Book reviews: Our Man in Havana | The Crimes of Grindelwald: The Original Screenplay | Malamander

Title: Our Man in Havana
Author: Graham Greene
Original title: Our Man in Havana
First published: 1958
Genre: Classic, Mystery
Series: --
Publisher: Vintage Classics
Format: Paperback
Pages: 225
Finished: 16/04/2020
Summary: Mr. Wormold, vacuum cleaner salesman in a city of powercuts, is, as always, short of money. His daughter, sixteen, followed everywhere by wolf whistles, is spending his money with a skill that amazes him, so when a mysterious Englishman offers him an extra income he's tempted. All he has to do is run agents, file reports: spy. But his fake reports have an alarming tendency to come true, and the web of lies he weaves around him starts to get more and more tangled.

My thoughts: This is the first book I read for the Stay at Home Reading Rush, following the prompt to read a book that would make me smile. I'm glad to say that it managed to make me smile a little! One of the strong suits of this novel is without doubt the witty and quick dialogue, of which there is a lot. Mr. Wormold (a brilliant name) is a very confused man, but he's always doing his best, and that made me really like him a lot. He is introduced as a very average man who is easy to look past, and who was few friends and a staggering relationship to his daughter. All of this reminds me of "Stoner" by John Williams, one of my favourite books of all time that I just cannot shut up about.
However, "Our Man in Havana" is quite different from "Stoner". In fact, the similarities end there. This book is much more lighthearted and breezy to get through. I understand why it's described as a humorous book. Unfortunately I liked the first 100 pages more than the rest of the story. I think I would have liked it to stay more focused on how forgettable Mr, Wormold felt that he was and how that affected him in life. The way things went, I felt I missed out on how emotional things had the potential to be. And though I liked some characters a fair deal, there were several others that I cared very little for. There was also an adult man who was uncomfortably interested in Mr. Wormold's 16-17 year old daughter. (Spoiler alert, highlight white text to read: he thought it appropriate to marry her and that the best time of life to bear child was at the age of 17. no thank you, disgusting creep. luckily, everyone else in the book seemed to agree with me). Nevertheless, I believe this novel was never intended to be the moody but charming story I wished it would have been. And though it lacked moodiness, it did try as best as it could to charm me. It kind of worked!

I did highlight some quotes that I liked (there were a few more, but they'd spoil the plot):
"You lost the remembrance of pain by inflicting it."
"Please would you mind telling me how they are going to murder me? You see, it interests me personally."

Rating: 3,75/5

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Title: The Crimes of Grindelwald: The Original Screenplay
Author: J.K. Rowling
Original title: The Crimes of Grindelwald
First published: 2018
Genre: Fantasy
Series: Fantastic Beasts Screenplays #2
Publisher: Little, Brown
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 272
Finished: 17/04/2020
Summary: Spoiler alert! The powerful Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald was captured in New York with the help of Newt Scamander. But, making good on his threat, Grindelwald escapes custody and sets about gathering followers, most unsuspecting of his true agenda: to raise pure-blood wizards up to rule over all non-magical beings.
In an effort to thwart Grindelwald’s plans, Albus Dumbledore enlists Newt, his former Hogwarts student, who agrees to help once again, unaware of the dangers that lie ahead. Lines are drawn as love and loyalty are tested, even among the truest friends and family, in an increasingly divided wizarding world.

My thoughts: This is the second book I read for the Stay at Home Reading Rush, this time for the prompt of reading a book set somewhere I wish I could go. I of course, wish I could visit the wizarding world.
Unfortunately, this was not for me. I was impressed the first screenplay (and movie), which is something I cannot say about this second instalment. I was uninterested in the conflicts, I could not understand Queenie at all, I don't care for the romance between Newt and Tina, and we didn't even get to see that much of the beasts. Also, "The Crimes of Grindelwald"? More like "Grindelwald sits in a room and doesn't do much, basically just talks". Well, I guess it's plain enough now that I was not a fan.
Nevertheless, I like Newt and Jacob quite and bit, and some of the other characters as well. I do love Newt's beasts, too. And the book is beautiful for the illustrations inside. These are kind of redeeming factors.

