Predictions: Queen of Shadows!

(Spoiler free except for Throne of Glass.) 

The bi-annual prediction post!

My only other prediction post was for Crown of Midnight so it must be a Sarah J Maas thing to leave so many theories and questions!

 

How did my predictions fare last time?

Crown of Midnight Predictions

• Celaena is somehow related to Elena. They come from the same country and Elena is drawn to her....  Yes!
• King has a big plan for Wyrdmarks. He seemed to be testing their limits in Throne of Glass and he disappeared with that army. Ooo definitely yes!
• Philippa has some sort of magical ability. I definitely feel there is more to her than meets the eye! Can't even remember this character....
• Chaol and Dorian will be locked in a love triangle of sorts for awhile yet! They remind me of George and Jon in the Song of the Lioness Quartet so I think it will be down to the last book or two! Hmmm they still remind me of George and Jon and Rowan now reminds me of Liam!

 Now for new predictions!
 

• Dorian will be instrumental to Celaena somehow.
• Marion's daughter Elide will turn up as an ally or an enemy (I did think she might have been Sorscha.)
• Sam and his history with Celaena and Arobynn will be central (Which is why I'm reading The Assassin's Blade).
•  Manon Blackbeak will align with Celaena.

Long Term

• Rowan will die heroically at some point. I like him but I just feel like that's where his character is heading :(

What are/were your predictions? Could I be right?
No spoilers for QoS please!

Much Love!
Lettie
Xxx

Top Ten Tuesday: New Series!

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by: The Broke and the Bookish.

This week's topic: New Series I Want To Start

I have a serious series problem! However I'm always on the lookout for new ones.

Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson.

Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff.

The Raven Boys by Maggie Steifvater.

These series are almost finished so there will be no agonising wait for the next instalment. I just need to get started....
 

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman.

The Diviners by Libba Bray.

These two I already own but the second books haven't been published so I'm justifying putting them off until it's published.
 

2015 Releases!

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas.

The Dregs by Leigh Bardugo.

The Gift of Power by Tamora Pierce.

Thunder Road by Katie McGarry.

The Orphan Queen by Jodi Meadows.

Most of these are by some of my favourite authors so I'm super excited to explore their new worlds. The Orphan Queen has a beautiful cover and a great blurb. A Court of Thorns and Roses has been on my radar for years so thrilled it's getting published.

 

What series are you looking to start?

Much Love!

Lettie

Xxx

Cover Love: Stunning Series So Far!

I did a stunning series edition of this back in July but this time it's series that aren't completed yet but have gorgeous covers so far:

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas.

I love how each cover represents Celaena and her role in each book. I think importantly there is great fluency throughout the covers and I hope they stick with it throughout the series.

The Old Kingdom by Garth Nix.

I have loved these covers for years, I'm so glad that Clariel has kept with the style. I love the typography, the fire symbols and the little plot hint in the background. There is rumoured to be one more book, so hopefully it will follow the same format.

What covers do you hope hold out for the whole series?
Much Love!
Lettie
Xxx

The One by Kiera Cass (No Spoilers!)

THE SELECTION changed the lives of thirty-five girls forever. Now, only one will claim Prince Maxon’s heart…
It’s swoon meets the Hunger Games in the third instalment of THE SELECTION series!
For the four girls who remain at the palace, the friendships they’ve formed, rivalries they’ve struggled with and dangers they’ve faced have bound them to each other for the rest of their lives.
Now, the time has come for one winner to be chosen.
America never dreamed she would find herself anywhere close to the crown – or to Prince Maxon’s heart. But as the competition approaches its end and the threats outside the palace walls grow more vicious, America realises just how much she stands to lose – and how hard she’ll have to fight for the future she wants.

