fifty shades of grey review

'Fifty shades of Grey Trilogy' By E.L. James -Review

 

Fifty shades trilogy- E.L. James

 

*** Please note that these books are not suitable for younger readers as they are erotic and contain a lot of sexual content***

 

 

As nearly all of my readers would have heard; the fifty shades trilogy is being made into movies to be released on valentines day... kind of appropriate don't you think?

 

Now there are three distinct stages to this story; the sexual stage, the character stage and then finally the plot. As every adult who has access to any internet and/or contact with others will know that this series is based on dominance and submission in the bedroom; which as a sexual preference is becoming more accepted and popular because of works like this.

 

Little to say this trilogy sparked a revolution in both sexual and literature acceptance; it opened up a word or sexuality that many did not even know existed however it led to a literal flood of erotic books being published. Like people were waiting for a book to be successful before being brave enough to attempt it themselves; and this may not be the authors but rather publishers that have never before published work like this, and we can thank the amazing E.L. James for this amazing change in views. It got that popular that the largest bookstore across the UK had to dedicate whole bookshelves for erotic books only; obviously far away from young adult and children books!

 

Well back to the series; I think the sexual element of the books were incredibly written; true many people believe that they don't represent the real thing... but do we want all books to sound like real life... 'he grunted and fell asleep' doesn't quite have the desired effect.... but I don't think the books rely on the sexual element.

 

True without the conspiracy of the forbidden love there wouldn't be the start of the story but my favourite book was 'Fifty Shades Freed' because it contained the least sex of the three books but with real focus on the story and it was truly an amazing plot.

 

The characters drove me crazy sometimes... like the female lead was infuriating at times... but the rest of the times she complimented the story perfectly. Now Mr Grey... hummm... I think he was written in such a way that encompasses everything anyone envisions as their perfect partner. This is because there is enough detail to get you started; but there are enough gaps that your forced to use your imagination! But this has led to some concern as to the effect of the movie... it will remove the readers need for imagination; after seeing the movie every scene they read will be with the actors face and not the face they originally saw!!!!! Beware it will never be the same again!!!!

 

Overall I give this series 4.5/5 because she was REALLY infuriating at times!!!! 



Bout of Books 11.0 Wrap-up

Okay guys, the end of our beloved challenge has come (and I know I'm a little late... shakes fist at internet box); and I know that I didn't report back for the last two days (I blame bad blogging!) but im here to do my wrap up!

Okay so ill start by giving you a little explanation... sunday I was out from before sun-rise to after sun-set; well I knew I didn't have much time to read to I left my book at home; if my niece didn't go and take my bookmark because she liked it!!!! So unfortunately I cannot give an accurate page count; however I can give an approximate.

So on Saturday I completed daughter of Smoke and Bone; which was 418 pages, now I cant say that I enjoyed this book immensely because I couldn't find a storyline that felt like it could hold its own! So when it came to picking up Days of Blood and Starlight I really struggled.

So on for the rest of Saturday I completed jut over 300 pages of Days of Blood and Starlight; however the incident above occurred on Sunday and it infuriated me too much to try and find my place!

So my total on day 5 was: 1883/ 2667

My total for days 6 &7 was approx. 718

Total for the challenge: 2601

The books I completed:

1. Prodigy by Marie Lu
2. Champion by Marie Lu
3. The Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan 
4. The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan
5. Play to Kill by P.J. Tracy
6. The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black
7. The Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Books started:

1. Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor
2. The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz a

Where to get the books from this read-a-thon...

So many people would want to get there hands on some of these wonderful book; below I am going to place links to each of the books. I will attempt to fins the cheapest place to get the book however this will change depending on your country; I am from the UK and therefore please bear this in mind when attempting to buy from the links.
 

