Review: Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass #5) by Sarah J Maas

Title: Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass #5)

Author: Sarah J Maas

Published: 6 September 2016
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing UK & NZ
Source: Bloomsbury Publishing UK & NZ in return for an honest review
RRP: $17.99 paperback
Reviewed: Sapphired Dragon
Rating: ***** 

My Review:

This was an amazing amazing read! Such a glorious continuation of this series. I was so enthralled by this latest instalment that my nails are bitten to the quick after reading the last 100 pages!

In my opinion, book 4 was a really big book in the series, with Ailin finally embracing her destiny and finally besting her nemesis, the King of Adarlan. Though we knew the big bad is down in Morath and intent on unleashing his horrific experiments on the whole of Erilea, this book was a essentially a whole new direction for the series as a whole and i wondered where this direction would lead us and whether it would live up to the first four books.

I honestly don't why would doubt Sarah J Maas' brilliance as the moment I started reading, I was home, Back with the familiar characters I have grown to love and living, breathing, following their story once more as if this was always meant to be. In this instalment, we see the story through the eyes of mostly Aelin, Manon and Elide with other smaller chapters devoted to Aedion, Dorian, Rowan and other characters. Each thread, each point of view, each different character pulled me more and more into the story and kept me invested in where the story was going. Though the previous King of Adarlan may be dead, Ms Maas still keeps the stakes high for all the characters and nothing is ever as it seems.

There were a few twists along the way that I picked to a certain degree but Ms Maas is extremely skilful at putting the puzzle pieces together in such a way, that the bigger picture formed is not at all what you expected but perfectly right. The pace and flow of this instalment is superb and ensures that once you are completely absorbed into the story from page 1 and by the time you hit the last 100 or so pages, there is no way you will be putting that book down till you reach the end.

I utterly adored this book and loving that this series is getting better and better with each book and have absolutely no hesitation in giving this book 5 huge stars!


Sapphired Dragon xx

About The Book:

Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass #5) by Sarah J Maas

The long path to the throne has only just begun for Aelin Galathynius. Loyalties have been broken and bought, friends have been lost and gained, and those who possess magic find themselves at odds with those don't.

As the kingdoms of Erilea fracture around her, enemies must become allies if Aelin is to keep those she loves from falling to the dark forces poised to claim her world. With war looming on all horizons, the only chance for salvation lies in a desperate quest that may mark the end of everything Aelin holds dear.

Aelin's journey from assassin to queen has entranced millions across the globe, and this fifth installment will leave fans breathless. Will Aelin succeed in keeping her world from splintering, or will it all come crashing down


Purchase: Bloomsbury Aust | Amazon | Booktopia  | Book Depository

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

Goodreads | Bloomsbury | Book Depository | Amazon | Booktopia

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.

Bout of Books Readathon : Day 2 Update #boutofbooks

 

 

 

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?

Stacking The Shelves #33

Welcome to Stacking The Shelves! Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga Reviews and is a meme to share those books, both print and e-book, that have been added to your shelves in the last week/s.

Its been awesome both for receiving and for reading these last couple of  weeks  Firstly I got some awesome books for review from Bloomsbury,Allen and Unwin and Harper Collins YA ( see below).

Secondly I managed to read and review some awesome titles this week: Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews ( review here), Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine (review here) , Legacy of Kings (review to be posted on Sunday/Monday) and especially exciting for me, Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass #4) by Sarah J Maas ( see my review here).  I am now reading Lair of Dreams by Libba Bray and expect to post that review on Tuesday/Wednesday, if not sooner.  After Lair of dreams, I plan to read Indidious and then The Summer Marked.

What are you reading this week?

Print-Arcs ( Many Many Thanks to Allen and Unwin, Bloomsbury Sydney and HarperCollins YA )

This fortnight was particularly exciting because I was lucky enough to be sent review ARCs/copies, of two books I have been waiting (not so patiently) for and dying to read.  I wouldn't be surprised if my squees of excitement were heard in the next suburb when I realised I had received these titless with the other awesome titles that accompanied it.  I have already read and reviewed a number of these titles as mentioned above  and now I am on to the next title, Lair of Dreams.

Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass #4) by Sarah J Maas

Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she's at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past . . .

She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die just to see her again. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen's triumphant return.

Celaena’s epic journey has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions across the globe. This fourth volume will hold readers rapt as Celaena’s story builds to a passionate, agonizing crescendo that might just shatter her world.


Purchase: Bloomsbury Aust | Amazon | Booktopia  | Book Depository

Ink and Bone (The Great Library #1) by Rachel Caine

In an exhilarating new series, New York Times bestselling author Rachel Caine rewrites history, creating a dangerous world where the Great Library of Alexandria has survived the test of time.…

Ruthless and supremely powerful, the Great Library is now a presence in every major city, governing the flow of knowledge to the masses. Alchemy allows the Library to deliver the content of the greatest works of history instantly—but the personal ownership of books is expressly forbidden.Jess Brightwell believes in the value of the Library, but the majority of his knowledge comes from illegal books obtained by his family, who are involved in the thriving black market. Jess has been sent to be his family’s spy, but his loyalties are tested in the final months of his training to enter the Library’s service.When he inadvertently commits heresy by creating a device that could change the world, Jess discovers that those who control the Great Library believe that knowledge is more valuable than any human life—and soon both heretics and books will burn.….Purchase: Bookworld | Amazon | Booktopia  | Book Depository

Lair of Dreams (The Diviners #2) by Libba Bray


After a supernatural showdown with a serial killer, Evie O'Neill has outed herself as a Diviner. Now that the world knows of her ability to 'read' objects, and therefore the past, she has become a media darling, earning the title 'America's Sweetheart Seer'. There's just one downside - a sham engagement to the irritatingly handsome Sam Lloyd.
But not everyone is so accepting of the Diviners' abilities… and across town, a mysterious sleeping sickness is spreading through Chinatown, leaving dead dreamers in its wake.
Can the Diviners descend into the slumberland and catch a killer?

Purchase: Amazon | Allen andUnwin  | Book Depository

Ten Thousand Skies Above You (Firebird #2) by Claudia Gray

Ever since she used the Firebird, her parents' invention, to cross into alternate dimensions, Marguerite has caught the attention of enemies who will do anything to force her into helping them dominate the multiverse—even hurting the people she loves. She resists until her boyfriend, Paul, is attacked and his consciousness scattered across multiple dimensions.
Marguerite has no choice but to search for each splinter of Paul’s soul. The hunt sends her racing through a war-torn San Francisco, the criminal underworld of New York City, and a glittering Paris where another Marguerite hides a shocking secret. Each world brings Marguerite one step closer to rescuing Paul. But with each trial she faces, she begins to question the destiny she thought they shared.
The second book in the Firebird trilogy, Ten Thousand Skies Above You features Claudia Gray’s lush, romantic language and smart, exciting action, and will have readers clamouring for the next book.




Purchase: Amazon | Booktopia  | Book Depository

What We Saw by Aaron Hartzler

Goodreads | Book Depository | Amazon | Booktopia

Kate Weston can piece together most of the bash at John Doone’s house: shots with Stacey Stallard, Ben Cody taking her keys and getting her home early—the feeling that maybe he’s becoming more than just the guy she’s known since they were kids.

But when a picture of Stacey passed out over Deacon Mills’s shoulder appears online the next morning, Kate suspects she doesn’t have all the details. When Stacey levels charges against four of Kate’s classmates, the whole town erupts into controversy. Facts that can’t be ignored begin to surface, and every answer Kate finds leads back to the same question: Where was Ben when a terrible crime was committed?

This story—inspired by real events—from debut novelist Aaron Hartzler takes an unflinching look at silence as a form of complicity. It’s a book about the high stakes of speaking up, and the razor thin line between guilt and innocence that so often gets blurred, one hundred and forty characters at a time.

