BOOKS I READ IN JUNE
June wasn't the best reading month for me. I felt like I didn't spend a lot of time reading in June, partly because my manager asked me at the last minute to paint a mural on one of the walls at work so that took up five days. Three days designing and sourcing the paint and two-night shifts painting it. Thank the deities that the art store that I frequent opened the day before I started painting. My body hated me for about a week afterward. Painting on airport style steps is not recommended. You would think that that would be a perfect reading excuse; just lounge about reading because my knees and back weren't up to doing much. Nope. I was too exhausted so I ended up falling asleep. A lot.
I also took two weeks off from work. I was meant to be on holiday for those two weeks but that was all canceled gracias a COVID-19 but I took the leave anyway. During that fortnight, I started work on a big digital art project that I had been planning for months. Every waking moment, I was painting on my iPad Air in Procreate. The only time I stopped painting was to let the iPad charge and to spend a day vegging in-front of Disney+ watching 'The Making of Frozen 2', 'Frozen 2' and 'Hamilton.' All of which were epic. As a result, I found little time for reading. I wanted to read, I just found myself itching to paint on my iPad.
I also took two weeks off from work. I was meant to be on holiday for those two weeks but that was all canceled gracias a COVID-19 but I took the leave anyway. During that fortnight, I started work on a big digital art project that I had been planning for months. Every waking moment, I was painting on my iPad Air in Procreate. The only time I stopped painting was to let the iPad charge and to spend a day vegging in-front of Disney+ watching 'The Making of Frozen 2', 'Frozen 2' and 'Hamilton.' All of which were epic. As a result, I found little time for reading. I wanted to read, I just found myself itching to paint on my iPad.
(CARVE THE MARK BOOK I)
AUTHOR: VERONICA ROTH
GENRE: FANTASY
RATING: ✦✦✦✧✧
This book could have been something special in someone else's hands and for a different demographic. I think that the Young Adult labelled really inhibited what this story could have been. It has Cyra who has a gift that leaver her in constant pain but she can also transfer that pain to someone else, much to her tyrannical brother's glee because he can use her powers to torture his prisoners. In an Adult book, this would have been capitalised upon by her brother but I feel that it somehow held back on the potential of this. It felt to me as if the story had its arm tied behind its back.
For the most part, the book was enjoyable. It moved at a decent pace, the characters seemed interesting. The world was a little confusing at times. I felt that some things were not explained in a good way. The 'sojourn' tradition was confusing and still was not clear to me when I read book two.
I will say that the dual narratives were a little off-putting and this continues on into the sequel. Cyra's chapters are all told from the first-person perspective whereas Akos' chapters were told from the third-person perspective. It was a little off-putting especially since Akos' chapters seemed to have the most colloquial language. It annoyed to life out of me when his chapters would have 'for a tick', 'for a tick', 'for a tick' in practically every chapter. I know that it is a measure of time, particularly on this world, but in book 2, it is said to be a colloquial term so I would've expected it to have been in Cyra's chapters rather that those belonging to Akos. It was a small thing that really annoyed me.
THE FATES DIVIDE
(CARVE THE MARK BOOK II)
AUTHOR: VERONICA ROTH
GENRE: FANTASY
RATING: DNF @ pg. 158
This book was boring. It was boring. I went straight from book one into book two and I hoped that that momentum would carry through. It did not. It carried for about 20 pages and then stopped because then it concentrated on making sure that Cyra and Akos could have uninterrupted sex. That's where I felt like this series really suffered from its YA label. It reminded me of the beginning of 'Muse of Nightmares' by Laini Taylor; the start of it was a lot of heavy petting between Sarai and Lazlo. It felt completely out of place and unnecessarily. Yes, I understand that they're the romantic leads of the story but it was not necessary for them to be stealing time in a small ship to get a little frisky.
The book also introduced two more narrative perspectives; Akos' sister Cisi and his brother, Eijeh. Cisi's chapters were in the first person POV as were Eijeh's but were from a strange tense. It felt rather disjointed to have another perspective being in the first person when another of the main chapters were still in the third-person. I did not like that. As I previously said, the book was just boring. I found my mind wandering as I read practically every sentence. I ended up googling what happened at the end and I can honestly say that I don't regret quitting this book.
FURYBORN
(EMPIRIUM BOOK I)
AUTHOR: CLAIRE LEGRAND
GENRE: FANTASY
RATING: ✦✦✦✧✧
I picked this up immediately after quitting 'The Fates Divide' and it was initially just the tonic that I needed. I love the whole premise of this book. I found the characters to be intriguing and the world to be interesting. I liked Rielle determination and Eliana''s fierceness in the face of danger. They were very strong characters and I enjoyed going on their journey with them.
I will say that I called the twist (if you could call it that) very early on. I don't know if that was meant to happen. Usually, I'm useless at figuring out the twist in stories. In Furyborn, I figured it out before page 100. This is a 500 page back. It's not a great twist if I can figure it out that early.
Additionally, there were times where the narrative was very clunky; I couldn't quite follow to action 100% of the time. It became confusing. I wasn't entirely sure that Legrand adequately explained everything within her world. There was a moment when the characters were on what I assumed to be an ice-sheet but then they were suddenly on an iceberg. That left me perplexed. When did that happen? It jarred me right out of the world and I had to find my way back in. Those moments were major stumbling blocks and interrupted the action. Plus, the sex scene was just cringe-worthy. I don't mind a sex scene as long as it is well written and it's representative of what actually happens during sex and not a scene straight out of a porn movie. What guy talks that much during sex?
