Inferno by Julie Kagawa

GoodReads Summary:
Ember Hill has learned a shocking truth about herself: she is the blood of the Elder Wyrm, the ancient dragon who leads Talon and who is on the verge of world domination. With the Order of St. George destroyed, Ember, Riley and Garret journey to the Amazon jungle in search of one who might hold the key to take down the Elder Wyrm and Talon—if they can survive the encounter.
Meanwhile, Ember’s brother, Dante, will travel to China with a message for the last Eastern dragons: join Talon or die. With the stakes rising and the Elder Wyrm declaring war, time is running out for the rogues and any dragon not allied with Talon.
The final battle approaches. And if Talon is victorious, the world will burn.
Review:
This conclusion was a wild ride. This was the last book I read in 2019 and I had to listen to it on a zillion speed. I usually can’t enjoy an audiobook when I listen to it on too fast of a speed, but I was so into this story that the narrators basically speaking jibberish didn’t even phase me.
I loved this final book. The characters have really grown and developed throughout the series. I ended up loving Ember. She’s not an annoying girl anymore. She’s passionate and does her best to do the right thing. She refuses to bend when it comes to her morals. She faces reality and does whatever she needs to keep her loved ones safe.
I loved the final battle toward the end of this book. It was so well written and I was absolutely sucked into the story.
Though I’m not totally happy with who Ember ended up with, I still loved this book. I thought it was a wonderful ending to a complex series. The stakes were higher than ever and some unlikely allies came together to save the rest of the world from Talon.
Overall, I really ended up enjoying this series. I’m glad I continued on even when Ember really annoyed me. I think the development of the characters was incredible. Seeing the former enemies come together against a bigger evil was so good. I also really liked the epilogue. I loved seeing where the characters ended up after everything happened.

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

Legion by Julie Kagawa

GoodReads Summary:
Dragon hatchling Ember Hill was never prepared to find love at all, let alone with a human and a former dragonslayer. With Garret dying at her feet after sacrificing his freedom and his life to expose the deepest of betrayals, Ember knows only that nothing she was taught by dragon organization Talon is true. About humans, about rogue dragons, about herself.
Ember vows to stand against St. George and her own twin brother, Dante–the heir apparent to all of Talon, and the boy who will soon unleash the greatest threat and terror dragonkind has ever known. Talon is poised to conquer the world, and the abominations they have created will soon take to the skies, darkening the world with the promise of blood and death to those who will not yield.
Review:
I’m finally starting to get really into this series. I’m liking Ember more and more. The action is getting more intense the more secrets that are revealed. The love triangle is sort of resolved (though not to my liking).
Ember has really grown. She knows that she needs to do whatever it takes to fight Talon. She doesn’t shy away from the hard things anymore. While they still bother her, she understands what she needs to do. I really loved the moment she had where she was in her head and came face to face with her dragon. That really made me happy because the separation in Ember’s mind of her dragon and the human side was something I complained about in my review for the last book.
I liked that while Garret and Riley still had their own chapters, they sort of took a backseat to the other characters. I still like them both, but this book was meant for Dante and Ember to shine.
Dante makes me so mad. I just want him to come to Ember’s side and understand that everything he thinks he knows is a lie. I hate that he’s being fooled and I’m really hoping to see him learn the truth in the final book.
Overall, this one was probably my favorite of the series so far. I’m excited to read the final book in the series and finally finish this story.

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

Soldier by Julie Kagawa

GoodReads Summary:
When forced to choose between safety with the dragon organization Talon and being hunted forever as an outcast, Ember Hill chose to stand with Riley and his band of rogue dragons rather than become an assassin for Talon. She’s lost any contact with her twin brother, Dante, a Talon devotee, as well as Garret, the former-enemy soldier who challenged her beliefs about her human side.
As Ember and Riley hide and regroup to fight another day, Garret journeys alone to the United Kingdom, birthplace of the ancient and secret Order of St. George, to spy on his former brothers and uncover deadly and shocking secrets that will shake the foundations of dragons and dragonslayers alike and place them all in imminent danger as Talon’s new order rises.
Review:
Things are finally starting to get good in this series. The first few books I couldn’t stand Ember. She was whiney and annoying, but she’s starting to see the world she lives in is a scary place and has had to do things she never thought she would. So, she’s grown.
I started to finally like Ember in Soldier. She’s struggling with the fact that she’s killed people, that her brother betrayed her, and of course, is stuck in a love triangle. I liked that Ember’s grown but I still don’t care for the love triangle.
I don’t like that Ember sees herself as two different parts: the human and the dragon. She sees them as separate entities and I don’t care for that. I’m interested to see if that changes as the series comes to an end.
I love Riley. That will never change. I love his cleverness and his clear attempts to show Ember she should choose him.
I don’t dislike Garret, I just want her to choose Riley. So, even though I prefer Riley, I liked getting to see a bit into Garret’s past in this story.
Overall, I’m starting to get more excited about finishing the series. I don’t hate Ember anymore and I’m dying to know where things will go next for this group.