Won

On the 1st September,  @bloomsburypublishing , @sonias_liberry & @dymocks_sydney organised a launch party for the much anticipated Queen of Shadows by Sarah J Maas. It was a fun evening with people dressing up as their favourite character from the series and there were trivia questions about the series with books for prizes and a life sized Celaena Sardothien! I managed to win two books and purchased a third. It was a great celebration for the newest book in the Throne of Glass series and thank you to all who organised :-)

The Wolf Wilder by Katherine Rundell

Feodora and her mother live in the snowbound woods of Russia, in a house full of food and fireplaces. Ten minutes away, in a ruined chapel, lives a pack of wolves. Feodora's mother is a wolf wilder, and Feo is a wolf wilder in training. A wolf wilder is the opposite of an animal tamer: it is a person who teaches tamed animals to fend for themselves, and to fight and to run, and to be wary of humans.

When the murderous hostility of the Russian Army threatens her very existence, Feo is left with no option but to go on the run. What follows is a story of revolution and adventure, about standing up for the things you love and fighting back. And, of course, wolves.


Purchase: Bloomsbury Aust | Amazon | Booktopia  | Book Depository

These Broken Stars(Starbound #1) by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

Luxury spaceliner Icarus suddenly plummets from hyperspace into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive -- alone. Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a cynical war hero. Both journey across the eerie deserted terrain for help. Everything changes when they uncover the truth.

The Starbound Trilogy: Three worlds. Three love stories. One enemy.

Purchase:  Amazon | Dymocks  | Book Depository

This Shattered World (Starbound #1) by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

The second installment in the epic Starbound trilogy introduces a new pair of star-crossed lovers on two sides of a bloody war.

Jubilee Chase and Flynn Cormac should never have met.

Lee is captain of the forces sent to Avon to crush the terraformed planet's rebellious colonists, but she has her own reasons for hating the insurgents.

Rebellion is in Flynn's blood. Terraforming corporations make their fortune by recruiting colonists to make the inhospitable planets livable, with the promise of a better life for their children. But they never fulfilled their promise on Avon, and decades later, Flynn is leading the rebellion.

Desperate for any advantage in a bloody and unrelentingly war, Flynn does the only thing that makes sense when he and Lee cross paths: he returns to base with her as prisoner. But as his fellow rebels prepare to execute this tough-talking girl with nerves of steel, Flynn makes another choice that will change him forever. He and Lee escape the rebel base together, caught between two sides of a senseless war.

Purchase: Amazon | Dymocks | Book Depository

Purchased

This last fortnight was a combination of pre-orders, bookmail and book shop purchases, all of which are (in my opinion) awesome titles.  Two I have already read and reviewed (see above) as I had previously received ARCs but its nice to have my own finished copy also :-) 

Firewalker (The World Walker Trilogy #2) by Josephine Angelini

Worlds divide, magic slays, and love lies in the second book of Josephine Angelini’s The Worldwalker Trilogy.

"You think I’m a monster, but my choices, as ruthless as they seem, are justified."

Lily is back in her own universe, and she's ready to start a new life with Rowan by her side. True, she almost died in the Pyre that fueled their escape from New Salem, and must hide her magic for the safety of everyone she cares about, but compared to fighting the Woven, the monstrous creatures inhabiting the alternate Salem, life is looking pretty good.

Unfortunately, Lillian, ruthless ruler of the 13 Cities, is not willing to let Lily go that easily. If she can’t persuade Lily to return to her world, she will force her to come back by doing away with the ones she loves.

Picking up right where Trial By Fire left off, Firewalker is another sexy, fast-paced, heartbreaking thrill ride from internationally bestselling author Josephine Angelini!

