Ritika Bhattacharjee

rating- 3/5

my pet peeve is when they call a book enemies to lovers when it's only them not starting off on the right foot.

But even if i let that slide, i wasn't really a fan of the whole cowboy/country vibe T_T and the entire setting was purely country so...
(But that is a me problem, so i won't let that affect my rating much)

Overall, it was pretty meh. Entertaining at some parts, but just felt flat otherwise.
Also was it just me or was the ending sliiiightly...dissatisfying? Could be the competitive streak in me, but are you fr? No way he just decided to quit, when he was that close to winning a third title. An alternate better ending, imo would be: Summer convincing Harvey, Cade and Beau showing up for Rhett's last rodeo at Vegas. And her mouthing she loves him exactly like it happened. But instead of impulsively quitting, his family and Summer finally showing up for him gives him the love, support and understanding he's always been craving; therefore helping him hang on for 8 seconds. He wins, Theo comes second. Rhett coaches him next year so he can win. Because let's be fair; Theo would actually like to win instead of being handed a title for funsies.

I think the other books in the series might be more up my alley. (single dad romance with a cute kid??? shut up I'm skipping to Cade's book right now)

“And there's nothing wrong with being a lizard either. Unless you were born to be a hawk.”― Leigh Bardugo, Shadow and Bonerating: 3.5/5okay I'm not going to lie, i didn't intend to read these books. i almost picked up six of crows and only later decided I'm going to read the grisha trilogy first. (solely because I've heard the grishaverse is a tad bit complicated to understand at first, + i just like reading things chronologically, it's just one of those things, don't ask)—and honestly? I'm glad i did—most of my friends have read six of crows and have absolutely loved it, but they don't really like the grisha trilogy or don't even plan on reading it? this made me a little sceptical at first and i even considered skipping these books and moving on to six of crows, as I'm aware most people have done. Naturally, my expectations weren't very high going into it. But, to it's credit it did take me by surprise and i liked the book a lot. (this review contains spoilers so if you haven't read the book, please don't read it)PREMISE(i don't understand why this is a thing since it's literally in the synopsis thing of the book and also people who read detailed reviews are people who've already read the book, right?) it follows Alina Starkov - an orphan who is a cartographer in the first army, in a world where the common people- who work in the armies and people with powers - the grisha, live together. She discovers dormant powers that are the only way to save Ravka from its downfall due to the dark barrier called the shadow fold dividing it into two. we follow her journey and development as she discovers lies and secrets that change everything. my views on the book [b:Shadow and Bone 10194157 Shadow and Bone (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy, #1) Leigh Bardugo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1339533695l/10194157.SX50.jpg 15093325] is a very straightforward and uncomplicated book with few plot twists. (to the point where most readers find it plain and boring), but in my opinion this makes it a fast, enjoyable read. If you want a light, breezy read after a complicated book, then this might be for you. [a:Leigh Bardugo 4575289 Leigh Bardugo https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1534446099p2/4575289.jpg]'s writing is simple, engaging and flows really well, that makes you want to keep reading. The first half of the book was comparatively slower, while the second half distinctively fast, that put me off a little bit, but not enough to stop reading. The plot had a few drawbacks and was a little tropey. but if you can look past the cliches, then it's definitely something you should pick up. WORLD BUILDING The world building is something that stood out to me and although, it does feel like we're thrown into the world. (In most fantasy books, the character whose point-of-view we read the book from, is also as clueless as the readers; either because they were unaware or less informed about the workings of the world. In that case, both the characters and the readers learn about this new fantasy world together. In shadow and bone however, that was not the case. Alina already knew about the grisha and their orders, how everything works, etcetera. So there was little explanation of the world for somebody who knows nothing about it. It did feel a tad bit abrupt, but it wasn't something that bothered me.)Apart from the straight-off nature, the world building was pretty commendable. it was gradual and not rushed. i really liked the concept of the Russian inspired - Ravka. (I'm aware of the numerous linguistic mistakes in the Russian that was incorporated, as many reviews have pointed out. However, as somebody who doesn't know Russian, this is not something i found out until after i read other reviews and therefore it did not influence my views)CHARACTERSAlina Starkov is a strong female lead and definitely stood out to me. Most people don't like her (mostly because of the ‘not like other girls' trope) and find her to be whiny and self deprecating. but then again, I'm someone with low self esteem and that's how our thought processes work. it doesn't necessarily mean she was ugly or skinny, that's how SHE views herself, which is completely okay. And I think this makes her character more real and endearing.“The thought filled me with grief, grief for the dreams we'd shared, for the love I'd felt, for the hopeful girl I would never be again.”Malyen Orestev (mal) is also one of my favourite characters and although his absence in the first half of the book is very noticeable, he almost makes up for it in the second half. the reviews about Mal did shock to me, to say the least. i honestly don't understand why everybody hates him so much. I'm not sure if we read the same thing? because i remember him being a little rude to Alina only once and he also apologizes for this later. Again, like Alina he has his flaws, but to me was different from the typical love interest which again helped him to stand out.edit: read my siege and storm review where i literally rant about how much i dislike him T_T:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4061362928 “I love you, Alina, even the part of you that loved him.”the darkling's character is extremely well developed. I'm sure he has a backstory and motivations that set him apart. I'm yet to read [b:The Demon in the Wood 24641800 The Demon in the Wood (Grishaverse, #0.1) Leigh Bardugo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1445169126l/24641800.SX50.jpg 44254534], and he already intrigues me. In the first half, i almost thought there was going to be a redemption arc but after the stag bit— i almost cried. animals dying is just:(— i knew there was no going back. I'm curious to see how the author develops the darkling's character- throughout the next two books in the series.“The Darkling slumped back in his chair. “Fine,” he said with a weary shrug. “Make me your villain.”a few setbacksfirst off, something that bothered me was the way Alina's powers were said to have been dormant for many years. she clearly remembers feeling her powers when she got tested by the grisha examiners and yet she's constantly surprised she has them. also, i think that her powers suddenly appearing in the fold was a little far-fetched. In my opinion, it would have been nicer to have a few displays of her power throughout the years. for example, a little sun-ray or a sudden burst of light when she's very angry or something along those lines. Moreover, instead of making her completely oblivious to those powers, the book should have portrayed her to having some idea that she had powers but being afraid to embrace them. This would have been easier to believe. Alina being a little confused as to what those rays of lights were, that only got more and more frequent with the years, would have given us more time to get accustomed to the change from the cartographer Alina in the first army to grisha Alina, THE sun summoner- who's the only one who can save Ravka. This would've made the transition smoother (although i do understand that the point of the sudden display of her powers was to bring an element of surprise, i believe an easier to digest plot is more important than the occasional surprise plot twist.)secondly, i thought maybe a few Mal or the Darkling point-of-view chapters would have made it a more interesting read. Despite liking Alina, the single point of view does get a little plain.what i loveddefinitely the plot twist. it wasn't something i was expecting. the book like i said, is very simple and most issues resolve easily. The plot twist involving the darkling definitely saved the book. it's not something most readers would expect considering the first half of the book was quite predictable. It makes the darkling so much more interesting and your whole view and whatever you have gathered so far, suddenly changes. The ending also stood out to me. After the morozova's collar was put on Alina, i wasn't sure the book would have anything else to offer and i thought the plot would continue in [b:Siege and Storm 14061955 Siege and Storm (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy, #2) Leigh Bardugo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1362166252l/14061955.SX50.jpg 19699752]. what happened in the fold in the end, again, wasn't something i was expecting and took me by surprise.“I had spared a life. The power of that life belonged to me as surely as it belonged to the man who had taken it.” “They are orphans again, with no true home but each other and whatever life they can make together on the other side of the sea.” Overall, [b:Shadow and Bone 10194157 Shadow and Bone (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy, #1) Leigh Bardugo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1339533695l/10194157.SX50.jpg 15093325] is a decent read. there are quite a few tropes at play, but as long as you don't let this divert you from the world and plot, you'll be fine. the writing is way better than i expected and more importantly, extremely good for a debut novel. it flows very well and nothing feels forced. The magic system is unique, well thought out and i loved the science point of view being involved instead of making it seem like pure witchcraft/magic as most fantasy books do.The characters are definitely flawed, but this is what makes them seem real and easier to connect with.You should definitely give this book a chance, if you haven't already :)

