Book reviews: Britt-Marie var här | The Black Prism | Vampire Academy: A Graphic Novel

Title: Britt-Marie var här (Britt-Marie Was Here)
Author: Fredrik Backman
Narrator: Marie Richardson
Original title: Britt-Marie var här
First published: 2014
Genre: Contemporary, Adult
Series: --
Publisher: Bonnier
Format: Audiobook
Time: 11h 13min
Finished: 
Summary: At first sight, Britt-Marie is a fussy, passive-aggressive busybody. But hidden inside her is a woman who has bigger dreams and a warmer heart than anyone around her imagines. When she finds herself alone for the first time in decades, she realises she's spent her life making choices for the sake of other people. Is it too late for her to change? And in a small town of big-hearted misfits, can Britt-Marie find a place where she truly belongs?

My thoughts: "Britt-Marie var här" is both a story about fitting in and breaking free. To go from accepting one's lot in life to demanding something better for oneself. To exit one's comfort zone and widen one's horizons. About feeling needed and wanted. About a world changing, but on a very small scale.
This was a very nice little story. I must say it was expertly narrated by Marie Richardson, whose voice fit perfectly with Britt-Marie's character. I suppose this book is sort of feelgood, while also being quite sombre at times. It's got some good wisdom to share, while also being a bit ridiculous at times. Overall, I wasn't blown away, but I liked it a fair bit nonetheless. Britt-Marie was a great character to follow, and the book almost made me feel something for football (other than utter despise). I liked the setting, because it was uniquely described and I felt like I've been in a hundred similar little towns in my life. Run down, but still loved. However, I didn't feel a lot for most of the characters, and the kids kind of annoyed me. But I appreciated Britt-Marie enough to look past that.
I recommend this book to anyone who wants to try out good Swedish literature, and who's looking for something uplifting, thought through, warm, and unique. I'd love to read more books centred around senior characters. I also recommend the audiobook in Swedish.
PS. The book has been translated to several different languages, including English, if you'd like to check it out.

Rating: 3,5/5

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Title: The Black Prism
Author: Brent Weeks
Original title: The Black Prism
First published: 2010
Genre: High fantasy, Adult
Series: Lightbringer #1
Publisher: Orbit
Format: Paperback
Pages: 735
Finished: 17/06/2020
Summary: Guile is the Prism, the most powerful man in the world. He is high priest and emperor, a man whose power, wit, and charm are all that preserves a tenuous peace. Yet Prisms never last, and Guile knows exactly how long he has left to live.
When Guile discovers he has a son, born in a far kingdom after the war that put him in power, he must decide how much he's willing to pay to protect a secret that could tear his world apart.

My thoughts: Oh, where to start? Perhaps with the expectations I had? They were high to say the least. Lots of people on BookTube had raved about the series, what with the somewhat recent release of the final instalment, and the reviews on Goodreads were raving. This was bound to be my new favourite thing in the world! What could go wrong? Everybody loved it!
A lot could go wrong, it would seem. Truly, a lot. I will keep myself as short as I can. Let's start with the protagonists. Kip, who is around 15 years old, is an insolent little brat and I'd rather see him dead. He has very few redeeming qualities. He is rude, insensitive, dumb, and immature. I wish him no happiness as a character, but I much less wish to hear more of his whining. Then there's Gavin, who is a so-called morally grey character, meaning the reader is supposed to like and feel for him despite him being morally dubious. Was he morally dubious? Yes. Did I like him? No. He's twice Kip's age but they have about the same mindset and maturity level. There is also Karris, the female protagonist. I didn't feel much of anything for her.
Next, there is the blatant sexism sprinkled lovingly all over this novel. The majority of the female characters were at some point, often at several points, described as sex objects. Their breasts, lips, butts, and hips were mentioned over and over again. Far too many times for me to keep up with the counting. Both Kip and Gavin express themselves in a very sexist manner and seem to have a immature (yes, I'm using that word again) view on women. To make up for the fact that Gavin can't have the love of his life, he's got a sex slave who looks like her to sleep with him instead. At several points Kip shows some minor 'weakness' or emotion and it's joked that 'he's almost as bad as a woman'. I didn't see any point to all this sexism and I grew tired of it very quickly.
Third is the writing style, plotting, and other. The style of the writing is very simple, almost juvenile. Not in any way elegant or beautiful. I almost think Brent Weeks must be a 15 year old himself in a disguise. The writing would also switch at random from third person view to first person to presumably show a character's thoughts, but would do so without any italic text or quotation marks.  The plot was repetitive. Kip almost drowns more than three times in the course of one book. Three times. Brent Weeks got obsessed with describing what it's like to nearly drown, and decided to include it several times for the same character and no one else. I've also read the word 'luxin' enough times for a life time through this book. There are several small but noticeable plot holes that I won't mention because they're spoilers.
What did I even like? I think some of the world building was interesting. The story had promise, but wasn't executed well. It was way too long. I'm glad I finished it, though, and didn't leave it half read. At least now I can write a review. I don't recommend this book to anyone I like.