Rating: 3/5

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Title: Malamander
Author: Thomas Taylor
Original title: Malamander
First published: 2019
Genre: Fantasy, Mystery, Middle grade
Series: Malamander #1
Publisher: Walker Books
Format: Paperback
Pages: 302
Finished: 18/04/2020
Summary: Herbert Lemon, Lost-and-Founder at the Grand Nautilus Hotel, knows that returning lost things to their rightful owners is not easy – especially when the lost thing is not a thing at all, but a girl. No one knows what happened to Violet Parma’s parents twelve years ago, and when she engages Herbie to help her find them, the pair discover that their disappearance might have something to do with the legendary sea-monster, the Malamander. Eerie-on-Sea has always been a mysteriously chilling place, where strange stories seem to wash up. And it just got stranger...

My thoughts: This is the third book I read for the Stay at Home Reading Rush, now following the prompt of reading a book with a house on the cover.
I think this might be the best book I read during this Reading Rush. "Malamander" is cute, adventurous, mysterious, and all around a delightful read. Herbert has an incredibly precious personality. He's so genuine and good and kind. I love him. I wasn't all-the-way gripped by the plot itself, but it was still interesting enough to keep me going. I was pleasantly surprised that I like it as much as I do seeing as middle grade was never my strongest cup of tea. But this is really cute! I definitely want to continue reading the series once the second book comes out this year. I want to know more about Herbert!

Rating: 4,25/5

Book reviews: Throne of Glass | Crown of Midnight | Spinning Silver

Title: Throne of Glass

Author: Sarah J. Maas
Original title: Throne of Glass
First published: 2012
Genre: High fantasy, YA
Series: Throne of Glass #1
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 404
Finished: 31/03/2020
Summary: When magic has gone from the world, and a vicious king rules from his throne of glass, an assassin comes to the castle. She does not come to kill, but to win her freedom. If she can defeat twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition to find the greatest assassin in the land, she will become the King's Champion and be released from prison.
But something evil dwells in the castle—and it's there to kill. When her competitors start dying, horribly, one by one, Celaena's fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival—and a desperate quest to root out the source of the evil before it destroys her world.

My thoughts: Finally, I read the kind of book that was much needed to get my desire to read going again. This novel is fast paced and easy; a true page turner. There's basically everything I wanted right now; a quick and witty dialogue, an actually well executed love triangle drama, some secrets, fights, and fantasy politics. Not to say that it was a perfect book, but it was a perfectly timed read. "Throne of Glass", along with the second book in the series, has been living in my shelves for years upon years (since 2013, when the pretty cover version was released in hardcover). I finally got to it!
Besides the positive things about it, this book had its flaws. While Celaena is described as a ruthless and badass assassin (which she can be), I found that her actions contradicted that statement at times. She sleeps unguarded a lot, and lets people sneak into her rooms without noticing them. She's also not quite as daring/unafraid as I'd expect of an assassin with her reputation. And while the love triangle was good in the way that I really didn't know who Celaena would choose, both of the love interest were quite similar in their personalities. I do know that they become more distinct in the second book, but them being so alike made me rather indifferent to who Celaena would choose.
All in all, it was a pleasant and exciting read that I without a doubt enjoyed quite a bit. I look forward to the rest of the series, and I hope it won't break my heart as much as I suspect it will.
(PS. Dorian has nothing on Chaol. Period.)

Rating: 4/5

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Title: Crown of Midnight
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Original title: Crown of Midnight
First published: 2013
Genre: YA, High fantasy
Series: Throne of Glass #2
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 418
Finished: 04/04/2020
Summary: Spoiler alert! From the throne of glass rules a king with a fist of iron and a soul as black as pitch. Assassin Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become his Champion. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown. She hides her secret vigilantly; she knows that the man she serves is bent on evil.
Keeping up the deadly charade becomes increasingly difficult when Celaena realizes she is not the only one seeking justice. As she tries to untangle the mysteries buried deep within the glass castle, her closest relationships suffer. It seems no one is above questioning her allegiances—not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a foreign princess with a rebel heart.
Then one terrible night, the secrets they have all been keeping lead to an unspeakable tragedy. As Celaena's world shatters, she will be forced to give up the very thing most precious to her and decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie... and whom she is ultimately willing to fight for.