“The ox feels the yoke, but does the bird feel the weight of it's wings?” -Leigh Bardugo, Siege and Storm rating- 3.8/5(it was in between a 3.5 and a 4 star read okay, leave me alone)this review contains spoilers, please do not read it if you haven't read the bookThe first book definitely surprised me, and although I had a few complaints, I loved it. (my review for shadow and bone). [b:Siege and Storm 14061955 Siege and Storm (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy, #2) Leigh Bardugo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1362166252l/14061955.SX50.jpg 19699752] on the other hand, is harder for me to review. The book was very, very slow towards the beginning and at certain points, to the point where i was so sure, i wouldn't like it. The pace was inconsistent and a few parts were incredibly slow, while a few had me struggling to keep up with everything that was happening. This is something that bothered me in shadow and bone as well, and I'm hoping will be resolved in the third book. (I understand a few scenes have to be fast paced, but the transition should be smoother so the reader is eased into the fast paced scenes instead of feeling like they were abruptly thrown in into an action sequence.) However as soon as Nikolai was introduced, the rating of the book in my head significantly increased (i was thinking around 3 haha). Nikolai is definitely my favorite love interest with mal and the darkling as the other options, I'm pretty sure everybody thinks the same way, if not my favorite character (scratch that. he's my favorite character) Also, was I the only one who wasn't surprised by the Sturmhond plot twist? I mean he's described as a young boy with green eyes, there's no way he's not a love interest. there's also so much foreshadowing for it, considering he never talks about where he's from (any doubts i had were later confirmed when I googled sturmhond fanart- i strongly advise against googling fanart until you're done with the book. google images are the dark web, for, every book spoiler to ever exist is on there.) PREMISEAlina and mal are trying to run away from their lives at Ravka but can Alina really hide her powers for too long? On the other hand, the darkling has new powers that further threaten Ravka's future. With the help of a funny, charming privateer she returns to the country she abandoned only to find it worse off. Alina finds herself slipping deeper into the darkling's magic and discovering a different side to herself, while trying to lead the second army, hoping to cope with the hopes of the common people who believe she's a living saint and also dealing with relationship problems (mal. why. just why) CHARACTERSAlina- unlike a lot of people, i liked Alina in the first book. I understood her self deprecating nature and constant self destruction, it was what made her more real to me. [b:Siege and Storm 14061955 Siege and Storm (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy, #2) Leigh Bardugo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1362166252l/14061955.SX50.jpg 19699752] Alina, on the other hand has completely blown me away. I absolutely love her. she's embracing herself and understanding that she has a dark side under all that light. Her hunger for the third amplifier, calling to the darkness, feeling like the fold was a part of her, understanding the volcra, every single thing intrigued me. the character development is immersing and I'm looking forward to witness [b:Ruin and Rising 14061957 Ruin and Rising (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy, #3) Leigh Bardugo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1392398530l/14061957.SX50.jpg 19699754] Alina. I'm curious as to how [a:Leigh Bardugo 4575289 Leigh Bardugo https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1534446099p2/4575289.jpg] will transition her from being extremely weak and unable to call her power to ultimately what I'm guessing will be the saviour of Ravka and the destroyer of the fold. “So many men had tried to make her a queen, now she understood that she was meant for something more”Mal- no. just no, I'm sorry. shadow and bone mal was okay in my opinion, but book 2 mal is just not it. he loves alina, there's no doubt about that. he protects her, and even abandons his post as a tracker, something that is very dear to him, for her. But he loves the Alina who was his childhood bestfriend, who was at the sidelines, not the grisha Alina. he's constantly insecure about the fact that he's an otkazats'ya, while Alina is powerful. I now understand why so many people disliked him in the first book, they saw what was coming and the behaviour that indicated the same. the fact that he is oblivious that Alina isn't doing her best and continues to push his insecurities at her just infuriates me. the darkling(‘s vision? I'm still a little confused) that made Alina flinch while mal was stupid enough to think that it was about him (I know I'm being harsh but he just can't look past himself.) was the last straw. I don't see Alina with mal and will be very disappointed if that's what happens in the end.“i don't need to think about it”, Mal shouted “and neither does she”This is him talking about going back to Os Alta when Nikolai, Alina and Mal arrive at Kribirsk. ugh. just, ugh “At least she didn't flinch when i touched her” he spat this was when alina had WAY too much on her plate already, i just dislike him so much, i can't, i'm sorry. i don't know if mal can redeem himself after this.Nikolai- I am absolutely and completely in love with Nikolai Lantsov. He is everything. i repeat, everything, mal is not. he understands Alina, while also NOT being extremely morally grey like the darkling. he's humorous, sarcastic and extremely endearing. The birthday dinner scene with Vasily and the political intrigue in it, was one of my favourite scenes in the book. “When people say impossible, they usually mean improbable.”“i like mongrels”, i said. “they have cute floppy ears.” “my ears are very dignified”“I took a breath. “Your highness—”“Nikolai,” he corrected. “But I've also been known to answer to ‘sweetheart' or ‘handsome.”The darkling- I cannot stop hoping for a redemption arc * sigh *, but then again, this is for the darkling's personality and not as a love interest. I don't see the darkling as a love interest anymore and in my honest opinion, his personality and character wouldn't be suitable for the same. his motivations and backstory are just way too strong to be deterred by something as trivial as feelings. he's still one of the best written and extremely well developed characters. And although he was absent throughout most of this book, the few appearances, use of the nichevo'ya and the visions/appearances Alina could see, left me wanting more. “we are alike”, he said, “as no one else will ever be” the truth of it rang through me. Like calls to like. What I loved1. NIKOLAI. NIKOLAI LANTSOV. ABSOLUTELY.2. The character development of Alina3. The ending. i have to admit, the ending is definitely not something i expected. it saved the book for me. “For the living and the dead, she would make herself a reckoning. She would rise. “4. Did i mention, nikolai lantsov. yes. him.A few setbacks1. as mentioned earlier, the pace inconsistency2. mal's character development3. genya. (this was dropped out of nowhere, and goes long lengths to tell us how far the darkling's willing to go, to assert authority and fullfill his motives. it really upset me, considering Alina couldn't even tell her apart from Baghra. i hope this is remedied in [b:Ruin and Rising 14061957 Ruin and Rising (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy, #3) Leigh Bardugo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1392398530l/14061957.SX50.jpg 19699754], because Genya did nothing wrong and does not deserve this. It breaks my heart that she had to choose between helping Alina and her loyalty to the darkling since he gave her status, something that she has never had and has forever wanted.Overall, despite the issues, i couldn't stop reading and just had to know what was going to happen, which according to me, is a good sign. The world building is immersing and the world of the grisha is growing on me and I absolutely cannot wait to read [b:Ruin and Rising 14061957 Ruin and Rising (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy, #3) Leigh Bardugo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1392398530l/14061957.SX50.jpg 19699754] to see what happens to Alina and Nikolai and what's in store in terms of plot:)

