Summary: I am surrounded on all sides by a desert. A guest, in a prison of sand and sun. My family is here. And I do not know whom I can trust. In a land on the brink of war, Shahrzad has been torn from the love of her husband Khalid, the Caliph of Khorasan. She once believed him a monster, but his secrets revealed a man tormented by guilt and a powerful curse—one that might keep them apart forever. Reunited with her family–who have taken refuge with enemies of Khalid–and her childhood sweetheart Tariq, she should be happy. But Tariq now commands forces set on destroying Khalid’s empire. Shahrzad is almost a prisoner caught between loyalties to people she loves. But she refuses to be a pawn and devises a plan.
While her father, Jahandar, continues to play with magical forces he doesn’t yet understand, Shahrzad tries to uncover powers that may lie dormant within her. With the help of a tattered old carpet and a tempestuous but sage young man, Shahrzad will attempt to break the curse and reunite with her one true love. My Opinion: This book was seriously amazing. I'm always a sucker for fairy tales and love stories, and this combines both. While it's not quite a fairy tale, it's a re-imagining of One Thousand and One Nights. Now, this is the second book in a two-book series, so I won't say too much because spoilers. However, I sincerely encourage you to read this series. The first book, The Wrath and the Dawn, is just as incredible as the second one. The story line grabs you from the beginning, and does not let go. If you love romance, magic, and mystery, all set in an Aladdin-type universe, then this is the series for you. Characters: The main character of the series is Sharzhad. In the first book, she volunteers to be the next bride of the Caliph of Khorasan, who murders his brides every dawn. However, she volunteers in order to exact revenge on the caliph because he killed her best friend. Anyway, she is such a wonderfully flawed character. Throughout the books, many people call her bratty, selfish, and arrogant, and she accepts it. She knows that she is flawed-that she is bratty, selfish, and arrogant. I think Renee Ahdieh invented such an amazing character to be the protaganist of her series. Sharzhad's husband, Khalid, the Caliph of Khorasan, is just as flawed as Sharzhad. He's known as the "murderous boy-king" and he does nothing to dispute this. While he has killed many girls, it was for a really good reason, but he knows that isn't an excuse. He hates himself for what he has to do, and that's really admirable. He's also extremely protective of Sharzhad and his family and friends. Some people may describe him as a "redeemable character", but I don't think that there is anything to be redeemed. He's a great character. Period. Rating: Five stars Summary: Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her. His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.
But Gansey is different. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little. For as long as she can remember, Blue has been told by her psychic family that she will kill her true love. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore. My Opinion: I loved this book Like, seriously, it became my life. It pulled me in from the first page and never let go. The writing style is amazing, and the characters are unforgettable. For real, I can't even describe how much I love this book It's really different. Blue can't kiss her true love; therefore, there is no kissing at all in the first book. In fact, Blue doesn't even really like Gansey in the first book, which is really hilarious due to the fact that the couple the entire book is essentially based off of aren't even in love. Which is another thing I love about this book. Since Blue can't kiss her true love, and just refrains from kissing boys in general, the relationships she builds with each of the Raven Boys is based purely on substance and who they are as people. Of course the way they look affects the relationship, but it isn't based off of sex. I also love the supernatural feel of the book. There are ghosts and secret forests filled with magic and trees that speak Latin. Basically, if a book has romance, mystery, and a hint of the unnatural, I'm all for it. Characters: First main character we meet is Blue. I love Blue, everything about her. She's a feminist, and she stands up for herself. She makes her own clothes. She can do cool card tricks. I just really like Blue. She's sensible, she's fun, and I love the interactions she has with her family. The next main character we meet is Gansey. He is quite possibly my favorite character. He's extremely rich, goes to Aglionby Academy (and is a Raven Boy), and he's extremely adorable. He's not awkward, but he is at the same time. His parents are politicians and so he has that "politician smile" and he can woo them and whatever, but he still has that cute dorky vibe to him. Maybe it's because of his obsession with Glendower, a Welsh king, which makes him so cute. It's his passion, and I always loved getting an inside look into his head. Next is Ronan. Ronan is very different. He's the bad boy of the group. He's got a huge tattoo. He fights with his older brother, like really fights. His father was murdered, so he's got that "I hate the world" vibe, which I feel he's entitled to. He's also extremely protective of his friends, and I liked getting to know him better in the second book. Then, there's Adam. I liked Adam, but at the same time I didn't. He's not rich like Gansey and Ronan; he was raised in Henrietta, where the book takes place. His father abused him which added a layer of tension to the book. The only reason I didn't really like Adam was because he dated Blue, and I was like, no. But truly, he's a good character, and I admire his can-do-won't-say-no attitude. Finally, there's Noah. Poor, baby Noah. He's so cute, like a puppy. His story arc is really sad. I can't say much about him without giving anything away, but I love him and I love his and Blue's relationship. All of these characters were wonderful, and I like each of their perspective's. Rating: Five stars |
AuthorJust some reviews about some books I've recently read. Check 'em out! Archives
March 2017
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