******* Please note that I am not affiliated to any of these places, I don't make any profit/ credit for purchases bought through these links, these are here for your benefits *******

 

 

The Legend Trilogy by Marie Lu

 

Legend:

 

http://www.bookdepository.com/Legend-Marie-Lu/9780142422076

 

 

Prodigy:

 

http://www.bookdepository.com/Prodigy-Marie-Lu/9780141339573

 

 

 

Champion:

 

http://www.bookdepository.com/Champion-Marie-Lu/9780141339627

 



 

Percy Jackson: By Rick Riordan 

 

http://www.bookdepository.com/Percy-Jackson-Olympians-Rick-Riordan/9781423136804

 

Daughter of Smoke and Bone Series: By Laini Taylor

 

http://www.bookdepository.com/Daughter-Smoke-Bone-Trilogy-Hardcover-Gift-Set-Laini-Taylor/9780316286381

 

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown: by Holly Black

 

http://www.bookdepository.com/Coldest-Girl-Coldtown-Holly-Black/9781780621715

 

 

Play to Kill: by P.J. Tracy

 

http://www.bookdepository.com/Play-Kill-Tracy/9780718152758

 



 

House of Silk: by Anthony Horowitz

 

http://www.bookdepository.com/House-Silk-Anthony-Horowitz/9781409135982

 

Okay so these are all the links to the books I have read in this read-a-thon; I will update this at the end of the week if I happen to read any additional books.

If you have found a cheaper place to get these novels please leave a link below.

And please don't forget to add me to your circles...

Many thanks and happy reading,

Helen x

 

Bout of Books 11.0- Day 5

So today was all about rest and relaxation since yesterday; I spent a lot of time in bed or lying on the sofa; true a lot of time was spent sleeping since I once again didn't get a good night sleep. However I am pleased to announce that I have completed more reading than yesterday.

So I sat down with 'Daughter of Smoke and Bone' by Laini Taylor; and completed the last 305 pages; this seemed pass extremely quickly given that I still cannot fathom out the true/ main plot? There seems to be a collaboration of minor plots thrown together into one book. My other issue in the book was point of view; there was no indication that the point of view was changing; it started as just the main character, then another point of view and by the end there were several and I had no idea who was who; they didn't seem to have different speech patterns or thinking patterns which made it extremely hard to distinguish.

Well after finishing this I decided my eyes needed a break and had a well earned nap... if I don't say so myself; however as many of you could probably imagine my 10 minute nap turned into a 2 hour sleep. So when I awoke I dived straight into 'Days of Blood and Starlight'; the sequel to 'Daughter of Smoke and Bone'; so I completed the first 85 pages before my niece and nephews arrived to drive me crazy until not too long ago. I love having them round but they don't half distract you from reading.

Read-a-thon Stats:

Total books complete: 7

Currently reading: 2

Left on original tbr: 0

Total pages today: 390 pages

Total pages: 1883 / 2667

 

I do hope that you are all having a wonderful read-a-thon; I would love to know how you are doing. And please don't forget to add me to your google+ circles or follow me on twitter (@marsh_hm) to get the posts as soon as they go live.

 

Many thanks and happy reading,

Helen x 

Bout of Books 11.0- Day 4... worst day yet!

Okay ladies and gentlemen I'm going to take you through my day... I woke up at 4:30 this morning because of this stupid stomach bug I have which meant I was too tired to do anything; I managed to miss my mouth with my morning tea... jeez my mouth is big enough not to miss.

Then I find out that my entire family is going out for the day; one part going to the sea side and a long drive and the other going to London zoo which meant I was left to dog sit at my sisters which is a 20 minute walk from my house. But first I had to clean up as my family left without tidying anything; okay I didn't mind this what-so-ever because they have cleaned up after me loads of times.

So I leave for my sisters and I am tripped and gash my knee; and if I may say ruined my favourite jeans! So the 20 minute journey then turned into a 45 minute hobble since I twisted my other ankle as I fell... as this was another health problem I needed right now!

So I finally get to my sisters where I find that she forgot to put the dog in his cage before she left and so he had destroyed half of the living room; including several pairs of my niece/ nephew's shoes and clothing. I cleaned up... again. Do you know how hard it is to pick up torn up clothing when it feels like your knee cap is dislocated? It's difficult!