Publication Date: 1 September, 2015
Pre-Order: Booktopia  | Book Depository | Galaxy Bookshop

Oceans of Fire (Drake Sisters #3) by Christine Feehan

Called “the reigning queen of paranormal romance” by Publishers Weekly, New York Times bestselling author Christine Feehan offers an imaginative blend of sensual romance, fast-paced adventure and the paranormal that has thrilled countless readers. Now, she tells the story of Abigail Drake, of the magical Drake sisters — seven elementally gifted sisters, and their prophecy of love…

As the third daughter in a magical bloodline, Abigail Drake was born with a mystical affinity for water, and possessed a particularly strong bond with dolphins. She spent her entire life studying them, learning from them, and swimming among them in the waters off her hometown of Sea Haven …

Until the day Abby witnessed a cold-blooded murder on shore, and found herself fleeing for her life — right into the arms of Aleksandr Volstov. He’s an Interpol agent on the trail of stolen Russian antiquities, a relentless man who gets what he goes after — and the man who broke Abby’s heart. But he isn’t going to let the only woman he ever loved be placed in harm’s way — or slip away from his embrace…



Purchase: Amazon | Galaxy Bookshop  | Book Depository

I now finally have my own gorgeous hard copy version of A Thousand Pieces of You.  I loved this book so much and the cover is so gorgeous that i just had to get my self a hard copy version and I have already pre-ordered a hard copy of the second book, Ten Thousand Skies above us , due out in November

Ten Thousand Skies Above You (Firebird #1) by Claudia Gray

Every Day meets Cloud Atlas in this heart-racing, space- and time-bending, epic new trilogy from New York Times bestselling author Claudia Gray.

Marguerite Caine’s physicist parents are known for their radical scientific achievements. Their most astonishing invention: the Firebird, which allows users to jump into parallel universes, some vastly altered from our own. But when Marguerite’s father is murdered, the killer—her parent’s handsome and enigmatic assistant Paul—escapes into another dimension before the law can touch him.

Marguerite can’t let the man who destroyed her family go free, and she races after Paul through different universes, where their lives entangle in increasingly familiar ways. With each encounter she begins to question Paul’s guilt—and her own heart. Soon she discovers the truth behind her father’s death is more sinister than she ever could have imagined.

A Thousand Pieces of You explores a reality where we witness the countless other lives we might lead in an amazingly intricate multiverse, and ask whether, amid infinite possibilities, one love can endure.

Purchase: Amazon | Booktopia  | Book Depository

Everyone I know who has read this last title has absolutely raved about it so I decided I wanted to see what all the excitement was about. Also it is another completely gorgeous cover!

The Wrath and the Dawn (The Wrath and the Dawn #1) by Renee Ahdieh

One Life to One Dawn.

In a land ruled by a murderous boy-king, each dawn brings heartache to a new family. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, is a monster. Each night he takes a new bride only to have a silk cord wrapped around her throat come morning. When sixteen-year-old Shahrzad's dearest friend falls victim to Khalid, Shahrzad vows vengeance and volunteers to be his next bride. Shahrzad is determined not only to stay alive, but to end the caliph's reign of terror once and for all.

Night after night, Shahrzad beguiles Khalid, weaving stories that enchant, ensuring her survival, though she knows each dawn could be her last. But something she never expected begins to happen: Khalid is nothing like what she'd imagined him to be. This monster is a boy with a tormented heart. Incredibly, Shahrzad finds herself falling in love. How is this possible? It's an unforgivable betrayal. Still, Shahrzad has come to understand all is not as it seems in this palace of marble and stone. She resolves to uncover whatever secrets lurk and, despite her love, be ready to take Khalid's life as retribution for the many lives he's stolen. Can their love survive this world of stories and secrets?

Inspired by A Thousand and One Nights, The Wrath and the Dawn is a sumptuous and enthralling read from beginning to end.

Purchase: Amazon | Booktopia  | Book Depository

So what did you add to your shelves this week?

Release Day Blitz & Giveaway: Queen of Shadows by Sarah J Maas

I am so excited that QUEEN OF SHADOWS by Sarah J. Maas releases today and that I get to share the news, along with an awesome giveaway!

If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful series by Sarah J. Maas, be sure to check out all the details below.

This blitz also includes a giveaway for a set of the first 3 books in the series (in paperback format). US only. So if you’d like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.

