The Bookbabe Reviews: Queen of Shadows (Throne of Glass 4) by Sara J. Maas

                                    

*****(This review contains no spoilers)******

Finally I have finished Queen of Shadows; I honestly do not know what took mw to long. Especially since I really loved the book. In Maas tome we return to the Kingdom of Adarlan after Celaena aka Aelin  (Queen of Terrasen) has been training and honing her magic far away from the magic striped Adarlan. In this book Aelin is very changed, not at all like who she was in the first three books. She comes back to Adarlan to over throw the King and restore magic. She also needs to right a few wrongs and get revenge for a death. When Aelin enters the Kingdom of Adarlan she finds out that her cousin, General Aedion, is set to be executed by the King. That Chaol has left the Kings service after Dorian revealed his magic; and that Dorian is now enslaved and possessed with the spirit of a Valg Prince. Chaol (one of my favorite characters in the series) has become hard. He is still as loyal as ever but he does not know what to make of Aelin. She has lied to him in the past because of their past Aelin also can not trust him. She wants to; and in some way it seems that she wants for him to have missed her. But when she sees how her interacts with fellow rebel, Nesryn, she knows that Chaol has moved on. They both come to the agreement that it will be easier to work together to free Aedion and to make things right in the Kingdom. 

The part of the story that I found the most intriguing pertained to the witches, Manon and the Blackbeck Clan. They took a larger role in this book. Which is exactly what I was hoping. We finally get a little more information on their motivations and we slowly start to see them evolve. We see that Manon is more than what her grandmother (matron witch) hopes that she is. We see her kindness in her shielding of Elide Lochan. What I ca not wait to see is what will become of her attraction of Dorian; this was a particular turn of events that had me scratching my head. Also, I found myself during parts of this book doubting Rowan and his true feelings for Aelin. Of course all of this is explained but there is still some "mystery" around him. Also, it feels like their may be a storm brewing for them in an upcoming book. I feel like their relationship will be used against them in some way. 

Favorite Scene: Abroynn finally getting whats coming to him, and at the hands of someone other than Aelin. Someone that he seemed to like to use as a pawn in his twisted games with Aelin. 

Favorite Quote: 

"Tell me what I must do to atone; tell me to crawl over hot coals, to sleep on a bed of nails, to carve up my flesh. Say the word, and it is done. But let me care for you as I once did, before...before that madness poisoned my heart. Punish me, torture me, wreck me, but let me help you. Do this mall thing for me - and let me lay the world at your feet"

"When you shatter the chains of this world and forge the next, remember that art is as vital as food to a kingdom. Without it, a kingdom is nothing, and will be forgotten in time"

"What was it like? To love." (Manon)

"It was like dying a little everyday. It was like being alive, too. It was joy so complete it was like pain. It destroyed me and unmade me and forged me. It hated it, because I knew I couldn't escape it, and knew it would forever change me" (Asterin) 

"She was death, devourer of worlds" 

"You make me want to live, too, Aelin Galathynius. Not exsist - but live. I spent centuries wandering the world, from empires to kingdoms to wastelands, never settling, never stopping - not for one moment. I was always looking toward the horizon, always wondering what waited across the next ocean, over the next mountain. But I think...I think that whole time, all those centuries, I was just looking for you"

 

The Awesome August Book Photo Challenge Day 16: Favorite Fandoms

Anyone can betray anyone.....The Bookbabe Review of Red Queen by Victoria Averyard

The Bookbabe Reviews: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

What can say about this book? Well, at first I had a very difficult time getting used to the writing style. And honestly for the life of me I just couldn't get into it. I kind of chalked it up to the fact that I started with the audiobook. Which was beyond dry. After I ditched that I had no problem getting into the story. Mare (our main character) lives in a society that is divided by the types of blood you are born with. Your either a red or a sliver. Red's are neither special or talented. Sliver's are special, considered talented and have special gifts. Both are factions are ruled over by a cruel king and his family. Mare does not really think about them much; in fact she has never even seen the royals. It is not until she breaks curfew to steal a few things to help out a friend that she  meets a handsome young man that will change everything. Due to an uprising in the slivers precious town several Red's are attacked and Mare's little sister is hurt in the process. This leads to Mare being "arrested"; and this is when all hell starts to break loose and things get interesting fast. This is where I could give you lots of juicy spoilers but I am not that type of reviewer (as you well know), so on to what I loved about the book. What I found most intriguing about the book was that there were some hints as to who might just betray Mare. She was duped right up until the end and honestly I was hoping that it was not the person it was. Also, I see a different love triangle emerging and I am hoping that the handsome strange I mentioned earlier wins Mare's affections. Of course I have to wait until February 2016 for the next installment in the series. All in all I give the book four stars.

