First read in German in April 2013, these are my thought after rereading it in January 2017.
Alright, it's absolutely no secret that I love the GraceliFirst read in German in April 2013, these are my thought after rereading it in January 2017.
Alright, it's absolutely no secret that I love the Graceling Realm trilogy and this book in particular. Rereading this trilogy has been one of the greatest experiences ever because it made me realize just how much I love everything about these books.
Bitterblue is especially wonderful because it brings together all of our beloved characters. It makes me so happy to see them all interact together, to see their strong bounds. In general I just love Bitterblue's relationships with her family, friends and also advisers. Especially how intimate some of her friendships with some men are, without ever implying anything romantic between them. We need more male/female friendships portrayed like that in YA. But also the romance in this book is so wonderful and subtle. It's so far from many other YA romances where it's the situation of “I'd die for you, I can't live without you, I'd give up anything for you.” Neither of the characters included in the main romance ever forget their important tasks and that they are needed by other people. They get off track, they are sad or worried about the other person but they don't drop everything for their love interest.
I think the use of basically no tropes (as far as I can tell) is what makes this book most wonderful to me. It's what makes the friendships, the romance, just the characters in general so great to read about. Never once am I annoyed at any of them for doing stupid, not understandable things. There's no love triangle, no pretty dresses trope, no insta-love, no chosen one and even the little instances of characters lying to each other make ACTUAL SENSE and are not used just to frustrate the reader!
I even love the slow pacing in this book. This is a book of over 500 pages that I never, not on one single page, get tired of. I love all the little adventures Bitterblue has, the political intrigue, the mystery that takes so long to get solved. All the times Bitterblue spends in the library, the kitchen or anywhere else in her castle, simply to find out more about how the people around her live and work. The way Cashore portrays that Bitterblue is a queen that is kinda ignorant and oblivious to some of the things going on around her BUT throughout this books is open and willing to learn about all of it is wonderful. In general I love the way Bitterblue develops as a character. She had to grow up fast to be a queen and has always taken this responsibility very serious. She loves her kingdom and the people in it but she is so removed from the actual people living in her kingdom. The journey Bitterblue goes on in this book does not only make her a better, more understanding person but also a greater queen.
One of the most interesting aspects of the book is the main villain of the story. I know many people find it weird that Leck, while being dead for over eight years, is still the main villain of the story. But I think it shows what a powerful and horrible King Leck really was. This book doesn't need a new villain. The old one is still present enough, haunting everyone and it makes sense. Introducing a new villain is in no way necessary, the few, “smaller” antagonists that we have throughout the story are more than enough to keep the story going. I think everything else would have undermined the power and influence Leck had on EVERYONE in his kingdom. The first two books are just not enough to even slightly grasp the power and influence Leck really had!
I also love how Cashore includes diversity in this book in particular. There are two same sex couples in this book and it's never really mentioned as problematic, except for when it comes to royalty and heirs, although it is mentioned as something that's gonna be changed in the future (it's just that in the particular kingdom where this is an occurring situation, the current king is an asshole). Also Cashore always takes care of mentioning contraception in everyone of these books, which is also something we need more often in YA. Especially in Fantasy where there's no condoms or any other modern forms of contraception, authors like to act as if it's not an issue in these worlds. Cashore handles it subtly but as a reader you always know it's taken care of.
I guess it's clear from all of this how much I love this trilogy and would recommend it to everyone. I will recommend it till the end of my life. I think there's no YA Fantasy that you can compare to this. It is one of a kind. Unique but so simplistic. This trilogy will forever have a huge place in my heart and I'm forever thankful for discovering it.
Reread immediately after in Februrary 2017: SO FUCKING DONE WITH FEELINGS THANK YOU VERY MUCH
First read in February 2017: I just cried my way through tReread immediately after in Februrary 2017: SO FUCKING DONE WITH FEELINGS THANK YOU VERY MUCH
First read in February 2017: I just cried my way through the last 100 pages so currently I'm really not in a mood to say anything about what I think. All I think is that it's perfect. That I can't believe that it's over. It will take some time to let that sink in. Anoshe. And because I'm crazy, I posted a reading reaction vlog on my YouTube channel!
I loved this book on so many different levels, I honestly don't know where to start. Going into this I expected some amazing world ♦ Video Review ♦
I loved this book on so many different levels, I honestly don't know where to start. Going into this I expected some amazing world building and I loved the unique idea of a world run by clock towers. It's a great metaphor for life today where time seems to go by so fast and new technologies get invented what feels like everyday. But this book had so much more to offer and I was so impressed with everything that was given to us readers in just a few pages.