About The book:

Title: QUEEN
OF SHADOWS

Author:
Sarah J. Maas

Pub. Date:
September 1, 2015

Publisher:
Bloomsbury USA Childrens

Pages: 656

Find it: Amazon, Barnes
& Noble, iBooks, Goodreads

Sarah J. Maas's New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass series reaches new heights in this sweeping fourth volume.

Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she's at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past . . .

She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die just to see her again. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen's triumphant return.

Celaena’s epic journey has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions across the globe. This fourth volume will hold readers rapt as Celaena’s story builds to a passionate, agonizing crescendo that might just shatter her world.

Read
Chapters 1-5 of QUEEN OF SHADOWS HERE!

Sarah J. Maas is the author of the New York Times, USA Today, and internationally bestselling Throne of Glass series–Throne of Glass, Crown of Midnight, and Heir of Fire, and the series’ prequel, The Assassin’s Blade–as well as the New York Times and USA Today bestselling A Court of Thorns and Roses. She wrote the first incarnation of the Throne of Glass series when she was just sixteen, and it has now sold in twenty-three languages. Queen of Shadows, the fourth book in the Throne of Glass series, will release worldwide on September 1st, 2015.

A New York native, Sarah currently lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and dog. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Hamilton College in 2008 with a degree in Creative Writing and a minor in Religious Studies. 

Connect with the Author: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Tumblr | Pinterest | Instagram| Goodreads

Giveaway Details:

1 winner will receive the first 3 books (in paperback) in the THRONE OF GLASS Series. US Only.

Ends on September 11th at Midnight EST!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass #4) by Sarah J Maas

Title: Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass #4)

Author: Sarah J Maas

Published: 1 September 2015
Publisher: Bloomsbury Sydney
Source: Bloomsbury Sydney
Reviewed: Sapphired Dragon
Rating: ***** 

My Review:

I am not entirely sure that words can describe how much I adored this book. I seriously devoured it not able to get enough.

I can honestly say this was not only everything I hoped it would be but infinitely infinitely more.

The story starts about 4-5 weeks after the end of Heir of Fire and Celaena Sardothien/Aelin Galathynius has just set foot one back in Rifthold and she is back with a purpose.

It was amazingly easy to slip right back in the world of Erilea and to pick up where the story last left off. Right away, I needed to know everything about the characters I had been waiting so impatiently to revisit and Ms Maas did not disappoint. Characters from both the series proper and the previous novellas feature prominently in this novel which in many ways helps complete this instalment as Ms Maas begins to thread previously seemingly stand alone threads together.

Ms Maas writes her characters so wonderfully well. They are vibrant and they come alive and make you feel so much for them that whenever they do anything dangerous - which lets be honest, is really the entire book ;-)- I had my heart in my mouth scared about how they were going to come out at the other end. Every twist, every turn had me hanging on the edge of my seat in worry of what might happen to *my* beloved characters.

That being said there were some characters that insisted on annoying me for a good portion of the first part of the book *cough* Chaol *cough* but even when they were being annoying, you couldn't help but love them.

And the story itself? Sarah J Maas weaves a story like no other. There are layers and twists and turns,sub plots and threads that weave together and others that seem to stand alone randomly...until they are needed when they tighten the story and pull it together just right. There is so much in this story and I am in awe at the mastery of Ms Maas to be able to hold the multitude of different threads in her head and pull on them with such perfect timing to deliver what is easily the best instalment so far.

With action a plenty the whole way through, this book had me deep in its thrall from beginning to end and I can't wait for more!

Bring on Book 5 and 5 stars for an amazing read!

Sapphired Dragon xx

About The Book:

Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass #4) by Sarah J Maas

Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she's at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past . . .

She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die just to see her again. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen's triumphant return.

Celaena’s epic journey has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions across the globe. This fourth volume will hold readers rapt as Celaena’s story builds to a passionate, agonizing crescendo that might just shatter her world.


Purchase: Bloomsbury Aust | Amazon | Booktopia  | Book Depository

 

Waiting on Wednesday #12: Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass #4) by Sarah J Maas

Welcome to Waiting on Wednesday!  Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly featured hosted by Breaking the Spine to spotlight the not yet released books that I wish were in my hot little hands right now.