All in all, I enjoyed it but I felt that it fell to the 'YA' label a little bit, just like 'Carve the Mark.' I'm not sure if I will continue on with the trilogy. I didn't feel invested enough in the characters or that I cared enough to see what will happen to them next. Who knows? Maybe one day, I'll continue with it. It just won't be immediately.
THE HERO OF AGES
(MISTBORN BOOK 3)
AUTHOR: BRANDON SANDERSON
GENRE: FANTASY
RATING: ✦✦✦✦✧
***AUDIOBOOK
I have absolutely loved the entire Mistborn series. I adore Vin, I adore the world, I adore the political intrigue and I have loved every development that has beseeched our favourite characters. It's been a wild ride and I have listened to it all on audiobook. I have loved Michael Kramer's voice acting and narration throughout this trilogy.
That being said, I feel like the audiobooks are probably where my enjoyment of the series slacked. Don't get me wrong, the audiobooks were fabulous, but you really need to concentrate on them or you'll be lost in a matter of seconds. I was listening to the audiobooks at work or when going for a jog outside or the treadmill. The downside to all of those places is noise; machine noise, colleague noise, traffic noise, and general internal monologue noise. Sometimes my concentration just wasn't what it needed to be and as a result, I lost track of what was happening. Yes, I could have gone back 30 seconds or however long I needed, but there were only so many times that same thirty seconds can be disturbed before you give up and move on.
Nevertheless, The Hero of Ages was a surprising conclusion to this original trilogy. I was surprised by the choices that Brandon Sanderson made with his characters and with what happened to the world as a whole. It was satisfying. I think that I would definitely read the books physically if I wanted to read the series again and probably continue on with the physical books. The audiobooks definitely made the series and the magic of this world less intimidating. I was scared to start this series because I was intimidated by the magic system that has been raved about on Book-Tube and Book-stagram. I will say this, though, Kramer should not emphasise the elemental 'push' of a metal. He did an odd emphasis on that word when in the heat of battle and all it did was make me think that he was telling a woman in labour to bear down and push. Not a great mental image when I'm supposed to be imagining Vin flying through the air.
I only got to 4 of the books that I had set aside for my June TBR. I didn't even begin to translate anything from 'Caramelos de Café'. I did read the first two chapters of 'A Court of Mist and Fury,' which I did enjoy but when you get the first sex scene within 20 pages, it makes me wonder what is in the rest of the book. I know that ACOMAF is a firm favourite amongst readers so I'm holding my hopes high for it nevertheless.
I will say that I called the twist (if you could call it that) very early on. I don't know if that was meant to happen. Usually, I'm useless at figuring out the twist in stories. In Furyborn, I figured it out before page 100. This is a 500 page back. It's not a great twist if I can figure it out that early.
Additionally, there were times where the narrative was very clunky; I couldn't quite follow to action 100% of the time. It became confusing. I wasn't entirely sure that Legrand adequately explained everything within her world. There was a moment when the characters were on what I assumed to be an ice-sheet but then they were suddenly on an iceberg. That left me perplexed. When did that happen? It jarred me right out of the world and I had to find my way back in. Those moments were major stumbling blocks and interrupted the action. Plus, the sex scene was just cringe-worthy. I don't mind a sex scene as long as it is well written and it's representative of what actually happens during sex and not a scene straight out of a porn movie. What guy talks that much during sex?
All in all, I enjoyed it but I felt that it fell to the 'YA' label a little bit, just like 'Carve the Mark.' I'm not sure if I will continue on with the trilogy. I didn't feel invested enough in the characters or that I cared enough to see what will happen to them next. Who knows? Maybe one day, I'll continue with it. It just won't be immediately.
(MISTBORN BOOK 3)
AUTHOR: BRANDON SANDERSON
GENRE: FANTASY
RATING: ✦✦✦✦✧
***AUDIOBOOK
I have absolutely loved the entire Mistborn series. I adore Vin, I adore the world, I adore the political intrigue and I have loved every development that has beseeched our favourite characters. It's been a wild ride and I have listened to it all on audiobook. I have loved Michael Kramer's voice acting and narration throughout this trilogy.
That being said, I feel like the audiobooks are probably where my enjoyment of the series slacked. Don't get me wrong, the audiobooks were fabulous, but you really need to concentrate on them or you'll be lost in a matter of seconds. I was listening to the audiobooks at work or when going for a jog outside or the treadmill. The downside to all of those places is noise; machine noise, colleague noise, traffic noise, and general internal monologue noise. Sometimes my concentration just wasn't what it needed to be and as a result, I lost track of what was happening. Yes, I could have gone back 30 seconds or however long I needed, but there were only so many times that same thirty seconds can be disturbed before you give up and move on.
Nevertheless, The Hero of Ages was a surprising conclusion to this original trilogy. I was surprised by the choices that Brandon Sanderson made with his characters and with what happened to the world as a whole. It was satisfying. I think that I would definitely read the books physically if I wanted to read the series again and probably continue on with the physical books. The audiobooks definitely made the series and the magic of this world less intimidating. I was scared to start this series because I was intimidated by the magic system that has been raved about on Book-Tube and Book-stagram. I will say this, though, Kramer should not emphasise the elemental 'push' of a metal. He did an odd emphasis on that word when in the heat of battle and all it did was make me think that he was telling a woman in labour to bear down and push. Not a great mental image when I'm supposed to be imagining Vin flying through the air.
I only got to 4 of the books that I had set aside for my June TBR. I didn't even begin to translate anything from 'Caramelos de Café'. I did read the first two chapters of 'A Court of Mist and Fury,' which I did enjoy but when you get the first sex scene within 20 pages, it makes me wonder what is in the rest of the book. I know that ACOMAF is a firm favourite amongst readers so I'm holding my hopes high for it nevertheless.
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