I loved The Selection and The Elite. so I've been patiently waiting for The One!
I've had to do one of my love/hate reviews as I want to keep it as concise and spoiler free as possible!
What I loved:
Sisterhood- I loved how the sisterhood camaraderie Queen Amberley has with the previous Selection really took hold with the remaining girls. They definitely started to see themselves as a family rather than rivals and I loved how they started to share their true opinions with each other.
Twists- The One had so many twists it was a roller coaster! Some were tragic, some intriguing and some seemed so obvious afterwards. I loved how surprising and riveting this book was.
Triangle- I was initially put off this series by the idea of a love triangle however I think Kiera made it more than other love triangles. Neither Maxon or Aspen 'won' America or completely wrote themselves off. I loved that America didn't feel she had to pick one of them either, she could simply go home alone!
America- America grew more confident and compassionate throughout the series. I found her to always be fair and just, I loved how she encouraged the people to stand up for themselves not to hide away. Again I did find her frustrating because she had decided on who she loved ages ago but just wouldn't say!!
Maxon- Just continued to surprise me! I loved how attentive he was to each of the girls and how he thought out each move he made. After the revelations of The Elite it was interesting to see how he interacted with his father, he could have been more outspoken at times but Maxon is a quiet strength. As the book went on you could see glimpses of the King he would become.
Celeste- I couldn't stand her in the previous books but in The One she really opened up to America and the other girls. I liked how she admitted and apologised for all her sabotages. I grew to love her tenacity and her new found friendship with the others made the sisterhood lovely. I especially loved her friendship and support of America.
Rebels- I felt like I finally understood the difference between the Southern and the Northern rebels and I enjoyed all the twists and turns they provided.
The book had a huge climax at the end but I was left with questions about the rebels and their motives.
Side cast- America's family were all lovely and individual, I loved getting to know them better. America's bond with her father explained were she got her belief in equality and justice. I spent the whole book highly suspicious of Kota! He was just so rude and harsh to everyone. The maids were great companions and I enjoyed their interactions with America, Aspen and Maxon. I especially liked how devoted they were to America, for her kind personality rather than out of duty. Maxon's parents were so different from each other. The King was increasingly controlling and aggressive towards America. He didn't seem to understand that Maxon would be King after him and held a lot of important information back. Queen Amberley on the other hand was absolutely lovely. She was very maternal and supportive as the number of girls left diminished. I'm so glad she's getting her own novella.

The perfect end to a great series. However Kiera Cass has announced more Selection! The next book is called The Heir so I think it's safe to say this book was the perfect end to America's journey as a self aware champion for the lower castes. I have thoroughly enjoyed this series and I've already been rereading it!

Did you love The One?
Look out for my upcoming series review!
Much Love!
Lettie
Xxx

Cover Love: Stunning Series.

There is nothing I love more on my shelves than beautiful matching series covers! These are my current favourites:

The Grisha series by Leigh Bardugo

I finally brought Shadow and Bone as it was reissued last week in the UK and caught my eye. I love how the Russian theme is evident in the covers, I adore the font and they compliment each other so well!

 

The Selection by Kiera Cass.

The Selection is an old favourite and now I have all four books on my shelf I can appreciate how gorgeous they look together. I still love the evolution of the dress theme and the crown over the title.

 

What series covers do you love?

Much Love!

Lettie.

Xxx

Vain by Fisher Amelie.

If you’re looking for a story about a good, humble girl, who’s been hurt by someone she thought she could trust, only to find out she’s not as vulnerable as she thought she was and discovers an empowering side of herself that falls in love with the guy who helps her find that self, blah, blah, blah...then you’re gonna’ hate my story.
Because mine is not the story you read every time you bend back the cover of the latest trend novel. It’s not the “I can do anything, now that I’ve found you/I’m misunderstood but one day you’ll find me irresistible because of it” tale. Why? Because, if I was being honest with you, I’m a complete witch. There’s nothing redeeming about me. I’m a friend using, drug abusing, sex addict from Los Angeles. I’m every girlfriend’s worst nightmare and every boy’s fantasy.
I’m Sophie Price...And this is the story about how I went from the world’s most envied girl to the girl no one wanted around and why I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.
First Impressions!
It wasn't quite what I was expecting but it was so engaging from the start!