“In the end, maybe love just meant longing for something impossibly bright and forever out of reach.”-Leigh Bardugo, Ruin and Risingrating- 4/5overall series rating- 3.5/5this review contains spoilers, please do not read it if you haven't read the books skipping to my thoughts instead of my usual review format because i just need to get them out of my head.The book caught me off guard, not going to lie. I DID NOT expect the plot twist or the turn of events at the end of the book. The first few hours after I finished the book, was just me marvelling at the ending because, a) not a lot of books surprise me with plot twists, since i think of probable ways it could end in my head. So if a book does have an ending I haven't thought about, I get really excited. (more on that in a bit)b) i was expecting something predictable, like Alina destroying the fold, being the saviour of Ravka and the likes of that.I did think of a possible ending that involved her leaving things behind and living a normal life with Mal, but i didn't know how that would work out with her powers being a factor.(like i said, not sticking to a review format, so might as well include this)So, coming back to me being excited, the first thing i did, was call my best friend (who has read six of crows, but not the grisha trilogy) and told her how the ending wasn't something i expected and i loved it.The first thing she said was, "wait aren't you upset that Alina died?" and i was like "OH." this is what made it cooler in my opinion. I remember how I'd read that six of crows contains spoilers for the grisha trilogy, however i didn't think they'd be given the narrative the rest of the people were given. It kind of makes me feel like I'm a part of this small group of people who actually know what happened in the battle. it makes me feel special okay? shush.So i found this on Leigh Bardugo's Instagram highlights and this whole thing fascinates me so much, i don't even know why. and i've already started ranting so, there's no going back“spoiled (or deliberately misled by a wicked author)” HAHAthere's tons of people i know who haven't read the Grisha trilogy but only the [b:Six of Crows 23437156 Six of Crows (Six of Crows, #1) Leigh Bardugo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1651710803l/23437156.SY75.jpg 42077459] duology and they won't know this. (I'm aware they probably don't care, but just let me feel special okay.) it's just so smart. the fact that, what people think is a spoiler isn't actually one andalso how, if people read SoC first and then move on to these books, they'll still be surprised. [a:Leigh Bardugo 4575289 Leigh Bardugo https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1534446099p2/4575289.jpg] is one smart author.THE ENDINGnow, when the initial surprise wore off, i actually began thinking about whether i liked the ending and if this was what i wanted for Alina.“They had an ordinary life, full of ordinary things—if love can ever be called that.”The thing with this is, people either absolutely love the ending or hate it.i have mixed feelings about the ending. The romantic in me who loves happy endings is happy, she's thinking of the love Mal and Alina share, despite everything they've had to face. however there is also a cynic in me and while she's happy that Mal (who's suddenly a new person who wants the best for Alina. A starking contrast to [b:Siege and Storm 14061955 Siege and Storm (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy, #2) Leigh Bardugo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1362166252l/14061955.SX50.jpg 19699752] Mal, whom i did not like at all) and Alina get their happy ending, she's not sure if Alina wanted this for herself.I'm sure nobody likes risking their lives constantly and the fact that she was considered a living saint, did not help with the-wanting to live a normal life part.But we all know that Alina grows to like her powers, understands that they're a part of her and using them makes her feel content. She has immense character development in the first two books and starts believing in herself. So does this ending negate all that character development? yes. In a way the full circle ending: Alina going back to keramzin, just a normal girl, an orphan makes it feel complete. However, the ending makes me happy, not content. I can't help but think about everything Alina could've been and everything she could've done (even WITH Mal by her side, since that's what she's so vocal about * sigh *) I feel let down that, what could've been a really strong female protagonist in upcoming books, is now just living idly with no powers, (again there's nothing wrong with a domestic life, I'm just a little disappointed that she had to give up her powers.)To me, it felt like Mal finally got what he wanted. Alina losing her powers, living a normal life with him. In [b:Siege and Storm 14061955 Siege and Storm (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy, #2) Leigh Bardugo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1362166252l/14061955.SX50.jpg 19699752], when Mal and Alina are on the run, hiding her powers makes her miserable. In my opinion, Alina's powers going to all the otkazats'ya because of Morozova was not some elaborate noble plotline to give powers to the common folk but a way for making Alina powerless and live her life with Mal without worrying about hiding it. “Morozova was a strange man. He was a bit like you, drawn to the ordinary and the weak.”An indication of Alina not wanting this for herself is definitely how she describes herself as hollow, empty and not quite like herself without her powers.