Book Review: A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J Maas ★★★

May 9, 2018August 30, 2018 / crmullen / Leave a comment

“I have to create, or it was all for nothing. I have to create, or I will crumple up with despair and never leave my bed. I have to create because I have no other way of voicing this.”

The Inner Circle is back, guys! Any book by Sarah J Maas is pretty much an instant buy for me and this one was no exception. I was eagerly anticipating reading this novella and I was not disappointed. Overall, the book, while not the best of the series, did what it was intended to do, and bridged the gap between the original Court series and the new spinoff trilogy that is in the works. I enjoyed it!

Spoilers below!

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Book Review: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon ★★

January 15, 2018August 30, 2018 / crmullen / Leave a comment

“There are things that I canna tell you, at least not yet. And I’ll ask nothing of ye that ye canna give me. But what I would ask of ye—when you do tell me something, let it be the truth. And I’ll promise ye the same. We have nothing now between us, save—respect, perhaps. And I think that respect has maybe room for secrets, but not for lies. Do ye agree?”

Outlander is the popular story of Claire Beauchamp. She is woman on holiday in Scotland with her husband Frank in 1945. While there, she inadvertently touches some magical standing stones that transport her 200 years in the past, where she must navigate the Scottish Highlands during the Jacobite Rebellion. With the help of the MacKenzie clan and one James Fraser, hot Scot extraordinaire. This book review is an interesting one for me, because it is one of the few stories I have read, after watching the show/movie adaptation. This leaves me no choice, really, but to compare the two different executions and review them as a whole. Not to mention, that this is a story beloved by many and has a huge fan base. Fair warning, this one might be a little long!

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Book Review: This Savage Song by V.E. Schwab ★★★

January 8, 2018August 30, 2018 / crmullen / 2 Comments

“But the teacher had been right about one thing: violence breeds.
Someone pulls a trigger, sets off a bomb, drives a bus full of tourists off a bridge, and what’s left in the wake isn’t just shell casings, wreckage, bodies. There’s something else. Something bad. An aftermath. A recoil. A reaction to all that anger and pain and death.”

This book was really good! It started off a bit slow, but I think in the end getting the complete history of the characters and city was well worth it. I am eagerly anticipating the next novel about August, Kate, and the monster menagerie we were introduced to here!

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Book Review: Soul Search by Reyna Favis ★★★

December 14, 2017August 30, 2018 / crmullen / Leave a comment

“The dog quickly passed each person as they offered their hands for the dog to sniff. I stood still with my hands extended as the dog took my scent. Rather than move on to the next person, she paused and stared directly into my face. Her eyes were the color of whiskey and surrounded by dark fur, as if someone had outlined them with kohl to emphasize their distinct color. While I thought her gaze would be gentle like all the other dogs I have encountered, I instead saw a disturbing intelligence that I was not prepared for.”

When the author of the Zackie Stories, Reyna Favis, reached out to me, I was thrilled! Of course I would jump at the chance to read a series featuring a Plott Hound and rep for the coolest dog breed there is. I was already interested, but when Reyna began telling me about her own background as a K-9 handler working in search and rescue, and her idea about creating a fantasy/supernatural suspense series around that concept, I was beyond sold. Soul Search is such a unique and entertaining book, and I would officially give it 3.5 stars.

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Book Review: An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson ★★

October 21, 2017August 30, 2018 / crmullen / 3 Comments

“You would claw your neighbor’s eyes out for a mouthful of dust. Yet dust is all around you. The whole world is made of dust, and always returns to it. There is nothing else.”

I was really excited to read this book! I thought the cover was beautiful and I love stories about faeries/the fae, so I was pretty hyped. And then, I started to hear some great things about the book, including people comparing it to A Court of Thorns and Roses (which, duh, I love).

Unfortunately (!), An Enchantment of Ravens was nowhere near as awesome as I expected. Nothing turned out to be as I expected, really, which resulted in a pretty boring, sappy, and basic story. Ugh! I am so disappointed 😡

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Book Review: Heart of Mist by Helen Scheuerer ★★

October 14, 2017August 30, 2018 / crmullen / Leave a comment

“Bleak straightened herself; she wasn’t going to die for the king. She wasn’t going to become a prisoner or experiment of his. She’d rather die with salt water in her lungs and mist in her heart. She was free. She had to try.”

