Review: Girl of Myth and Legend (The Chosen Saga #1) - Giselle Simlett

I didn't expect to like this book so much but I really, really liked this book. Maybe it's just because I've read Daughter of Smoke and Bone recently but I think it had a similar vibe. I got this book from netgalley and thought why not, sounds interesting.
The characters in this book were great. I really liked the main character. She is strong but not this unrealistic hero you often find in YA fantasy. Also she really acted according to her age I think. Even if she is very stubborn I like her passion about some things. Also I liked the other characters. Even though you get mostly only hints about their backstory you know that they are thought through and that they have a lot of depth. I hope to discover a little bit more history and secrets about them in the next book(s?).
I also liked her relationships to the other characters, especially the one she has with her father. It was not entirely clear what kind of relationship she has to him, but it was nice to develop it together with her. I was amazed at the end when I realized there wasn't really a love story in this book. There is some kind of relationship between the main characters but it isn't just some normal, boring and cliche love story and definitely no insta-love ;)
Also the world-building was amazing. Even though the world is kind of hard to imagine it was really well described. It's a world I would love to really see because I think my imagination do it justice. It seems beautiful and otherworldly.
In the beginning the dual point of view was kind of annoying because it felt like I was ripped out of the story every time the perspective changed. But that was only the case for the first four chapters or something like that. After that it made the story much more exciting and richer. Because of the ever changing perspective the story didn't get boring one time.
I was kind of confused with the sudden action near the end but it was very thrilling. The only thing I didn't like about this book was the end. I hate it when a book ends open and kind of in the middle of the story just because it makes the reader wanna read the next book more. So after the whole excitement I was hoping for a conclusion and a peaceful end.
I also liked the chapter headings. They were kind of poetic and well interlaced in the chapters.
I mainly read this book because of it's cover and I'm glad I did. I just can recommend this book for every YA fantasy fan and I can't wait to read the next one.

Review: The Fountain - Suzy Vadori

The Fountain was a very light, easy in-between read. I liked the concept of a fish fountain. I've never read something like that before.

The first half of the book was a little bit cliche private school but it got better and more exciting really fast.

For me the whole book felt like it would have been better as a movie. It was described more like a movie. For a book there was just a lack of information I think.

The characters didn't really have a background story but they were relate-able. I would have wished to learn more about the past of the characters especially the main character. There were a few things we learnt but it was too little to really get to know her and make her feel real.

Also I think there wasn't any real explanation of her relationships with the other characters. I would have loved to hear more about her mom and dad and also other characters like her boyfriend or other friends in San Francisco. It felt like she didn't had any friends she missed back home and I really didn't know why she loved her boyfriend.

The whole thing with the wish was interesting to read about. But for me the worst part was the end. I kind of guessed the actual end and I think it was okay. What I didn't like was the way it came to this end. It was just kind of sudden. There was a lot of story building before and all the excitement for the climax was built up but then all of a sudden there was the end. If you think of the suspense curve like a mountain. Just right before you reached the peak it was kind of over. I still liked what happened in the end but it felt a little bit too easy for the main characters to come to this conclusion all of a sudden.

So all in all it was an interesting story and a very light and easy read. Also since it's a stand alone you can read it in between other series because there isn't this high commitment of starting a new series. If you look or a very fast and short read I would recommend it to you. I read it for my "A book you can finish in a day" challenge of my popsugar reading challenge 2016 and for that it was just perfect.

Review: Daughter of Smoke & Bone (Daughter of Smoke & Bone Trilogy #1) - Laini Taylor