My thoughts: Small spoiler alert! My emotions have been played with :( What a roller-coaster.
"Crown of Midnight" opens up the plot for a much wider reach, giving us a clearer view of where Maas is taking the series. While the first book was mostly just a fun time, this second instalment in the series takes on a more serious tone as Celaena's emotions are tested and we learn more about her past. So when it comes down to it, did I like the change or not?
I did! While the 'rebellion against the ruler(s)' sort of plot/trope isn't always my cup of tea, I think this one has potential. We need a little more world building for me to actually care about the different kingdoms in the Erilea lands, but I think we'll get more of that as the series progresses. I do not think that the king is the best written antagonist I've ever read about, but he's not the worst either.
One thing I complained about in the previous book was that Dorian and Chaol's characters were too alike. They became more distinct in this novel, which is great, and the love triangle in "Throne of Glass" was pretty much gone. Huzzah! There's still a lot of angsty yearning going on that I don't like a ton, but I hope it'll pass with the next book.
Celaena has mood swings like no other, and she constantly changes her mind like the weather. In some cases I'm with her, but in most cases I'm not. I like reading from her perspective partly, but I'm glad we get other perspectives as well. I don't think I'd like the books half as much if I was stuck with only Celaena. I also didn't like how she reasoned and acted after that thing in the middle happened :/
Overall, this was an entertaining and fast read. The series isn't great yet, and it remains to be seen if it will ever live up to the hype. I understand why people rave about it; it's easy, dramatic, romantic, and continues to have big reveals strewn over it (unfortunately I saw the 'big reveal' at the end of this book coming from book one). For me, it lacks a writing style that is beautiful and flowing enough, and I wish there were more descriptions of the environment/world around Celaena. I want more complex politics and world building. And some continued character development for our main characters. Other than that, I had a swell time!

Rating: 4,25/5

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Title: Spinning Silver
Author: Naomi Novik
Original title: Spinning Silver
First published: 2018
Genre: Fantasy, Retelling, YA
Series: --
Publisher: Del Rey
Format: Paperback
Pages: 466
Finished: 14/04/2020
Summary: Miryem is the daughter and granddaughter of moneylenders, but her father’s too kind-hearted to collect his debts. They face poverty, until Miryem hardens her own heart and takes up his work in their village. Her success creates rumours she can turn silver into gold, which attract the fairy king of winter himself. He sets her an impossible challenge – and if she fails, she’ll die. Yet if she triumphs, it may mean a fate worse than death. And in her desperate efforts to succeed, Miryem unwittingly spins a web which draws in the unhappy daughter of a lord.
Irina’s father schemes to wed her to the tsar – he will pay any price to achieve this goal. However, the dashing tsar is not what he seems. And the secret he hides threatens to consume the lands of mortals and winter alike. Torn between deadly choices, Miryem and Irina embark on a quest that will take them to the limits of sacrifice, power and love.

My thoughts: My friend has been so incredibly kind to let me borrow this book for a solid two months. I had a hard time getting into it since it's pretty sparse when it comes to dialogue and I've been in a bit of a reading slump. But I've finally finished it at last! I must say, it was well worth pushing through. The pacing is on the slower side, which I don't mind in a book, especially when it makes up for it in characters and writing. This one did just that. I loved following three stubborn, ambitious, and brave young women who were driven by love for their family rather than romantic interests. Yes, there is some romance, but to have it be written in the way this book did it was a breath of fresh air. Romance was not the point of the novel. I think great love shown for family above all is seldom shown well in YA fantasy and I wish it wasn't that way.The way Miryem puts her parents before all else was moving and something I could relate to more than a girl willing to die for the boy she's known for a month.
The characters overall were expertly constructed, and I was able to both love and hate a few at the same time. The settings were also described well; sometimes I felt a cold chill run through me even though I had a heating blanket over me. Can't say I was sad to miss out on snow this winter after reading this book ;)
All in all, "Spinning Silver" is a very good book that is only held back a little by lacking some pace and being a little too long. Had it been shortened down some, I think it could have been even more perfect.