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

Blogmas Book Review: Rogue by Julie Kagawa

GoodReads Summary:
Deserter. Traitor. Rogue.
Ember Hill left the dragon organization Talon to take her chances with rebel dragon Cobalt and his crew of rogues. But Ember can’t forget the sacrifice made for her by the human boy who could have killed her—Garret Xavier Sebastian, a soldier of the dragonslaying Order of St. George, the boy who saved her from a Talon assassin, knowing that by doing so, he’d signed his own death warrant.
Determined to save Garret from execution, Ember must convince Cobalt to help her break into the Order’s headquarters. With assassins after them and Ember’s own brother helping Talon with the hunt, the rogues find an unexpected ally in Garret and a new perspective on the underground battle between Talon and St. George.
A reckoning is brewing and the secrets hidden by both sides are shocking and deadly. Soon Ember must decide: Should she retreat to fight another day…or start an all-out war?
Review:
I just am having a really hard time WANTING to read these books. I remember loving them when I first read them. But I’m just over it. Antonia said that they get really good in this book and the next one. While I didn’t hate Ember in this one as much as I did in the last one, I still didn’t love her for most of the book.
Ember is now a rogue dragon. But instead of helping Riley figure out who the mole in his system is or literally doing anything useful, she is determined to rescue Garret, who is going to die because he spared her life. I get that she loves him, and in any real situation I probably would do the same thing, but I just hate him. Aside from that, Ember does and experiences things that really affect her. It was nice to see her trying to work through these issues rather than just glossing over it like too many stories do.
I love Riley. He is the end game I want and if I don’t get it I’m going to be very upset with Julie. We get bits and pieces of his backstory and the events that led to him going rogue and I really enjoyed that. I just love Riley.
Garret is okay, I guess. I mostly just want him to go away. I don’t hate him only because he does anything in his abilities to protect Ember. I just wish Ember had never gotten involved with him.
Overall, Ember did grow and become less annoying in the second half of Rogue. I’m interested to see what the gang does next. I am going to do my best to finish this series, but if I’m not enjoying the next book I might just have to give up on it. There’s no shame in DNF’ing friends.

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

Talon by Julie Kagawa

GoodReads Summary:
To take her rightful place in the Talon organization, young dragon Ember Hill must prove she can hide her true nature and blend in with humans. Her delight at the prospect of a summer of “normal” teen experiences is short-lived, however, once she discovers that she’s also expected to train for her destined career in Talon. But a chance meeting with a rogue dragon will soon challenge everything Ember has been taught.
As Ember struggles to accept her future, St. George soldier Garret Xavier Sebastian is tasked with hunting her down. But when faced with Ember’s bravery, confidence and all-too-human desires, Garret begins to question everything the Order has ingrained in him—and what he might be willing to give up to uncover the truth about dragons.
Review:
This is my third time reading Talon by Julie Kagawa. This was clear to me because I ended up skimming the first fifty or so pages. I just felt like I’ve read the start of this story so many times. I think because of that, I was a bit ‘meh’ toward the rest of the story. Also, already knowing parts of what will happen in the future had me rolling my eyes at certain events. I think I’ll end up liking the next books in the series more because I don’t remember them as well as I do for the first book.
Ember had me rolling my eyes left and right. The fact that she was suspicious of Garret being St. George but repeatedly ignored the signs and convinced herself that he couldn’t be was so dumb. Like, WHAT TEENAGE BOY HAS NEVER BEEN TO AN ARCADE EMBER??? This really drove me crazy. He said and did so many suspicious things and she just brushed it off like an idiot. But other than that. I liked her. She wasn’t willing to just do what she was told, even when he brother tells her she needs to fall in line, she doesn’t let her love for him push away the doubts she’s having. I liked that.
Garret was interesting because it wasn’t as obvious that Ember was the Dragon he’s been sent there to find. But then he falls in love, and when he realizes that she is a Dragon, his whole world is changed. I think he was interesting and complex, fighting what he’s been taught with what he has seen for himself.
Then there’s Riley. He’s my favorite. He’s just a dude trying to help little dragon babes escape Talon. He’s completely my first choice for Ember. I wish I could just get rid of the love triangle and have Ember be with Riley.
Overall, this was a pretty average book. Maybe if I didn’t remember parts of this story so well I’d feel differently. But Ember was a little annoying when it came to Garret and don’t even get me started on her brother Dante.