Who would I recommend it to: Fans of Hunger Games and the Throne of Glass Series

Quotes I loved: 

"Revolutions need a spark....and even sparks burn" - Julian to Mare

"The truth doesn't matter. It only matters what the people believe."

"I am finally leaning my lesson. Anyone can betray anyone."

For more reviews feel free to follow me at www.delawarebookaddict.blogspot.com

*photo is by epic reads, not my own*

The Bookbabe Reviews: Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

Okay, this books finally chapters had me on twitter asking Sarah J. Maas to consider moving up the publication date of the next book (which is slated to come out in September). So much happened in this book that kept me up nights trying to get to the next chapter. So in this book we find Celanea in Wendlyn trying to gain intel in the royal family so that she can warn them about the King of Adarlan. She doesn't get to accomplish this mission because she ends up running into Rowan; a Fae male warrior and Prince that comes looking for her. He takes her to Mistward a fortess full on Demi Fae where she comes to meet her Aunt Maeve, Queen of the Fae. Celaena only agrees to come because she needs information about the Wyrdkeys and how she can find and destory them. Along the way we see Celaena fight her way through her grief as she deals with the lost of Nehemia. We  also get to know Rowan a little better; at first he is very aloof and keeps Celaena at arms length. But, by the end of the book things has changed. He has sworned to protect her and I think there may be something else growing there too. (Though they are distant cousins and that would be rather strange if anything does happen). There are a few things that I loved about this installment into the series. First, we get to meet some new and very interesting characters such as Manon Blackbeak and her 13. These witches are badass. These women live to be ruthless and cunning and are raised to believe that they where born without a heart of soul. We also meet Aedion Ashryver, who is a relative of Celaena's and is as loyal to the King as he would like some in the court to believe. Second, we also get to see Dorian come into his own and that comes in part with him actually accepting who he is and with his new found love Sorscha. I was really rooting for this couple but, wow oh wow how the King set them up. The last few chapters of the book really had me wanting to cry and scream and oh the feels. Last but not least; we get some deeper insights into the deaths of Celaen's parents. We also get a glimpse at King of Adarlan before the end of magic in their lands. We find out that he may have some power of his own and not power that was bought on from the ring that he wears. I am hoping that my theory about him is correct and that there is more to him than meets the eye. All I can say is that the next installment of this series can not come soon enough. My over all rating for this book is 5 stars; it more than exceeds my expectations for the third book in a series. It is one of the best sequels I have read in some time.

Quotes I loved: 

Quote:

"There were cells in the bowels of the mines that they  used to punish slaves. Cells so dark you would wake up in them and think you'd been blinded. They locked me in there sometimes - once for three weeks straight. And the only thing that got me through it was reminding myself of my name, over and over and over again - I am Celaena Sardothien......Celaena Who did not fear or despair, Celaena who was a weapon honed by death"

Quote: "It would not take a monster to destroy a monster - but light, light to drive out darkness.

Quote:

"All I want is for my people to be free and my queen restored to her throne" (Aedion)

"They Burned the antler throne, Aedion. There is no throne for her"

"Then I will build one myself from the bones of our enemies"

For more Bookbabe reviews please continue to follow me at www.delawarebookaddict.blogpost.com and www.facebook.com/thebookbabeofde.

The Bookbabe Reviews.....Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas (Throne of Glass #2)

