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Review: The Tower of Nero
Synopsis:
At last, the breathtaking, action-packed finale of the #1 bestselling Trials of Apollo series is here! Will the Greek god Apollo, cast down to earth in the pathetic moral form of a teenager named Lester Papadopoulos, finally regain his place on Mount Olympus? Lester's demigod friends at Camp Jupiter just helped him survive attacks from bloodthirsty ghouls, an evil Roman king and his army of the undead, and the lethal emperors Caligula and Commodus. Now the former god and his demigod master Meg must follow a prophecy uncovered by Ella the harpy. Lester's final challenge will be at the Tower of Nero, back in New York. Will Meg have a last showdown with her father? Will this helpless form of Apollo have to face his arch nemesis, Python? Who will be on hand at Camp Half-Blood to assist? These questions and more will be answered in this book that all demigods are eagerly awaiting.
Plot:
Apollo and Meg have traveled across the entire United States for their quest. From visiting old friends, making new ones, it is time for Apollo and Meg to return, back to New York, back to Camp Half-Blood, to prepare for their final battle against Nero. With the help on the inside from Lu, Meg’s old guard, and friend, the team is joined by Nico, Will, and Rachel to defeat Nero. As all psychopathic fathers do, Nero had a plan: get Meg and Apollo to surrender otherwise he would blow up the entire state of New York, including Camp Half-Blood. With the prophecy almost fulfilled, Apollo is at his final test to defeat Nero and prove that he should be a god again or die as a moral. With more than just his life at stake, Apollo is tested to the fullest of his humanity with this action pack conclusion that leaves you an emotional ending you would not want to miss.
Thoughts:
Rick Riordan has done it again, ending off another series with a banger of an ending. As someone who has not always enjoyed this series, Riordan definitely pays attention to that, making this novel wrap everything up in a nice bow, while making everything evident. The death of Jason, which at the time I saw as a complete cop-out, begins to make sense in this novel, as Riordan keeps the death of Jason close to Apollo, to help remind him of his humanity, and why these demigod battles are worth fighting for. Which is part of Riordan writing that this book does better than the others - the humanity of it. Finally, as it “do or die time”, Riordan has Apollo expressing several human emotions and understands the complexity of humanity, as his time on earth is running to an end. Meg, whom we have seen grow confident, is trusted back under Nero’s thumb, allowing us to see if these past few months made her grow, or is she still scared of Nero and what ‘the Beast’ can do. With flowing writing that’s easy to follow, Riordan made this book take a leisurely stroll, in the beginning, to race to the action pack scenes in the middle, to give us a nice river-side walk of an ending to a peaceful day. Wearing Riordan really scored points with me - a fantastic ending. A bittersweet one that allows you to feel happy but sad at the same time, as the Trials of Apollo did end, Riordan allows a glimpse into the lives of all the characters we have loved throughout this series and previous ones, allowing you to know all is well in Riordan’s greek world - until he writes another one. Overall, this book does justice to the series, and to the greek world, Riordan created, with Apollo finally understanding humanity, Meg finding a home of her own, and everyone gets what they deserve.
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Review: Fire and Ice
Synopsis:
Fireheart could hear a roaring around him, like wind in tall trees. The acrid stench of the Thunderpath stung his nostrils, together with a new smell, sharper and more terrifying. Fire!
Book Two of WARRIORS continues Fireheart's quest to be a true warrior, when he finds new danger lurking in the woods as the chill of winter sets in.
WindClan is missing, and hostilities between the remaining three clans place all the cats in peril. Illness and tragic accidents weaken the camp, and ThunderClan needs all its warriors to defend itself - but Fireheart suspects that certain cats may not be as loyal as they appear.
Plot:
Fireheart is a warrior of the ThunderClan and is proud to shed his kittypet roots. However, as we hit leaf barren season, Fireheart thinks more and more about his kittypet home, where he always had somewhere soft to sleep, and rarely got sick. As the clans meet for their gathering, it is Bluestar that pushes to bring WindClan home, after ShadowClan's old ruler ran them out of town. Choosing Firepaw and Graystripe, the two friends work together to bring WindClan back to their home, earning an ally in this brooding war. It was on this mission where Greystripe meets Silverstream, a RiverClan she-cat, whose beauty entries Greystripe. Choosing his girl over his bestie, Fireheart and Graystripe's friendship begins to crumble as FIreheart questions Greystripes loyalty to the clan. However, that is not Fireheart's biggest worry as the sickness spreads throughout the Clan, Bluestar falls ill again, making her very close to her last life. In need of warriors, Bluestar gives Fireheart and Graystripe both apprentices to train. As there is unrest amongst the Clans, as each fights for food to survive the winter, Fireheart uses his connections to his kittypet past for the best of the clan, as they struggle to make it through winter.
Thoughts:
Erin Hunter continues on in their tale about Fireheart, our kittypet turned clan member. Starting off where the second book ended, Hunter keeps the story going by having multiple plot lines developed at once, giving this story multiple climax parts, and ending suddenly, making you want to read the next installment fast. As this is the second novel, the writing is a bit easier to understand, from the weird names, locations, and just the way Hunter writes the story from the point of view of a cat. Our characters all develop a bit more as they each grapple with interpersonal issues, such as Fireheart and his kittypet past, and Graystripe with his loyalty to his clan vs his girl. These dynamics of the novel really made the story more compelling and made the characters really stand out, as there are actual stakes in the actions that they do throughout the story. Where there are really no hints of a series-long plot line starting in this novel, we do get to see a lot of tension between the clans, with the idea that there will be a ShadowClan vs. ThunderClan battle happening on the horizon, but no date has been picked. As each clan struggles through the winter, Hunter opens up the world a bit more, and really dives into the hardships the clans face during this challenging season. Overall, this book only improves the series as a whole and makes you more eager to read the next installment to see where Hunter is taking Fireheart and the rest of his clan mates.
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Review: The Love Hypothesis
Synopsis:
As a third-year Ph.D. candidate, Olive Smith doesn't believe in lasting romantic relationships--but her best friend does, and that's what got her into this situation. Convincing Anh that Olive is dating and well on her way to a happily ever after was always going to take more than hand-wavy Jedi mind tricks: Scientists require proof. So, like any self-respecting biologist, Olive panics and kisses the first man she sees.
That man is none other than Adam Carlsen, a young hotshot professor--and well-known ass. Which is why Olive is positively floored when Stanford's reigning lab tyrant agrees to keep her charade a secret and be her fake boyfriend. But when a big science conference goes haywire, putting Olive's career on the Bunsen burner, Adam surprises her again with his unyielding support and even more unyielding... six-pack abs.