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

Amanda’s Top Ten Tuesday – Hidden Gems

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Each week we talk about our top ten with a different topic provided by Jana. This week’s topic is top ten – Hidden Gems books that haven’t been talked about as much or haven’t been marketed as strongly that I think deserve some recognition.
1. Flamecaster (The Shattered Realms series) by Cinda Williams Chima – I love this series and this author. I just feel like I don’t really see her books advertised anywhere. I don’t see other bloggers talking about her books like I do. I definitely think she should be a more widely read author with the incredible worlds shes built full of diverse and loveable characters.
2. Bloodlines by Richelle Mead – This one I feel is always overlooked in favor of Vampire Academy. Because they’re part of the same world everyone turns to VA instead of talking about these books.
3. A Shade of Vampire by Bella Forrest – I found this series on my Kindle but it’s definitely one that I think more readers should try. The reviews vary but I think Forrest has built quite the reading adventure with this 50+ book series.
4. Tell Me Three Things by Julie Buxbaum – Buxbaum’s debut novel was so excellent. I thought I would hear more about it from my fellow bloggers. It makes me sad that I don’t hear more about it.
5. Sleeping Giants (Themis Files) by Sylvain Neuvel – I listened to this audiobook at the recommendation of a BookTuber (Thoughts on Tomes) but aside from the brief mention as one of her top audiobooks I haven’t hear others talk about this series. This is a mistake because Sleeping Giants was insane and amazing.
6. Moon Chosen (Tales of a New World) by P.C. Cast – I found this series outside of the blogging world. I haven’t heard a single blogger talk or write about this book/series. It’s a shame because they’re super interesting books with unique storylines and great character development. I can’t wait for the third to be released later this year.
7. Incarceron by Catherine Fisher – An older book, but still great. Creative and full of mystery. I don’t know why more people don’t talk about this story.
8. Talon by Julie Kagawa – While I see that her other series, The Iron Fey, get attention I never see bloggers reading this series.
9. The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa – See above comment.
10. Zeroes by Scott Westerfeld, Deborah Biancotti, and Margo Lanagan – With the superhero obsession that’s been going on the last few years I’m unsure how this series hasn’t made a bigger splash in the reading world.

What books do you love that you think deserve more attention?

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

I Heart Characters!

I Heart Characters! is a weekly meme hosted by Dani @ Perspective of a Writer to showcase our book blogger love for characters! Each week she’ll supply a topic and you’ll supply the character. Post on whatever day suits you, about characters from whatever media you love (books, movies, K-dramas, television, manga, anime, webtoons, whatever!) and link up on Thursday so YOU and others can blog hop and share the character love.

This weeks topic is High School First Love (Pick a character you’d want for your first love! Would it last forever or be a passing relationship?!)

Amanda-  Rather than picking a smoking hot bad boy that I would have LOVED to date during high school, I’m going to pick someone that I would totally have actually dated while I was a high schooler. Ronald Bilius Weasley is absolutely my favorite character from the Harry Potter series. He is exactly the kind of person that I would have dated in high school. A little awkward. Smart but not super nerdy. Great sense of humor. A big crazy family that does all the fun family things. I’ve always had a special place in my heart for redheads.

Antonia- I was not good at dating in high school. I tended to jump into relationships too quickly then realize I wasn’t all that interested so my relationships were always really short. I’m going to choose a character that I WISH I dated in high school. Garret Xavier Sebastian from the Talon series by Julie Kagawa would have made an excellent first boyfriend. He’s mature, kind, and grounded in a way most high school boys aren’t. There’s no drama with him. He accepts Ember for who she is and gives her space when she needs it. He’s exactly the kind of guy I wish I’d dated in high school; I think he would have been a good influence on me.

 

Book Tag – Halsey

Hi lovelies!