So I finally settle and manage to read the first 113 pages of 'Daughter of Smoke and Bone' by Laini Taylor; however the day had started to get to me and I just couldn't make myself turn anymore pages, which may I add was nothing to do with the book because I found it both fascinating and thrilling to read. Hopefully tomorrow I will be able to rest a bit more and complete the books I own for this series!

Read-a-thon Stats:

 

Books complete: 6

Books reading: 2

books left on tbr pile: 1

Total pages for today: 113

Total pages: 1493 / 2667 

 

I hope that you are all having a wonderful day... or at least better than mine.

 

Many thanks,

Helen x

Bout of Books 11.0- Day 3

Okay so everyone has good days and bad days... today was a bad day in comparison to my last two days; I spent the night throwing up and feeling that ill I wasn't sure if I was hot cold or dead???? So when it came to reading today I didn't push myself to do anything too extreme...

I started by finishing the last 70 pages of the 'Coldest girl in Coldtown' by Holly Black; although I struggled to find something that I could truly sink my teeth into... pun intended... with the plot line I found it an interesting read; and what I loved the most that there was no goddy love triangle that would make people heave... just a girls story of hell coming to life.

Well I slept for a few hours after finishing this; my head still wasn't feeling good but when I woke up I managed to dig myself into 'Play to Kill' by P.J. Tracy; now as crime books go it wasn't the worst in the world but again it lacked substance. The plot line got really twisted and the ending somehow left more questions than answers... and the epilogue just confused the crap-a-doodles outta me???!!!!???? However I still managed to read all 325 pages in one sitting!

Read-a-thon stats:

Completed books: 6

Books started: 1

Books left to read on tbr: 2

Total pages today: 395 pages

Total pages: 1775

 

I hope all of your reading is going well and that your all feeling well; please remember to add me to your google+ circles to receive my blogs as soon as they go live... many thanks x

Bout of Books 11.0- Day 2

So today has pretty much been a face in book day; I've hardly moved from my reading spaces and all the hours of seclusion in my books have been worth it... today was even better than yesterday. It started early this morning...

So I decided to pick up 'Percy Jackson and the Battle of the Labyrinth' by Rick Riordan; being only 67 pages left I wanted to complete it before the morning was over; it took just over an hour to read but it was worth it. As the pages flew by I started wondering to myself why I had struggled for so long to finish this book? I still don't know but the ending of the book made my heart swell. I will be posting a review soon.

Well I immediately had to read 'Percy Jackson and the Last Olympian' by Rick Riordan; at first I was debating whether it would be a good read, I didn't want the series to end on a dull note... but Riordan made it heart fluttering and full of action. It ended the series perfectly and I am looking forward to writing the review for both this book and a full series review. Total page count for this book was 361 pages.

I finished the Last Olympian mid-afternoon and needed to delve into another book to make the most of the reading time I had; so I picked up 'The Coldest Girl in Coldtown' by Holly Black. It is now past 1am and I have just stopped reading to put an update for today; although I haven't managed to complete this book yet I have read 349 pages but I have mixed feelings towards the book as a whole. I'll explore these more when I do my review.

Read-a-thon stats:

 

Total books read: 4

Total books started: 2

Books left to complete (on TBR): 5

Total pages today: 777 pages

Total pages so far: 1380 / 2667

 

I hope everyone is having a wonderful read-a-thon... cant wait to see all of your progress.

 

Happy reading,

Helen x

Bout of Books 11.0- DAY 1

 

Day 1 in the Bout of Books house...

 

Well I woke up bright and early this morning and took full advantage of doctors waiting times, bus journeys and general waiting for friends to complete two books for today... kinda proud!

 

So firstly I started off with reading the last 211 pages of 'Prodigy' by Marie Lu; oh my... I was on a bus when I finished this and I wanted to delve into Champion immediately. However the fool that I am, I had left champion on my bed instead of putting it in my bag... face palm. A full review of this will be up shortly.

