Sunday 15 May 2016

Review: A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses #2) by Sarah J Maas

Title: A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses #2)
Author: Sarah J Maas
Published: 3 May 2016
Source: Bloomsbury Sydney in return for an honest review
Reviewed: Sapphired Dragon
Rating: *****

My Review:

I positively adored this book! I loved book one so I was very hopeful I would like this one too, but even then I was not prepared to love it as much as I did.

The second instalment starts about 3 months after the end of the first book. Feyre, having been utterly broken by the events Under The Mountain is struggling to regain herself and adapt to her new immortal body. She has her beloved Tamlyn but is drowning under the weight of her new life and what it seems to mean for her future.

I loved the way Ms Maas' writing evokes so well the feelings of her characters.  I could  feel Feyre's feelings of suffocation and  unhappiness at how she was dealing with the aftermath of everything and her frustration at Tamlyn and Lucien for not letting her do more.  This made it so much easier to connect with the characters and really feel inside the story.

While at first I was not entirely sure I wanted the story to go in the direction it seemed to be heading, by the end I felt like the story had gone exactly where it needed to and I loved every bit of it. As the story progressed, I lived and breathed it along with the characters and literally could not put it down for the entire novel. Even when I had to put the book down to deal with every day things like work, my head was still in the novel and I couldn't wait to get back to devour it some more.

What I especially love is the way Ms Maas gives her characters room to expand and change as a consequence of their experiences. She does this in such a sensitive yet realistic way that gets you inside the heads of the characters to really understand them better but also in such a way that enriches the story so much more. Her characters are allowed to grow and change as they need to and this makes them so much more vibrant and alive and real.

It is Ms Maas gorgeous writing that really weaves the threads of this tale together in to the masterpiece that it is, and is the glue that hold all these amazing elements of this book together. Rich imagery, layers of story intricately woven, characters that will remain with you even after you put the book down.

This is easily one of the most amazing reads I have experienced all year and I have no hesitation but to give this book 5 stars!

Sapphired Dragon xx



About The Book:

A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses #2) by Sarah J Maas





Feyre survived Amarantha's clutches to return to the Spring Court—but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can't forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin's people.

Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms—and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future—and the future of a world cleaved in two.

With more than a million copies sold of her beloved Throne of Glass series, Sarah J. Maas's masterful storytelling brings this second book in her seductive and action-packed series to new heights.

Thursday 12 May 2016

Bout of Books Readathon : Day 4 Update #boutofbooks

Bout of Books
 
 
 
Welcome to my Day 4 Update.  Much bigger reading day today actually managed to finish another book and make a start on book number 3.
 
 

Number of books I've read today:

 
277 Pages to finish   of  Unrivaled (Beautiful Idols #1)
 
 Total Pages Read: 312

Total number of books I've read: 2

    
Unrivaled
really liked it



goodreads.com


Books:

 
 
 
Enjoyed this more than I thought I would.  Review to come.


 
 
This has been on my TBR for a while now.  Finally sitting down to read it.  I am 35 pages in and I think I love it already :-)

 

 
How was your day 4? What has been your best day so far?

Wednesday 11 May 2016

Armchair BEA Day One: Introducing...Me! #ArmchairBEA

Armchair BEA


Welcome to Day 1 of Armchair BEA! I am so excited to be participating this year again and am looking forward to meeting new people and find out about new books :-)

Armchair BEA is a virtual event for book bloggers who are unable to make Book Expo America, BEA Bloggers Conference and Book con to be able to talk books with other bloggers and publishers and runs simultaneously with these three events.


below is my introduction post.  I have tried to answer as many questions as possible and visiting other day 1 blogs and 'meeting' some other bloggers and readers.


1.  What is the name you prefer to use?
 
I usually go by either Sapphired Dragon or sometimes Nikk/s which is closer to my actual name. I find more and more I am going by Nikk rather than Sapphired Dragon however  I do sign my reviews as Sapphired Dragon.
 
2.  How long have you been a book blogger?
 
I first started book blogging in 2010 so about 6 years now.  It has been a bit of an ebb an flow over that 6 years with a few little breaks from time to time when Real Life has taken over for a bit but I still love reading and review books so hope to continue doing for a lot longer.
 
3.  Have you participated in ABEA before?
 
I have participated in ABEA about 3-4 times now I think.  Some years I have been more involved than others depending on what else was going on in my life and how organised I was.  Hoping to be quite involved this year :-)
 
4.  Do you have a favorite book? If you cannot choose a favorite book of all time, pick your favorite book today - just this second. Remember that favorites are allowed to change if something affects you deeply enough.
 
My favourite book of all time is The Ancient Future by Traci Harding. I was a similar age to the main character of this story when I first picked it up and it had all my favourite fantasy elements - time travel, Celtic Royalty, Magic and romance.  As a fan of the series and the author I joined the main forum for the series and have made some wonderful friendships which have endured to this day.
 