Back at it again with another book tag. I love Halsey so when I saw this book tag done on Downright Dystopian’s page I knew I had to play too! This tag is originally created by Paper Riot. Now, onto the book tag!

Amanda- Aelin Galathynius for sure. She’s from Sarah J. Maas’s Throne of Glass series. She’s kickass and doesn’t take anything from anyone. She even has the choice to not become queen and abandon her throne but steps up and shows the world that she’s a force to be reckoned with.

Antonia- Definitely Raisa ana’Marianna from The Seven Realms series by Cinda Williams Chima. I just loved watching her grow throughout this series.

Amanda- I’m going to say all of the scenes written by Lynsay Sands. Sexy vampires from Atlantis? Yes please.

Antonia- Hmm… this is a tough one because I read a TON of romance. I’ll say anything by Julia Quinn because her love stories are just the best.

Amanda- The Darkling, for sure. He’s from Leigh Bardugo’s Shadow and Bone trilogy. I don’t know what it is, but momma loves some Darkling.

Antonia- Queen Savilla from The Obsidian Trilogy by Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory. She’s the queen of the endarkened (demons) and is simply evil. I just love that she has no redeeming qualities. She’s terrifying and awful and makes a fantastic villain.

Amanda- This was the hardest one for me out of all of these questions. I’ve decided to go with the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich. Our main character is forever trapped in a love triangle between the (mostly) marriage material  Joe Morelli and the sexiest man alive, Ranger. I wouldn’t say that there’s a lack of communication, more like a stalemate. They communicate but not enough for Stephanie to be able to actually make a decision between the two. (Though I don’t think I ever want her to actually make that final choice.)

Antonia- Kvothe and Denna from The Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss. I really enjoy them together and wouldn’t mind seeing them actually get together in the future but they keep so many secrets and they’re both so mysterious that it gets in the way of them ever actually having a relationship.

Amanda- Tamlin and Feyre from A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas. I talk about this in my reviews for this series, linked here. Though I’m sure many people feel this way. This is the couple that popped into my head as soon as I read the question. I loved them so much in the first book and then Tamlin just, ugh.

Antonia- Ember and Riley from The Talon Series by Julie Kagawa. I wanted them to be together for the first couple books so bad then somehow I ended up loving Garret so much that I stopped wanting her to be with Riley. (I still love Riley though.) And me changing my mind about characters that drastically really doesn’t happen often.

Amanda- This may be biased because of my pregnancy hormones. But when I read the breakup scene in the Air Awakens series by Elise Kova I literally spent a solid hour crying. To the point where my husband wasn’t sure what to do with me and just hugged me while I cried for an hour. I’m pretty sure he thought I was never going to stop.

Antonia- For me, this will always be Lyra and Will’s breakup at the end of The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman. I was around twelve when I first read it and cried for days. I still cry hysterically every time I reread it.

Amanda- Love Letters to the Dead by Ava Dellaira. Every once in a while I say to myself, “you know what was a good book, Love Letters to the Dead. I should read that again.” I have recently bought it on my Kindle (I got it from the library the first time.) and I’m planning to reread it soon.

Antonia- All of them. This is actually a huge problem for me because I continue to think about books long after I’ve read them; it actually keeps me up at night. It’s why I reread so many books over and over again.

Amanda- Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James. I’m super not sorry about this either. The whole series is being written and released from Christian’s perspective. I have the first two and am waiting for the third to be released. While I wouldn’t say I’m obsessed, I will absolutely be buying and reading the third so I have all six books.

Antonia- Dark Hunters by Sherrilyn Kenyon. I actually need to catch up on this one but since I first discovered these books I’ve been a little obsessed with them even though there’s now 29 books in the series and Kenyon’s still writing.

Amanda- If you read my posts on a regular basis you should already know the answer to this question. Looking for Alaska by John Green. If you haven’t read it read my review here.

Antonia- Beastly by Alex Flinn. This will forever be my favorite Beauty and the Beast adaptation. I reread it at least once a year and it always just gives me this light, happy feeling inside.

Amanda- Every and all of the couples we find in The Shade of Vampire series by Bella Forrest. This is a 50+ book series that spans over a ridiculous amount of years, several generations, and many worlds. Every couple we meet and read about has to go through some (usually life-threatening) struggle before they get their happy ending.

Antonia- Adrian and Sydney from The Bloodlines series by Richelle Mead. One of my favorite book couples but they struggle so much to keep their relationship going when both vampires and humans judge them for it. At one point Sydney’s actually institutionalized by her family for it.