Suddenly their little experiment feels dangerously close to combustion. And Olive discovers that the only thing more complicated than a hypothesis on love is putting her own heart under the microscope.
Plot:
Olive does something that was completely out of character: she kissed a stranger. But for a good reason! Olive is a third-year Ph.D. candidate, and although she knows biology and cancer research, she is not so good at a social life. The fact that she had a boyfriend at some point in her life was startling, so it was not a big deal when they broke up. The big deal is that Anh, one of Olive’s two friends, has a crush on that ex-boyfriend and will not go out with him in solidarity with Olive. Therefore, to show Anh that she is over her ex, she lies and says she was on a date when in reality she was just at the lab. Seeing Anh, Olive panics and kisses the first person she sees, which is Dr. Adam Carlsen, a professor at the university. Mortified, Olive tried to explain her situation to the hardest professor at school, and when Dr. Carlsen threatened to report Olive, he also decided to give her a chance to date. Well, not really dating. Fake dating actually. Pretending to fake date Adam, Olive does it to show Anh that she’s over her ex, and Adam does it to show the university that he is sticking around and that they can un-freeze his funding. Where everyone is shocked that quiet Olive could land gorgeous but always grumpy Adam, their fake date Wednesday begins to turn more real when Olive discovers feelings she never thought she was capable of, and Adam begins to reveal his feelings that he might have had all along.
vThoughts: Ali Hazelwood wows readers with this slow-burn science-centered love story between Ph.D. student Olive, and Dr. Carlsen, all taking place within the Stanford University biology program. Told from the point of view of Olive, you see the first person point of view of her navigating this fake relationship she got in with Adam, all while trying to keep her friendships real, her future secure, and her lab mice alive. As the story is told from Olive’s perspective, Hazelwood's writing is catchy, fast-paced, and often extremely awkward. You want to bang your head as Olive, despite being extremely intelligent, does dumb moves with Adam, and once she starts to catch feelings, you moan as she runs away despite Adam being everything she always wanted. Olive, you dummy! However, Hazelwood keeps the story romantic along with the comedy, as this slow burn is worth it as Hazelwood leads readers to some steamy scenes and a final ending that will make you swoop in love. Alongside Adam and Olive, we get their friends, and where Adam’s friends are not as defined as Olive’s, that is not a bad thing as Hazelwood does not do their best with Anh and Malcolm. Malcolm has a very two-dimensional story arc, and where he does know Olive and Adam are fake datings, he does not use that information to any sort of advantage or move the plot. In fact, the only noticeable thing about Malcolm knowing is Anh not knowing. Now, I am sure Hazelwood did not mean to do this, but they wrote Anh as a horrible friend. She is pushy, forcing Olive and Adam into embarrassing situations, and often disregards Olive's discomfort. Like, even if your friend is in a new relationship, you do not force them into these situations like Anh does to Olive. Where Hazelwood was trying to write Anh as the caring friend, she just seemed necessarily cruel to Olive at points, who was struggling to understand her feelings for Adam. But hey, at least Anh moved the plotline, unlike Malcolm. Overall, this is a rom-com, slow-burn, fake dating novel through and through as Hazelwood balances out the awkward parts with the sweetness as Olive, a girl who thought she would be forever alone, the sunshine and extra-whipped cream at Starbucks, falls in love with the brooding, intelligent, grumpy pants of Adam, who despite seemingly hating the world has fallen madly in love for her.
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Review: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Synopsis:
There is a door at the end of a silent corridor. And it’s haunting Harry Potter’s dreams. Why else would he be waking in the middle of the night, screaming in terror?
Harry has a lot on his mind for this, his fifth year at Hogwarts: a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher with a personality like poisoned honey; a big surprise on the Gryffindor Quidditch team; and the looming terror of the Ordinary Wizarding Level exams. But all these things pale next to the growing threat of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named---a threat that neither the magical government nor the authorities at Hogwarts can stop.
As the grasp of darkness tightens, Harry must discover the true depth and strength of his friends, the importance of boundless loyalty, and the shocking price of unbearable sacrifice.
His fate depends on them all.
Plot:
Harry knew Lord Voldemort was back, but everyone besides Dumbledore and his friends did not believe him. Being left at the Dursleys all summer with no communication to the wizarding world, Harry is frustrated and unsure He finds his way back into the world he loves through the usage of underage magic that saves him and Dudley from rogue dementors. Saved by Dumbeldore, he was dumped at the Order of the Phenix headquarters, where Ron and Hermione had spent all summer. Feeling left out, Harry felt even more excluded when they were named Gryffindor’s prefixes and not him. With the Ministry infiltrating Hogwarts, giving them a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher that is not letting them use magic, Hermione convinces Harry to step up. Forming Dumbledore’s Army, the three fifths years start this illegal club teaching their peers proper magic, to defend themselves against Voldemort and his growing followers.
Thoughts:
J.K Rowling takes us deeper into the wizarding world as Harry and friends enter their fifth year of school. With Voldemort back, an unbelieving Ministry, Rowling begins to show the cracks in the wizarding government system, as one might see in our own. When the government infiltrates the education system, we see our trio rebel back, and learn so awesome magic. This book also starts to show the deeper plot of the story, giving you the explanation to why Harry was chosen as a baby by Voldemort, and why Harry must fight Voldemort. Character development takes a step back with Harry in this one, as we get to see the jealousy, unreasonable, child side of him, as we would expect any other fifteen-year-old boy. Writing equality was good, as Rowling kept the book moving at a steady pace, but given the longness of the book, in between the action we get to see regular life at Hogwarts, after all, it is their school, and plus their O.W.L examination year. Rowling also added an interesting element of what our characters are going to do once school is over. After all, school is only seven years, and they are in their fifth after school career plans are going to affect their future in the upcoming school years. What makes this book stand out in the series? Beside key information you learn about the past, you get to see Harry, Ron and Hermione really step up into leadership roles and show that they are willing to fight the darkness, even though they are still children who are not as experienced as the others.
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Review: The Handmaid's Tale
Synopsis:
Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead. She may leave the home of the Commander and his wife once a day to walk to food markets whose signs are now pictures instead of words because women are no longer allowed to read. She must lie on her back once a month and pray that the Commander makes her pregnant, because in an age of declining births, Offred and the other Handmaids are valued only if their ovaries are viable. Offred can remember the years before, when she lived and made love with her husband, Luke; when she played with and protected her daughter; when she had a job, money of her own, and access to knowledge. But all of that is gone now...