 

So what do you do when your desperate to read and now you have at least another hours on various buses and waiting time... you buy a replacement book; so I went into my local charity shop and bought 'The New Sherlock Holmes Novel: The House of Silk' by Anthony Horowitz'. Although this was never on my tbr for this read-a-thon I read 39 pages just to pass some of the time and to add to my page count. This book will be used for my travelling book; so when I'm out and about this is the spare book I will have in my bag... along with my current read (obviously).

 

So when I got home I immediately put Sherlock down and picked up 'Champion' by Marie Lu; oh this book kept me going for hours, with all the feels and the drama... oh my... I have a new love for this series! I preceded to complete all 353 pages of Champion before midnight (by less that half an hour!). Also a review of this book and series review will be up within the next couple of weeks... probably after the read-a-thon; because who seriously has time to write the reviews these books need while in a read-a-thon???!!!???

 

Read-a-thon stats:

 

Total books read: 2

Total books currently reading: 2
Books left to read: 6

Total pages: 603/ 2667

BOUT OF BOOKS 11.0

So my reading friends, tomorrow is Bout of Books 11.0 and I know that I have already posted a tbr list however I have made a few changes and I'm going to go into a little bit more detail this time... particularly page count.

So firstly I have been reading the Legend Trilogy by Marie Lu; however due to time restraints I haven't managed to finish these before the start of the read-a-thon. So the first book is 'Prodigy'; I am currently on page 143 of 354 pages (total of 211 pages left).

Next I plan on reading 'Champion' by Marie Lu; the final book in the Legend Trilogy which has so much hype its unreal... I hope it lives up to it. (total 353 pages).

 

Next I finally plan on finishing 'Percy Jackson and the Battle of the Labyrinth' by Rick Riordan; I am currently on page 275 out of 342. (67 pages left)

 

Then I can finally get onto 'Percy Jackson and the Last Olympian' by Rick Riordan; I have been waiting to get to this book for ages since being stuck on The battle of the Labyrinth for sooo long. (361 pages)

 

Those are the four main books I really need to complete in this read-a-thon; so those will be read first because they trilogy/ series have been in my 'currently reading' pile for so long its unreal. However I plan on reading much more than four books so the rest are going to be read in any order after finishing the first four...

 

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor: 418 pages

 

 

Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor: 513 pages

 

Play to Kill by P.J. Tracy: 325 pages

 

 

The coldest girl in Coldtown by Holly Black: 419 pages

 

 

Rad-a-thon stats:

 

Total books: 8 books

Total pages to be read: 2667 
 
 
 
 
 
 

'Legend' book review... no spoilers!

'Legend' by Marie Lu

I have started a new method for doing my book reviews; firstly, the moment I finish a book I write a small paragraph about my immediate feelings about the books. After this I will then expand on these points and develop it into a full review.

"I couldn't get into the start of this book, however I feel that this is due to my recent finish of another series and I was still hankering for more. However after a day away from the book I found myself loving this book for what it is... I fell in love with the writing and the characters. I still feel my heart flutter at the thought of the intertwining emotion and action... I need more of this series."- less than 10 minutes after finishing Legend. 

 

A more detailed review...

 

I have already admitted that I wasn't caught by the beginning of this novel and I can honestly say that this was not the novel's fault but my own; thinking back over the event that occur in the first 50 pages there is action packed scenes that claw at the right emotions at the right time. Unfortunately my heart wasn't in the right place to appreciate this when I read these chapters.

 

I think the introduction to each of the main characters was detailed but not like a CV as I find many books are; authors tend to just list information about the character instead of weaving it into the story, however I can honestly say that Marie Lu is not one of these authors and has done a truly remarkable job of weaving just the right amount of information into the storyline. I especially like how the characters develop alongside each other in their personal discoveries; almost as if each is pushing the other to become better.

