Cassie James's Blog: Itz All About Books!! - Posts Tagged "light"

Shattered Worlds by J.L. Weil

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Review for Curse Breaker (A Kingdom of Runes #1) by Audrey Grey.



Curse Breaker by Audrey Grey is absolutely one of the best books I have ever read. I knew it would be good just from the synopsis but it was very much better than I expected. The MC (Main Character) Haven draws you in from the very beginning, Her tale will clutch your heart with an unbreakable grip. Haven is a badass brilliant female warrior who is the companion Guard of the Prince of Penryth, Bellamy. She is indebted to him because he saved her from harm in the past. This lead to her pledging her life towards protecting him.
On his Runeday, the day he's meant to be tested for magical powers that he might have (Though it's been a long long time since the Royal families has produced any magical heir). Unfortunately for him, due to some certain circumstances magic is revealed to have come from him. As is their custom in Penryth, any Royal offspring revealed to possess magic is then sent to the Shadow Queen for his or her magic to be extracted in mostly painful ways. The Shadow Queen is a blight upon the mortal lands because due to betrayal from the hands of a mortal, She casts a terrible curse on all mortals lands that greatly decreased their numbers and left their empires in ruin. The Shadow Queen rules the Netherworld (Which Bell is subsequently taken to after being abducted by the Shadow Lord (The Queen's Son-In-Law) and his goons) with her Shadowlings (Which are basically monstrous shadows made flesh, Think of all the worst possible monsters a twisted mind could conjure). Haven determined to save her Prince no matter what, embarks on a quest to save him from certain death. Her path aligns with that of an immortal Sun Lord (Archeron who is bound to the king and tasked by the king to find his son) who wields light magic and his band of merry men/women (OK they're technically more awesome than that and are also immortals with various powers that could smite dozens of villages). She often clashes with Archie (I LOVE calling him that) because of their VERY different point of views. She's impulsive and stubborn while he's more cautious, Oh and there's the fact that he harbors some hatred towards mortals. These two have chemistry that's off the charts, their banters are wildly amusing and their relationship blossoms in many intriguing ways. Who wouldn't love a guy that says this:
“Don’t let anyone dim your fire. Instead, burn and burn like the sun, like you were meant to, until you set the world ablaze.”

During the course of their perilous journey, a lot of revelations are made. One of the most important being Haven having magic and not just any magic but a combination of both dark and light. Mastering these peculiar powers of hers might just be the key to figuring out a way to break the Curse and freeing Bell from the clutch of the menacing Shadow Queen. Haven is seriously one of the best characters I've EVER (and I really mean that) read about. Yes she can be impulsive and a little bit crazy sometimes but that's part of who she is and she has so many other great qualities that just makes me love her. There's also the fact that she's crazily skilled with her majestic bow and arrows and she's pretty slick with a knife too. Her devotion towards Bellamy and her goodness after the terrible things she went through as a child are also admirable traits she has. The mystery of exactly who she is and what exactly she can do is one that greatly excited me and slowly unveiling the web surrounding it was very satisfying. Bell is also not to be left out, He also has a similarly intriguing journey though not as crazy as Haven's but no less dangerous combined with the fact that his days were literally numbered. He is dumped in Spirefall (The nasty lair of the Shadow Queen and no I will not call that monstrous nightmare inducing hulking structure Castle.) after his capture. He befriends a hooded creature (Who is half human and half reptilian (a doing of the villainous Shadow Queen Morgryth) and the very mortal prince who made Morgryth be brutal) there due to a tentative connection they seem to share. Their friendship blossoms into love and many interesting details about the past were revealed. Their relationship is literally a beauty and the beast situation but the live between the two guys is so deep and I liked the little twists here and there.
The writing of this book is just so phenomenal and lush, the words are so brilliantly crafted it all flows smoothly. The creativity and ingenuity of the author is to be commended. The worldbuilding is also a big deal, from the mortal lands of Eritrayia to the Ruinlands/The Shadow Kingdom/Netherworld to Effendier, Solaris, Asharia etc. The world is one big globe but at no point does it feel overstuffed, the reader will eased into it slowly and gently. The magic in the book is so good and very original, I enjoyed every single aspect of it. There are so many characters everyone can relate to, One of the strengths of the book is its diverse set of characters. The cast is long so I can't tell about all of them but I assure you they ARE awesome. The ending was thankfully not a dreadful cliffhanger but it's excitingly explosive in a way that leaves me excited for what's next for Haven and the family (Yup these guys are family to me especially after what we've gone through).
Audrey Grey is a genius storyteller that has woven a witty tale of magic, adventure, action, romance and danger. I recommend Curse Breaker to anyone looking for that next great read, you won't be disappointed.