Plot:
Gone were the days of bikinis and jeans. No longer did she spend nights in hotel rooms with Luke, listen to her mother complain from her kitchen table, and late night dorm parties with Moria. After her re-education in the Red Center, she became a Handmaiden, and took up her new name of Offred. Going to her placement in the Commander’s house, her life becomes a routine, taking her daily walk with another Handmaid, Ofglen, helping out around the house, and preparing for the “Ceremony”. This is the night in which, between the Commander and his wife, Offred tries to get pregnant. After all, that is what she was there for. With lower birth rates across the country, the government assigned these Handmaids to houses to bear children for the men, because their current wife is unable to. These Handmaids are meant to be daughters to these wives, as they both raise their child up, but for Offred, the Commander’s wife, Serena, will never see her that way. When the Commander starts asking for alone time with Offred, that his wife does not know about, playing scrabble is an illegal game because it is against the law for Offred to know how to read. As Offred finds herself in more distress, she flashes back to the good times with Luke, Moria and her mother, in the hopes that her past can keep her strong enough to face what is to come.
Thoughts:
When released in 1985, The Handmaid’s Tale has hit recent popularity with its 2017 television series starring Elisabeth Moss as Offred. With their third season coming our way, people began reading a Margaret Atwood story that the show was based off of. May I just say, wow, what a story. Atwood takes us to a different United States that many are familiar with today. In her version, women have gotten all their rights stripped away, and are now unable to hold a job or own property. Their job was basically what women’s jobs were back in the eighteenth century: run the home and make babies. Offred, whose real name was not given, was the handmaiden that Atwood based her story around. Offred had a life before, in which Atwood gave to us in flashbacks, of Offred and her husband Luke, their daughter, her single mother, and best friend who loved her independents: Moria. Because of this, we got to see the world kind of how it was in 1985, but also today, and how quickly everything changed from Offred to land her in this Handmaiden position. Atwood did this very well, doing an amazing dystopian explanation of how the world got to how it was, and how those changes affected Offred through flashbacks. With compelling writing, Atwood's book flows nicely, bringing up little twists and turns that keeps the book rolling. A major issue of the story is that Atwood left it with a lot of loose ends. There are so many unanswered questions that Atwood could have answered, but chose not to. From the ending, to the people Offred knew and loved before the world turned this way, Atwood just brought up questions that she did not bother to answer. Overall a great book, with a compelling thought that deserves all the hype that people give it.
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Review: Spellcaster
Synopsis:
After breaking a centuries-old romantic curse, Emma Connor is (almost) glad to get back to normal problems. Although…it's not easy dealing with the jealous cliques and gossip that rule her exclusive Upper East Side prep, even for a seventeen-year-old newbie witch. Having the most-wanted boy in school as her eternal soul mate sure helps ease the pain—especially since wealthy, rocker-hot Brendan Salinger is very good at staying irresistibly close….
But something dark and hungry is using Emma's and Brendan's deepest fears to reveal damaging secrets and destroy their trust in each other. And Emma's crash course in überspells may not be enough to keep them safe…or to stop an inhuman force bent on making their unsuspected power its own.
Plot:
Emma and Brendan are real life soul mates. After centuries of “will Emma die” on Brendan, they finally beat the curse when Brendan sacrificed himself in their battle against Anthony to save Emma. Now they're happy, madly in love, and a bit too serious for everyone’s liking. Emma is learning self-defense through kick boxing, and learning with Angelique. Yet, something is still off. Angelique read from Emma that she is still in mortal danger, but from what? Anthony is not anywhere near them, and there is nothing Kristen can do that can have lasting damage. Introducing Megan, Angelique's ex-best friend, and a girl that had a psychotic crush on Brenden; as in leaving dead birds in his locker psychotic. Megan wants blood, as the blood from two soul mate lovers can create a potion that makes Megan's witch powers stronger. With her friends and Brenden in danger, it is Emma's turn to take the hit, and take this cat fight to a whole new level.
Thoughts:
This book did not need to exist. Cara Shultz wrote this novel to make Spellbound a duology, yet starts this book off with a five page summary of the last book, so in reality you could start with this book and miss little detail. There is just so much teenage drama within this novel, most of it focuses around Brendan. Going into his past, Emma learns about his less than chivalrous years, meaning he slept with a lot of girls, most of them meaningless. Thus, the introduction of Megan, a girl trying to make her one night stand last a little longer. Throwing in that Megan is also a dark witch, and boom you got yourself a villain with a story conflict. Where Megan was talking about in the first novel, the mention of Angelique having a friend, Shultz still kind of just threw Megan into this story to give this novel a plot. Yes, a, as in one single plot, because besides Emma not wanting to spread her legs to Brenden, this book did not have much else going for it. Emma's character did develop a bit more with her independence and witch powers, the title of heroine does not fit her. With a good pace in the writing, there are a few brining bits throughout the story, but none to drag it completely down. Overall, not necessary to read, definitely not something to buy, and only read it if you are like me and hate leaving a series hanging.
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Review: The Tyrant's Tomb
Synopsis:
It's not easy being Apollo, especially when you've been turned into a human and banished from Olympus. On his path to restoring five ancient oracles and reclaiming his godly powers, Apollo (aka Lester Papadopoulos) has faced both triumphs and tragedies. Now his journey takes him to Camp Jupiter in the San Francisco Bay Area, where the Roman demigods are preparing for a desperate last stand against the evil Triumvirate of Roman emperors. Hazel, Reyna, Frank, Tyson, Ella, and many other old friends will need Apollo's aid to survive the onslaught. Unfortunately, the answer to their salvation lies in the forgotten tomb of a Roman ruler . . . someone even worse than the emperor's Apollo has already faced.
Plot:
Apollo is kind of getting the hang of being mortal. In which, being mortal, he feels the guilt and sadness for getting Jason Grace killed. As he was the one that got Jason to leave his some-what mortal life, to enter the battlefield again, only this time, he did not walk out. Determined to take Jason’s body back to Camp Jupiter, Apollo wanted a better entrance than running for his, and Meg’s, life, carrying the coffin between them. It was Hazel who found them and it was Hazel who told Reyna what happened, who set up a proper Roman funeral for their former Praetor. During one of those demigod dreams, Apollo realized what was in store for the fate of Camp Jupiter, and when Doomsday was going to happen: April 8th, Lester’s birthday. With the camp in preparation to go to war, Apollo is being extremely awkward around Reyna due to advice he was given during his god days but he needed her for a mission. Apollo, Reyna, and Meg were sent on a quest to silence the silent god, another shame from Apollo’s past that he now has to deal with. As Doomsday draws nearer for our heroes, Apollo time as a mortal is running out, and he has to begin to believe in himself as Lester to save his friends.