 

As the start of a trilogy I believe it leaves the right number of unanswered questions at the end to warrant additional books however I believe that this story is not truly dependant on follow up stories to make it complete; rather it stands its own ground as an individual book... which I greatly admire.

 

There is a physical element to the book that I really liked; the different fonts allowed for quick distinction between the two points of view; because at times you could mistake one for the other but only on the rare occasion.

 

Overall I'd give 'Legend' 4/5 stars; however it would make 4.5 / 5 if I had been able to fully appreciate the beginning. The reason it wasn't a 5/5 was because it couldn't draw me away from my previous book; maybe its not this books fault but I believe that in order to deserve 5/5 you need to be able to make the reader forget everything outside the book... including the last book you read!

 

I'd love to see your views on this book; please refrain from spoilers as I don't want any readers being spoilt as an air of mystery is needed to fully love this book.

 

Helen x 



Charity shops.... a book lovers dream... yes... another haul!!!!!!!

Okay so not all these books were bought by me... nine were bought by my mom and the other four were bought by me. Every book in this haul was bought from a charity shop and every book cost less than a pound... which is the reason I bought many as I haven't heard a single thing about them????

I shall start with the books I bought myself...

'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' by Larsson

 

I picked this up because I have been desperate to read the books since watching the movie. True I didn't find the movie that appealing however I saw that the story had potential as most book lovers will agree, the book is nearly always better. I am hoping to get the rest of this renowned trilogy as and when they cross my path.

 

'Devil Bones' by Kathy Reichs

 

"In the dark cellar, a ritualistic display is revealed. A human skull rests on a cauldron, surrounded by slain chickens and bizarre figurines. Beads and antlers dangle overhead." This is part of the blurb; I cannot admit that the blurb is purely what drew me to this book but rather its relation to one of my favourite T.V. series 'Bones'; it follows the same main character as the T.V. series Temperance Brennan who has inspired me to follow my educational path since I was younger. And then I learnt that there were many many companion novels to these... so now I have started to mission to collect and read them all.

 

'Cursed' and 'Ravaged' by David Wellington

 

I walked into the British Heart Foundation; as one of my local charity shops and found a complete duology selling for £1 for both books... what crazy person would pass a deal like that. True it was clear that all the books had been read before; but I was buying them out of a charity shop and I wasn't expecting brand new. But then I read the blurb on the back of 'cursed' and now I'm hooked.. 'There's one sound a woman doesn't want to hear when she's lost and alone in the Arctic wilderness: A Howl'... I haven't read a good werewolf story in a while... now I'm excited. 

 

 

 

Now onto the books my darling mommy bought me; she moans I have too many books and continues to buy them.

 

'Bones of the Lost' by Kathy Reichs

 

Well we all knew that the moment I sunk my teeth into the other Dr Temperance Brennan book I needed more; so when we found the newest book in a charity shop and the spine has not damage what so ever I begged until she bought it. The blurb is extremely mysterious; mentioning places abroad as well as a hint of history linked to the story... this will be intriguing.

 

'Inisgnia' by S.J. Kincaid

 

This book is based on World War 3 which is set in Space and when a recruit starts questioning things terrible and dark things start to happen. A tale of teenage combatants, virtual reality, spies and corruption... I think that is one hell of a mix.

 



 

 

'Grinny' by Nicholas Fisk

 

This is infact a bind-up of 'Grinny' and its sequel 'You remember me', however I don't know much about this book im afraid and the blurb gives nothing away expect the main character is an 11 year old boy who holds the fate of the world in his hands.  Can he handle it?

 

'Lance of Truth' and Crown of Dreams' by Katherine Roberts
 

These are books 2 and 3 of the Pendragon legacy; I now have to find the first book and the last so I can begin reading this fantasy series. All I can tell from the blurb is this; it is set in King Arthur's era and his daughter is battling great and terrible foes to protect the kingdom. I'm interested in seeing how this story is different and unique from other Excalibur tales.

