From the bookshelf

When I started rereading ACOTAR back in December, I did not intend to reread the entire Sarah J. Maas universe. But here we are. I was paralyzed by intimidation to pick up and read all 880 pages of "A Day of Fallen Night". So what did I do instead? I reread the Crescent City series. Now you might asking; "Amber, aren't those books also 800 pages each"? Yes. Yes they are. 🤦I can't make it make sense either. 

17. House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City, #1) by Sarah J. Maas 

18. House of Sky and Breath (Crescent City, #2) ) by Sarah J. Maas - To be honest the first time I read these books they weren't my favorite. The first book I felt complete lost during the world and character building. And while I would still rank these behind ACOTAR and TOG, I did enjoy these books much more this time around. I still have the same feelings about the Bryce and Danica relationship. Even after a second read I still feel like this core relationship gets 💩 on the most. After reading this so closely to the other series I am way more excited for January 2024 when we get "House of Flame and Shadow" and the crossover event Sarah teased at the end of "House of Sky and Breath". 

19. A Day of Fallen Night (The Roots of Chaos, #0) by Samantha Shannon- Patting myself on the back for getting over the length of this book and jumping in. AND IT WAS WORTH IT. I was afraid I might not remember enough of "The Priory of the Orange Tree" to get into this but I honestly wish I had read this book first because it was that good. Without any spoilers here all I can say is that Samantha Shannon did not hold back and that nobody is safe- be prepared for some tears. It is a bit slow in the beginning but, again, there is some world building and back story that needs to happen before getting into the thick of it. I did physical book AND audiobook on this one. I really enjoyed the audiobook actors for this book! 

20. Fourth Wing (The Empyrean, #1) by Rebecca Yarros- THANK YOU BOOKTOK! To say this book was heavily recommended by booktok would be an understatement. So  much so that I still have not gotten my hands on a physical copy of this book because it's sold out everywhere. I couldn't be happier to report that this book lived up to the hype. Was there predictability? Sure. Overall though I really enjoyed the story and even happier to know that the next book comes out in November! There's defiently some twists and unanswered questions that I can't wait to be answered. If you just binged the entire Sarah Maas collection and are lost on what to read next- read this! 

 

21. The Endless War (The Bridge Kingdom, #4) by Danielle L. Jensen- For me, this was an underwhelming read. I enjoyed Zarrah and Keris's story in "The Inadequate Heir" and this fell pretty flat. After the ending in the last book I wanted a redemption story for Keris but I don't feel like we got one. Even Zarrah's character seemed to take a blow in this book. She went from a strong, confident lead character to a self doubting character. We get the smallest glimpse of Lara and Aren and that wasn't enough. I much prefer their story. We get some subtle hints at the end of book to carry us over to the next book- which will jump into Ahnna's story. Hopefully we'll see some fresh material in that book 🤞 Also, it is worth noting that this book is only available in audiobook format and will not come out as a physical book until the end of November. 

22. What's next? Good question! I have a growing "note" on my phone of all the books I see repeated on Tiktok. Here's what's on my TBR right now:

• The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent
• Archer's Voice by Mia Sheridan
• A Broken Blade (The Halfling Saga, #1) by Melissa Blair
• Lady of Ashes Series by Christine Trent
• Divine Rivals (Letters of Enchantment, #1) by Rebecca Ross
• Lady of Darkness Series by Melissa K. Roehrich
• Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber
• Kingdom of the Wicked Series by Kerri Maniscalco

I've also been thinking about picking up a Kindle Paperweight in the upcoming PrimeDays. I have an older Fire tablet but it's difficult to read with outside due to the glare. If anyone has any recommendations please let me know!