Thoughts:
Rick Riordan is developing the Camp Half-Blood series longer than I even think he intended. Taking us back to Camp Jupiter, Riordan lets us see what happens to the camp after Hazel and Frank get back, and Jason leaves. Reyna is still Praetor, alongside Frank now, new characters are introduced, and our once thriving camp and city that Percy got to see is now just a shell of its former self. I am becoming an un-fan of the series as if I did not start this series, a debate I had, I would still think of Camp Jupiter as proof demigods can grow old, Jason was still alive, and he was still with Piper. Yet Riordan is now changing that narrative as Apollo enters the lives of these characters, only Riordan is not giving out as many good things compared to the good things he's been changing. Still, this book, along with the series, has a steady plot that drives it along, Apollo is getting more "human", as he realizes the meaning behind mortal life, especially with watching everyone grieve over Jason. Meg, you can either like her or not, as her character development has been zero for the past few books, except for her random kindness towards Apollo. With the final bit of plot revealed, the last book of the series is the big battle of Apollo against Nero, in which hopefully we get to see some character development from Meg, and Apollo either returns to his godly form or dies as Lester.
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Review: Into the Wild
Synopsis:
For generations, four Clans of wild cats have shared the forest according to the laws laid down by their warrior ancestors. But the ThunderClan cats are in grave danger, and the sinister ShadowClan grows stronger every day. Noble warriors are dying-- and some deaths are more mysterious than others. In the midst of this turmoil appears an ordinary house cat named Rusty . . . who may turn out to be the bravest warrior of them all.
Plot:
Rusty was an orange tabby kitten who dreamed of adventures. Sure his life was great, got to sleep in all the sunny spots of the house, food was always available, and a human was willing to now and then give him all the pets he deserved. Yet, Rusty knew he wanted more out of life, so one day in the garden he decided to go into the forest where he met the wild cats. Frightened, yet able to hold his own, the leader of the ThunderClan invites Rusty to join the clan, the first time an outsider has ever been invited to. In exchange, Rusty must give up the life he currently has, even his name. Joining the ThunderClan, Rusty is now known as Firepaw, an apprentice in training to be a great warrior. Learning his way around the clan, Firepaw begins to worry about ThunderClan, as their neighbors of ShadowClan begin to trespass in their territory, claiming they need more room. With the death of the deputy sends ThunderClan into chaos, Firepaw and his friends, Ravenpaw and Graypaw, must work together in protecting their clan, find out the truth behind the problem, and work together to go from apprentices to real warriors, dedicated to the life of their clan.
Thoughts:
Welcome to the world of cats! If you do not enjoy cats then this book is not for you, as from page one till the end, Erin Hunter tells us about this magical world of warrior cats, and what is happening in our forest. Hunter begins giving us a vivid world, full of details and locations, all from the eyes of our kittypet Rusty/Firepaw. Our story took place in a third person point of view following Firepaw around as he joined ThunderClan and began making his way around this wild world. This allows readers to learn the dynamics of the world along with Firepaw, and learn new things throughout the novel to develop the world. Despite this being the first novel in a series, Hunter ended it to be a stand alone novel, allowing readers the choice to continue on with the series, or stop here with a few loose ends but with a fully developed story of Firepaw going from apprentice to warrior. The difficult part of this novel, and a lot of fantasy, is keeping track of all the characters and their ridiculous names, as all characters ended with a suffix of -paw, -star, -heart, -claw, and some more silly ones. Hunter writing was also not the strongest, keeping to the cat theme really hard, using words like meowed and purr, but also made the cats act more human like in the way they formed clans and had strong interactions with each other. Or maybe my cat is weird because she hates everything and everyone. THis is a fun book though, about cats having great adventures in the outdoors, a story of friendship and finding one's place in society. Hunter does a fantastic job at developing characters that we as readers can root for, and dislike, while keeping the plot moving and developing in what can become someone's favorite series.
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Review: The Best Laid Plans
Synopsis:
A burnt-out political aide quits just before an election — but is forced to run a hopeless campaign on the way out. He makes a deal with a crusty old Scot, Angus McLintock — an engineering professor who will do anything, anything, to avoid teaching English to engineers — to let his name stand in the election. No need to campaign, certain to lose - or is he?
Plot:
Growing up in a conservative household, Daniel Addison was nearly disowned when he started voting for the Liberals, and was kicked out when he started working for the Liberal party. For Daniel his life was on parliament hill, a place where he happily stays writing speeches for his party leader. But when caught his girlfriend of two years, Rachel, doing the nasty with the opposite house leader, Daniel left the hill right then and there. Moving to Cumberland to work as a professor for the University of Ottawa. But with dedication to his party and fellow Canadians, Daniel had to find someone who would run for the Liberals in his new riding, one in which the conservatives had a unanimous vote in the past five elections. Searching high and low he makes a deal with his landlord Angus McLintock that if he runs he would not win, will not have to do any work, would not even have to be in the country when the vote happens, and Daniel will teach English for Engineering, a class Angus hated. With only $157.23 in the campaign fund, Daniel's team consists of Mariel the old Liberal candidate who lives in the nursing home, her beautiful granddaughter Lindsey, and Pete1 and Pete2, two millennial punk heads, engineering students who want to help out. Soon Canadians of Cumberland start realizing that Angus might be their guy. As most politicians are there for themselves first, party second, and the people third, Angus is different as he does not want to be there at all, he just does not want to teach English. With a shocking scandal that sends voters into a tizzy, Angus might have a chance of winning, as Daniel fears knowing that parliament is not ready for this.
Thoughts:
For those who believe that Canadian politics are less exciting than their southern neighbors or across the sea, well prepare to be correct. Background information on Canadian politics: the main party are the Liberal Party (red and currently in power with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau) the Conservative Party (blue nicknamed the Tories, last leader in power was Stephen Harper from 2006 to 2015), New Democratic Party (orange, also known as NDP and never in power), Bloc Quebecois (light blue and like their name only exist in Quebec), and the Green Party (green and a joke pretty much). The main two are the Liberals and the Tories as they have been battling it out since Canada became a country (with a few Unionist leaders in the early 19th century). For most of the country this is how voting goes: if you like those in power vote for them, if not vote for the other side, with a few switching over to Green or NDP. For Canadians this book is a riot, as it brings up the classic CBC and CTV, Parliament Hill, and how our government works. As a Canadian myself, this book makes me realize I should probably pay more attention to politics, and that Ontario people need to shut up about their taxes (I come from one of the highest tax provinces so I should be the one complaining). With a romance on the side (Lindsey is just the girl Danial needs), the Petes keeping things spunky, and Danial runs around headless, with Angus blindly going into politics, Fallis deserves a ton of credit for this Canadian masterpiece. Taking an interesting concept (Canada) and something most people do not pay attention to (politics) he creates the best laid plan(s) that Daniel, the underdog, could do, and leads all Canadians in a new direction on how they see politics.