“nothing left”, i said softly feeling the emptiness inside me, the emptiness everywhere.CHARACTER ARCSMal- still don't like him I'm sorry, but i guess love is love so, I'm trying to be happy for Alina and Mal, believe me i really am.It's a little hard for me to believe that Mal is suddenly everything we've wanted him to be. I like him in this book, he's trying, acknowledging Alina's feelings and all in all, just not being a d!ck. But what didn't work for me is the transition. i was still seething over [b:Siege and Storm 14061955 Siege and Storm (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy, #2) Leigh Bardugo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1362166252l/14061955.SX50.jpg 19699752] Mal when i went into this book, only to find a whole new person there. it just didn't seem realistic to me.“It's a vow that if I can't be anything else to you, at least I can be a weapon in your hand.”“You were meant for more than me, and I'll die fighting to give it to you. But please don't ask me to pretend it's easy.”The darkling- yeah. I'm not going to lie, I'm a little devastated. one of the best written antagonists in my opinion. [a:Leigh Bardugo 4575289 Leigh Bardugo https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1534446099p2/4575289.jpg] does a great job at humanising him throughout the books, and especially at the end. the death scene upset me more than Mal's and that's saying something. His backstory is so well developed and the fact that this book gave us most of his backstory, is another reason for me to like it.“In this moment he was just a boy - brilliant, blessed with too much power, burdened by eternity.”Nikolai- Absolutely still love him. still my favourite character. his humour is unmatched and brightens up the book when required. the whole darkness plot, in the second half of the book seemed unnecessary to me, but i agree it makes him more interesting in the upcoming books and I'm excited to read [b:King of Scars 36307634 King of Scars (King of Scars, #1) Leigh Bardugo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1525110825l/36307634.SY75.jpg 57978319]“I hope you weren't looking to me to be the voice of reason. I keep to a strict diet of ill-advised enthusiasm and heartfelt regret.”“You are no Lantsov” snarled the king. NIkolai merely bowed. “I find i can live with that fact” Genya- love her. although i disliked the whole nichevo'ya bite fate, i love how she embraced it; considering vanity was something that was very important to her. I wanted this to be remedied somehow, but i no longer want that. scars are reminders but they don't have to be terrible.“Na razrusha'ya. E'ya razrushost.”translation: I am not ruined. I am ruination.her relationship with David is also something that stands out. they both are beautiful together.“Beauty was your armor. Fragile stuff, all show. But what's inside you? That's steel. It's brave and unbreakable. And it doesn't need fixing.”I'm excited to see Genya in the upcoming books (i think she's there?) since she'll be leading the second army and i want to see her in a role of authority.Setbacksone thing that I've found to be a problem in both shadow and bone, as well as siege and storm is the pace inconsistency. this book fared better in that aspect and did have better transition from slow scenes to fast paced scenes, however towards the end of the book, there was just too much happening. The final battle was very short and didn't seem to have the depth that was required.And of course, the damned ending.What I loved1. the amplifier plot twist.2. Nikolai Lantsov.3. also the ending (i can't decide if i like it or not, leave me alone.)Overallpros- unpredictable plot twistscons- bittersweet ending?Both [b:Shadow and Bone 10194157 Shadow and Bone (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy, #1) Leigh Bardugo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1339533695l/10194157.SX50.jpg 15093325] and [b:Siege and Storm 14061955 Siege and Storm (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy, #2) Leigh Bardugo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1362166252l/14061955.SX50.jpg 19699752] surprised me, but [b:Ruin and Rising 14061957 Ruin and Rising (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy, #3) Leigh Bardugo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1392398530l/14061957.SX50.jpg 19699754], topped them both. [a:Leigh Bardugo 4575289 Leigh Bardugo https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1534446099p2/4575289.jpg]'s books just get progressively better and better as the trilogy continues. Her writing has always stood out to me and the story's narrative flows extremely well, which makes them so much easier to read. I couldn't put the books down for too long, and I'm happy i finished the trilogy. The world of the grisha is captivating and interesting. it's very unique and I'm glad the author decided to expand this world and continue writing more books in this universe.i can't wait to read more of the grisha world in [b:Six of Crows 23437156 Six of Crows (Six of Crows, #1) Leigh Bardugo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1651710803l/23437156.SY75.jpg 42077459], I'm super excited for this one:)-my reviews of the first two books:my review of shadow and bonemy review of siege and storm