Rating: 4,5/5

Stay at Home Reading Rush TBR

The month of April is saved! Well, at least half a week of it. When it was announced on the Reading Rush Instagram page that an extra shorter version of the annual Reading Rush would take place on the 16th to 19th of April, it felt like a much needed gift. I'm not typically one for readathons, but I do really enjoy this one. I of course participated in July of last year, and I much look forward to this unique one. For the Reading Rush, I'll be deviating from my 2020 goal of only reading physical books that are over 400 pages. In the pace that I read, it would simply be impossible for me to read four such books in four days. I have of course already thought of a TBR pile based on the five prompts:

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1/ Read a book with a house on the cover

"Malamander" by Thomas Taylor

"Herbert Lemon, Lost-and-Founder at the Grand Nautilus Hotel, knows that returning lost things to their rightful owners is not easy – especially when the lost thing is not a thing at all, but a girl. No one knows what happened to Violet Parma’s parents twelve years ago, and when she engages Herbie to help her find them, the pair discover that their disappearance might have something to do with the legendary sea-monster, the Malamander. Eerie-on-Sea has always been a mysteriously chilling place, where strange stories seem to wash up. And it just got stranger..."

Pages: 240

or

"Morrigan Crows magiska förbannelse" ("The Trials of Morrigan Crow") by Jessica Townsend
"Morrigan Crow is cursed. Having been born on Eventide, the unluckiest day for any child to be born, she's blamed for all local misfortunes, from hailstorms to heart attacks--and, worst of all, the curse means that Morrigan is doomed to die at midnight on her eleventh birthday.
But as Morrigan awaits her fate, a strange and remarkable man named Jupiter North appears. Chased by black-smoke hounds and shadowy hunters on horseback, he whisks her away into the safety of a secret, magical city called Nevermoor."

Pages: 253

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2/ Read a book in the same room the whole time

"The Comedy of Errors" by William Shakespeare

"Two sets of twins are separated at birth by a storm at sea: a pair of masters (both named Antipholus) and a pair of servants (both named Dromio). Years later, the Antipholus-and-Dromio pair raised in Syracuse happen to visit Ephesus, where the respective twins reside—providing the basis for ongoing incidents of mistaken identity, within a lively plot of quarrels, arrests, and a grand courtroom denouement."

Pages: ca 50

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3/ Read a book set somewhere you wish you could go

"The Crimes of Grindelwald" by J.K. Rowling
Spoiler alert! "The powerful Dark wizard Gellert Grindelwald was captured in New York with the help of Newt Scamander. But, making good on his threat, Grindelwald escapes custody and sets about gathering followers, most unsuspecting of his true agenda: to raise pure-blood wizards up to rule over all non-magical beings.
In an effort to thwart Grindelwald’s plans, Albus Dumbledore enlists Newt, his former Hogwarts student, who agrees to help once again, unaware of the dangers that lie ahead. Lines are drawn as love and loyalty are tested, even among the truest friends and family, in an increasingly divided wizarding world."
Pages: 287

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4/ Read a book that will make you smile

"Our Man in Havana" by Graham Greene
"Mr. Wormold, vacuum cleaner salesman in a city of powercuts, is, as always, short of money. His daughter, sixteen, followed everywhere by wolf whistles, is spending his money with a skill that amazes him, so when a mysterious Englishman offers him an extra income he's tempted. All he has to do is run agents, file reports: spy. But his fake reports have an alarming tendency to come true, and the web of lies he weaves around him starts to get more and more tangled."