Amanda- I try not to use the same book over and over when I do these tags, but I can’t help it for this. I would LOVE to be part of the Night Court squad from A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas, reviewed here. It’s from the ACOTAR series, but we don’t get to meet them until the second book, so I’m using that one.

Antonia- The Demigods from The Heroes of Olympus series by Rick Riordan. Awesome magical powers? Check. Funny and amazing and need to be my best friends? Double check.

Amanda- Hazel and Augustus from The Fault in our Stars by John Green. See my review here to get a more detailed post of my thoughts on this book. I love Hazel and Gus together because they’re both just kids that had to grow up too fast and spent too much time thinking about death. Then they found each other and had a bright spot in their lives, a reason to live if you will.

Antonia- Amanda and Chris from Beheld by Alex Flinn. I talked about them in my review (here) and I just loved them together so much I think I actually squealed while reading it.

Amanda- Chaol from the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas is a good one for this I think. So many people hate him after certain events in the series. I understand why he did what he did and still love him even though it cost him his relationship with Celaena.

Antonia- Fire from Fire by Kristin Cashore. I’ve read quite a few reviews from people who didn’t like her which kind of astounds me because I adore her.

Amanda- Rose and Mason from the Rose Gardner Investigations by Denise Grover Swank. I wanted to put them for an OTP with obstacles, but honestly I don’t think they’ll end up together no matter how much I want them to be.

Antonia- None. Toxic relationships are pretty much an instant DNF for me. I’ve read about a lot of flawed relationships (e.g. Quentin and Margo from Paper Towns by John Green) but nothing that I would actually consider toxic. Even with examples like Quentin and Margo, I enjoyed reading about them but still didn’t ship them.

Amanda- Shadows of the Immortals by Marina Finlayson. This series is a super interesting twist on the Gods (from all different cultures) which is a topic I really like. I couldn’t put this series down once I started it.

Antonia- Sun and Moon, Ice and Snow by Jessica Day George. This is a retelling of East of the Sun, West of the Moon and is still one of the most unique fairytale retellings I’ve read.

Amanda- This one is easy. Lyss and Hal from Cinda Williams Chima’s Shadowcaster (reviewed here) are both totally falling in love (if they’re not already in love) with one another. But neither will admit it.

Antonia- Hazel and Frank from Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan. They get together later on in the series but for pretty much this entire book, they both are secretly pining for the other. It was adorable.

Amanda- Adelina Amouteru from The Young Elites series by Marie Lu, reviewed here. I hate to even say this because I love her but I also really hate her. I guess I love to hate her. Okay, I lied. I don’t hate to say it. She’s totally my favorite destructive character.

Antonia- Edmond Dantes from The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas. He’s so focused on his revenge the entire time that he ignores the chance to make a better life for himself but at the same time, his revenge plot is absolutely insane and amazing at the same time.

 

Amanda’s Top Ten Tuesday – Series I’ve Given up on

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme now hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Each week we’re given a new prompt for a top ten list of all things bookish. This week is top ten series I gave up on or do not plan to finish. This is going to be a bit of a challenge for me because I rarely give up on books. So let’s see what I can come up with this week. Okay, so after coming up with an insufficient list I’ve decided I’m going to do a few series that I will definitely be finishing, but haven’t managed to get around to it yet.

1. House of Night by P.C and Kristen Cast – This series just had so many books. It got to the point where it was hard to keep up with the story and when new books came out. So I just stopped trying to stay on top of it. Now they’re coming out with books again and I just don’t think I’ll ever get around to rereading them all.
2. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon – I read the first four books in this series. I borrowed them from Antonia’s mom. But I ended up losing the fourth book and by the time I bought a new copy she had caught up to me and needed the books back for her to read them. I may eventually pick this series up again, but I have no real burning desire to do so anytime soon.
3. The Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn – These books were another series that I had a hard time keeping up with. There are so many books and I just lost track of which ones I’ve read and still need to read. I may pick them up again because I did really like the books, but it’s not high on my priority list.
4. The Women’s Murder Club by James Patterson – Once again, too many books coming out to keep track of. I will eventually read these again because they’re easy mystery reads but it won’t be anytime soon.
5. The Princess series by Alexa Riley – I just was not impressed by these books. I think I only read the first and part of the second before giving up.
6. The Red Queen series by Victoria Aveyard – The final book in the series came out recently and I’d like to reread the whole series. When am I going to do that? Eventually, my TBR list seems to just keep growing instead of getting smaller.
7. The Talon series by Julie Kagawa – Again, the final book in this series was finally released and I’m planning to reread the entire series, eventually.
8. Zeroes by Scott Westerfeld – A few weeks ago, I learned that the third book, Nexus, was released sometime last year and I didn’t even realize. So I need to buy this and get around to finishing the series.
9. Millennium series by Stieg Larsson / David Lagercrantz – Literally just now while looking for books to add to this post learned that another book has been released in this series. I will read it, but when I get around to it and who knows when that will be.
10. Shadow Falls series by C.C. Hunter – I finished the main series of these books; I actually own all of them. But there’s a few spin-off series with other characters that I haven’t managed to get around to reading yet, but I definitely plan to.