It was times like these when I thought my father, who hated guns and had never been to any wars, was the bravest man who ever lived.

I've had this book in my shelf for the longest time and never got around to reading it. I'm so glad i finally did. The first half of the book was pretty slow and took me a while to read, but the brilliant prose makes up for the pace. Looking at the world through six year old Scout's eyes was an absolute delight. As a child, Scout doesn't understand the full implication of the things happening around her, making her an objective observer and a reporter in the truest sense. We see things exactly the way they happen which makes it so different from the usual adult pov. However, it's important to understand that the narrator is two Scouts: the little girl experiencing the story and the adult Jean Louise who tells the story. The adult Jean Louise can better understand the impact of various events while Scout as a child was simply living through them.

My favourite part about this book is how unflinchingly honest it is. Scout isn't afraid to ask questions. She looks up to her father (Atticus) and views him as a voice of reason and somebody who would answer her questions truthfully. Her relationship with Atticus stands out throughout the book.

SY75

“They're certainly entitled to think that, and they're entitled to full respect for their opinions... but before I can live with other folks I've got to live with myself. The one thing that doesn't abide by majority rule is a person's conscience.”

Final Thoughts

SY75

“Lawyers, I suppose, were children once.”

“Has anyone noticed this whole city is looking for us, mad at us, or wants to kill us?”“So?” said Kaz.“Well, usually it's just half the city.”― Leigh Bardugo, Crooked Kingdomrating- 4.5/5if that quote doesn't sum up the entire book, i honestly don't know what does.I finished reading this a week ago. It took me a week to recover , just enough, to put how i was feeling on paper. (screen?). Just saying.okay, so here goes nothing. This review contains spoilers for Six of crows and Crooked kingdom. Please DO NOT read it if you haven't read either.________________PREMISE [b:Crooked Kingdom 22299763 Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows, #2) Leigh Bardugo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1456172607l/22299763.SY75.jpg 42090179] picks off right where [b:Six of Crows 23437156 Six of Crows (Six of Crows, #1) Leigh Bardugo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1651710803l/23437156.SY75.jpg 42077459] ends. It follows Kaz and his crew right after they pull off an impossible heist. Except things didn't turn out the way they thought it would. (when does it ever). Now they're up against powerful forces both from in and outside Ketterdam, with no money, allies or resources.THOUGHTS I liked Crooked kingdom even more than six of crows?? and i REALLY liked SoC. No because I am absolutely in love. I love the morally grey (but still somehow moral?) characters. SO MUCH. I love their character development and their banter. I love the group dynamic and I love the writing. i just love, love and love. “Crows remember human faces. They remember the people who feed them, who are kind to them. And the people who wrong them too. They don't forget. They tell each other who to look after and who to watch out for.”But i mean there has to be something i didn't like if i didn't give it 5 stars right? yeah we'll get to that {spoiler alert: i go back and forth over what I didn't like, a little bit (well a lot) and don't actually hate anything as such}, but lets start off with everything i liked:)I think my favourite part of both [b:Six of Crows 23437156 Six of Crows (Six of Crows, #1) Leigh Bardugo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1651710803l/23437156.SY75.jpg 42077459] and [b:Crooked Kingdom 22299763 Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows, #2) Leigh Bardugo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1456172607l/22299763.SY75.jpg 42090179] is that the characters never lose themselves. In the face of adversity, when talked about in a relationship dynamic and honestly just in general, there was never a moment where i read something, say kaz or nina did and thought to myself- that doesn't seem like something he/she would do, you know? everything just seemed right. It's beautiful how [a:Leigh Bardugo 4575289 Leigh Bardugo https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1534446099p2/4575289.jpg] managed to give each character such a strong voice and a sense of individuality while still making sure this doesn't get blurred when they work in a group.Their backstories were further developed and wylan got the attention he deserves! (safe to say, he's definitely one of my favourites now).