What I loved:
Sophie- I actually adored Sophie, her character really grew and developed realistically throughout the book. Initially her actions did make her hard to like but she was clearly a product of her environment. Sophie was so self aware that you got a clear understanding of her rationale and her changing personality. I loved the way she got stuck in once she was in Uganda and how readily she adopted Karina and Charles. I loved her relationship with Ian, more on that below! Ultimately Sophie was 100% better than I expected, I found her a realistic flawed character who grew slowly into a more realised person with a great perspective on life.
Uganda- I loved the Uganda setting. It made the book so unique and brought up important messages and perceptions. I think the struggles and dangers of life in Uganda even for Sophie and Ian really made a difference to the usual personal or emotional issues of New Adult. I also loved that the book gave me a different perceptive and awareness of Uganda and the work of orphanages etc.
Ian- *sigh* I loved his selfless dedication to the orphanage and Karina and Charles especially as his background was revealed.
Relationship- I liked the slow tentative approach to the relationship between Ian and Sophie, it made it seem more realistic as they were initially so different to each other. I adored all the little things Ian had been doing for Sophie without her knowing like cleaning out the bugs from the shower- so sweet!
Side cast- I absolutely loved the children and staff at the orphanage, there were all so lovely. I especially enjoyed the individual personalities of the children. Karina and Charles were such selfless characters who had created such a beautiful and relatively safe home and environment for the children. I liked how non judgemental they were towards Sophie and really encouraged her to grow.  I loved Ian's brother and father, they were such good fun and very accepting and encouraging. From LA the only character I really liked was Spencer. I liked that he seemed to actually care about Sophie and treated her as a friend not an object. I look forward to reading his story. I also loved Penbrook, he was the father Sophie deserved, I liked how their relationship developed and Sophie recognised how good to her he was.

What I didn't love as much:
Parents- Sophie's parents were awful. Her mother was non existent I don't think she spoke one word to Sophie in the whole book. Her dad was just as bad using her as a commodity for his own gain. He did show interest in her life towards the end though so he was the 'better' parent... Ian's mother wasn't the most accepting either.
Blurb- I don't think the blurb did a great job selling the concept of the book very well. I've put the book off for ages bacuse of tha! no mention of the main setting! Even all the covers!
Rating!

Unexpectedly humbling, informative and entertaining. Great read!

 

Have you read this series?

Much Love!

Lettie
Xxx

What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang.

I should not exist. But I do.
Eva and Addie started out the same way as everyone else—two souls woven together in one body, taking turns controlling their movements as they learned how to walk, how to sing, how to dance. But as they grew, so did the worried whispers. Why aren’t they settling? Why isn’t one of them fading? The doctors ran tests, the neighbors shied away, and their parents begged for more time. Finally Addie was pronounced healthy and Eva was declared gone. Except, she wasn’t . . .
For the past three years, Eva has clung to the remnants of her life. Only Addie knows she’s still there, trapped inside their body. Then one day, they discover there may be a way for Eva to move again. The risks are unimaginable-hybrids are considered a threat to society, so if they are caught, Addie and Eva will be locked away with the others. And yet . . . for a chance to smile, to twirl, to speak, Eva will do anything.
Why?
This book caught my eye ages ago but I put it off until I finally picked it up from my library and just dove in!