This book also changed my life in inspiring me to take control of my own future and the power of both positive thinking and trusting in the universe. A lot of where I am today is because of this book and the people I have met as a result.
 





5.  What is your favorite genre and why?

My favourite genre is probably YA urban fantasy.  I love a story that mixes magic with the every day non magical world
 
 
 
6.  How do you arrange your bookshelves? Is there a rhyme or reason? Or not at all? (#ABEAShelfie)


I currently only have 1 1/2 book shelves due to an unfortunate mishap last time we moved and in the process of getting some more so for the moment the book shelf space I do have is reserved for special books and favourite authors or pretty books that I thin should be on display.  Generally I shelve hard covers on the half shelf on display and paperbacks on the main shelf organised with al books form particular publishers group together and then in series and author. 
 
 









7.  What book are you most excited for on your TBR? What are you most intimidated by?

I am extremely excited for The Crown by Kiera Cass and the Problem with Forever by Jennifer Armentrout.  I have pre-ordered both and am anxiously waiting for them to be released and delivered.  I even made a Waiting On Wednesday post for The Crown! :-)






I am most intimidated by The Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard and Truthwitch by Susan Dennard.  I am not quite sure why.  Maybe because I have such pretty hard cover editions that I am afraid of ruining them.  Either way saying have been sitting, though sitting very prettily, on my TBR for a while.
 


Well that's all from me for the moment.  I am now off to visit some of you so please let me know you have poped by so I can come visit!
 

Bout of Books Readathon : Day 2 Update #boutofbooks

Bout of Books
 
 
 
Welcome to my Day 2 Update.  Day 1 was a bit of a But I got a good chunk of reading done in Day 2.  I am hoping this will improve as the week continues:
 
 
Number of books I've read today:
 
No full books but a total of 319 pages across two separate ones
 
264 pages  to finish A Court of Mist and Fury
55 Pages   of  Unrivaled
 
 

Total number of books I've read: 1
 

Books:
 

A Court of Mist and Fury

 
 
 
Love Love Loved this book!!! Keep an eye out for a review to come later this week
 

Unrivaled

 
 
 
Only 13 % in this book so am not really sure what I think just yet.  It has yet to completely grab me but is intriguing enough that I do want to continue with it :-)
 
 

Challenges

 I also participated in the Show off your shelves photo challenge posting on both my instagram and twitter.
 
here is my lovely main bookshelf complete with Tardis bookmark box, funko collectibles and Civil War Marvel heroes :-)
 

 
How are you doing so far?

Monday 9 May 2016

Teaser Tuesday #120 : Unrivaled (Beautiful Idols #1) by Alyson Noel #TeaserTuesday





Welcome to Teaser Tuesdays.

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Books and a Beat. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

1. Grab your current read

2. Open to a random page

3. Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

4. Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!


My current read is Unrivaled (Beautiful Idols #1) by Alyson Noel  and my two lines are from location 130 of 4412


She turned, ready to face it, whatever it was.  She was telling herself she could handle it either way--when a cool, sure hand slipped over her mouth and Madison Brooks disappeared.



Unrivaled (Beautiful Idols #1) by Alyson Noel

 




Everyone wants to be someone.

Layla Harrison wants to leave her beach-bum days for digs behind a reporter’s desk. Aster Amirpour wants to scream at the next casting director who tells her “we need ethnic but not your kind of ethnic.” Tommy Phillips dreams of buying a twelve-string guitar and using it to shred his way back into his famous absentee dad’s life.

But Madison Brooks took destiny and made it her bitch a long time ago.

She’s Hollywood’s hottest starlet, and the things she did to become the name on everyone’s lips are merely a stain on the pavement, ground beneath her Louboutin heel.

That is, until Layla, Aster, and Tommy find themselves with a VIP invite to the glamorous and gritty world of Los Angeles’s nightlife and lured into a high-stakes competition where Madison Brooks is the target. Just as their hopes begin to gleam like stars through the California smog, Madison Brooks goes missing. . . . And all of their hopes are blacked out in the haze of their lies.

Unrivaled is #1 New York Times bestselling author Alyson Noël’s first book in a thrilling suspense trilogy about how our most desperate dreams can become our darkest nightmares.

 


 


PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own Teaser Tuesdays post, or share your ‘teasers’ in a comment here (if you don’t have a blog). Thanks!

Sunday 8 May 2016

Review: The Winner's Kiss (The Winner's Trillogy #3) by Marie Rutkoski

Title: The Winner's Kiss (The Winner's Trilogy #3)
Author: Marie Rutkoski
Published: 24 March 2016 by Bloomsbury Publishing
Source: Bloomsbury Sydney
Reviewed: Sapphired Dragon
Rating: *** 3/4

My Review:
I was so looking forward to reading this book. After reading books 1 and 2 I was looking forward to being blown away by the final book. Whilst I did enjoy it, I wasn't blown away as much as I wanted or expected to be.