The world building was as awesome as I had expected but it also went way deeper than I thought it would. There was a whole mythology to this world that I really enjoyed finding out about. It's always good to see a proper foundation for a fantastical spin on our own world and this one was interesting but also easy to understand.
I loved all the different characters we get in this story. Our main character has many different sides to him and I loved reading about his life and feelings. We see all kinds of characters in different parts of their lives but for most of them it comes down to wanting to protect the people they love. So while this book definitely has a focus on romance as well, there's lots of love displayed between family members and how everyone just tries to go through everyday life, being with the people they love, even if they act selfish because of it.
Our main character is openly gay and his love interest is probably bisexual/pansexual as he talks about being interested in a girl before. His sexuality is never clearly stated although that probably just has to do with the fact that the character does not quite grasp the concept of sexuality.
Overall I loved the storyline and the different aspects of it and I feel like this book can be enjoyed by many people. Whether you like romance, action, twists and turns, mythology, family life and dynamics.. there is something for everyone to enjoy. The alternate fantastical Victorian England setting was also very interesting and fits the story well. It is a well thought out concept and the author even included a note at the end on some of the things in the world, which I absolutely loved. I highly enjoyed all of these aspects working together and never felt bored in any part of the story! Even though this is the first book in a trilogy, I feel like you could very well read this as a standalone if you're not so much into committing to a series. There is a little "teaser" that makes you want to read on but the story from this first book has a pretty satisfying ending.
I highly recommend this to anyone that is intrigued by the synopsis. I definitely feel like the description of perfect for fans of Cassandra Clare and Victoria Schwab fits this book well and I wish this book gets just as much well-deserved hype!
Originally read in Februrary 2015, reread in February 2016 and 2017, September 2018 and October 2023.
“There were fixed points. Most of the time they were places. But sometimes, rarely, they were people. For someone who never stood still, Lila felt like a pin in Kell's world. One he was sure to snag on.”
October 2023: I have no idea how five years have passed since I last read this. But this reread hit EXTRA hard after reading Threads of Power. My love for these characters knows absolutely no bounds and every time I think I cannot possibly love them more, my heart grows a couple of inches to fit my love for them.
September 2018: This was my favourite reread so far because it was the first time I read it AFTER A Conjuring of Light. And there's just so much in here already connecting to the final book, so it had even more of an emotional impact on me. This book and series just owns a piece of my soul for ever and ever and ever. I love it with every fiber of my being.
Februrary 2016: This reread was SO MUCH FUN! There were so many details I was able to understand but also I felt like I had never read some of these passages before (thanks to my horrible book-amnesia). I fell even more in love with the characters, I fell even more in love with the world and I fell even more in love with Schwab's writing (which I didn't think was possible).
[April 2020:] WOW! I was expecting to still love this but I was surprised by how well this is really holding up. If anything, I have gained MORE appre[April 2020:] WOW! I was expecting to still love this but I was surprised by how well this is really holding up. If anything, I have gained MORE appreciation for it than I've already had. All the characters are so complex, the world building is incredibly intricate and the story is absolutely captivating and evokes all the emotions. This truly is a classic already.
[February 2016:] Everything about this still breaks my heart. You know I'm never shy about my love for the hunger games but if it's possible in any way I just love it more with every reread of any of the books. I love it. I LOVE IT. (shouts from the rooftops) I LOOOOOOOOVE IT!
First read in December 2012 in German (5 stars). Reread in February 2016 (5 stars). Reread in April 2020 with Melanie (5 stars)....more
Originally read in June 2016, reread in May 2017 in anticipation for Our Dark Duet. All opinions in this review still stand after my reread. I love thOriginally read in June 2016, reread in May 2017 in anticipation for Our Dark Duet. All opinions in this review still stand after my reread. I love this book.
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VICTORIA SCHWAB HAS DONE IT AGAIN. I am so deeply in love with her books and this one was definitely NO exception. Actually this one was especially special to me because it felt a little different. I felt so “home” in her writing style but also often found myself forgetting that I'm reading a Schwab book which hasn't happened to me before and that felt so extraordinary to me.
“Most people want to escape. Get out of their heads. Out of their lives. Stories are the easiest way to do that.”