Pages: 225

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I hope you're also planning to participate. Maybe you're also cooped up at home like me, and need a distraction to keep you going. Remember; you don't have to read 4 books. If you can combine several prompts for one or two books to read during the readathon, that works just as well!
Either way, I wish you a happy reading <3

Reading Theme of April, 2020

Up In Your Face

"Behold the Blobfish" by Matt Collins

It seems to be time for another cover related theme! This month, we're looking at one of my personal pet peeves when it comes to book covers; faces. More precisely, we'll be looking for closeups or somehow annoying faces. Be it a photo or an illustration, all faces count. In all honesty, not all covers with big faces are ugly (some are even nice!), but I have for a long time held a grudge against them. We all have our pet peeves when it comes to book covers, and this is just one of mine. I must say that I prefer illustrated faces, if any. There's just a greater chance of hitting the mark with the characters' features with an illustration based off the descriptions in the book, and it gives the cover a more professional vibe... Not to say that a model can't own the look and do a great job on the cover, but the risk is greater, just sayin'.
Nevertheless, this April we shall attempt to tackle such books, and I believe we will be victorious!

Despite my harsh words on close up faces, here are some book recommendations that fit the theme of this month:

• "Vampire Academy" by Richelle Mead
• "The Giver" by Lois Lowry
• "Before I Fall" by Lauren Oliver
• "Giftet" ("Poison Study") by Maria V. Snyder
• "The Master and Margarita" by Mikhail Bulgakov

Of course, I also own some unread books that are really up in my face. Here are some of them:

• "The Hero of Ages" by Brandon Sanderson
• "Bloodlines" by Richelle Mead
• "Golden Boy" by Abigail Tarttelin
• "Dreams of Gods & Monsters" by Laini Taylor
• "Opposition" by Jennifer L. Armentrout

I dare say that all the books I listed are ones that I'm very excited to read... choosing between them will be hard, I think, because I'm certain I won't be able to get to all of them (they're all over 400 pages, some even over 600). Are you excited for any novels with big ol' faces on the cover? Either way, I hope you end up reading a good book this month, despite the (maybe) unlikable covers. 
Happy reading!

Book reviews: Going Bovine | The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue | Shadow Study

Title: Going Bovine
Author: Libba Bray
Original title: Going Bovine
First published: 2009
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Series: --
Publisher: Delacorte
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 480
Finished: 08/02/2020
Summary: All 16-year-old Cameron wants is to get through high school—and life in general—with a minimum of effort. It’s not a lot to ask. But that’s before he’s given some bad news: he’s sick and he’s going to die. Which totally sucks. Hope arrives in the winged form of Dulcie, a loopy punk angel/possible hallucination with a bad sugar habit. She tells Cam there is a cure—if he’s willing to go in search of it. With the help of a death-obsessed, video-gaming dwarf and a yard gnome, Cam sets off on the mother of all road trips through a twisted America into the heart of what matters most.

My thoughts: Libba Bray is an author that I've read and loved before. She's the person behind one of the series that has truly shaped me as a reader; the "Gemma Doyle" trilogy from 2003-2007. Knowing that those three books were published before "Going Bovine", I feel rather confused about the complete difference in quality.
To put it bluntly, "Going Bovine" wasn't a good book. The main character, Cameron, was a complete asshole that I just couldn't root for at all. He's a douche to everyone he meets and he continues to be that throughout the whole novel. His character development is weak and doesn't make up for the shithead he is. The women in the story are written poorly, which surprises me coming from an author who 1) is a woman herself and 2) has written female characters very well in the past (and future) in relation to the publication year of this novel. It's as if Libba Bray was struggling with writing women from a boy's perspective and ended up making every female character's personality flat. Cameron himself is rather rude to said female characters, while at the same time being very attracted to a number of them. Incel much? I didn't care for all the mentions of his d*ck "perking up" at the sight of girls. The swearing in this novel wasn't handled well either. I'm not against swear words in novels, but they need to be handled with care for them to work in large amounts. Otherwise the language comes off as too informal. That was the case with this novel, and instead of giving the narrative an edge, it came off as childish and stupid.
The story itself sucked. It's a good example of a writer having lots of ideas and can't decide which to include and which to save for another project. Libba Bray threw it all into the mix, and the result is a plotline that is all over the place and seems pointless. Every new direction the story took was unmotivated and unnecessary. The characters would spend time at one place, doing crazy stuff for 10-50 pages, and then move on to the next thing and leave the last one unresolved and never returned to later. Repeat that a dozen times or so and the result is this 480 page novel.
To conclude, the characters sucked, the plot was bad, the writing style left a lot to wish for, and the ending/plot twist was disappointing to say the least.
The few things that were actually good with this novel was that it was quick and easy to read, and the cover is sorta cool. Libba Bray has written such incredible novels, and I was truly surprised to see that a book like this was even published by her. Sorry Libba, but this was a hard miss.

