Book Post March
The Demon King (Seven Realms 1) by Cinda Williams Chima
Dutch version is called different, not the direct translation of the English Title :)
5 out of 5 stars
One day Han Alister catches three young wizard setting fire to the sacred mountain of Hanalea. Han takes an amulet away from Micah Bayar, son of the High Wizard, to ensure the boy won't use it against him. The amulet once belonged to the Demon King, who nearly destroyed the world a millennium ago. With a magical piece so powerful at stake, Han knows that the Bayars will stop at nothing to get it back.
Meanwhile, Princess Raisa ana'Marianna has her own battle to fight. She's just returned to court after three years of riding and hunting with her father's family. Raia aspires to be like Hanalea, the legendary warrior queen who killed the Demon King and saved the world. But it seems that her mother has other plans for her--plans that include a suitor who goes against everything the Queendom stands for.
The Seven Realms will tremble when the lives of Han and Raisa collide in this stunning page-turner from best-selling author Cinda Williams Chima.
This is my second time reading this book and I changed the rating from four to five.
One of the reasons I like this book is because of the characters. I like how we got the read the story from two sides, Raisa as the crown princess and her challenges at court, and Han from the street who finds out who he is, just as his best friend. Both connected to the clan. I am quite fond of Raisa. Stubborn girl and some of her bad decisions make me roll my eyes, but more in a fondness than in annoyance. Han slowly grew on me as we learned more about him.
The history about the Demon King and the world building are two things that enriched the story to me and made me curious
The Witch of Duva (The Grisha 0.5) by Leigh Bardugo
4 out of 5 stars
There was a time when the woods near Duva ate girls...or so the story goes. But it’s just possible that the danger may be a little bit closer to home. This story is a companion folk tale to Leigh Bardugo’s debut novel, Shadow and Bone.
You can read this short story very well without having read the first book of The Grisha series. Free online to read here. I thought it was quite gripping, creepy and had a twist at the end that I had not considered.
The Exiled Queen (Seven Realms 2) by Cinda Williams Chima
4 out of 5 stars
YOU CAN'T ALWAYS RUN FROM DANGER...
Haunted by the loss of his mother and sister, Han Alister journeys south to begin his schooling at Mystwerk House in Oden's Ford. But danger isn't far behind, and Han is hunted every step of the way by the Bayars, a powerful wizarding family set on reclaiming the amulet Han stole from them.
Meanwhile, Princess Raisa ana' Marianna runs from a forced marriage in the Fells to the safety of Wein House, the military academy at Oden's Ford. If Raisa can pass as a regular student, Wein House will offer both sanctuary and the education Raisa needs to succeed as the next Gray Wolf queen.
The Exiled Queen is an epic tale of uncertain friendships, cut-throat politics, and the irresistible power of attraction
Without going too much into the complete plot (spoiler and all that) I think the Exiled Queen is a good and solid follow-up to the Demon King. I do feel that the first part of the book spend too long on the travel part and on Raisa and Amon's relationship compared to their time at school and Raisa and Han's relationship. That relationship feels very slightly rushed.
I'm still awfully fond of Raisa. I felt Han was a bit of a prat at the start but he got better when he was actually at school (though I do like him better when you look at him from Raisa's point of view). I have a few theories about this Crow. One disappointment for me is Dancer. Once again he plays a minor role (especially once at school) and I feel he has very little personality in this book (which is why I feel little for the romance for him in this book so far). Cat got a lot more personality.
Can't wait to get the third book. :D
City of Bones (Mortal Instruments 1) by Cassandra Clare
3,5 out of 5 stars
When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder -- much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing―not even a smear of blood―to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?
This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know...
It is a good book to read but I certainly wasn't hit by a wow or the desire to continue reading because I desperately want to know what happens to the characters.
As other have mentioned parts and pieces of the plot do remind me of Harry Potter and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. And there was one part of the plot with Clary and her father that only was revealed at the ending. But honestly it was very clear from the start.
The character in this that I was most fond of was Magnus Bane. I do like his glittery finger nails but he was a minor character in this. I am neutral to Clary, Jacy and most of the others. Clary is at least not an annoying main character.
After seeing the movie I have to say that it made me warm up to the book character a lot more. As in they were so much better in the book!
2014 Goodreads Reading Challenge - 11/30
1. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern - 4 stars
2. xxxHolic: Rei volume 1 by Clamp - 4 stars
3. In Extremis (Crime Scene Investigation 9) by Ken Goddard - 3 stars
4. The Titan's Curse (Percy Jackson 3) by Rick Riordan - 3 stars
5. Among the Nameless Stars (For Darkness Shows the Stars 0,5) by Diana Peterfreund - 3 stars
6. Castle in the Air (Howl's Moving Castle 2) by Diana Wynne Jones - 4 stars
7. Glass Houses (The Morganville Vampires 1) by Rachel Caine - 3 stars
8. The Demon King (Seven Realms 1) by Cinda Williams Chima - 5 stars (reread)
9. The Witch of Duva (The Grisha 0,5) by Leigh Bardugo - 4 stars
10. The Exiled Queen (Seven Realms 2) by Cinda Williams Chima - 4 stars
11. City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments 1) by Cassandra Clare - 3,5 stars
Day 26 - OMG WTF? OR most irritating/awful/annoying book ending
Fallen. Nothing happened in the whole book and then everything happened in the end and it was stupid. ._.
Day 27 - If a book contains ______, you will always read it (and a book or books that contain it)!
Difficult. I do get drawn by supernatural creatures like vampires but also lesser known supernatural creatures. Even if the ratings are bad I still am drawn to it. And generally sci-fi! I don't find a lot of sci-fi books in the book stores here. So that is a good reason for me to get it.
Day 28 - First favorite book or series obsession
First series obsession was The Famous Five and The Snowwalker series.
Day 29 - Saddest character death OR best/most satisfying character death (or both!)
Saddest in Harry Potter Snape and most satisfying but also very creepy was in Perfume Grenouille.
Day 30 - What book are you reading right now?
The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games 1) by Suzanne Collins
Day 31 - What books do you have on request at the library? How many books do you usually have checked out of the library at any given time? How often have you returned books to the library unread? What do you currently have checked out at the library?
I have nothing on request and I haven't checked anything out of the library in a while. I do not have a library subscription right now. Maybe when i get through all my bought books I will get a subscription. But before I would check out 5-10. In later years I returned books unread a little more often than before since school got in the way. Maybe 2-3 in a year?
Day 32 - Bad book habit? Do you ever dog-ear books? Do you ever write in the margins of your books? Not even with textbooks?
When I was younger I would dog-ear books. But as I got older I have stopped doing this. I never write in the margins of my book. Never did this in my text books either.