If you've seen some of my other reviews or follow my YouTube channel you'll know that I always love Schwab's characters and these just joined the ranks. Both main characters felt very realistic but super unique. I especially loved how both had a rather “tragic” back-story but I didn't feel like their thoughts and feelings were over-dramatized as it sadly often happens in YA, it's one of my greatest pet peeves. The characters had a wonderful depth to them. I really liked the way they were portrayed and the distinction between their personalities and the way people saw them. I also loved many of the secondary characters and the “villains”, as always. If you've read Vicious or A Darker Shade of Magic, you know that evil and villainous characters are what Schwab excels at.
I think it was mentioned pretty early on that while this is a story about a boy and a girl, we should not expect a romance. Either way would have been fine for me, as I love a good romance and I know Schwab CAN write it. But what she did with this friendship was even better. The friendship felt intense and deep and was beautifully written but never once made me question if there is more. There was no romantic or sexual tension between the lines and that made the friendship seem even stronger. I don't think I've ever read such a friendship, especially in YA, especially between a boy and a girl. Simply fantastic!
“It was a cruel trick of the universe, thought August, that he only felt human after doing something monstrous.”
One of the aspects I found so outstanding in this novel was the writing. I also never made a secret of my love for Schwab's writing. It is always easy to read but she has such a great way of describing things that never make the story boring. It's always easy to picture things while the world still feels rich. In THIS SAVAGE SONG I felt like her writing has outdone itself. I don't even know how to describe it, it was simply beautiful and fit the novel perfectly. It set the tone for the world and plot just right and it was able to bring across so many of the feelings the characters felt. I could feel the anxiety and the pain and the hunger. It was mesmerizing to me.
Lastly I wanna mention the music aspect because it was especially important to me. I am a musician and I have a really close connection to music. I know many people laugh about these sentence but I really love music and I couldn't imagine my life without it. Just as I could not imagine my life without Victoria Schwab's books. So these two clashing together was very exciting to me and I had been looking forward to this aspect in particular. While I had hoped that the music would play a bigger role in the novel, I enjoyed this aspect of the story a lot! It was a fascinating concept that I don't wanna go into detail with but it was definitely one of the things that made me fall in love with the novel as much as I have.
“You wanted to feel alive, right? It doesn't matter if you're monster or human. Living hurts.”
I am excited to see where the story is going in the second book. I do hope that we get a bit more about the world, how it came to be and what lies outside of what we've experienced in this story, especially because world building is another aspect that Victoria Schwab has never disappointed me in before, so I feel like there is definitely more to explore and find out. If by now you haven't guessed it.. I loved this book! It's definitely in my favourites of the year. I'd recommend it to simply everyone. It is beautiful, fascinating, dark and compelling!
Originally read in Feburary 2016, reread in January & February 2017 and September 2018.
September 2018: Surviving the 364 DAYS ♦ Video Review ♦
Originally read in Feburary 2016, reread in January & February 2017 and September 2018.
September 2018: Surviving the 364 DAYS LONG wait until A Conjuring of Light after THIS CLIFFHANGER has truly made the strong person that I am today.
January & February 2017: MOST PAINFUL REREAD OF MY LIFE!!! (5/5 for the audiobook btw, loved both narrators)
February 2016: It is currently 1am and I don't have any proper words for this yet. Instead I shall drown in feels and will try to write a proper review tomorrow. I tell you one thing though.. THIS BOOK IS PERFECT!!!
Never Never is a prequel/retelling of Peter Pan from Hook's point of view. It shows us the story of how Hook came to Neverland an♦ Full video review ♦
Never Never is a prequel/retelling of Peter Pan from Hook's point of view. It shows us the story of how Hook came to Neverland and became Peter Pan's greatest villain. I love Pirates and I have always been a big fan of Hook especially, so I was very excited to pick this book up. And it delivered! The book goes through various states of Hook's life and starts of middle-gradeish but in the course of the novel almost crosses the line to New Adult. So I'd definitely recommend this to an older YA audience. I thought the back story of Hook was very interesting and in my personal opinion also very plausible. I thought the story fit well into the original but made it even more exciting. I don't think I will ever watch or read another Peter Pan adaptation now without having Hook's backstory from this book in mind. I also really liked the way the other characters were portrayed. This book shows us a different view of Peter Pan that I enjoyed a lot. The book has a lot of romance in it, which I did not expect but loved a lot. I do think you should be prepared for that when you go into the novel, especially if you're not as much of a romance lover as I am. But I thought the romance in this book was incredibly well done and the chemistry radiated out of the book. It was just a beautiful, heart-breaking and emotional story. I absolutely recommend it if you love Hook and don't think a romance in his life is a weird thing. Read this book and make your life better!