Rating: 2/5

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Title: The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue
Author: Mackenzi Lee
Original title: The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue
First published: 2017
Genre: Historical, YA
Series: Montague Siblings #1
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 501
Finished: 29/02/2020
Summary: Henry “Monty” Montague doesn’t care that his roguish passions are far from suitable for the gentleman he was born to be. But as Monty embarks on his grand tour of Europe, his quests for pleasure and vice are in danger of coming to an end. Not only does his father expect him to take over the family’s estate upon his return, but Monty is also nursing an impossible crush on his best friend and traveling companion, Percy.
So Monty vows to make this yearlong escapade one last hedonistic hurrah and flirt with Percy from Paris to Rome. But when one of Monty’s reckless decisions turns their trip abroad into a harrowing manhunt, it calls into question everything he knows, including his relationship with the boy he adores.

My thoughts: "The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue" is a real page-turner; adventurous, romantic, witty, and gay. Henry "Monty" Montague is a character filled to the brim with sarcasm, humour, and funny flaws, making him both lovable and absolutely frustrating. I could go from rooting for him to thinking he was quite dimwitted. On one hand he's self centred, has drinking issues, and makes some very foolish choices and mistakes. On the other hand, he's charmingly self aware, has a sharp tongue, and is adorably in love with Percy. I found the romance between the two sweet and endearing. Percy is such a sweetheart, and he deserves all the love he can get.
I was also a big fan of Monty's sister, Felicity, who wouldn't take Monty's nonsense/bullshit and basically was the one who pulled the gang through to the finish line. She is admirably clever and I hope to follow her story more in the sequel.
As for the story and writing style, I think the novel was written in a fun and easy way. It definitely has a unique tone that fits the 1700's setting while also feeling obviously contemporary. The writing style is more entertaining than lyrical and beautiful, but I didn't mind that. Books like this are definitely needed now and then. The plot was a bit all over the place, but still easy to follow as the trio make their way through Europe in a series of discoveries, thefts, ambushes, and escapes. There were parts that I enjoyed less than others, but overall it was a solid plot.
To summarise, I really enjoyed this book, despite going through some tough times  in my private life that set me back quite a bit in my reading. Still, this book provided some light in the darkness, and while I couldn't enjoy it fully, I still did like it a fair bit.

Rating: 4,25/5

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Title: Shadow Study
Author: Maria V. Snyder
Original title: Shadow Study
First published: 2015
Genre: High fantasy, YA
Series: Chronicles of Ixia #7, Poison Study #4, Soulfinders #1
Publisher: MIRA Ink
Format: Paperback
Pages: 410
Finished: 27/03/2020
Summary: Spoiler alert!When Yelena was a poison taster, her life was simpler. But She'd survived to become a vital part of the balance of power between rival countries Ixia and Sitia. Now she uses her magic to keep the peace in both lands—and protect her relationship with Valek.
Suddenly, though, they are beset on all sides by those vying for power through politics and intrigue. Valek’s job and his life are in danger. As Yelena tries to uncover the scope of these plots, she faces a new challenge: her magic is blocked. She must keep that a secret—or her enemies will discover just how vulnerable she really is—while searching for who or what is responsible for neutralizing her powers.
Yes, the days of tasting poisons were much simpler. And certainly not as dangerous…