 

 

 









 

'VIII' by 'H.M. Castor

 

I shall simply state the blurb and you can determine your own judgments of the book:

 

'VIII is the story of Hal; a young, handsome,

 gifted warrior, who believes he has been chosen

 to lead his people. But he is plagued by the

 ghosts of his family's violent past and, once

 he rises to power, he turns to murder and

 rapacious cruelty. He is Henry VIII.'

 

'The Elites' by Natasha Ngan

 

A book about fighting social norms in the perfect fantasy setting; but I think this book will go deeper than that. I must admit that I am quite looking forward to reading this book.

 

'Sweet Venom' by Tera Lynn Childs

 

'Meet Gracem Gretchen and Greer- three teenage decendants of Medusa who must embrace their fates in a world where mythological monsters lurk in plain sight'... oh my I've been looking for another mythical creatures and Greek Gods book to sink my teeth into. So excited!!!

 

'Secrets and Sapphires' by Leila Rasheed

 

The start to a historical contemporary I believe; this isn't my first choice of genre however I am determined to branch out more in my reading and this means adding some contemporaries to my reading. Lets hope this series is a good place to start...

 

Would you recommend any of these books? Have you read any of them or have a review? I would love to check it out before delving in.

Happy Reading

Helen x







 

Reading for a degree...

I am currently studying Psychology at University and will be starting my final year within the next few weeks. Although I haven't officially made my choices for next year I have already started reading around my key modules as well as some that I believe I will be taking (as long as they are running).

As you can imagine shifting through countless textbooks and journal articles takes up a lot of time; but there are ways in which you can speed things up...

• Using key words in google can be useless for this type of academic research is pointless... google scholar is a good way to begin your searches, it holds thousands of articles from almost every academic journal that currently publishes; another feature I greatly appreciate is that you can limit the time scale of the research, from anytime to what majority of institutes class as current research (4 years old max) to extremely new research (the current year). However I also recommend you become extremely familiar with how your own library online service uses academic journals; it will have a limited number of subscriptions however these will be the ones the university values more... also most university will subscribe if you contact the proper authority within the University as they want the students to get as much information as they need.
• Another method of speeding this up is key words... don't go too narrow or too broad... you must respect that people use different terminology and therefore may not get usable research immediately. I recommend starting with a theory or key researcher and then follow a logical route through the research; expand on a key point in the first key research and find other articles surrounding this. This sounds simple but you will be amazed at how many students take skewed routes and then find it hard to connect the research to their topic which makes writing your essays and assignments that much harder.
• When looking at a title of a research don't expect to know everything about  the research straight away... if its clear that it isn't related to what your looking for don't bother delving deeper, but if it sounds relatively close I recommend reading the abstract. If this provides useful skip to the discussion section which summarises the research as well as making sound conclusions. This way you halve the amount of time reading and you draw the relevant conclusions; however once you start expanding on the research it would be beneficial to spend a little time going over the methodology and stats to evaluate effectively... remember there is no such thing as a perfect piece of research!
• My final point may be the most important... when you find a relevant piece of research make notes... but also SAVE IT!!!!!! The amount of time students spend shifting through the internet trying to find the exact paper is ridiculous; saving the PDF allows you to check exact phrases and your conclusions quickly and efficiently.

Now no matter how many techniques you apply to finding research for your academic experience it is a time consuming task; so I recommend having a bottle of water with you and a healthy snack. I know you want chocolate and crisps... but having something healthy and light stops you from getting tired and drowsy... also water compared to coffee allows you to take in more information without the caffeine in coffee.

good luck to all new students and any students carrying on with their education.

Throne of Glass Series review... so far

************************** SPOILERS *****************************

 

Please be aware that this review contains spoilers for both the first and second book of the Throne of Glass Series... if you have not already read the book please refrain from reading the review as I do not believe knowing the full details of the book to be beneficial to your experience. I will attempt to write a spoiler free review of the first book soon, however I have many other books that also need reviews so please have patience.