Sarah J. Maas is at it again; I am completely in awe of how she weaves
a tale. The Crown of Midnight is the second book in the Throne of
Glass series. As many of my followers know I read the first book
Throne of Glass last year and was blown away by it. Maas contiunes to
expand on Celanea's story and there are so many twist and turns that I
don't even know where to start. Well, the love story that emerges
between Celaena and Chaol is beautiful and sweet but it takes a
dramatic turn after the death of a beloved character. Though, I think
that they will get back together I do see that it will take a lot of
time. Also, finally Prince Dorian seems to be ready to let Celaena go;
but after discovering that he has magic (its been banned from the
realm for almost ten years) he mistakenly ends up confiding in her and
this only deepens their friendship. We finally get to meet the
memebers heading up the resistance against the King; however, they are
a scandalous and disgusting bunch. I was really taken a back by the
way things went down. It was unexpected to say the least. The fact
that more and more of Celaena's past is finally popping up means that
there is more and more danger up head in the next few books. We
finally find out who Celaena is thanks to Chaol's sudden interest in
finding out what she's hiding. Once he puts two and two together and
with the final scene between them we finally find out that Celaena
always knew who she was. Now Chaol has to decide where his loyalites
really lie. I can honestly say that this book was amazeballs. I have
never been so interested in a fanasty novel in my life. Celaena
continues to be the kick butt, strong female lead that a lot of us
have been looking for for a long time. I really not not wait to see
what happens in Heir of Fire.

Favorite Quote:
" I worry because I care. Gods help me, I know I shouldn't, but I do.
So I will always tell you to be careful, because I will always care
what happens" Chaol to Celaena.

Overall rating: 5 Stars

The Bookbabe 2014 Wrap - Up!

As this year comes to a close a it dawns on me that a lot happened.  Personally I was thrown a few things that could have been considered heart breaking and that made me question my faith and my trust in people; but, I came out all the better for it. As far as the Bookbabe of Delaware is concerned so many things happened. I reached 1349 followers on Tumblr, had some shout outs of authors on twitter and started receiving books from some amazing publishing houses. Among them Kensington, Random House and Thomas Nelson; and independent publisher Poison Press. Only thing that I regret is that I did not read a many books as I really wanted to and my blogger account suffered because of it. In 2015, I will be ramping up my reading so that I can review as many books as possible. In 2014, I read several books that I really loved and started a few series that I can not wait to finish. Here is a list of my five favorite books that I read/reviewed this year and all of these reviews can be found on my goodreads profile (which will be linked below).

1) The Night Eternal by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan; the conclusion to one of the best series I have ever read. I will say that I did find this book very predictable but  the ending was indeed very unexpected and very sad.

2) Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1) by Sarah J. Maas; oh my gosh, Celaena is one of the best female characters that I have read in sometime. She has her vulnerable side but she is one kick butt chic. Sarah J. Maas also is an amazing world builder. This book was all you could ask for in a fantasy adventure. It has it all from a tyrannical ruler, assassins, princes and princesses from far way lands etc. I would definitely read these in 2015 if I were you; if you don't you will really be missing out.

3) The Demonologist by Andew Pyper; one of the best thrillers/mysteries that I have ever read. Pyper's books are always surprising, fun and quick reads. This book also set my on an obsession with books about books. This is definitely a book I will be recommending to friends and family during the next year.

4) Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson; I found this beautiful gem in Barnes and Noble over the summer and since I wanted an Austen like read I decided to try it and I was not disappointed. It was a beautifully written "proper" romance that did not contain any sex. (Yes in romances that can be done.) I really hope that Ms. Donaldson writes another proper romance of this kind; I am definitely a fan of her work. 

5) Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare; this is the final book to the Infernal Devices series. It was so beautifully written and so wonderful. I was really happy with how everything was wrapped up for all of the characters. I also loved that we see to of the characters in this series cross over to the last book of the City of Heavenly Fire. 

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Tea + Books = Hot Date...Here are some of the teas that I love to drink while reading

We can all agree that tea and books just go hand and hand. I really love a great cup of tea while reading; in fact I have more than my fair share of tea mugs. (And honestly, if I bring anymore home I think my roommate with kill me). So here are a list of  top six teas that I love...attached with the name of a few books that I read while drinking them.

1) Blueberry Black Tea from The Spice and Tea Exchange (this one is pricey it starts at $5.49) - I drank this while reading Clockwork Princess (The Infernal Devices # 3) by Cassandra Clare and City of Heavenly Fire (The Mortal Instruments #6) also by Cassandra Clare.

2) Berry Boutique Tea (an herbal tea) from The Spice and Tea Exchange (also prices at $5.49) - I drank this one a lot over ice this summer while finishing The Night Eternal by Chuck Hogan and Gulliermo Del Toro. This tea was a nice pairing to this vampire novel. 

3) Tazo Zen (a green tea); I usually pick this up from Target for about three of so dollars. (You can usually catch these on sale). This tea is by far one of my faves to sip on while reading and is my go to tea. I drank this rather heavily while reading Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson. It was an amazing pairing to this really light hearted romance.