“Until this moment, Wylan hadn't quite understood how much they meant to him. His father would have sneered at these thugs and thieves, a disgraced soldier, a gambler who couldn't keep out of the red. But they were his first friends, his only friends, and Wylan knew that even if he'd had his pick of a thousand companions, these would have been the people he chose.”Pace inconsistency was an issue for me in [b:Six of Crows 23437156 Six of Crows (Six of Crows, #1) Leigh Bardugo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1651710803l/23437156.SY75.jpg 42077459], but [b:Crooked Kingdom 22299763 Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows, #2) Leigh Bardugo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1456172607l/22299763.SY75.jpg 42090179] fares well in that aspect and is fast paced throughout. The transition between the books is smooth and the author doesn't waste any time but gets right into the plot.AND KAZ AND INEJ. I love them so much. (everybody freaking out over them just holding hands is just so funny in my opinion). also this quote absolutely broke me:“I would have come for you. And if I couldn't walk, I'd crawl to you, and no matter how broken we were, we'd fight our way out together-knives drawn, pistols blazing. Because that's what we do. We never stop fighting.”also nina & matthias and wylan & jesper. all of them. ugh.(there's so many cute moments, can't really pick a quote tbh)Something else i REALLY REALLY liked was the appearance of characters from the grisha trilogy. when characters from different books in the same universe have a crossover kinda or even just referenced, it's my favourite thing ever. worlds colliding. my heart<3. it just made me so happy to read nikolai's humorous sarcastic retorts again:') even if it was only for one chapter. okay, onto what i didn't like:SETBACKSso right off the bat, i know that both [b:Six of Crows 23437156 Six of Crows (Six of Crows, #1) Leigh Bardugo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1651710803l/23437156.SY75.jpg 42077459] and [b:Crooked Kingdom 22299763 Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows, #2) Leigh Bardugo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1456172607l/22299763.SY75.jpg 42090179] are fast paced books, and i get that. i do. but to me at times it just felt like there was a lot going on? I struggled to keep up with the numerous sub plots and fail- safe plans. it's just A LOT was going on for my mortal brain to comprehend. I'll probably reread it a few months later and see if this changes the second time around.the ending!major spoiler¡ (adding tags too)something else I didn't like was matthias's death. honestly i think most people would agree that it did nothing to the plot whatsoever and felt extremely abrupt.i thought about this for a while and couldn't come to a conclusion so here i am.right so, execution? wasn't the best in my opinion. they went through ALL of that in both djerholm and ketterdam only for matthias to be shot a few streets away, AFTER they'd managed everything? i don't know..very anticlimactic honestly.the idea though? it makes sense in my opinion. I've seen so many people write off the death as unnecessary and i agreed. but after the initial shock and sadness wore off, i really thought about it and i feel like it does have some symbolism and merit. could it have been executed better? absolutely. but well, it is what it is :')and also when i say the death does have some merit to it, i don't mean that in the- (*read in mocking singsong old man voice*) "it's not possible for all of them to be alive after going through all that." or "well, somebody had to die" way. I'm a sucker for happy endings so it wouldn't have been unrealistic to me if they were all alive in the end. i mean they pulled off an entire heist, managed to deceive so many people. THE THEME IS HOPE and being able to pull off the impossible for saint's sake (yes I'm swearing like grishaverse characters now). so no I'm not FOR killing off characters, only to make it seem more realistic.But i thought of it this way and this just makes more sense to me. Matthias has immense character development; he goes from an angry barbarian {saying that makes me so sad now:''''') remember the princess and the barbarian story bahaha} to somebody who understands he grew up in the wrong environment and that he was filled with hate but not born with it. his younger self however was hateful and misogynistic, and he'd probably done a lot of hateful stuff before the ship with nina *sob*. The young fjerdan kid who shot him? he's so much like young matthias. It's almost like his past was catching up to him.So in a way, matthias was essentially killed by his younger self.poetic? RIGHT. still hurts i know:( but seems less unnecessary now doesn't it? moreover, i love how his last thoughts weren't hateful or of revenge, but just about nina and saving fjerda from their mindset. (crying, brb)something else to make you sob and break your heart even more?if you didn't already know this, matthias's first chapter and his last chapter starts and ends with the same words:“Matthias was dreaming again. Dreaming of her"heartbroken for the rest of my life < / 3OVERALLThis book definitely made it to my favourites. The grisha magic system is unique and the plot is captivating and catches you off guard just the right amount. you should absolutely read it, if you haven't already. it'll make you laugh out loud, cry and smile throughout. super excited to pick up the [b:King of Scars 36307634 King of Scars (King of Scars, #1) Leigh Bardugo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1525110825l/36307634.SY75.jpg 57978319] duology next, since i personally loved the grisha trilogy and nikolai is one of my favourite characters:)my other reviewsmy review of shadow and bonemy review of siege and stormmy review of ruin and risingmy review of six of crows