Rating: 2,25/5

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Title: Vampire Academy: A Graphic Novel
Author: Richelle Mead
Illustrator: Emma Vieceli
Original title: Vampire Academy: A Graphic Novel
First published: 2011
Genre: Fantasy, YA
Series: Vampire Academy: The Graphic Novel #1
Publisher: Penguin
Format: Paperback
Pages: 144
Finished: 20/07/2020
Summary: St Vladimir's Academy isn't just any boarding school - hidden away, it's a place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They've been on the run, but now they're being dragged back to St Vladimir's where the girls must survive a world of forbidden romances, a ruthless social scene and terrifying night time rituals. But most of all, they must stay alive.

My thoughts: I read this for the challenge to read a book from a genre you wish you'd read more of for the 2020 Reading Rush!
While I loved the "Vampire Academy" series, the first book was my least favourite. It's a bit simple, shallow, and cliche. I wanted to read the graphic novel adaption to see if it added anything to the story of the first book that would make it better. I didn't find that was the case. The story became compressed because of this new format, and thus a lot of character and world building was lost on clumsy exposition and a frenzied pacing. It was, however, pleasant to see certain aspects of the story visualised, such as the St Vladimir school, the magic, and some of the characters that I thought was very well depicted. Overall I didn't fall head over heels for the art style, though satisfactory, or the shortened format.

Rating: 2,25/5

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

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

Book reviews: The Final Empire | My Year of Rest and Relaxation | The Well of Ascension

Title: The Final Empire
Author: Brandon Sanderson
Original title: The Final Empire
First published: 2006
Genre: High fantasy, Adult
Series: Mistborn #1
Publisher: Gollancz
Format: Paperback
Pages: 643
Finished: 13/01/2020
Summary: In a world where ash falls from the sky, and mist dominates the night, an evil cloaks the land and stifles all life. The future of the empire rests on the shoulders of a troublemaker and his young apprentice. Together, can they fill the world with colour once more?
In Brandon Sanderson's intriguing tale of love, loss, despair and hope, a new kind of magic enters the stage— Allomancy, a magic of the metals.

My thoughts: I'm so glad I believed enough in this series to buy the boxed set, because I need to continue on with this now. I don't care that the sequel is almost 800 pages; I require it in order to live on! I've heard that "The Final Empire" is the weakest in the trilogy, and if that's true... I'm about to go through a lot in the upcoming weeks, let's just say that.
Brandon Sanderson is an author that I've held to extreme standards, even having read "The Reckoners" trilogy and only liking it, but not loving it. I always felt that once I got into his high fantasy stuff, he'd become my favourite author. I just had to get through one of his bricks... And now I have! "The Final Empire", along with the rest of the original "Mistborn" trilogy, has been in my possession for a few years now. I've lived in anticipation for them, but all along felt intimidated by the page count. However, it was for such fears that I made my goals for 2020 (to read more thicc books).
This story offers such depth and character development, twists and turns, plots and schemes, that I was just left flailing in absolute awe (literally). Our protagonists, Kelsier and Vin, were amazingly prominent and expertly carved out in their personalities. The world building has a strong and solid base and leaves a lot to be discovered in future books. The plot itself, built on high fantasy politics, a daring heist, and whispers of rebellion was juiciness itself. Just dripping with action and excitement that will have anyone biting their nails.
As for the downsides that forced the rating down from 5/5 to 4,75/5, well... Many have criticised Sanderson for his simple language in this novel but that wasn't something that bothered me. It didn't need to be flowery and lavish; the plot and characters made up for that quite enough. What I will say, however, were that some fighting scenes were difficult to imagine, at least to me, because of somewhat lacking descriptions. Stuff was certainly happening, but I didn't always grasp exactly how the fighting scenes played out and who flew where etc. My second complaint is about some important sideline characters that I kept getting mixed up because they were just too similar and had roles that were similar to each other. I think those could've been more fleshed out, but maybe that's something that will happen in the next book.
Regardless of these small complaints, I really loved this book, and I want to end this review on a positive note. Brandon Sanderson seems to have been writing excellent fantasy since at least 2006 (when this was released) and I can't wait to read more by him. This novel ended up packing such an emotional punch that I won't be able to stop thinking about it anytime soon.
(PS. I love Kelsier)