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Review: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Synopsis:
Harry Potter is midway through his training as a wizard and his coming of age. Harry wants to get away from the pernicious Dursleys and go to the International Quidditch Cup. He wants to find out about the mysterious event that's supposed to take place at Hogwarts this year, an event involving two other rival schools of magic, and a competition that hasn't happened for a hundred years. He wants to be a normal, fourteen-year-old wizard. But unfortunately for Harry Potter, he's not normal - even by wizarding standards. And in his case, differences can be deadly.
Plot:
The Dursleys have a decision to make. To get rid of Harry a week earlier than they had hoped for would equal Harry being able to go to the International Quidditch Cup game. This would make him happy, something they tried to avoid at every opportunity. With the threat of Harry's godfather, Sirius Black, whom Harry decided not to tell them that Sirius was innocent, the Dursleys allowed Harry to go. Seeing Bulgaria vs. Ireland, next to his best friends, Ron and Hermione, was only the second two best things in his life behind finding out he was a wizard. But all fun and games cannot last forever, as after the game was when the Death Eaters (the name given to Voldemort’s followers) attacked. Fleeing for their lives, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and a house elf was found in the woods under the Dark Mark (Voldemort’s symbol). Knowing this is all connected to a weird dream that left his scar burning, Harry could not dwell on this matter for long as something exciting was happening at Hogwarts. Come October, the school will host the Triwizard Tournament, featuring the other wizarding schools Beauxbatons and Durmstrang. To make this tournament safer than in previous years, as students died while competing, the headmasters set an age limit at sixteen, and made sure each of the three tasks had a way to get the champions out of danger. With the goblet of fire drawing the names, everyone was shocked when the goblet pulled forth a fourth name to compete in the competition: Harry Potter. Underage, and an unwanted champion, the rules stayed, causing Harry to compete against the other champions for the prize. Whoever put his name in the goblet wanted Harry dead, and as new and old enemies come to surface, Harry must literally fight to survive his three most deadliest challenges yet.
Thoughts:
This would be my favourite Harry Potter book. Full of action and adventure, J.K Rowling really put the limits to her world at the test as this book introduces us to wizarding school systems, their politics, magical creatures’ rights, some romance that you did not see coming, and the test of friendship. This book also takes a turn at the plotline for the series, advancing it much further than the previous books have done so. With being halfway through the series, the ending events for this book will set the stage for the rest of the series. Besides that, Rowling made a lot of side plots of the stories that did not make it into the 2005 movie, that advance the world that Rowling made. The fact that Hagrid is a half-giant, and what that meant, Hermione and her House-Elf Liberation Front, and Hermione's extra fun battle against Rita Skeeter; all had a story arc within the book that did not make the film. Rolwing also started including wizarding jobs that people have, from more information on the Ministry of Magic and how that works, Fred and George joke shop plan, and Auror, the wizarding idea of being a police, whose job is to track and capture wizards who practice the dark arts. Then there are the three challenges that Rowling made for the tournament that you read about Harry avoiding planning his strategy for them, the last minute panic, and then finally doing the challenge. Overall, if the previous three books made you feel bored, and that Harry Potter may not be for you, this book changes that as the adventure grows and the real plot for the series begins.
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Review: It Happened One Summer
Synopsis:
Piper Bellinger is fashionable, influential, and her reputation as a wild child means the paparazzi are constantly on her heels. When too much champagne and an out-of-control rooftop party lands Piper in the slammer, her stepfather decides enough is enough. So he cuts her off, and sends Piper and her sister to learn some responsibility running their late father’s dive bar... in Washington.
Piper hasn’t even been in Westport for five minutes when she meets big, bearded sea captain Brendan, who thinks she won’t last a week outside of Beverly Hills. So what if Piper can’t do math, and the idea of sleeping in a shabby apartment with bunk beds gives her hives. How bad could it really be? She’s determined to show her stepfather—and the hot, grumpy local—that she’s more than a pretty face.
Except it’s a small town and everywhere she turns, she bumps into Brendan. The fun-loving socialite and the gruff fisherman are polar opposites, but there’s an undeniable attraction simmering between them. Piper doesn’t want any distractions, especially feelings for a man who sails off into the sunset for weeks at a time. Yet as she reconnects with her past and begins to feel at home in Westport, Piper starts to wonder if the cold, glamorous life she knew is what she truly wants. LA is calling her name, but Brendan—and this town full of memories—may have already caught her heart.
Plot:
Piper Bellinger was a socialite of LA. Her job was to sleep all day so that she could party all night. Her step-father, Daniel Q. Bellinger has been in her life since she was four, and her little sister Hannah was two. Before that, her mom lived in this little seaside town and left after Piper’s father died, found Daniel, and is happy being a millionaire's wife. When Piper’s longest boyfriend ever, dumped her after three weeks of love, claiming Piper’s an airhead, Piper decides to get him back by tossing a pool party. This pool party landed her in jail, and almost cost Daniel a financial supporter. Wanting to teach his step-daughter a lesson, Daniel ships Piper, and through volunteering Hannah, off to Westport, the city of their father. Giving them the upstairs apartment of a bar they apparently own, Piper had to make her own way in town with no financial support and no rescue until Halloween. Sticking out like a sore thumb, Piper and Hannah were the new girls and caught the eyes of all the locals. One of them was sea captain, Brendan Taggart who told Piper she was not made for this town. Determined to survive and stick it to all those who doubt her, Piper begins to find herself and makes a place for herself in Westport, and within Brendan, a surprisingly soft heart.
Thoughts:
Tessa Bailey wrote this book so that they can write an explicit sex scene. A true classic summer read, nothing about this novel is remarkable, except for the four explicit sex scenes that Bailey writes Brendan and Piper in. Our characters are pretty two-dimensional, Piper is an LA wild child who has to learn responsibility while still being her fun-loving sparkly self, and Brendan is a cold, stoic sea captain, who learns to bend their strict routines to accommodate their loved one. Classic lesson learned so our characters are not completely the same, but nothing to write home about. For our side characters, Bailey made Hannah Piper’s sister, rather than her friend, but only kept them at friend surface level conversation. Our sisters are literally in the town of their dead dad who they know nothing about, yet they would rather talk about Brendan’s bed performance than talk about their dead dad? Same with Opal, a family member our girls meet, but Bailey never has them have an emotionally charged heart-to-heart, which could have led readers to tears. Yet the only tears I was shedding were from laughing at the awful smut writing. Seriously, Brenard has never called Piper a nickname, but as soon as her pants are off the “honey” and “baby” start to come out. Horrific, and insulting, Bailey really went off four times when our characters hooked up, only to bring them back to their minor problems with minor solutions. Overall, if you want a cute summer small coast town book, others are way better to read. However, if you want some smut, there are also other books to read. This book is trash with no real substance and mediocre sex, and it's a forgettable novel.