BAH! HUMBUG! haha. I really, really liked this book. It's definitely the only classic i've read in one sitting. It's only about a 100 pages long, so you should definitely check this off your tbr, as soon as you can. Every book I've read with a Christmas theme, talks about [b:A Christmas Carol 35386593 A Christmas Carol Charles Dickens https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1496885838l/35386593.SY75.jpg 3097440]; and now i can finally say i've read it.It's a heartwarming story that reminds us to be grateful and happy and spreads the message of compassion & humility.I listened to the audiobook simultaneously here: https://youtu.be/ZmOioOyFMRk and the voice modulations were my favourite thing ever. The narrator does a great job at Scrooge's voice and had me laughing at his dialogue in the beginning.The message conveyed is as beautiful as the story itself and as you travel with the spirits of the Christmas past, Christmas present and Christmas yet to come, smile and be grateful for everything you have:)

it was a pretty good read honestly:), i haven't read any nicholas sparks books before this (no I haven't read the notebook) and it really caught me off guard. I was a bit skeptical with the way it started out but ended up reading it in one sitting.
absolutely love jamie and landon. You should definitely pick it up if you liked the movie or just want something short and heartwarming to read:)

tw// dv, abuse
This book made me feel emotions i didn't know i could feel.

My heart's broken and full at the same time < / 3
Like lily's heart tattoo, i feel like there's a hole at the top of my heart letting all the air out.
I've never been more upset and frustrated and in love with a book at the same time.

I always have a lot to say about books, but more often than not, most people (including me at times) forget that a book is simply fiction.
What somebody put out into this world - for a purpose, that could be entertainment, to tell ‘THEIR' story, ‘A' story or even just for the purpose of writing one, simply because they like doing so.
Yes, media and books affect and influence people but they're most definitely not an accurate representation of reality. (sigh fictional men.)

So with that extremely essay-esque passage, I would like to begin my review by saying: Yes, Atlas was not an important part of this book. And Yes, most DV victims do not have an Atlas in their lives.
Do i still like that there is an Atlas and essentially a happy ending? Also yes.
Because this! is! a book! I'm reading! and I like happy endings! (picture me slamming the table at every exclamation point.)
It is also important to understand that this is still Lilly's story and not Lilly & Atlas's.
And that every victim's story is different and that this is in no way, a representation of what any DV victim goes through.

The purpose of this book in my opinion was to explain how difficult it can be for people to cut strings and leave their abuser. It's easy for anybody to say “she/he/they should have just left.”, “why did they stay despite the abuse?”, etc. but nobody knows the entire picture, the emotions or anything that accompanies such a decision.
Did the book do a good job at that? absolutely.
Did it also tell us that despite how hard it might be, it's important to leave, important to break the cycle? yes.