To start with, the week I was reading it, I had a busy RL going on so I was only able to read it fits and starts rather in the one sitting I really wanted to read this in. And I think to a certain degree this made a difference to my enjoyment level of the book as I had to keep re-entering the book, and reminding myself what had gone one rather than being able to submerse my self in the book from beginning to end. I think made it harder to completely connect with the feels of the book and the story itself.

I loved the beginning with Kestrel being stuck in the North and Arin in the south and desperately waiting to see if Arin would get the message she had sent through the messenger whilst on her way to the mines and wondering if she would be rescued before she completely broke or worse. I loved the suspense n this portion of the book as we waited on tenterhooks to see what was going to happen.

As the book progressed however, a lot of that suspense dissipated and the middle part of the book became somewhat of a chess match, and whilst my interest remained in seeing how it would turn out, the grip on the edge of my seat lessened and I became more passive and less invested in the end result. The ending brought the suspense level back up and I mostly loved and was satisfied with how the book ended.

There some threads through this book that I absolutely loved and I especially love that this book acknowledge the growth/changes in Arin and Kestrel since the beginning of the series so it was a realistic redefining of their relationship during this book given the depth of the emotions we saw previously. I love these two as a couple and this didn't change in this book.

I think what I missed in this final book was a lot of the intrigue of the first two books and that feeling that the worst could and just might happen at any moment. There was suspense and intrigue in parts and there were some particularly clever twists but on the whole this book seemed a lot more straightforward then the first two books as it powered on to the end.

As I emerge on the other side of this series, I am immensely glad I first picked up The Winner's Curse and got to know this world and characters. Over all I loved this series and am mostly pleased with where this series ended.

If you have read the first two books, I definitely recommend this final book and still recommend this series as a whole.

I give this final book a rating of 3 3/4 stars!


Sapphired Dragon xx .






About The Book:













Some kisses come at a price.

War has begun. Arin is in the thick of it with untrustworthy new allies and the empire as his enemy. Though he has convinced himself that he no longer loves Kestrel, Arin hasn’t forgotten her, or how she became exactly the kind of person he has always despised. She cared more for the empire than she did for the lives of innocent people—and certainly more than she did for him.

At least, that’s what he thinks.

In the frozen north, Kestrel is a prisoner in a brutal work camp. As she searches desperately for a way to escape, she wishes Arin could know what she sacrificed for him. She wishes she could make the empire pay for what they’ve done to her.

But no one gets what they want just by wishing.

As the war intensifies, both Kestrel and Arin discover that the world is changing. The East is pitted against the West, and they are caught in between. With so much to lose, can anybody really win?



 check out the good reads link
Publication Date: 24 March, 2016
Pre-Order:Booktopia  | Book Depository | Amazon

Thursday 5 May 2016

Bout of Books Readathon May 9 - 15: I've signed Up! #readathon #boutofbooks

Bout of Books


So after life getting in the way of my recent Dewey's readathon attempt, I am eager to have another go at a readathon so Bout of Books readathon has come around just at the right time.

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 9th and runs through Sunday, May 15th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 16 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team


This is my first time participating and I cannot wait ! I have posted my goals, books I plan to read and how much reading I would like to get done below and will also post my updates here as I go as well as on Twitter and Instagram

Time Devoted to Reading

I work full time Monday to Friday and I have a 4 year old daughter so I don't always have a lot of reading time during the week.  However I am aiming to get at least an hour or 2 of reading done on Monday through Friday, 4-5 hours of reading on Sunday and about 5-6 hours of reading on Sunday.


My Goals

  • Read at least 3 books on my Readathon TBR list located here
  • Participate in at least 1 twitter Chat
  • participate in at least 2 challenges throughout the week
  • comment/reply to at least 5 people posts/tweets/instagram photo updates each day
  • Meet some new readers and make some new friends
  • Have fun and read lots! :-)


Books to Read










Wednesday 4 May 2016

Blog Tour Stop & Giveaway: The Paladins (The Artisans #2) by Julie Reece




Welcome today's stop on the The Paladins (The Artisans #2) by Julie Reece Blog Tour presented by Month9Books and hosted by Chapter by Chapter.  Today's stop is a review as well as a chance to enter the great giveaway that is being run throughout this tour.



After finishing The Artisans in just a couple of sittings, I was eager to get stuck in to The Paladins and see what would happen next to Raven, Gideon, Cole, Dane and Maggie and with no clue where the Paladins would lead given the ending of The Artisans and I have to say i really enjoyed the direction the story in the Paladins took and the found it to be a mesmerising read.