Rating: 4,75/5

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Title: My Year of Rest and Relaxation
Author: Ottessa Moshfegh
Narrator: Julia Whelan
Original title: My Year of Rest and Relaxation
First published: 2018
Genre: Adult, Contemporary
Series: --
Publisher: Penguin
Format: Audiobook
Time: 7h 15min
Finished: 13/01/2020
Summary: Our narrator should be happy, shouldn't she? She's young, thin, pretty, a recent Columbia graduate, works an easy job at a hip art gallery, lives in an apartment on the Upper East Side of Manhattan paid for, like the rest of her needs, by her inheritance. But there is a dark and vacuous hole in her heart, and it isn't just the loss of her parents, or the way her Wall Street boyfriend treats her, or her sadomasochistic relationship with her best friend, Reva. It's the year 2000 in a city aglitter with wealth and possibility; what could be so terribly wrong?

My thoughts: I'd only heard about this book from two BookTubers (Ariel Bissett and TheBookTuber) and they'd both pitched it as this purely weird book that really left a mark, in an odd way. I became curious, though not enough to purchase the book or find it in a library, but when I eventually found it on the new audiobook app I downloaded, I was too curious to let the opportunity pass. It is, after all, only 7 hours long, and will expire from the app entirely on January 17th (2020).
I must say that this book is truly bizarre. I don't think I've read anything quite like it since "The Wasp Factory" by Iain Banks, which I liked, but was also disturbed by. With this book, I certainly felt disturbed. Our main character has been feeling depressed to say the least, and decides that the best solution to her problem is to hibernate. During an entire year, she does whatever she can to sleep as much as possible. It's not at all healthy, yet she goes to such incredible lengths to fulfil this new idea. It is disturbing to read about, but also captivating in a way. She's not easy to like - in fact I think I'd hate her if I knew her in real life. She appears to lack empathy and compassion, and in some cases acts like a really horrible person. I don't even know for sure if I enjoyed reading about her.
However, here is the catch... I couldn't stop listening. Did I like the book while reading it? Maybe. At times I'd say no, at other times I found it humorous. Could I stop reading? No! It was just too weird. I had to know what would happen to her; would she somehow die from sleeping too much, would she ruin her own life through the "project", would she be able to really go into hibernation?
I do recommend it if you're just looking for a super weird reading experience, and the audiobook was alright. In the end, I'm conflicted about my feelings, but happy that I read it.

Rating: 3,25/5

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Title: The Well of Ascension
Author: Brandon Sanderson
Original title: The Well of Ascension
First published: 2007
Genre: High fantasy, Adult
Series: Mistborn #2
Publisher: Gollancz
Format: Paperback
Pages: 763
Finished: 30/01/2020
Summary: Spoiler alert! Vin, the street urchin who has grown into the most powerful Mistborn in the land, and Elend Venture, the idealistic young nobleman who loves her, must build a healthy new society in the ashes of an empire. Three separate armies attack. As the siege tightens, an ancient legend seems to offer a glimmer of hope. But even if it really exists, no one knows where to find the Well of Ascension or what manner of power it bestows.

My thoughts: As stated in my review for "The Final Empire", I really enjoyed reading the first book in the "Mistborn" series. It was a good mixture of slow and fast paced, setbacks and successes, friendship and betrayal, good times and bad times. It had a good balance, making it easy to stay interested and excited.
I didn't quite find that this was the case with "The Well of Ascension". That balance was somewhat lost, and after hundreds of pages without it, I started to lose interest... I knew, of course, that I wanted to finish the book, and furthermore finish the series, but I was starting to get worn down. A great chunk of this book consists of piles upon piles of setbacks for our main characters. Not only do things start out looking grim; they keep getting grimmer for each page. Now, I can appreciate a story where not everything goes well for the hero, but when everything just goes bad it's not as fun anymore.
That being said, despite how slow this novel was, I enjoyed following Vin's character development, and also seeing the focus shift to characters that were kept mostly in the background of "The Final Empire". The part of the story that contained action were still entertaining, but many of them were too similar to one another. I want each fight to be more original, or else the motivation for so many seems null. I wish this book had been shortened by some hundred pages. I can see why this is the lowest rated book in the trilogy.