“Cycles exist because they are excruciating to break. It takes an astronomical amount of pain and courage to disrupt a familiar pattern. Sometimes it seems easier to just keep running in familiar circles, rather than facing the fear of jumping and possibly not landing on your feet.”

shrugs

“It stops here. With me and you. It ends with us.”

“I want to murder him in his sleep. No, I want to murder him when he's awake so he can see the joy on my face when I do it.”

A college hockey romance with fake dating? you already know i'm eating up that shit.

was it predictable? definitely. a little cliche? yes. did i also absolutely love it? yes yes yes.

There were some parts that made me want to stab somebody in the eyeball but the fun dialogue and the characters made up for the few stab-in-the-eye parts. For me, the highlight of the book was Hannah and Garrett's banter. Both of them were such great characters and I adored their relationship development. I also loved that they talked about their problems because i'm not a fan of the miscommunication trope. It was great to see protagonists openly talking about their issues and being honest with each other.
Moreover, I ABSOLUTELY LOVED the dual pov.

super fun, cute and fast paced. definitely worth a read if you want to read something for pure entertainment.

{thank you to netgalley and the orange sky audio for providing an ARC of the audiobook in exchange for an honest review}

“the trick to not having the high expectations of your success bury you when you fail to meet them? lower them to practically nothing.”rating- 2.5/5

This is the first audiobook recording for a book published in 2014. I came across the excerpt on netgalley when I was looking for nothing in particular and found the premise super intriguing. I also don't usually prefer audiobooks, so this was an experience! Samantha Summers, the narrator did a great job with the narration. Her voice fit the main character's monologue perfectly and the voice modulations kept the plot engaging throughout. I had a lot of fun listening to the book and had absolutely no complaints when it came to the audio.
That being said, i don't think i would've liked the book as much if I'd read it instead of listening to it. The writing style was different from what i usually read but seemed to work for an audiobook format.

PREMISE
18 year old Lizzie Brandt has gone into a downward spiral ever since she's come to college. She doesn't care about her grades and spends most of her time in parties and curing hangovers.
Everything changes when she loses her parents to a car crash. Now, she's the sole guardian to her two younger brothers and needs to bring up her grades to maintain the scholarship. She's struggling with parenting at 18 while also figuring out college, when she ends up falling for Connor Lawson, her history TA who has helped her throughout everything. When bad decisions from her past are back to haunt her and threaten her relationship with Connor as well as custody of her brothers, she finds that she has more on her plate than she can handle.

{review contains spoilers after this point!}
THOUGHTS
It was way better than I expected for sure. I looked up the actual book on gr, and I'm pretty sure i wouldn't have picked it up if not for the new cover and the audiobook. i.e. it was definitely a good idea to republish in audio format.

There were a few things in the plot that didn't work for me:
➢ the age gap felt a little icky to me, especially because of the power imbalance in the teacher-student dynamic. Would've been different if she was over 20 i think. But atleast they address this in the book instead of glossing over it. Also think it wasn't the best idea for her to get into a complicated relationship mere weeks after her parents death, but then again, it is what it is.
➢ the predictability of the plot.
I knew immediately after the whole Sophie conflict that this was going to bite her back in the ass. I also disliked the whole cheating situation in the beginning. Lizzie's definitely in the wrong but is surprised that Sophie is mean to her?
➢Although Lizzie's character is more than realistic, because let's be fair every 18 year old would react similarly in a situation like that, i did find her monologue sliiightlyyy annoying at times. She's whiny and constantly complains about her life falling apart instead of doing something about it.
➢ You know a book is written in 2014 when it uses words like fuckability? and lady boner? Plis T_T.
➢ I understand that losing your parents at 18 is terrible and nobody should have to go through that. But the author mentions her parent's death every two pages and it did get more than a little repetitive.

Now, coming to the things i liked:
➢Connor's character was definitely more likable. I was a little apprehensive that they would use the daddy issues bit to justify asshole-like behaviour, but I'm glad they didn't. His reluctance was completely understandable and makes more sense when he voices his thoughts about his inability to be a good parental figure to the boys. Moreover, their relationship was really well done. It wasn't super quick or too slow and they had great banter and chemistry.

“if you don't think I'm committing every fucking second of this to memory, you're crazy”

chaotic nature of the plot.

The ending was not what I expected. It felt like it negated all the character development since Lizzie is back to living on her own. It lets her off the hook as a protagonist and made the plotline of the story seem unfulfilled.

fun, fast paced

rating - 2/5
honestly picked this up at the wrong time. was not in the mood for a slow romance. There were layers to the story, but they somehow didn't work for me.

I kept wanting to just finish the book so i could pick up something else. Tired of the same old shit in rom-com novels. Recently read a few Abby Jiminez books and i don't think i can enjoy any more Lauren Asher or Ana Huang books, simply because they can't do the whole deep backstory thing. When you're in the mood for fun, fast paced, cheesy trashy romance, these books are it. But if you want to take away something meaningful at the end of a read, then reading THIS is pointless.

While i did like Elena, i somehow didn't care enough about anything that was going on. just glad that it's over.