This week, like probably most of the rest of the world I am waiting on Queen of Shadows by Sara J Maas, the fourth book ( well, fifth if you include the Assassin's Blade novellas) in the Throne of Glass series.

I first read Throne of Glass  shortly after it came out in 2012 and loved it.  However a year is a long time, especially when its the year your first child is born. So by the time Crown of Midnight came out, whilst I bought a copy and then Heir of Fire the following year, I never quite got around to reading them.

It wasn't till early this year when I bought kindle/audible versions and listened all the way through from the first novella in Assassin's Blade through to the end of heir of Fire, that I really, truly fell in love with series.

Now I am joining the rest of the horde that is waiting to see what happens next to Caelena, Chaol. Prince Dorian and Rowan having already pre-ordered both paperback and hard copies :-)

 I absolutely cannot wait to get this book!

Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass #4) by Sarah J Maas

Sarah J. Maas's New York Times bestselling Throne of Glass series reaches new heights in this sweeping fourth volume.

Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she's at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past . . .

She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die just to see her again. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen's triumphant return.

Celaena’s epic journey has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions across the globe. This fourth volume will hold readers rapt as Celaena’s story builds to a passionate, agonizing crescendo that might just shatter her world.

Publication Date: 1 September, 2015
Pre-Order: Booktopia  | Book Depository | Bloomsbury Sydney

What book are you 'waiting on' this week?

Review: A Court of Thorns and Roses By Sarah J Maas

Title: A Court of Thorns and Roses

Author: Sarah J Maas

Published: 1 May2015 
Source:Bloomsbury Sydney in return for an honest review
Reviewed: Sapphired Dragon
Rating: ****

My Review:

Sarah J Maas as has created another great series!  A Court of Thrones and Roses is a dark captivating re-imagining of Beauty and the Beast tale set in a forbidding and dangerous world where the Faerie have created fear and loathing  in the human folk that live to the south of their borders.

Given how much I adore the Throne of Glass series, I was pretty sure I was going to love this too and I wasn't mistaken. This is a totally different tale from Ms Maas' previous series with the only thing in common being a strong female heroine.

Feyre, has been hunting to put food on her families table since her mother died and her father lost the family's fortune. As close as they are to the wall that separates the dangerous faeries from human civilisation, Feyre has grown up on stories of Faerie brutality from the wars and attacks on townships so when given the opportunity to kill one of these hated Faerie, Feyre doesn't hesitate. However thanks to the treaty in place, it means she is now destined to spend the rest her days in Faerie lands, her life in exchange for the one she took.

I liked that once again, Ms Maas has given us a strong and capable female character. One who is willing to do what ever it takes to protect her family and keep them alive, even if they don't necessarily seem grateful. She always seems to put them first, at the expense of her life and her dreams but we also get to see her develop as she learns more about the dangerous and foreign land she has found her self in and herself in the process. I also loved Tamlyn. From the beginning he had that air of protectiveness, strength and power and the more I got to read and know the character, the more I found to like.

I loved the twists and turns in this book, the fact that noting was exactly as it seemed at first and both Feyre and Tamlyn are forced to reconsider what they had previously considered their truths as they learn more about each other and each other's heritage.

But more than anything, i loved the dark and dangerous faerie world Ms Maas has created,with its rich, captivating imagery that draws you in and makes you want to see and know more and a story that slowly builds, surrounding and engulfing you with thread after thread and layer after layer, so that when you finally emerge at the other end, you are satisfied and sated that you have experienced a good tale.

A great start to a new series. I loved it and give it 4 stars!

Sapphired Dragon xx

About The Book:

A Court of Thorns and Roses (A Court of Thorns and Roses  #1) by Sarah J Maas

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A thrilling, seductive new series from New York Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas, blending Beauty and the Beast with faerie lore.

When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

Perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore and George R. R. Martin, this first book in a sexy and action-packed new series is impossible to put down!