What I loved:

Concept and Plot~ Two souls in one body is such a mind blowing concept. It was so well explained and thought out. I enjoyed the background to Eva and Addie as well as getting to see other hybrids. It was so interesting to see how clearly Kat had differentiated between two souls. I liked that hybrids who did wish to be cured were included as they present another point of view and opinion. I did find the facility quite creepy with it's unknown injections and experiments but sadly realistic. The plot itself was full of engaging conflict, action and drama, which made it very hard to put down. I also appreciated that major details about hybrids etc. were repeated so you never got confused!
Addie/Eva~ I loved how different and well characterised each girl was. I didn't always feel that Addie was the more dominant as she was often slow to react to situations without Eva's urging. I loved how she had remained loyal and dedicated to Eva and was willing to risk her nice life for Eva to experience something new. I liked Eva, her point of view showed a lot of self reflection and determination. I loved reading her with Hally and Ryan and seeing how her personality came across outside of her mind. Both Addie and Eva have such a keen sense of right and wrong as well as courage to stand up for others that they make the book so easy to read.
Side Characters~ I loved the extra depth added to the series through the side characters, especially as the two minds tended to isolate Addy/Eva until Hally and Ryan.Looking forward to more on Kitty, Jackson and Ryan.
What I Didn't loved:
Adults~ I found the adult characters very disappointing! Addie and Eva's family especially, their Mum didn't seem too bothered about them once the government offered them a trade! The higher facility staff treated the teenage hybrids as if they were somehow to blame for remaining hybrid when they clearly had no control over it and treated them like animals!


Rating!

What's Left of Me is a unique and clever dystopia with brilliant characters and an engaging plot. I look forward to more!

What are you thoughts on What's Left of Me?
I've got Once We Were on my bedside table ready to pick up where this one left off!
Much Love!
Lettie
Xxx

Finding It by Cora Carmack.

Kelsey Summers is looking for love in all the wrong places.
Spending a few months travelling around Europe - with no parents, no responsibilities and a no limit credit card - Kelsey's having the time of her life.
But when she completely embarrasses herself in front of the hottest guy she's ever seen, she soon realises there's more to life than the next party.
What she doesn't realise is that although she's on a journey to find herself, she will end up finding The One...

Thoughts

I knew I'd enjoy Kelsey's story throughout the series she has been the 'wild' one out of group so I was a expecting an exciting book! I was worried to begin with because sometimes European settings fall flat or overtake the story but I really loved the setting in Finding It.
The journeying aspect was very realistic and fed into the plot perfectly. I loved the Budapest night of Baths, I have to experience that for myself! The romantic portrayal of Italy was brilliant and again went with the plot. I actually found that the destinations and journeys complimented the plot at all the right times.
I enjoyed Kelsey, she was bold and brassy. She had a surprisingly deep and complex background which was slowly revealed and explained so much about her character. I loved how she grew into herself and as a person. I really respected how she travelled solo although at times she was completely reckless and needed to keep in contact better. 
I found Jackson such a mysterious character. The way he kept poping up wherever Kelsey was initially seem quite odd but he was so enigmatic and charming that it wasn't as weird as it could of been! I loved how he slowly warmed up to Kelsey and saw through her brassy exterior, especially his reactions to how bold she could be. I did find his secretive behaviour annoying at times though!
The ending for me was the best part as Kelsey had really grew as a person and become responsible and independent. She was no longer needlessly reckless and had started working on her familial relationships. The only bad part of this book was the lack of Cade! I was expecting an update at least!

Rating!

I loved Kelsey's journey figuratively and literally.

 

Much Love!
Lettie
Xxx

Book News!

I sometimes feel like I'm the last to find out about book deals or new books so I thought I'd do a round up post of recent news!

I feel like May contained a lot of books news to digest so I've rounded up the news I've been most excited by!

Nicole Williams
Lost and Found is now a series!
Lost and Found is a very recent love of mine, I loved the characters, the setting and basically the whole thing!
NEXT! (30th July 2013.) Near and Far- Jesse and Rowen's story continues! Lost and Found did leave me wanting more Jesse and Rowen. I'm looking forward to the new distance factor in their relationship and how it changes the dynamic between them.
COMING UP! Garth Black is getting his own book! I can't say I was a fan of him in Lost and Found but I do want to find out more about him! 