 

 

I believe that although this series has received good reviews on both 'Goodreads' and 'Booktube' I haven't seen as much of it as I thought I would. I purchased Throne of Glass not long ago only knowing that it was a fantasy novel based on the story of a female assassin in some sort of intense competition to win freedom... and I am glad that that is all I knew.

 

Before reading Throne of Glass the fantasy genre somewhat baffled me; the amount of world development compared to other genres is particularly outstanding and daunting, if I am brutally honest. You walk into a bookstore and as you browse the fantasy section you see large books which start a large series; where you know the first book is going to be purely world building and character building... and well frankly the first book of a fantasy series usually boring. I am so grateful to Sarah J Maas for putting an end to this horrific trend and starting a series with an action packed and fascinating first book; which both lends itself to an epic start as well as praise for the book alone; while keeping the world development to an exceptional level.

 

When I started looking at the book in a critical view; my first thought was the title, writers tend to go with the obvious title that is found in the book... for instance the name 'Champion' would be a likely choice; but I believe that the choice for title was outstanding. Of course it hold a literal stance of the castle made of glass but also a philosophical sense of a fragile Kingdom ready to break at any moment... and this book was one hell of a way of starting its demise.

 

So if you have read to here you must have already read the novels and understand the plot; a lead assassin caught and imprisoned and then entered into a deadly competition where their every skill is tested and the potential for death is around every corner. When the other competitors start dropping like flies around poison eyes turn on each other as well as the Crown and rebels as to the cause. Of course the lead lady in this glorious novel must get to the bottom of this, while also dealing with the competition and a hell of a love triangle.

 

So Calaena is a strong but believable character; the start shows her weak but her strength grows until she blossoms as any woman would in her situation, but she always carries her weaknesses with her. There are elements in the book which make you doubt who she is for a while; parts that make you question whether she should be in this competition... but as things draw to a close and the outlawed magic starts to creep in you start to really understand her. In the second novel Calaena is developed to new heights; the truth behind her parents murders is bought to light, as well as her utter fear of the King. It all becomes clear when she turns into a Fae as she passes through a portal from their world to another to save Chaol from a terrible fate.

 

Chaol Westfall also plays a huge part in this story; he trains Calaena and falls madly in love with her... through the first book my heart was broken at how the love triangle developed and one quote in particular bought tears to my eyes and made me stop reading for an hour because my heart couldn't bear it... 'watching as she waltzed alone, lost in her dreams. But he knew her thoughts weren't of him'... that simple line as he watched from the ground into her balcony was extremely well written and I have found a hidden meaning when he says 'she never bothered to look below'. Chaol didn't just mean physically look down but to him he was below the Crown Prince and was questioning why she would look down from the Prince to him.

 

However something I am uneasy about is the sudden change in direction of the love triangle between the end of Throne of Glass and the start of Crown of Midnight. Calaena didn't seem interested in Chaol or Dorian by the end of Throne of Glass but by the first pages of Crown of Midnight she was swooning in Chaol's arms and that was all that matters. Of course to keep the triangle alive she began to hate Chaol by the end of Crown of Midnight and fell back into the arms of the Crown Prince.

Dorian (A.K.A The Crown Prince of Adarlan) is the third element of the love triangle; however I found him more realistic and more of a character in Crown of Midnight compared to Throne of Glass. In throne of Glass he just seemed like a love sick rebellious child however he developed into a man in Crown of Midnight, discovering more about himself and his family. In regards to the love triangle, I don't understand how Calaena went from loving him at the end of the book and then Chaol at the beginning of the next... I understand that Calaena regards her love of him over once she got announced as champion... but there feels like an element is missing. I also don't believe Dorian plays a particularly huge role in the love triangle in the Crown of Midnight however with the development between Chaol and Calaena at the end of Crown of Midnight I'm intrigued as to future developments.