Rating: 3,75/5

Book reviews: The Archived | The Priory of the Orange Tree | Daisy Jones & The Six

Title: The Archived
Author: Victoria Schwab
Original title: The Archived
First published: 2013
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Series: The Archived #1
Publisher: Hyperion
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 327
Finished: 25/12/2019
Summary: Each body has a story to tell, a life seen in pictures that only Librarians can read. The dead are called Histories, and the vast realm in which they rest is the Archive. Da first brought Mackenzie Bishop here four years ago, when she was twelve years old, frightened but determined to prove herself. Now Da is dead, and Mac has grown into what he once was: a ruthless Keeper, tasked with stopping often-violent Histories from waking up and getting out. Because of her job, she lies to the people she loves, and she knows fear for what it is: a useful tool for staying alive.
Being a Keeper isn't just dangerous-it's a constant reminder of those Mac has lost. Da's death was hard enough, but now that her little brother is gone too, Mac starts to wonder about the boundary between living and dying, sleeping and waking. In the Archive, the dead must never be disturbed. And yet, someone is deliberately altering Histories, erasing essential chapters. Unless Mac can piece together what remains, the Archive itself might crumble and fall.

My thoughts: I wanted to squeeze this in before the end of the year, as I've been wanting to read it for a long time and probably won't get the chance to in 2020. After reading "The Near Witch", another one of Schwab's earlier YA works, I didn't have very high expectations on this one. It turned out that I was right in that assumption, because it is obvious that Schwab is an author who has developed immensely in her writing over time. And that's awesome; her adult novels keep such a high quality, and "Vicious" is one of my all time favourite novels. Nevertheless, this also means that her older work is of a lower standard. This was the case with "The Archived".
I just never got into this story. The concept was sort of intriguing, though not executed well enough for it to keep my interest. Schwab's writing style has also developed since these early novels, hence we're lacking the presence of its current quality in this one. The protagonist was rather bland, though I will say I didn't necessarily dislike any of the other characters. In fact, I disliked Mackenzie the most (didn't hate her). I found Schwab's negative comment on a boy looking silly because he wore eyeliner rather repulsive, and I hope that's something she's left behind her.
I can see why she never completed the trilogy, and why she's be hesitant to do so now. It's a step down from the author she's become, and I don't know if she'd be able to go back to the style of writing she once had when she wrote "The Archived". I just don't think the project would be very successful, and she's much better off creating new original worlds and characters instead.
All in all, I'm sad to say this turned out to be a very average YA urban fantasy novel that was bound to get lost in the sea from the very start. I'm happy to see that Schwab has evolved in her style, and that she nowadays publishes splendid novel and has a faithful following. However, to fans of her later work, I don't suggest that you explore her earlier books, unless you wish to see how her writing has changed. There's better stuff out there.

Rating: 3/5

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Title: The Priory of the Orange Tree
Author: Samantha Shannon
Original title: The Priory of the Orange Tree
First published: 2019
Genre: High fantasy, Adult
Series: --
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Format: Paperback
Pages: 804
Finished: 26/12/2019
Summary: The House of Berethnet has ruled Inys for a thousand years. Still unwed, Queen Sabran the Ninth must conceive a daughter to protect her realm from destruction - but assassins are getting closer to her door. Ead Duryan is an outsider at court. Though she has risen to the position of lady-in-waiting, she is loyal to a hidden society of mages. Ead keeps a watchful eye on Sabran, secretly protecting her with forbidden magic.
Across the dark sea, Tane has trained to be a dragonrider since she was a child, but is forced to make a choice that could see her life unravel. Meanwhile, the divided East and West refuse to parley, and forces of chaos are rising from their sleep.