Steph Campbell
Shayna and Carter get their own book!
I always enjoy Steph Campbell's books and I loved the themes and characters in the 'Quinn' series. (I don't know if the series has an 'official' name I refer to it as Quinn seeing as she's the constant!) 
Friend is a Four Letter Word- I think Shayna and Carter definitely deserve their own book and I'm looking forward to 'seeing' them take centre stage!
with Jolene Perry
My Heart from Yours goes from Stand Alone to Quartet!

I found My Heart from Yours a sweet quick read with surprising depth so I'm so excited for more!
NEXT! July) My Fate for Yours- A prequel featuring Tobin's brother Eamon! I'm kinda apprehensive for this one as I know how it ends. However I was very intrigued by Eamon and the mystery surrounding him!
COMING UP! My Love for Yours and My Life for Yours complete the quartet but no other details...

Monica Murphy
Drew and Fable's series has been expanded!
One Week Girlfriend and Second Chance Boyfriend were great reads and a few of the side characters definitely need their own books!
NEXT! Three Broken Promises- Jen and Colin's story
I loved the hints and glimpses about the backstory and situations between them so I'm excited to find out more about them!
COMING UP! Owen's story and maybe more Drew and Fable!

Have you heard of any other book news I've missed?
What books are you looking forward to?
Much Love!
Lettie
Xxxxx

Cover Reveal! Faster We Burn by Chelsea M. Cameron!

The last thing Katie Hallman needs is another guy in her life, but Stryker Grant is there anyway. What starts out as just an escape from her previous relationship disaster soon turns into something more. Stryker gets under her skin the way no one has before, and soon she realizes she can't shake him, even if she wanted to. But is Katie ready to trust her already-battered heart to the guy who could shatter it into a million pieces?



 

The second book in the Deeper We Fall series should be available in April!

I love the sound of Deeper We Fall and Faster We Burn sounds just as good!

Have you read Deeper We Fall?

Much love!

Lettie

Xxxx

Under The Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

WORLDS KEPT THEM APART.

DESTINY BROUGHT THEM TOGETHER.

Aria has lived her whole life in the protected dome of Reverie. Her entire world confined to its spaces, she's never thought to dream of what lies beyond its doors. So when her mother goes missing, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland long enough to find her are slim.

Then Aria meets an outsider named Perry. He's searching for someone too. He's also wild - a savage - but might be her best hope at staying alive.

If they can survive, they are each other's best hope for finding answers

Show Less

This was the first YA dystopia book I picked up by myself without hearing anything about it or seeing it everywhere! I clearly know how to pick them- I loved this book! It was intriguing, well crafted and left me wanting more! At least I'll have Roar and Liv's novellla to tided me over! 

What I loved:

• Realms- Loved this concept! The idea of virtual reality being an actual future possibility was popular in the 90s so I loved to see it 'resurrected' in this book. It seemed like such a perfect idea to keep people 'safe' while allowing them to 'experience' life. I also loved the issues that arose from living and experiencing life in a virtual reality.
• Senses- I liked that the Outsiders had a sort of evolutionary advantage. I loved how they were described and depicted. I was so intrigued by the different types and keeping to your own type. Can't wait to learn more! 
• Aria- Aria initially annoyed me but I grew to love her. I enjoyed how she grew and accepted the changes in her life with maturity. It was so interesting to see her adjust to the real world and real experiences outside of her cushioned life. I also respected how she dealt with all the 'random' events that happened to her without completely going crazy!
• Relationships- The relationships in this book were well written and developed. I loved how Aria and Perry developed. I liked how Aria and her mother were portrayed through Aria's eyes. Perry and Talon had such a sweet relationship and interesting bond  and I enjoyed the banter between Perry and Roar.  
• Perry- Like Aria I wasn't his biggest fan- he was quite rough and harsh but at least he had his reasons! I liked how mysterious he seemed to Aria with his heightened senses and different values. I loved how he crafted Aria shoes as gesture of apology as well as how sweet he tried to be about her starting her periods. He was also so self assured and impressive trekking across ground- I'd love to have him guide me somewhere!
• Roar- Roar provided a sort of foil to Perry. He was fun loyal and more relaxed. He seemed like a genuinely nice guy. I liked the bromance and acceptance between him and Perry. I loved how he treated Aria so nicely and looked out for her as well as connecting with her.. I loved his parallel forbidden love story with Liv. I'm excited to read more about him in the upcoming short novella!