This book was fantastic. The world building was amazing. I loved that it was set in Prague because I was already there and it's a perfect setting for fantasy books. I also really liked that it was urban fantasy and high fantasy in one. Because of the setting in the human world you could really put yourself into Karou. Most of the time she was just a normal girl going to school and hanging out with her best friend. But actually she came from another world and this world was very well built. I could imagine the world in my head in every detail.
The mysteries around Karou's life and all the other things in "Elsewhere" were kind of frustrating in the beginning and I could really emphasize with Karou for wanting to find out more about her life and where she came from. But really all this mysteries made this story so gripping and I could never have predicted how all the mysteries were cleared up.
I liked the characters. Karou was the kind of girl I always wanted to be: funny, self-conscious, strong and good at drawing ;). Also Akiva was a great main male character and the mystery around him made him even more compelling. And Zuzana was the kind of girl you want as your best friend because she was fierce and loyal. I wished that we learn more about Karou's "family" because with all the confusing names in this book it was kind of hard to keep track and I would have liked to get to know them better.
I really liked the flashbacks especially the ones about Karou's childhood and I would have liked to have more of them to understand her relationship to her so-called "family" more and what role each of them had in her life but the ones we had were mysterious and enlightening at the same time and that was very interesting.
The love story or actually love STORIES were epic. It was just this wonderful meant-to-be, world-shifting, forbidden love that you want to read about.
And all of this was described so beautiful and magnificently that you couldn't help yourself and had to fall in love with this book. I really liked the metaphors in this book. They made the writing very poetical. When we are first introduced to the different perspectives it was a little bit confusing - I think - because in the beginning it was just one point of view. But after getting into it I could see why the different perspectives were important and they made the story so much richer. The end was discouraging and heartbreaking but also a little bit hopeful and definitely motivating to read on with the series and discover what will happen in the next two books.
By the way I read this book also for the popsugar reading challenge 2016 for a book set in Europe because it is mainly set in Prague.

Review: In The Afterlight (The Darkest Minds Trilogy #3) - Alexandra Bracken

This trilogy is just beautiful. It's poetic. It's a masterpiece.
The writing is so amazing. It's so gripping like you get literally sucked into the book.

You can see how much thought is in every word of these books when you look at these titles. I like it very much that they form a sentence:
The Darkest Minds Never Fade In The Afterlight.
Also they are the perfect titles for this series. They don't spoil anything but after reading it you recognize that they match what happens in the books.

If you look for a light read this is the wrong series for you. These books are devastating. I cried more than once during this trilogy. I was broken and put back together several times throughout the whole series. I thought in between that I don't like the series because it was too much. That the bad feelings outdo the good ones because of all the setbacks the characters had to go through, because after every good experience there happened something bad. But on the contrary the good feelings were even better and more intensive after living through hell. They never lost hope completely. There were times when they didn't know how things could ever get better but even then they fought so hard to come back out of there dark holes and stand up again. It was sometimes a little bit slow to read because I needed the breaks to process what the characters had to go through but it didn't compromise the series in any way. So if you look for a funny, quick read then you should read this trilogy another time. But you should read it!

The world was very visually described. Of course most of it took place in our world. But I could imagine how the abandoned cities, the camp and even HQ and a lot of other places looked like. I almost saw them in my mind like I was there myself.

Even better than the world building were the characters. They were described so vividly and realistic that I thought I knew them. For me they were like real people. Every single one of them. There were even characters only briefly mentioned and first appearing in the end who I felt like I knew. With this series you don't have one or even two main characters. There is a big group of characters who feel like "main" characters, because their background story is so huge. You didn't just know them. You grew up with them. You went with them through good and lots of bad times. You can follow every change and decision they make and emphasize with all of them. And the changes they made were huge. It was like they were completely different people in the end because they learnt so much going through all this stuff but they stayed true to themselves throughout the whole process. They were all very strong characters in their different way in the end. They stood up for each other and even for completely foreign kids who had to go through similar things. They fought for everybody without knowing them.

I liked the side characters so much that I was excited to read the novellas and loved them even a little bit more than the original trilogy. They were fast-paced and a nice supplement to the original books. I guess you can skip reading them but they give you a lot more additional information about the side characters prominent in these books and especially the world. You get to see a lot of the world they live in and you learn also a few things about Ruby while reading these novellas. You should read at least the last one because it tells you a lot of things about the world after the end of the trilogy. And to read the last novella (#3.5) you should have read the second (#2.5) because it is about the same character and written mainly from her point of view. And after reading Never Fade you will want to know what happened in the first novella (#1.5) so it's easier if you include them immediately and read them in between the original trilogy. The novellas were all combined in Through The Dark. Also the titles form a sentence as well:
In Time Sparks Rise Beyond The Night.

Also I loved the message I have taken with me from the book. You don't have to be related to a person for him or her to be your family. You can find people to die for in every situation of your life. The protective instinct was so intensive in the most people of these book. And every time I thought about how cruel the life is for them I was surprised of their reaction to this cruelty. It didn't change them in a bad way. It only made them better people and even more selfless. The ones they didn't see as humans. The ones they treated like animals. The ones they talked into believing that they are monsters are exactly the ones who became the best and heartwarming people. And all the bad things they got through made the bonds they knotted with other people unbreakable.