Since finishing this series I have attempted to read several other books... both standalones and series and I just cant tear myself away from this series. I have had Heir of Fire on my thoughts constantly and I cannot wait to have it in my grasps. I cannot fully explain my love for this series... it is the only true fantasy series that I have fell for like this; the only way I can explain my love is to find the love of Harry Potter in an young adult book.

Helen x

Looking for more blogs...

Well Ladies and Gentlemen,

The time has come for me to expand my horizons and ask for your help once more... I am wanting to read more blogs and get acquainted with more bloggers.

So all I am asking you is to post your favourite bloggers/ vloggers in the comments below... preferably links but names would be just as amazing. If you have a blog or vlog about books, reading or writing post it below and I'll check you out.

Many thanks;

Helen x

Slump...

Since reading the first two novels of The Throne of Glass novels I haven't been able to sink my teeth into another novel because all I can think about is Heir of Fire and having to wait a whole month before I can devour it.

I have attempted to read 'Legend' by Marie Lu; and have found myself at a loss, each interaction I can see how Caelena and Chaol and Dorian would have handled it. Contstantly comparing characters and situations to The Throne of Glass to the characters of Legend and I know it is unfair and each book should be judged on its own merit but I just cant.

It has been too long since I have been so enthralled in a series that I haven't been able to focus on another series or even stand alone novel. The last series was the Twilight Saga reread and even though the films did not do the books justice I thought they were impressive reads. However this series seems to have gripped my imagination... I am in awe of Sarah J Maas and one day I hope to publish a novel as good as these.

Has anyone else found a series/ novel like this? I'd love to hear some of your recommendations.

Happy reading x

BOUT OF BOOKS 11.0 IS HERE

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 18th and runs through Sunday, August 24th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 11 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

 

 So my lovely readers are you ready for another read-a-thon???!!!!???? Hell Yeah!!!!!

 

So the aim for the Bout of Books read-a-thon is simple... to read more books in a week than you normally do. Well I average 2 books a week because of other commitments so I have set myself a simple TBR.

 

There is a total of five full books and a partial book... lets get into it!!!!

 

1. The partial book is one I have almost complete however I have hit the imaginary wall when reading and have no drive to finish this story... and I am rather disappointed to say that this is Percy Jackson and the Battle of the Labyrinth by Rick Riordan. I only have roughly 50 pages left of the book but like I have said I just cant push myself to finish even though I know the ending is amazing.
2. The next book is the last in the original Percy Jackson series and that is the Last Olympian also by Rick Riordan and I have high hopes for the last book in this epic series. After completing this I will be doing a full series review which will be up in the week after Bout of Books.
3. Next I have decided that I really need to read this series and even though I only have the first two books this read-a-thon is the perfect reason to start another series... and that is the Daughter of Smoke and Bone Series by Laini Taylor. I have only ever heard amazing things about this book and am utterly ashamed to not have read it yet. So the third book for the read-a-thon is obviously Daughter of Smoke and Bone.
4. So naturally the next book is the second in the series and that is Days of Star and Moonlight by Laini Taylor which sounds amazing... I would also have the third book however I don't currently own the book and im waiting until October for any major book hauls and you know this will be in there!!!!
5. Well this book is to fulfil a need of mine; I have just finished the first two books in the Throne of Glass series and am waiting here patiently (not so patiently) for Heir of Fire on September 2nd; well the fifth book for the read-a-thon is the four novellas for the Throne of Glass series in the book the Assassin's Blade by Sarah J Maas. No one understands my love for this series and the pain of having to wait... God knows what I'll be like waiting for the fourth book...
6. The final book on my TBR is to fulfil a challenge I set myself in the BookTubeAThon challenge; and that is to read at least one crime novel in each read-a-thon... for this read-a-thon I have chosen Play to Kill by P.J. Tracy. This psychological crime novel sounds like its going to give me nightmares and I am looking for a crime novel that will really stick with you. Do you have any suggestions?

So what will all my lovely readers be reading for this read-a-thon?