This is my top ten for this week! What series have you given up on?

Keep on reading lovelies, Amanda.

WWW Wednesday

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme formerly hosted by Should Be Reading and was revived by Taking on a World of Words. To play along, answer the following three questions and share a link to your post in the comments on her page. Enjoy!

What are you currently reading? 

Amanda – So I haven’t actually started it yet, but I’m going to count this as currently reading anyway. The Heart Forger by Rin Chupeco is sitting on my coffee table waiting for me to be finished with this post and my homework and the laundry and the many other things I should (but probably won’t) get done before I can let myself read.

Antonia – I’m currently reading Soldier by Julie Kagawa. Technically I’m only a few pages in but this is the first one of the series that I’m not rereading so I’m really excited to see where the story takes me.

What did you recently finish reading? 

Amanda – I just finished reading The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco, (check out my review here.) I wasn’t crazy about it and I’m really hoping the second book is better and answers some of the questions The Bone Witch left me with.

Antonia – I just finished Rogue by Julie Kagawa. (See my review here.) This one was a really fun, action-packed read.

What do you think you will read next?

Amanda – This question has not gotten any easier for me the last few weeks. I just have so many options and have gotten so many new books in the last few weeks. I might reread the Red Queen series by Victoria Aveyard. I might reread the Snow Like Ashes series by Sara Raasch. I might reread the Talon series by Julia Kagawa. I might reread the Shattered Realms series by Cinda Williams Chima. But I really just am undecided, (but look at all the fun and awesome books you guys get to look forward to me reviewing!) Ask me again next week and maybe I’ll have decided.

Antonia – I’m pretty sure I’m going to stick with my Talon marathon and read Legion by Julie Kagawa the fourth book in the series.

What are your W’s this week?

Antonia’s Top Ten Tuesday- Best Character Names

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme now hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Each week we’re given a new prompt for a top ten list of all things bookish (feel free to put your own spin on it). This week is “Best Character Names (make this as narrow/broad as you’d like)”. Now since TTT is almost entirely based on opinion I don’t know that I would say these are the “best” names; however, they’re names I particularly liked.

1. Kvothe- The Kingkiller Chronicles by Patrick Rothfuss- Just try to pronounce that. The narrator actually tells you how at the beginning of the first book; “pronounced nearly the same as ‘quothe’. ” It might just be because I love the character and the book so much or because it’s so unique but this name definitely tops my list.

2. Pug- Riftwar Saga by Raymond E. Feist- For a guy who becomes the most powerful magician in the world, his name is extremely underwhelming and I love that.

3. Raisa ana’Marianna- Seven Realms series by Cinda Williams Chima- While I think Raisa is a very pretty name, that’s not why it’s on this list. I love the way the woman of the Gray Wolf Line are named. The princess’/queens’ first names are followed by “ana'(her mother’s name)”. So Raisa’s sister is Mellony ana’Marianna and their mother is Marianna ana’Lissa. I just though this was such a cool detail.

4. Maximum Ride- Maximum Ride by James Patterson- I’m sorry but how could anyone not love this name. She’s a girl named Max (I love when authors don’t gender stereotype names) and she and the rest of her flock named themselves. Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gasman, and Angel. I can totally see a bunch of kids naming themselves like this and I absolutely love it.

5. Ember- Talon series by Julie Kagawa- I don’t normal go for names that are really obvious (she’s a dragon named Ember), but I couldn’t help liking this one. It’s pretty and tough at the same time.

6. Aza- Turtles All The Way Down by John Green- I’m not sure why I love this one so much. It’s simple and unique and pretty.