Top 10 Completed Series I want to read in 2016

I don't like to read incomplete series because I hate to wait for sequels. So I made a list of the top 10 completed series I absolutely want to read this year. Some of them will be complete this year so I will probably read them then. Also they are in no particular order because I hope to read them all this year. I changed it a little bit, didn't realize Talon by Julie Kagawa is going to be a longer series and I wasn't satisified with the list I made at the beginning of the year.

1. The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
   
   
   
2. Daughter of Smoke & Bone - Laini Taylor
   
   


3. Bloodlines - Richelle Mead



4. Seven Realms - Cinda Williams Chima




5. Fire & Flood - Victoria Scott



6. Penryn & the End of Days - Susan Ee



7. New Soul - Jodi Meadows



8. The Lunar Chronicles - Marissa Meyer



9. Firelight - Sophie Jordan



10. The Sweet Series - Wendy Higgins
    
    

Best Books of 2015

I narrowed my favourites down to 10 books I absolutely adored.
But before I get to my TOP 10 of 2015 a few
Honorable Mensions:

13. Hourglasstrilogy - Myra McEntire

The Hourglass Trilogy is a special kind of trilogy because the story line is connected but every book focuses on different main characters. This way it was like reading a standalone with every book, but I fell into the story right away because there wasn't this slow beginning where the world and story is built.

They were great books to read in between other books, because they were short and quickly read.
I also want to mention the covers, because they are so beautiful.

I think way more people should read them, especially if you like books about timetravel and supernatural abilities.

Goodreads

12. Still Point (Awaken-Trilogy #3) - Katie Kacvinsky

Still Point is the third and final book in the Awaken Trilogy. I have waited to read this book forever and I must say I'm not disappointed with the ending. It was quite surprising and there were aspects I didn't like, but it was like the rest of the trilogy very realistic.
Still Point is in my opinion the most underrated book and is very high on my favourite dystopian reads list. It is very different from all the other dystopian books I've read, but I think that's what I like particularly about it. It's just unique and realistic.

Goodreads

11. Ruin and Rising (The Grisha-Trilogy #3) - Leigh Bardugo

The Grisha-Trilogy nearly made it in my Top 10 last year. It was an incredible trilogy. The writing is very compelling and the world is very well built. It was described very visually, so I could picture it exactly in my mind while reading. Personally I disliked a lot of the characters, although I think they were excellent written and their choices and actions were understandable. All in all it was a great story and a highly recommended read and I'm looking forward to read her new companion series.

Goodreads

10. The One (The Selection-Trilogy, #3) - Kiera Cass

The One is the third installment in the Selection Trilogy. Technically it isn't a trilogy anymore, but I see the additional books more as a companion series. I don't know if I will read the other books. But I really liked the original trilogy. I can see why a lot of people criticize these books, but for me it's still a very pleasurable read. Often I disliked the main character America, but I didn't hate her all the time like a lot of people say. I was a little bit annoyed by the misunderstandings between the main charaters but I think they were still understandable and comprehensible.
Also I think it was a very unique dystopian world. And if you like the bachelor you will love this trilogy/series.

Goodreads

9. Ascend (The Trylle-Trilogy, #3) - Amanda Hocking

The Trylle-Trilogy was a lucky find for me. I just stumbled apon it in my library and thought it was an interesting premise. It turned out to be a very enjoyable read. I loved every single one of the characters. They were so real. I felt like some of the characters were my best friends and wished they really were. And I liked the way the love "triangle" was described. Normally I don't like it but in this book it was so realistic.
Also the books were really funny and a very light read. I also liked the fantasy elements in this book and that the main character wasn't perfect. You could see how she struggled and grew throughout the books. I could really emphathize with the main character. I think it's very unfortunate that there isn't much talk about this trilogy and I wanted to put it out there in the world and recommend it to everyone!

Goodreads

8. Fire (The Graceling Realm #2) - Kristin Cashore

The second book in the Graceling Realm Companion Trilogy was definitively the best book, in my opinion. I like Graceling too, but it wasn't as good as Fire. Still I would recommend to read Graceling first. Bitterblue wasn't as good and a little bit to slow I think but it was nice to complete the trilogy. I just loved this book. It has all the things I look for in a book. A strong female main character, royals, action,...
It was just great and I can't wait to reread it sometime.