4) Tazo Earl Grey (a black tea); this one of the strongest Earl Grey's I have ever had. I needed way to much sugar and honey with just a little lemon. Earl grey was an amazing pairing to Johannes Cabal the Necromancer by Jonathan Howard. That book was dark, moody and had a lot of dry British wit. I see me reading the rest of the series with this tea on the nightstand.

5) Cranberry Apple Tart from The Spice and Tea Exchange (this one is also priced at $5.49); it was one of those teas that I drank while reading Jesus wants to save the Christians by Rob Bell. This tea was just perfect and mellow and wonderful for fall (which is when I read this book). Its a nice tea to just sit back and sip and reflect on the beauty of your surroundings. 

6) Tazo Pumpkin Chai; the first time I saw these in store was just this summer/fall. I drank this one a lot while reading Throne of Glass by Sarah Maas. It was nice and spicy much like Celaena (the main character of the series).

You can purchase these teas at www.tazo.com or www.spiceandtea.com

Throne of Glass By Sarah J. Maas; a review by the Bookbabe of Delaware

            The beginning of this book brings us to the salt mines of Endovier as the crown prince of Adarlan; Dorian, is coming to retrieve the self proclaimed assassin of Adarlan; Celaena Sardothien. Celanea is told that she will be competing in a competition to become the kings champion; his assassin. Celaena at first is not happy about the competition because the king is a tyrant; at the kings hand anyone practicing magic has either been killed or driven into hiding. The king is also interested in taking over all the kingdom’s around him. While competing in the championship several of the champions begin to die off; and in very horrific ways. It seems like a beast of some sort is loose in the castle and that magic may be what is helping this beast evade detection. This leads Celaena to start investigating the symbols that are left behind at the scene; this in itself is dangerous because if she is caught with knowledge of this kind of magic should could be killed and implicated in the murders of her fellow champions. Celaena begins to suspect Princess Nehemia Yteger of Eyllwe; who knows about the Wyrdmarks and who may even know how to use them. Of course, by the end of the story we know exactly who was yielding the Wyrdmarks  and we even get a glimpse behind who really sit it all in motion. However, the why is still up in the air. So on to book two we go.

What I Loved about this book:

            What I enjoyed most about this book is that the love story took second place to everything else and it also took some time before it launched. Dorian, of course, is the natural on to root for but I (of course) am rooting for Chaol Westfall (the underdog). I also really loved that Celaena was very no nonsense and did not play the victim at anytime through the story. Of course, we see her vulnerable side because she is far from weak and is a fighter. And for the first time in a long time she is a female character that I really find myself loving. The book also has another strong female character in Nehemia Ytger (the Princess of Eyllwe); she was a little bit of a mystery as the story went on and I cannot wait to see what Maas does with her in the rest of the series. Another things to love about this book is the action; there is enough of it that you will never get bored.

What I didn’t like about the book but….:

            What I found a little grating about the book was that it started out a little slow and the first champion did not die for some time. I will chalk this up to the authors need to really build the characters and get the reader invested in the story and to get them to fall for the characters. I know that some authors just rush into the things and the reader can be left thinking “what the hell did I just read” (or at least I have had that issue). Maas character development really is what I loved so much about the book. I feel very happy with the way the first book wrapped up and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Favorite Quotes:

“You could rattle the stars," she whispered. "You could do anything, if only you dared. And deep down, you know it, too. That’s what scares you most.” – Queen Elena to Celaena

“My name is Celaena Sardothien. But it makes no difference if my name's Celaena or Lillian or Bitch, because I'd still beat you, no matter what you call me.” – Celanea to Cain during their duel.

“No. I can survive well enough on my own— if given the proper reading material.”  - Celanea

My latest book purchases....book 2

This book has been on my goodreads to read list (and to buy list) for quiet sometime; I finally got around to buying it today on my trip to Barnes and Noble. The book is the first in a series; it's a Young adult fantasy novel....well here is the synopsis.

From www.amazon.com

In a land without magic, where the king rules with an iron hand, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She comes not to kill the king, but to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she is released from prison to serve as the king's champion. Her name is Celaena Sardothien. 

The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. But something evil dwells in the castle of glass--and it's there to kill. When her competitors start dying one by one, Celaena's fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival, and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world.