7. Antonia- Year One by Nora Roberts- I just had to include this one. I NEVER find my name in books so I was ridiculously happy when I read this one.

8.Everyone- The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien- This HAD to be on this list. Every name Tolkien created is unique and amazing.

9. Everyone- The Obsidian Trilogy by Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory- My reasons for this one are very similar to why I included Tolkien; all the names (especially the Elven ones) are unique. I could barely pronounce half of them and that just made me love them more. I’m weird like that.

10. Everyone- The Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer- Particularly the women each of the books are named for, i.e. Cinder, Scarlet, Cress, and Winter. I really love the little twists they have on the original fairytales.

These are my choices for this week. I’d love to hear your own opinions and as always, thanks for visiting our blog.
-Antonia

WWW Wednesday

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Should Be Reading. To play along, answer the following three questions and share a link to your post in the comments on her page. Enjoy!

What are you currently reading? 

Amanda- I’m currently reading nothing sadly. I am in between books and honestly haven’t decided what I want to read next because I have so many new books. I’m torn between Carve the Mark by Veronica Roth or rereading Snow Like Ashes by Sara Raasch. But that might change because I’m getting a delivery of books when my parents come to visit this weekend.

Antonia- I’m reading Master of Magic by Linsey Hall. It’s the fifth and final book in her Dragon’s Gift: The Valkyrie series. There are three series previous to this one that all connect and I really love seeing Bree’s story finally.

What did you recently finish reading?

Amanda- I finished reading A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas a few days ago. The review will be available as soon as I post the reviews for the books that come before it in the series.

Antonia- I just finished Beheld by Alex Flinn. I absolutely loved this book and will be posting my review of it tomorrow. (Review here.)

What do you think you’ll read next?

Amanda- Next I’ll be reading whatever I decide to pick up. Like I said above, I’m super torn between what I want to invest my time in next. I recently got my book collection back from being in storage  after moving all over. So it’s like having a whole new collection of books. I also bought a few new released as well as more books that are coming to me this weekend that were new when I bought them and just haven’t read yet. Someone come choose what to read for me because I just can’t make up my mind!

Antonia- Next I’ll be rereading Talon by Julie Kagawa. I read the first three books in this series years ago and now that books four and five are out I’ll be reading and reviewing all of them.

 

Tell us your answers to these questions and as always, thanks for visiting our blog.

Top Ten Tuesday, Beach Reads

This week’s Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by The Broke and The Bookish, is Beach Reads Week. This is a favorite of mine because I’m a total beach bum. And my favorite beach activity is reading while laying in the beautiful sunlight. So, this week’s topic has a few options and I’m going to try to touch on all of them; top ten great beach reads, top ten book I plan to read on the beach, top ten not typical beach reads, or top ten authors to read on the beach.

1 )Janet Evanovich –  She’s one of my favorite authors. Her books are all hilarious. They’re the perfect beach reads that will have people staring at your hysterical laughter.

2) The Belgariad & The Malloreon by David Eddings – This was a series that I recently finished. While it’s definitely not a typical beach read, they’re certainly books you can spend a few hours getting totally lost in.

3) The Last Vampire Series by Christopher Pike – If I’m being honest, I’m a sucker for a good vampire series and this definitely was. Another that’s not a typical beach read but the story will take you far away from the beach.

4) Nora Roberts – Anything by Nora is always good. Her romance novels are great beach reads that have me cracking up like a crazy person.

5) The  Lunar Chronicles by Marissa Meyer – I’m stealing one from Antonia’s TTT. This was an amazing series, and while it’s not a typical beach read I would read it at the beach anyway.

6) Seven Realms series by Cinda Williams Chima – I’ve read this series once before, and the next series just came out, so this is a series I’m planning to read at the beach this summer.

7) Talon Series by Julie Kagawa – This is a series filled with action and adventure. The next book in the series just came out, so I definitely plan on reading this book at the beach very soon.

8) The 5^th Wave Series – The third and final book just came out, The Final Star. I’m going to be reading this at the beach as soon as possible.

9) Newsoul Series by Jodi Meadows – I read this series a few years ago and its really stuck with me. Ill be trying to read it again this summer on the beach.

10) John Green – Any of the books he has written are good beach reads. While some of them might make you bawl your eyes out in public, they’re all fantastic books.

These are my top ten this week. I love to read on the beach so this one was very fun for me.