My thoughts: I finish off 2019 by reading one of the biggest books I've ever taken on. This behemoth came out this year and has been celebrated by many of those who have read it. I myself want to dive more into high fantasy, and thought that this gorgeous book would help me along the way. It did!
The start was a bit slow, as Shannon begins with building up the new world and its politics. However, once all the information had settled in my brain, I found that I grew accustomed to the ways of this world with ease. I was looking for a slow paced novel filled to the brim with high fantasy politics, and that is partly what I got out of it. Luckily, I also got a lot more.
I ended up thinking I was gonna rate this around 4/5 stars in the beginning, to being sure it was near a 5/5 star read towards the end. This story just keeps on building and building and the world and characters grew more and more rich until I reached a point where I went from thinking it was good to knowing it was amazing. I found the relationships really endearing, and the slow build up to the romance was very nice. I was at the edge of my seat, wondering what was going to happen, and whose hearts would be broken!
The few downsides to this book involves the finale and perspectives. Out of the four perspectives, I only found that two or three helped fulfil the story. One of them (I have a specific one in mind) could easily have been skipped. They could've been kept as a character, but the added perspective just slowed down the whole narrative. These parts were my least favourite in the story. When it comes to the finale, I will be writing mild spoilers (I think you could still enjoy the book knowing them, but be warned). Too see those spoilers, highlight the following 'invisible' text: The finale was luckily not a rushed one, which I appreciate. However, the stakes were high, and I wish the losses would have been greater. It would have had a greater impact on me if somebody important had died or something else sad had occurred. Nothing of that sort really happened, and hence I didn't get the tearful and emotional ending I'd anticipated and hoped for. I wanted it to pack a harder punch. It's still a satisfactory ending, though, so I'm not mad. Just a little underwhelmed by that particular part of the story.
I've heard the book get some criticism for being a standalone novel, because there's a ton to explore in the universe and with the characters that Shannon has built. However, I like that it's a standalone. I don't have to worry about mentally preparing for a sequel and the (possible) disappointments it might bring, and the big project of reading another book of this size. It's done very well as a standalone story, and I think it should get good credit for that!
I want to say that the book is truly worth reading. I ended up not rating it a full 5/5 stars because of the downsides that I mentioned, but I still consider this one of the best books I read in 2019.

Rating: 4,75/5

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Title: Daisy Jones & The Six

Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
Narrator: Full cast
Original title: Daisy Jones & The Six
First published: 2019
Genre: Historical, Adult
Series: --
Publisher: Penguin
Format: Audiobook
Time: 9h 3min
Finished: 07/01/2020
Summary: Daisy is a girl coming of age in L.A. in the late sixties, sneaking into clubs on the Sunset Strip, sleeping with rock stars, and dreaming of singing at the Whisky a Go Go. The sex and drugs are thrilling, but it’s the rock and roll she loves most. By the time she’s twenty, her voice is getting noticed, and she has the kind of heedless beauty that makes people do crazy things.
Also getting noticed is The Six, a band led by the brooding Billy Dunne. On the eve of their first tour, his girlfriend Camila finds out she’s pregnant, and with the pressure of impending fatherhood and fame, Billy goes a little wild on the road.
Daisy and Billy cross paths when a producer realizes that the key to supercharged success is to put the two together. What happens next will become the stuff of legend.

My thoughts: This is the first audiobook I've listened to in over a year, and I was pleasantly surprised by the format. Especially this book, with its full cast of voice actors, was incredibly well produced, and I had a lot of fun listening to it. It's also my first book by Taylor Jenkins Reid, and I know she's gotten praise for writing characters that felt like they've actually existed. This format definitely added to that quality.
Besides this being a phenomenal audiobook, it's also a very good book. The characters are well written and developed, and the format felt new and refreshing. I felt for the characters, and I could imagining them existing in real life. I was almost convinced that Daisy Jones and The Six were great artists from the 70's. The author did a great job with the interview style of writing, and I'd love to get to her other book, "The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo", later this year.
The slight downsides to this book is that I know I wouldn't have like it as much if I'd read it rather than listened to it. The audio production just adds so much to it. I guess that shouldn't lower my opinion of it, and I could consider re-reading it in physical form, but I don't think I'd enjoy it as much. The other thing which is the main reason that I couldn't give the book the highest rating, was that it pushed too hard on the romance. I wasn't for the romance; I thought it was unnecessary and added little to the story, yet it was given a lot of space and importance.
Other than that, though, it's a great book. I highly recommend the audiobook, and I think it'd be good in its original form as well. I'm happy to have read this book, and I look forward to more by this author!

Rating: 4,25/5