This story differed from the Artisans right from the get go in that the story is told not just from Raven's perspective but also from Gideon and Cole's and in fact the story starts off in Cole's perspective which was nice as previously we had only seen peeks of him and it was interesting seeing in his head and how being stuck in the void for 4 years and had changed him and how he was readjusting back to life outside the void.

This story takes starts a few months after the events of the Artisans. Cole is back in France and Raven and Gideon are together and supposedly madly in love but there is tension in their relationship and secrets.Strange things are also happening with the earth shaking, crazy blue fires and plants seemingly with a mind of their own.

I like Ms Reece's take on Raven and Gideon's relationship as being a work in progress. It felt a lot more realistic given how and what had brought them together. It wasn't automatic happy ever after but something they had to work together on. I loved the tension between the two and really felt their connection throughout the story.

I also found the story incredibly intriguing and it kept me glued from beginning to end. I had my suspicions about a couple of things which turned out to be right but I truly loved that didn't want to put the story down from beginning to end eager to find out how it all play out and also eager to try and learn some more background about the Artisans in general.

I am actually quite sad that this seems to be just a duology as there were a few plot points and things that triggered my interest from both books that i would have love to have more illumination on. I enjoyed this world and these characters and i am sad to be leaving them.

A truly magical read!

I give this book 3 3/4 stars

SapphiredDragon xx


About The Paladins (The Artisans #2)



The Paladins (The Artisans #2) by Julie Reece

  Publication Date:  May 3, 2016

  Publisher:  Month9Books


The Artisan curse is broken. Souls trapped in a mysterious otherworld called The Void are finally released. Now, Raven Weathersby, Gideon Maddox, and Cole Wynter can finally move on with their lives...or so they thought. If the ancient magic is truly dead, then why are mystical fires plaguing Gideon at every turn? What accounts for Raven’s frightening visions of her dead mother? And who is the beautiful, tortured girl haunting Cole’s dreams?

Last year, a group of lonely teens sacrificed secrets, battled the supernatural, and faced their own demons to set one another free. Yet six months later, the heart of evil still beats within The Void. And the trio is forced to face the horrific truth: that their only way out is to go back in.

The Paladins completes this eerie YA Southern Gothic where loyalties are tested, love is challenged, and evil seeks them on the ultimate battlegrounds—in their minds, their souls, and their hearts.
 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20561819-nobody-s-goddess





Go back to where it all started:



About The Artisans (The Artisans #1)

 





They say death can be beautiful. But after the death of her mother, seventeen-year-old Raven Weathersby gives up her dream of becoming a fashion designer, barely surviving life in the South Carolina lowlands.

To make ends meet, Raven works after school as a seamstress creating stunning works of fashion that often rival the great names of the day.

Instead of making things easier on the high school senior, her stepdad's drinking leads to a run in with the highly reclusive heir to the Maddox family fortune, Gideon Maddox.

But Raven's stepdad's drying out and in no condition to attend the meeting with Maddox. So Raven volunteers to take his place and offers to repay the debt in order to keep the only father she's ever known out of jail, or worse.

Gideon Maddox agrees, outlining an outrageous demand: Raven must live in his home for a year while she designs for Maddox Industries' clothing line, signing over her creative rights.

Her handsome young captor is arrogant and infuriating to the nth degree, and Raven can't imagine working for him, let alone sharing the same space for more than five minutes.

But nothing is ever as it seems. Is Gideon Maddox the monster the world believes him to be? And can he stand to let the young seamstress see him as he really is?
 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20561819-nobody-s-goddess









ABOUT Julie Reece:








Born in Ohio, I lived next to my grandfather’s horse farm until the fourth grade. Summers were about riding, fishing and make-believe, while winter brought sledding and ice-skating on frozen ponds. Most of life was magical, but not all.

I struggled with multiple learning disabilities, did not excel in school. I spent much of my time looking out windows and daydreaming. In the fourth grade (with the help of one very nice teacher) I fought dyslexia for my right to read, like a prince fights a dragon in order to free the princess locked in a tower, and I won.

Afterwards, I read like a fiend. I invented stories where I could be the princess… or a gifted heroine from another world who kicked bad guy butt to win the heart of a charismatic hero. Who wouldn’t want to be a part of that? Later, I moved to Florida where I continued to fantasize about superpowers and monsters, fabricating stories (my mother called it lying) and sharing them with my friends.

Then I thought I’d write one down…

Hooked, I’ve been writing ever since. I write historical, contemporary, urban fantasy, adventure, and young adult romances. I love strong heroines, sweeping tales of mystery and epic adventure… which must include a really hot guy. My writing is proof you can work hard to overcome any obstacle. Don’t give up. I say, if you write, write on!


Author Links:  
 





The Giveaway



·       Five (5) winners will receive a digital copy of The Paladins (The Artisans #2) by Julie Reece (INT)


 

a Rafflecopter giveaway