My thoughts: The "Poison Study" trilogy became a new favourite series of mine a little over a year ago. That series was completed in 2008, and seven years later this sequel trilogy was born. I was excited to finally dive back into the world Snyder created in the original trilogy, and most of all to meet the characters again.
Sadly, "Shadow Study" didn't quite live up to my expectations. Granted, those expectations were sky high and difficult to meet. Maybe I was asking for too much. Regardless, this book fell short. I didn't feel engaged in the story or Yelena's perspective anymore. The side characters didn't appeal to me either. I did, however, really enjoy reading from Valek's perspective and learning more about his backstory. He became my favourite character while reading, and I liked his chapters the most. This left me wishing that the whole book was from Valek's point of view, and that we'd learned even more about his passed and maybe only gotten glimpses of Yelena's story through Valek.
I must add that part of my judgement comes from reading the first series in a translated version (Swedish). I believe maybe the translation was made in a more formal language than the original version, and that's part of what I liked about the series. Switching to the English narrative, it seemed informal in comparison and not as serious. The switch was especially obvious in Valek's ways of expressing himself with word choices that didn't fit with the personality I'd seen previously.
In the end, I'm a little bit disappointed. I fail to see the point of this book. I understand now that Snyder was pressured into writing this sequel series by fans, but I sort of wish that she hadn't. It's not a bad book, just not as good as I'd hoped.

Rating: 3,5/5

Covers in the World: Strange the Dreamer

English covers 1:

I believe these are the American covers. I quite like them! Unfortunately the edition I got isn't fantastically shiny like I was lead to believe from the pictures. Nonetheless I like them a lot and they do stand out in a crowd.

English covers 2:

The UK covers? These seem to be popular with the people, but I think they're a bit dull in comparison with the American covers. I see the appeal, though. These are modern, classy, and somehow sleek. I like the colours, but things could be improved.

English covers 3:

Soft and gentle! This can be said about this third cover option for the books in English. Are they are good as the previous options? No, in my opinion. Are they kinda cute? Yeah. Since I haven't read the books yet, I can't say whether they fit the contents, but if they do that's a big plus for these covers.

Italian covers:
I like the layering of these covers. They keep the original style of the UK covers but manage to do their own thing.

Polish covers:

The font is a bit meh and the composition makes me think of trippy middle grade fantasy. Not a huge fan, though it's not a complete failure.

Turkish covers:
These colours are pleasant to look at and I like the composition. The font could be a bit more "mature"/serious, if you get what I mean. This one feels like a contemporary romance novel set on a beach.

Spanish covers:

What happened!? We went from original nice cover to possession by the devil! Not sure what to think about this. It could be worse. Don't like it.

Croatian covers:
Nice interpretation of the UK covers. Not a fan of the patchy background, though.

Indonesian covers:
Very cute and dreamy! At first glace it certainly doesn't make me think of the novel it's supposed to be the cover for, though. I guess the only way to find out if this fits the novel is to actually read the novel... *sigh* ;)

Hungarian covers:

I get "The Darkest Minds" and "Carve the Mark" vibes from these covers. Unfortunately they don't appeal to me. Just too plain and generic.

Hebrew covers:
Very similar to the UK covers, but a little different. Not changed for the better.

Serbian covers:

I think the re-spelling of Laini Taylors name as "Lejni Tejlor" is pretty funny (at least it sounds funny to my Swedish speaking brain). Sadly, that's the only thing that makes me smile on the inside when I look at these covers.

Norwegian covers 1:
Would you look at that! Two covers coming together to form and single image. That's always a winning trick with me. Other than that, I think these covers are quite okay. Nothing grand, but the detailing is nice.

Norwegian covers 2:

Translated to Norwegian Bokmål, these covers don't match like the others :/ They both use the same butterfly, but it just doesn't come together as well.


German covers:
Did Laini Taylor publish another two books in the series just in German? No, the Germans just decided to split each book in two. Don't worry, I don't think we're missing any exclusive content here. The covers are unfortunately a bit bland compared to what we've seen before in this post. They're certainly not ugly, just a lil' bit boring.