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Month: February 2019

A Feast for Crows (A Song of Ice and Fire, #4)

A Feast for Crows (A Song of Ice and Fire, #4)

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A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A Feast for Crows was quite good but it’s far below the incredible standard set by the previous three books.

I’ve mentioned in my previous review that A Storm of Swords could truly be the height of Martin’s writing career and I still stand by that statement confidently. Unfortunately, there’s a huge chance that this book will be the other way around by being the lowest point of the series. There’s a lot of circumstances to consider here. If I’ve waited 5 years before I read this book, I definitely would’ve hated it and give this at max 2 stars rating. If I haven’t received any warning on the odd structure of the story and character’s POV choices, I most likely would’ve disliked it more. If I haven’t watched the TV series, I probably would’ve enjoyed or disliked it more. And if I haven’t read A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms or in the midst of reading The World of Ice and Fire, again, I most likely will dislike this book even more. Putting all circumstances into consideration, my experience of reading A Feast for Crows wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be but it was truly a disappointment after the brilliance of the previous book. …

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Deadhouse Landing (Path to Ascendancy, #2)

Deadhouse Landing (Path to Ascendancy, #2)

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Deadhouse Landing by Ian C. Esslemont
My rating: 5 out of 5 stars.

Deadhouse Landing was another fantastic novel in this prequel trilogy of two of the most notorious characters from the Malazan series.

This sequel continued to expand on the origins story of Dancer and Kellanved, by bringing us to the infamous Malaz Island – where it all began. For readers of Malazan, some of the names in the Dramatis Personae were enough to make one incredibly excited for what’s in store. It was so hard for me to write this review without giving away even the smallest detail, which might diminish the impact of the “Aha!” or the “OMG, it is HIM/HER!” moments. These names alone aren’t actually spoilers in its truest sense. Nonetheless, my take is that a Malazan fan will derive more delight from reading these prequel books without prior knowledge of whom among the Old Guard might be featured.
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Relic (Pendergast, #1)

Relic (Pendergast, #1)

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Relic by Douglas Preston
My rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

My introduction to Preston and Child was unfortunately lackluster. I found Relic to be solidly okay, the literary equivalent of tuning into a television show just to let it serve as background noise. While the premise was interesting and isn’t something I’ll be forgetting anytime soon, I just couldn’t make myself care. There were two main contributors to this lack of interest: poor characterization and an overabundance of science.

Let me start with the science first. This is very much a personal preference thing. Anytime a book begins getting very scientific in its content, I just start tuning out. It’s why I stay away from hard science fiction. I know that many people love when there is science present to back up a wild claim that is central to the plot, as it helps readers suspend their disbelief in the moment. …

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The Hod King (The Books of Babel, #3)

The Hod King (The Books of Babel, #3)

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The Hod King by Josiah Bancroft
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The Hod King is Bancroft’s best work so far; a novel that’s stunning in originality enhanced with suspenseful and exciting moments.

Before I start my review, I would like to mention that, if you need a detailed summary of the series so far as I did, check out www.bookseriesrecaps.com for their great plot overviews—tons of spoilers, of course—of both Senlin Ascends and Arm of the Sphinx. I finished reading Arm of the Sphinx in July 2017 and since then I’ve read and reviewed almost 200 novels. Saying that I needed a reread of the series or at least a memory refreshment is a massive understatement. A reread is always preferable but if you’re being crushed by your TBR tower—I know you are—and don’t have the time to reread the series at the moment, this website is your solution; without it, I wouldn’t have been able to appreciate this book without rereading the entire series. For the sake of making this review as spoiler-free as possible, I’ll keep this review shorter than usual and there won’t be any in-world characters’ names mentioned.

“My sense of being, my identity, whatever you want to call it, it doesn’t reside in my parts. It lives in my past, and in the continuity of my present thoughts, and in my hopes for the future. I’m more afraid of losing a memory than a limb.”

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Holy Sister (Book of the Ancestor, #3)

Holy Sister (Book of the Ancestor, #3)

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Holy Sister by Mark Lawrence
My rating: 6 of 5 stars

I received an advanced copy of this novel from the publisher. While I am thankful for the gift, the giving of it had no impact on this review. All views below are completely my own.

Holy Sister keeps you on the edge of your seat from the first page. It’s an incredibly smart conclusion to a standout, action-packed series, with heartbreak and triumph mingled on nearly every page. I can’t remember the last time I felt so satisfied upon finishing a book.

“Some lessons must be written in scars.”

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Faycalibur (Less Valued Knights, #2)

Faycalibur (Less Valued Knights, #2)

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You can get the first book of this series for FREE by subscribing to the author’s newsletter here: http://liamperrin.com/free-sir-thomas/

ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

Faycalibur by Liam Perrin
My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

The Less Valued Knights is back to bring a smile upon your face.

Faycalibur is the second book Liam Perrin’s Less Valued Knights series. The story continues straight from where the first book left off and it mainly revolves around Thomas as he undertakes a quest to find the missing wizard, Merlin, in order to bring glory to the Table of Less Valued Knights; which as always are… less valued. Same as the first book, the story was very light-hearted in tone, filled with moments that will make you smile, it almost never took itself seriously. There were a few jokes that really stood out, like the usage of “who” and “whom” which was greatly implemented. However, beneath the jokes, fun, and lighthearted moments, I found the book to be quite full of inspirational message. Faycalibur is a valuable book about that centered its themes on bravery, friendship, trust, and to always stay true to who you are.

“If a bad person can make himself look like a good person. How do you know who’s who? How do you know who to help? You know. If you’re a good person?

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A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (The Tales of Dunk and Egg, #1-#3)

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms (The Tales of Dunk and Egg, #1-#3)

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A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms by George R.R. Martin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is a great prequel compilation with superb production value.

I’m currently in the middle of collecting all the books within A Song of Ice and Fire in hardcover format. Honestly speaking, unlike The World of Ice and Fire and Fire and Blood, I didn’t have a lot of interest in reading this book; I treated it as a completionist read or a diversion while I wait for the release for The Winds of Winter. This is also why I’m happy that this book ended up being such a pleasant surprise for me. …

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