Hey, guys! I am back with a review for Heart of Mist by Helen Scheuerer! I found this book at random on Goodreads and downloaded it onto my e-reader right away. It sounded really cool and started out pretty strong. It did not quite live up to my expectations, but I am glad that I read it, nonetheless.

Spoilers under the cut!

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Book Review: The Crown’s Game by Evelyn Skye ★★★

October 6, 2017August 30, 2018 / crmullen / Leave a comment

“”There’s actually an old Kazakh proverb that says, ‘There are three things a real man should have: a fast horse, a hound, and a golden eagle.'”

Vika wrinkled her nose. “And what about a real woman?”

Nikolai laughed. “A real woman should have those things, too.””

Hello, friends! It looks like I am going steady with the 3-star books right now! Ever since I saw this one on Goodreads, I was really excited to read it. Set in Russia with magic, hellooooo?? And, after finishing it, I am happy to say that I enjoyed it! The Crown’s Game is a fun, light, and very charming novel. So, read more about it below!

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Book Review: Tower of Dawn by Sarah J Maas ★★★

September 26, 2017August 30, 2018 / crmullen / 2 Comments

“Wind-seeker, her mother had once called her. Unable to keep still, always wandering where the wind calls you. Where shall it beckon you to journey one day, my rose?

How far the wind had now called her.”

Guys. This past weekend, I was very prepared to post a book review and my write my Book Tag Tuesday, even though I had to drive to Pensacola for a memorial service. I was so prepared in fact, that I did not even feel the need to bring my laptop >:/ And, of course! I needed it to finalize the post/pictures. So, that did not get done this weekend and then work has already been crazy this week…I know these sound like excuses, but I swear I will tighten up!

But, anyway, I am back for a new review!! Yay! This one is a book that I was not too excited to read, but did so out of loyalty and trust in the author. And of course, Sarah J Maas did not disappoint! Tower of Dawn was an amazing book. It was written so well, the story was captivating, and the ending/plot twists packed a serious punch! There were some things that I did not enjoy, which forces me to give the book 3.5 stars, as opposed to the 5 I would give it otherwise. I feel a bit bad, but I could not overlook the way some things in the book were handled. But, more on that below!

And, duh, spoilers.

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Book Review: Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor ★★★

August 27, 2017July 29, 2019 / crmullen / 4 Comments

“”Life won’t just happen to you, boy,” [Master Hyrrokkin] said. “You have to happen to it. Remember: The spirit grows sluggish when you neglect the passions.”

“My spirit is fine.”

“Then you’re going sadly wrong. You’re young. Your spirit shouldn’t be ‘fine.’ It should be effervescent.””

This book was extremely frustrating to review. Some parts were so good, but other parts were not good at all, not even in realm of good. And sadly, those parts clashed with what I loved about it. Ultimately, it balances out around 3 stars, with most of those points going to writing quality alone. That score is way lower than I was expecting to give, when I first started reading. I thought for sure this was going to be a 4.5/5 star read and I am disappointed in how it turned out. But, I could not overlook its flaws. Hopefully, I can articulate exactly how I feel about Strange the Dreamer for you guys.

This review contains spoilers!

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Book Review: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater ★★★

August 20, 2017August 30, 2018 / crmullen / Leave a comment

“The king sleeps still, under a mountain , and around him is assembled
his warriors and his herds and his riches. By his right hand is his cup,
filled with possibility. On his breast nestles his sword, waiting, too, to wake.
Fortunate is the soul who finds the king and is brave enough to call him to wakefulness, for the king will grant him a favour, as wondrous as can be imagined by a mortal man.”

This book was weird. Weird in a good way, mind you. It was wholly original, had an interesting cast of misfit characters, and was a wonderful mash-up of genres. I wasn’t sure what to think at first, but by the end, I was completely invested in the story and jonzing for more!

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