Goodreads

7. The Forever Song (Blood of Eden #3) - Julie Kagawa

This series was very heart-wrenching. Allison is a great main character. I think it has the most interesting take of vampires I've ever read. It was just the perfect mix of love story, learning how to accept yourself, fantasy and dystopian.
Also the other relationships in this book were incredible. It was alot about trust and "family". Also it was very action-packed and thrilling. And the ending was just beautiful and bittersweet. If you like YA Fantasy or Dystopian you should definitely read this series!

Goodreads

6. Origin (Lux-Series #4) - Jennifer L. Armentrout

I haven't read the last book yet, so you will find this series probably on my best books of 2016 with the last book. But so far I love this series. I can see why a lot of people criticize this series and I also can see the similarities to the Twilight-Saga. But I think it's still a huge difference between them Katy  has a much stronger survivalinstinct than Bella. Also Daemon is way more funny than Edward. And I love the sarcasm in this series. Additionally I always loved the Twilight-Saga (even though you can criticize a lot of points in it) so I don't see any harm if there are a few similarities. And Katy is a great female main character. She actually inspired me to finally start this blog. Can't wait to wrap this series up with the last installment.

Goodreads

5. Clockwork Princes (The Infernal Devices-Trilogy, #3) - Cassandra Clare

I started my year 2015 with reading this Trilogy. And I have to say: What a start in a new reading year! This series was so beautiful. It just gave me ALL THE FEELS. I finished the whole series in 10 days and wanted to reread it right away. And I think I will reread it soon. It's definitely one of my all time favourites and I will come back to it several times in my life. I liked TID way better than TMI. I cried during this series several times. It was heartwrenching till the last page. And William Herondale will always have a special place on my favourite book boyfriends list ;)

Goodreads

4. The Host - Stephenie Meyer

I've wanted to read this for a long time. The host was one of the most interesting stories I've read in 2015. It showed the survivalinstinct of humans. The way it's written is unique because of the two thinking "persons" in one body. So it is dual perspective in one person. Also this made the "love triangle" very interesting since it wasn't really an actual love triangle. I would have loved to read more of the world but it's still a recommandable stand alone (Unless Stephenie Meyer changes her opinion and writes a sequel - Hope dies last). It was very different from the Twilight-Saga and if you are a Science Fiction/Dystopian Fan you should read it!

Goodreads

3. The Fault in Our Stars - John Green

I didn't like The Fault in Our Stars as much as most people did. It was an amazing book and I bow to John Green. It was heartwrenching but also beautiful. I cried a lot during the book. I just loved the characters. They showed how hard the daily life can be for people like you and me. I'm a huge fan of dystopian and fantasy books. But it was amazing to read a book in our world that was equally heartwrenching, exciting and thrilling. But these characters fighted against drowning in despair despite their hard life and still were humorous and hopeful against all odds. That was refreshing and nice.

Goodreads

2. Into the Still Blue (Under the Never Sky-Trilogy, #3) - Veronica Rossi

This trilogy was the most surprising series I'v read this year. It was just perfect. It wasn't incredible or unique but I didn't have any critique point. The story was just perfectly done. The characters were very relatable and the side characters made this series something special. Also I practically flew through this series. I read the whole trilogy in one week. I couldn't wait to see how the story concludes and the end didn't disappoint me. Also I liked the dual-point-of-view. It was very well done and made the love story an even better experience. It was just thrilling, dramatic and (thanks to Roar) funny in between.

Goodreads

1. Champion (Legend-Trilogy, #3) - Marie Lu

The things I loved about this book were pretty similar to the things I loved about Into the Still Blue. But I liked the dual-point-of-view even more in this trilogy. Also the main characters were amazing and I really, really, really liked the love story between them. It was amazing and kind of like Romeo and Juliette. And since they stood on different sides in the beginning of the story it was great to read about it with the different perspectives. The ending just left me there wanting more. It was perfectly left open with just the right climpse of hope that I could imagine the happily ever after without being too corny. It was just bittersweet because it was the end. Also the side characters had such a developed background story that I felt like I knew them. The world building and the political aspect of the story were really interesting and a realistic outcome for the world I think. If you look for a dystopian read YOU HAVE TO PICK THIS TRILOGY UP. It's right there on top of my favourite dystopian series of all time with Hunger Games and Shatter Me.

Goodreads