What I didn't love as much

• Vale- I didn't really connect or feel much sympathy for him to begin with and the more I learnt about the less I liked! How can he be related to Perry, Talon and Liv? They all seem like decent people!
• Consul Hess- Typical power crazed high authority figure! How could he dump Aria outside while his son was the instigator and killer of the incident? He was very callous and selfish about the issues everyone was facing. He was also ruthless and devious with the way he blackmail Aria and dealt with Outsiders.
• Ward- He seem so weak willed and a bit pathetic. I'm sure he was aware of Hess' deceit/inappropriate experiments but he continued to happily work for him! He essentially betrayed Aria and her mother as Aria was so sure she could trust him....

 



I think I loved this book so much because it was unexpected! I'd never heard anything about Veronia Rossi or the book so it took me by surprise with it's brilliant and unique world building and fantastic characters!

 

Let me know if you loved Under The Never Sky too!
10 days to Roar and Liv!

Much Love!

Lettie

Xxx

Discussion Post: Stand Alones Vs Series

Stand Alones Vs Series

First ever discussion style post!
New kind of post today and it has been a while in the making! I couldn't decide on a layout so I'm laying out Rory Gilmore style with what I see as the pros and cons of each!

Why- Is it me or are the majority of books now part of a series?

Out of the last 20 books I've read, only three were stand alones- admittedly other three were just sequels. But that is still an overwhelming majority of series books.

Stand Alones

Pros

• With stand alones you get the whole story in one shot, no waiting or rushing around for the next one. The story usually has a clear decisive ending which ties up all loose ends and leaves  you satisfied.
• Stand alones can give you a nice introduction to an author and their writing style, for example with Lauren Kate I decided to read The Betrayal of Natalie Hargrove prior to the Fallen Series to see if I liked her style before getting sucked into a series!
• They are obviously quicker to read than a series and my personal favourite is when an author ties all their stand alones together so you get a glimpse of the previous characters but a brand new story!

Cons

• Certain genres such as fantasy and dystopia it can be hard to world build and set up sufficient background in just one book. Since starting to read the dystopia genre I haven't actually read or even come across a single stand alone!
• Once it's over it's over it's unlikely you'll read another book centred on the exact same characters and viewpoint that you've just fallen for again!

Series

Pros

• With a series you really get  to follow the characters and plot to their full extent and explore a lot more of the world which in turn makes them more memorable.
• Series create more hype! I think it's easier to capitalise on a great series as they have a publishing schedule which allows suspension and an eager fanbase to build. I'm sure there are stand alones I love as much as Harry Potter or The Hunger Games but I never queued at up for their midnight release or drove in to town solely to pick up the next one as once I was finished that was it!
• Aesthetically they look beautifully put together all lined up unless the publisher does that annoying thing where their change the cover design mid series- who does that?

Cons.

• Series are much more time consuming than stand alones- I put off the Hunger Games during University as I knew I didn't have time to sit and read three books in quick succession.
• They can be expensive. If I had paid full price for the Hunger Games series it would have cost me £23 in less than week whereas as one standalone would cost a maximum of £7!
• It can take years for the plot line to be tied up. For example it was clear decade from the publication of Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallow. I started the series as a primary school girl and ended it as a seventeen old A level student, usually to different audiences.
• Sometimes series can be unnecessary or far too long. Some series can seem drag on even when the primary plot line is wrapped up.

Obviously everyone loves both but are you frustrated with the amount of series around at the moment? Or is it just the books I'm picking?

Do you love series' and enjoy the anticipation or do you enjoy the quick satisfying resolution of a stand alone?

Also do you like this style of post?

Much Love

Lettie

xxxx