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Review: Gild
Synopsis:
The fae abandoned this world to us. And the ones with power rule.
Gold.
Gold floors, gold walls, gold furniture, gold clothes. In Highbell, in the castle built into the frozen mountains, everything is made of gold.
Even me.
King Midas rescued me. Dug me out of the slums and placed me on a pedestal. I’m called his precious. His favored. I’m the woman he Gold-Touched to show everyone that I belong to him. To show how powerful he is. He gave me protection, and I gave him my heart. And even though I don’t leave the confines of the palace, I’m safe.
Until war comes to the kingdom and a deal is struck.
Suddenly, my trust is broken. My love is challenged. And I realize that everything I thought I knew about Midas might be wrong.
Because these bars I’m kept in, no matter how gilded, are still just a cage. But the monsters on the other side might make me wish I’d never left.
Plot:
For the past 10 years she had lived in a golden cage within Highbell. As the King’s favorite, only he had keys to her cage, a cage she willingly went into 10 years ago. Despite being locked away, Auren knew it was for her safety as King Midas locked her in there for her own protection, so that no other man could hurt her. This, he did out of love, as he loved her and she loved him. So as she watched him have sex with his six royal saddles, she craved him to touch her like that, to love her, like he had in the past. As a victim of child trafficking, Auren needed Midas to keep her safe and protected. Giving her only Digby, a stern old guard who never participated in her drinking game, even Midas’s cage could not protector from the slurs other men and saddles shot her way. And why wouldn’t they? After all, she was Midas’s favorite, his golden touch girl. As Midas is known to turn the things he touched into gold, no one thought he could do things that were alive, until Auren showed up with him. All but the whites of her eyes, and color of her teeth, everything else about her was shiny, metallic gold. She was happy, until Midas sold her. One night with her, in exchange for their ally of the Fifth Kingdom to move their army to match Midas’s on the border on Forth. Despite her begging, claiming that she was his and his alone, Midas took their years of trust and tossed it out the window. With the hopes that Midas is not selling her to the wolves without a reason, Auren begins to realize that where her cage is golden, it is still the cage, and her life is still being controlled by men who claim to love her, but actions prove otherwise.
Thoughts:
Raven Kennedy started this book advising readers to be over the age of eighteen, and oh boy was they right! This story was wild in terms of sex, abuse, greed, and all things wrong within the patriarchy. The plot is addicting for its ugliest, as Kennedy went dark every single chance they got. Thus the trigger warning prior to the novel, which was placed there in for a very good reason and should be adhered to! For sexual scenes there were only three that really stood out - one that was just a lot, one kind of sweet, and one that will give me nightmares for years to come. Otherwise it is a lot of sexual banter, some kind, others not so nice, that leaves this novel with a very erotic taste. Moving past all of that, the plot was really strong and the characters quite vivid in their goals and aspirations. The story takes place from the point of view of Auren, a girl who is in love with a not so loving guy (Midas), who does not have many friends, yet always tries to see the bright side of things. Her bright optimism really made the story pop, as our girls had to go through some dark times, so her witty jokes and positive attitude made you really want to root for her. She is also clearly in love with someone that does not care about her, because the way Kennedy wrote Midas to see Auren as a possession and not someone who cares about her well being. Midas as a king is hard to figure out, where he is power hungry and loves the throne, he has some sort of twisted way of caring for Auren, as he built her an elaborate and luxury cage system, but still a cage. With some wild twists and turns throughout the novel, Kennedy does a great job at keeping the plot moving with a focus on Auren, while telling us about the history of Orea, the kingdoms, and her and Midas’s history. With this the first part of an epic series, and a cliffhanger to boot, this sexualized story will grab hold of you with its dark content, and not let you go until the very end, with a craving to continue on.
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Review: The Burning Maze
Synopsis:
The formerly glorious god Apollo, cast down to earth in punishment by Zeus, is now an awkward mortal teenager named Lester Papadopoulos. In order to regain his place on Mount Olympus, Lester must restore five Oracles that have gone dark. But he has to achieve this impossible task without having any godly powers and while being duty-bound to a confounding young daughter of Demeter named Meg. Thanks a lot, Dad.
With the help of some demigod friends, Lester managed to survive his first two trials, one at Camp Half-Blood, and one in Indianapolis, where Meg received the Dark Prophecy. The words she uttered while seated on the Throne of Memory revealed that an evil triumvirate of Roman emperors plans to attack Camp Jupiter. While Leo flies ahead on Festus to warn the Roman camp, Lester and Meg must go through the Labyrinth to find the third emperor—and an Oracle who speaks in word puzzles—somewhere in the American Southwest. There is one glimmer of hope in the gloom-filled prophecy: The cloven guide alone the way does know. They will have a satyr companion, and Meg knows just who to call upon. . . .
Plot:
To say Apollo is adjusting to being mortal is not going well is putting it mildly. Stripped of his god powers, Apollo just has to prove himself worthy enough so that his father gives him back his powers. In the meantime, he is the servant for his badly-dressed master Meg, daughter of Demeter. Finally getting her back from her abusive step-father, Nero, and the help of their guide Grover they are off to seek the Roman demigods, Piper and Jason, to see if they can help with the next step of their quest. With the third emperor revealed to be the craziest one yet, their problems do not just lie to him but also the Labyrinth which is literally on fire. Jason and Piper tried to stop the burning maze (get it? Because that’s the title of the book) once, and failed, leaving Jason mentally scarred and Piper knowing Jason is keeping secrets. This, and a million other reasons, is why our second golden couple broke up. Returning them, together, Apollo and Meg have to stop the third emperor and stop the burning maze, by, how else, entering the maze. Sadly, the Lester version of Apollo is not fireproof.
Thoughts:
So life has not ended happily ever after, does it? We left Piper and Jason happily together in The Blood of Olympus, only to find them in this split up and Piper’s life going downhill. Rick Riordan is making bank by introducing old characters in his new series, and it is working for him. Because without these old characters, providing substance, this series would be falling flat. Apollo is whiny, useless, but is trying, making him a character you cannot love, or love to hate, making him just a placeholder. Meg, she’s okay, Riordan is giving her more depth with each book, but nothing that would make you keep reading for her. The plot for this book moved swiftly, giving the arc of the series a good boost, and basically progresses forward. Piper and Jason, who were sad that they are not together, work, and Riordan did an amazing job writing about the relationship dynamics and how they work. What does this book give us? A shocking twist that no one saw coming. And I mean truly shocking. A skill Rick Riordan has not used for the Percy Jackson series, and will make you hate, or love this series. In a way, Riordan makes you remember this book simply by the ending. Now let us hope he keeps it like that, and does not do some go back in time, they did not see what truly happened, scenario.
