen, and they’re sometimes just used as cash cows from the publishers that have little to do with the actual story, and could even possibly damage the quality of the whole franchise. This book is not like that though; it actually contains material that becomes incredibly important to the overall story of Calaena Sardothien and her redemption arc. Key players to the game get snuck in and are seen for the very first time, and like anything written by Sarah J. Maas, it leaves a lasting impression.

Also, what deserves its own note is Sam Cortland.

Yes, I repeat, we physically meet Sam Cortland in these stories!

What It’s About:

Like I said earlier, it’s a collection of five novellas so I’ll briefly explain all of them below by their titles:

The Assassin and the Pirate Lord:

Under the orders of their master known as the King of Assassins, Arobynn Hamel, a younger Calaena and her companion, Sam Cortland, are sent to Pirates Bay in order to secure a deal he’s made with the Pirate Lord, Captain Rolfe. When they arrive, they find out that Rolfe is actually becoming involved with a slave ring, and Calaena is absolutely furious about it. Never one to support slavery in any form, she has to make a decision that will go against her master’s orders for the first (and possibly last) time ever.

The Assassin and the Healer:

Yrene Towers is a young tavern girl who’s family used to be known as healers, but the king banished any form of magic in the land with deadly consequences. Her family is gone, and she must save up to be able to leave Erilea and find a new home, but one night after closing the tavern, she comes face to face with another young girl, a beaten and battered Calaena Sardothien.

The Assassin and the Desert:

Sent/banished to train with the silent assassins of the desert, Calaena secretly must obtain an enclosed letter from the master assassin in order to return to her own, Arobynn Hamel. The task, she learns, is much more difficult than she anticipated, and while meeting a new friend in Ansel of Briarcliff, she loses herself along the way.

The Assassin and the Underworld:

Accepted back into Arobynn’s good graces, Calaena finds herself now wary of him and his methods. She’s ordered to carry out mission’s that go against everything she stands for, and can’t do it any longer and seeks to find a way out of Arobynn, and the grip of the Assassin’s Guild. The higher points of this story is that you’re introduced to Lysandra for the first time ever, and Sam and Calaena are reunited in the best way!

The Assassin and the Empire:

Sam and Calaena, now together, both try to find a way out in order to run away from Rifthold and their master’s influence in order to start over somewhere else; all they need to do is one last mission, but things are never quite that easy, and both learn how deep a knife in the back can really go…this one is a tear-jerker that makes you think that nothing will be okay, there’s no hope, and you’ll be on your couch with a box of tissues, never able to fully recover.

My name is Calaena Sardothien,” she whispered. “And I will not be afraid.”

– Sarah J. Maas, “The Assassin’s Blade”

What I Liked:

  1. Sam Cortland and Other Characters! A huge highlight of these books is meeting Sam Cortland face to face. There’s a sad reality behind every appearance of his, especially with his relationship with Calaena, because of how his fate’s been revealed in the first two books of the series. It only makes the inevitable more painful as we experience the grief that Calaena has to go through before her eventual imprisonment in the Endovier Salt Mines. There are plenty of other characters that you meet that also play a huge role in how the story progresses: Lady Lysandra, Yrene Towers, Captain Rolfe, Ilias of the Silent Assassins, and Ansel of Briarcliff. All these characters seem minor through the book, but know that all of them become super important as the story moves forward! There’s a reason you meet them all. It’s also worth noting that there is a little cameo of a big character in a certain ballroom scene that is never mentioned by name, but if you think about it, it’s super obvious, and will make you squeal in delight!
  2. The Emotional Impact! With prequels, there’s that awareness that you have as a reader by knowing the fates of characters before they ever do. It’s a cruel kind of power to have, and these stories only add to Calaena’s tragic backstory as you experience it firsthand. What it also does is gives you a deeper understanding towards her character overall and why she is the way she is, the softer/more vulnerable side of her that is seen is few times, and her slow descent into becoming a shell of her former self when she loses everything, and is taken prisoner to Endovier. Sure, its emotionally traumatizing like I’ve mentioned, but for someone who’s read the other books before this, I had to know that it was inevitable.

What I Didn’t Like:

  1. What Happens Next?…The one thing I absolutely despise about sequels is how you can feel like you’d experienced so much, been through the emotional wringer, and have this deeper understanding of the characters and the fictional world they belong in, but when you take a step back and think about it, not all that much has happened further into the story. Sure, there’s a deeper, stronger base to go off now with so much more depth to understanding them and their motives, but it still doesn’t answer the question of what happens next? What happens after the events of Crown of Midnight (the 2nd book)? We still don’t know; it feels somewhat like going one step forward, but two steps back.
  2. The Importance of These Stories in Question…Some of these short stories are more fun to read than others, simple as that. Part of me wondered what was the point of some of them: are they important, or are they just filler? I remember I questioned this when I initially read the book way back when it first came out, but after reading the whole series later on, I can say that, YES, ALL these stories carry importance into the overall story and how it ends up. Each play a small component, but it requires years of patience with later titles in order to see it all come through, and by then I bet quite a few readers forgot all about them.

Conclusion:

While it was technically published after Crown of Midnight, this book gives you no answers as to what happens next in the story, which is so frustrating after THAT HUGE REVEAL AT THE END THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING MOVING FORWARD WITH THE WHOLE SERIES…but what this title does give us is more depth to the story, of Calaena and everything she’s experienced as a 16-year-old up-and-coming assassin in Rifthold. It causes the base of the whole world to become much more prominent and gives you a larger emotional attachment towards the books from then on, because c’mon, if you don’t get emotional reading that final story, I have no words for you or your black heart!

For those wondering when you should read this, I’d say you could do it chronologically, so this one could be read before the first book, but I felt like it was also fine if you read if afterwards or even after Crown of Midnight. It’s honestly your choice based on your own reading preference.

You meet so many characters that WILL play a huge role later on in these stories, even if it doesn’t feel like it after reading, plus a fun little cameo from an already established character; this title only adds to the whole experience that is reading the Throne of Glass series!

Thanks For Reading!

— Nick Goodsell