Initial reaction after finishing: I finished this 10 minutes ago and right now I am just in awe. I loved this book SO MUCH. It's been a while since I felt this strongly about a book.. and a character, I guess. I had super high expectations going into this, it was my most anticipated release of this year. And it exceeded my expectations by a lot. This book contained everything I had wished for and more. I really don't know what else to say. I don't think I can think clearly right now. A full (and proper) review will be up on my YouTube channel closer to the release.
I RECEIVED THIS BOOK IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW THROUGH NETGALLEY. THANK GOD! Netgalley made me one of the happiest people on earth <3
I've been anticipating this book for such a long time, even before it actually being announced. I've been watching Carrie's videos for a long time andI've been anticipating this book for such a long time, even before it actually being announced. I've been watching Carrie's videos for a long time and when I heard her mention in her "Queen of Procrastination" video that her goal is to write a book, I was already looking forward to holding that book in my hands. Carrie is so full of talent and creativity and I was really excited when she announced her first fiction novel. I was almost scared my expectations were too high but they were exceeded.
This book blew me away. It's one of the most beautiful books I have ever read. Made it right into my top books of 2016, my favourite of all time and my heart. I was captivated from the first page on. I went into the book not knowing too much about the story but I already senses that it would be right up my alley. While it is a contemporary book and focuses a lot on relationships between people, it is VERY heavy on the magical realism, so if you don't enjoy that I think you should stay away. But magical realism is one of my favourite things and really added to the magic this book contains. Also.. it's sad. It's super fucking sad. I mean it's also really happy and just in general emotional but if you're a weeper (like me), expect tears. I had to wipe actual big fucking tears away while finishing the book, I wasn't able to read the last page because my eyes wear so full of tears. And then I just hugged the book really, really close to my chest. I am still a little in awe and honestly don't know what else to tell you. This book will definitely stay with me for a really long time and I cannot wait for more of Carrie's work in fiction!...more
200% recommended for everyone that loves The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings and just Middle Earth in general. It was so interesting and I found it to be ve200% recommended for everyone that loves The Hobbit, Lord of the Rings and just Middle Earth in general. It was so interesting and I found it to be very touching!...more
I am completely broken. It's not a secret what these books mean to me but I think I hadn't quite realized the impact myself before this reread. I wishI am completely broken. It's not a secret what these books mean to me but I think I hadn't quite realized the impact myself before this reread. I wish I had words to describe it but I just don't think these words exist.
“You sound like thunderstorms and heavy rain, did you know that?” He lets out a soft, low laugh. “I never liked bad weather. Not until I met you.”
I can't believe there are people out there who find Mac's struggles "annoying". This is Order of the Phoenix all over again. Mac went through a whole lot of shit and honestly with all the things she is dealing with, she's handling real life pretty well. She remains one of my favourite protagonists of all time, throughout any genre. And Wes. My baby Wes. He is so precious and I wanna protect him at all costs. I can't believe what a huge book boyfriend he was for me back then. I mean he still is but I'm 24 now so I'm not sure how to feel about that age difference.
The relationship between Mac and Wes is probably my favourite part though. I guess I'm just constantly craving for that trope. The "I'm scared to care" female character vs "I care so much" male character. KELLILA FEELS ANYONE? Seeing Wesley's obvious affection for Mac while she feels the exact same but can't GO THERE makes my heart shatter every time. And HOW DARE YOU call this book out for having a love triangle. You need to reconsider your thoughts on that trope for sure.
Anyway, I feel good about waiting four years to reread this series because the impact this reread had was so intense. And I reread it at exactly the right moment in my life and I couldn't be happier. If you haven't read this yet, I'm seriously questioning what you're doing.
“Caring about someone is scary, Mac. I know. Especially when you've lost people. It's easy to think it's not worth it. It's easy to think life will hurt less if you don't. But it's not life unless you care about it. And if you feel half of what he feels for you, don't push him away.”
It's been four years and I still love this book with every fibre of my being. This will forever be one of the most important books in my life and I'm It's been four years and I still love this book with every fibre of my being. This will forever be one of the most important books in my life and I'm just so incredibly thankful.
"I used to think that when you died, you lost everything. That's what made me so sad about death, even more than the fact that you couldn't live anymore; it was that you lost all the things you'd spent your life collecting, all the memories and knowledge. The Archive means that the past is never gone. Never lost. Knowing that, it's freeing. It gave me permission to always look forward. After all, we have our own Histories to write."
Lea (drumsofautumn)
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