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Review: Wool Omnibus
Synopsis:
This Omnibus Edition collects the five Wool books into a single volume. It is for those who arrived late to the party and who wish to save a dollar or two while picking up the same stories in a single package.
The first Wool story was released as a standalone short in July of 2011. Due to reviewer demand, the rest of the story was released over the next six months. My thanks go out to those reviewers who clamored for more. Without you, none of this would exist. Your demand created this as much as I did.
This is the story of mankind clawing for survival, of mankind on the edge. The world outside has grown unkind, the view of it limited, talk of it forbidden. But there are always those who hope, who dream. These are the dangerous people, the residents who infect others with their optimism. Their punishment is simple. They are given the very thing they profess to want: They are allowed outside.
Plot:
For the entire population, there has not been life outside of the silo. One hundred and forty-four floors, the silo was their home, with the only idea to the outside world being at the top, only giving light for the first few floors. Rules are stricken, everyone has a job to benefit the silo, one that they shadowed for when they were teenagers, and claimed when they were old enough. Jobs from the IT department, farms, mechanics to keep the generator running, to the sheriff and their deputy, and finally the mayor. This is all Holston had known, as he was sheriff of the silo. Him and his wife Allison had won the lottery, meaning that they had the entire year to try to get pregnant, their one chance of getting a child. That was the year his wife died. Stricken by a sort of madness, Allison broke the laws of the silo and was sentenced to their only punishment: The Cleaning. The Cleaning was for those who broke the law and were sent out to clean the lens of dirt and dust that had gathered there from the last cleaning. They are, in a way, scrubbing their sins away. The Cleaning is a death sentence, as after the lenses were clean you were trapped outside until the natural world took you away. Bodies lined the hill from past cleanings until the dirt covered them as well. Three years ago, Holston watched his wife do the cleaning, and now it is his turn. His job as the sheriff was to uphold the law of the silo, and yet he was the one who broke it. Holston's oldest friend Mayor Jahns knew why Holston did it. The Holston she knew died three years ago with his wife, and this was just an empty shell of a man. It was her job as mayor to find a new sheriff, as Deputy Marnes was unwilling to move up. For Jahns that does not matter as she already has the girl in mind for the job: Juliette. Smart, confident, and hardworking Juliette has been working as a mechanic since she was a shadow. Now one of the only ones to keep the electricity running, Jahns believes Juliette will be willing to make the tough choices to do what is best for the silo, exactly as a sheriff should. Juliette on the other hand does not like the job, she rather be stuck at the bottom of the silo, than have an office at the tippity-top. Still convinced by Jahns that she could actually change something, Juliette agrees and begins her ascent. Life at the top is not what she expected, learning the truth about the silo and more, Juliette puts everyone she knows at risk, not just from the law, but at risk for another uprising.
Thoughts:
At first no one was willing to publish Hugh Howey's work. Self-publishing short stories, Howey got noticed by the internet and his story skyrocketed. Now on the New York Times bestseller list and nominated for many awards, this story makes the top five science fiction books on Amazon. Wool the first in the trilogy was what you would expect: lots of background, slow, and introducing all the characters and their back story. Divided into five parts, each is a little story of their own taking the point of view from Holston, Jahns, Juliette, Benard, Lukas and more as the story progresses. Not such a high rating? Well the story was plot dense, meaning lots of information, and backstory but not a lot of action. Getting the Omnibus version (all five books at one) makes this story five hundred pages of purely nothing. Near the fourth and fifth part is where things start “heating up” (so from nothing to some bubbles) but by this point you are already four hundred and some pages in and would rather be done and rush the ending, then take the time to enjoy it. The concept of this sci-fi world is interesting, making it a memorable post-apocalyptic story that still has more to go.
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Review: Schindler's List
Synopsis:
In the shadow of Auschwitz, a flamboyant German industrialist grew into a living legend to the Jews of Cracow. He was a womaniser, a heavy drinker and a bon viveur, but to them he became a saviour. This is the extraordinary story of Oskar Schindler, who risked his life to protect Jews in Nazi-occupied Poland and who was transformed by the war into a man with a mission, a compassionate angel of mercy.
Plot:
Oskar Schindler was a con-artist business man, who from his flaws saved twelve hundred Polish Jews during the Holocaust A German industrialist, born April in 1888, in 1908 he married young to Emilie, even though both of their fathers disapproved of their marriage. Still married, Oskar constantly cheated on Emilie with other women, in which Emilie knew about. When Germany invaded Russia, Schindler and his friends thought Hitler would not have lasted. During his second arrest, Schindler found out it was because he kissed a Jewish girl. He joined the Nazi Party, not because he believed in the cause, but because he saw it as an opportunity to make money. Schindler then began to notice changes in his town in the Jewish communities, as they were forced to leave their homes and stores, and move into ghettos outside of the town limits. When the concentration camp Płaszów became a place, Schindler went there to recruit workers for his factory. The story then follows Schindler in his quest to con, manipulate, bargain, and risk all in order to keep his workers safe, and away from certain death in the gas chambers.
Thoughts:
Thomas Keneally wrote this book to document the life of Oskar Schindler, and how this man saved twelve hundred Jewish lives during world war two. Almost four hundred pages long, this book documents Schindler’s life, giving us details about early childhood, his marriage to Emilie, and ends the book with his death in 1974. Depending on who your high school history teacher was, you might know a lot or a little about who Oskar Schindler was, and if like me you had no idea, well this book is for you. Keneally told the truth of who Schindler was, a man who drank a lot, cheated on his wife, but defended the Jewish people from his fellow Nazis. Directed by Steven Spielberg in 1993, this academy award for best picture is over three hours long (yes, it is even longer than Waterworld), it is clear that Spielberg left nothing out from Keneally’s book. The book was titled extremely appropriate as “Schindler’s List” was an actual list of workers that Schindler wanted to take from the concentration camps to his factory, saving them from the gas chambers. This list became a symbol in the story of Jewish survival, but also anguish as there were many who did not make it onto the list. Where the book was not the most pleasant thing to read, as with it being a heavy topic, long chapters, and during times a dull read. Yet, the fact that this book is historically accurate to a certain degree, Keneally gives us another point of view of the Holocaust: A German man out to make money from Jewish labor, who in the end risks everything to move these people into his factory and away from the concentration camp’s gas chambers. This book is a must read, as the Holocaust is an event that should never be forgotten, and this book allows readers to realize that during this time of such dark history, one person can change so much, and thus, his legacy should also not be forgotten.
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Review: Chamber of Secrets
Synopsis:
The Dursleys were so mean and hideous that summer that all Harry Potter wanted was to get back to the Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. But just as he's packing his bags, Harry receives a warning from a strange, impish creature named Dobby who says that if Harry Potter returns to Hogwarts, disaster will strike.
And strike it does. For in Harry's second year at Hogwarts, fresh torments and horrors arise, including an outrageously stuck-up new professor, Gilderoy Lockhart, a spirit named Moaning Myrtle who haunts the girls' bathroom, and the unwanted attentions of Ron Weasley's younger sister, Ginny. But each of these seem minor annoyances when the real trouble begins, and someone, or something, starts turning Hogwarts students to stone. Could it be Draco Malfoy, a more poisonous rival than ever? Could it possibly be Hagrid, whose mysterious past is finally told? Or could it be the one everyone at Hogwarts most suspects: Harry Potter himself?
Plot:
Harry survived the summer with the Dursleys. Not knowing that he could not use magic outside of school, Harry had minimal fun muttering nonsense words in order to fright Dudley. With no letters from his friends, Ron and Hermione, Harry begins to dream that he imagines it all. Yet with Hedwig making a racket in her cage, Harry knew it was real. With an important meeting for the Dursleys, Harry was told to keep quiet in his room, when Dobby appeared. A house elf, Dobby's purpose was to serve his wizard family till his death, or they release him from service with a clothing item. Dobby, who really punished himself, was willing to bang his head with the oven door in order to warn Harry. Stealing his letters, getting him in trouble with the Dursleys, Dobby tried everything to get Harry from going to Hogwarts. The reason why was that once he was back at school, great danger started arriving. When a historical threat comes to the school, Harry and his friends need to step up in order to save the school, and one of their own.
Thoughts:
Welcome back to year two of Harry at Hogwarts with J.K Rowling. Now at age twelve, Rowling takes us from late August to June of the next year. Where the first book spent a lot of time on Harry learning he was a wizard, this one went straight into it, giving the plot a faster pace than the first novel. The dynamic trio becomes closer, as Hermione, the true queen of this series, becomes a little looser with the rules, Ron becomes way nicer to her, and Harry grows to love them more. Why do people love this book specifically? Rowling brings in a historical aspect, as the story revolves around the secret from Hogwarts past known as the Chamber of Secrets (tense the title of the book). With a cooler than cool monster being found, Rowling gave us a bit more detail on You-Know-Who, which brings out an essential plot point in the entire series. With only eighteen chapters, 251 pages, this short read will give you the fantastic thrill of any fantasy read, and a heartfelt feeling as Rowling ends this novel off on the right note.
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Review: Assassin's Blade
Synopsis:
Contains all five novellas.
Celaena Sardothien is Adarlan's most feared assassin. As part of the Assassin's Guild, her allegiance is to her master, Arobynn Hamel, yet Celaena listens to no one and trusts only her fellow killer-for-hire, Sam. In these action-packed novellas - together in one edition for the first time - Celaena embarks on five daring missions. They take her from remote islands to hostile deserts, where she fights to liberate slaves and seeks to avenge the tyrannous. But she is acting against Arobynn's orders and could suffer an unimaginable punishment for such treachery. Will Celaena ever be truly free? Explore the dark underworld of this kick-ass heroine to find out.
Plot:
The Assassin and the Pirate Lord
16-year-old Celaena is Adarlan’s Assassin, and the one Arobynn chose to be the heir of the Assassin's Guild. Therefore, there was no way she was going to say no when instructed with this important task, even though Arobynn chose her partner to be her constant competition, aka the number two to her number one: Sam Cortland. Together they were to travel to Skull’s Bay and make the deal, as planned, with Captain Rolfe. Only once they got there, Celaena had different plans and had to rely on Sam for help.
The Assassin and the Healer
On her way to the Red Desert to train with the Silent Assassins, Celaena cannot help but get into a fight and save a Healer whose life was not going as planned.
The Assassin and the Desert
At the Red Desert, Celena has a month to gain the Mute Master respect, his training, and a letter of approval for her to give to Arobynn. But gaining the Mute Master permission for training was not as easy as Celena thought. Becoming friends with her roommate Ansel, Cleena begins to see the Silent Assassins, where killers just like her, relied on each other for help and guidance, and not like Arobynn who constantly pinned them against each other.
The Assassin and the Underworld
Returning home with her letter of approval, Arobynn tries to buy back her love with presents, jewelry, and a mission that was suited just for her. With Sam being very friendly with Lysandra, Celena cannot help but return her old feelings of rivalry with Sam. But needing his help on this mission, Sam and Celena work as a team in order to complete Celena’s “gift” of a mission.
The Assassin and the Empire
Sam and Celaena were free. They had their own house, and where they were a part of the Guild, Arobynn was not giving them any missions to work with. Needing a clean break, Celaena approached Arobynn for his blessing to let them leave the Guild, where Sam got them a one-way ticket out of Adarlan. With a final mission that could lead them a life outside of crime out of Adarlan, the clock is ticking down on the mission, and on the time Sam and Celaena have left together.
Thoughts:
If you wanted more Celena, then Sarah Maas brought it to you with these five novellas. These stories tell the events leading up to the first novel “Throne of Glass”that tells us about Celena’s adventures, and how she meets the people that are brought to life in the fifth book “Empire of Storm”. This is where I suggest reading these novellas, after five and before six, as five gives you an introduction to the, hinting about the past Celena has with them, that you can explore before going deeper into their story. Maas' writing was short and sweet, really getting to the heart of these novellas within a short time frame and had them line up so they flowed into one big story well. The only part that sort of ruined the series for me was the realistic short timing of Sam and Celena’s relationship. Starting from The Throne of Glass, Celena weaves the story that Sam was the love of her life, and his death destroyed her, but in these five novellas, well actually only three, you got to see their entire relationship. Making their great love, that from the regular series seems like a long-term commitment, to only a month-long at best. And before that, they hated each other, so emotions really took a turn from enemies to lovers within that Skull’s Bay trip. Or maybe that is just how real love works, and it is more of a shame that their relationship ended so soon. Are they necessary to read for the series? No, after all these novellas take place before her time in Endovier, so their content only matters in learning the truth behind her and Sam’s relationship, how she met the people in the five novels (who I am assuming are going to make an appearance in the sixth and final novel), and give you background story. Overall, these novellas helped expand the universe, you get to learn in present tense Celena’s time within the Assassin Guild, when she was still its prime member, and get more Celena action that helps you learn about her past which affects her choices throughout the series.
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