P.S: That cover is simply divine.

P.P.S: I just want to say I feel really passionate about this book if you can't tell from my ridiculous rambling above, I truly believe there are no words I can use to do justice for just how good this book is.
P.P.P.S: Can't wait to read other books in this box set.



View all my reviews

Blackout: The Color Alchemist Book Three by Nina Walker

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Blackout is splendid, addicting and so freaking good. Nina Walker unleashed her magic in full, this series keeps getting better and better. After the magnificence that was Fracture, she delivered another brilliant sequel.
Blackout deals with the aftermath of the failed raid on the King. Sasha is the tortured prisoner of the sadistic and tightly wound up Faulk (Seriously even Yoga can't help her black soul). Jessa is ever the dutiful yet toeing the line of rebellion Princess to be. Now that King Richard had leverage on her in the form of her father and Sasha, He eventually learned the base of the Resistance. Luckily the crafty rebels had hightailed it out of their camp.
Things between Lucas and Jessa is as tense and broken as ever, the betrayal of her trust is something that is almost insurmountable.
Lucas realises he might have lost her finally, to get a chance at redemption, he makes noble moves in many different ways that might endear her to him further.
Sasha eventually escapes the torturous existence of being Faulk's prisoner with a little help from a white knight. She reunites with the Resistance in West America but life there isn't as rosy as it should be. She's treated like a pariah due to the fear of Alchemists, She's separated from her family and the rest of the Resistance (especially Tristan) for her own 'safety'. Making things worse is the fact that she has to stay with the deliciously and sinfully tempting Mastin in his family home.
Jessa has to survive in the palace while she decides which final step she will take as it can change her future and the fate of New Colony.
Lucas has to prove to himself and Jessa that he's different from his father while also dodging numerous assassination attempts on his life.
Sasha has to prove herself indispensable to West America as an asset in the coming war with New Colony while deflecting hostility from everywhere and fighting her dangerous attraction to Mastin.
I loved the pace of Blackout, it made it so nice to devour. The placing of various plot points is perfect and the action is as amped up as ever.
I still love the ingenious magic as much as ever.
It has everything that made the series one of my favorite, magic, danger, action, love, humor, tension and yes heartbreak.
The ending is a massive cliffhanger/mystery, If it's true, I will probably freak out. But I loved Blackout totally.
I can happily recommend it to fantasy fans and lovers of the series as it doesn't disappoint.

P.S: King Richard is still as abominable as ever with his nasty machinations.
Also that cover is just divine.



View all my reviews

Chosen Champion by Elise Kova

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Chosen Champion is wonderful!! A feeling of wonder never left me all through reading this book.
While Vortex Vision re-introduced/remade the Air Awakens World, Chosen Champion is a brilliant and dashing adventure that kept me turning the pages eagerly.
Continuing from where the previous book left off, Crown Princess Vi is still working on her magic with her fated companion Taavin while working hard to figure out the location of the next Apex to explore.
The fate of the world still hangs in balance as the Dark God increases in strength, and the White Death spreads across the Solaris empire swiftly.
Elise Kova brilliantly made the tone of this book fun and fast paced despite the very heavy things thee characters have to deal with.
Vi's journey leads her to a nice yet awkward reunion to her mother (My dear Vhalla!!) and her twin brother (Who I love so dearly, especially his relationship with Andru!).
Desperate to save her father and hopefully put an end to the White Death, Vi flees from her family and their army.
On the way to Meru with the steadfast Jayme to find her father and meet Taavin, Vi gets a lot more than she bargained for!.
A thrilling adventure involving many interesting characters, both new and old, learning of many dangerous secrets, a treacherous journey at sea and a grand betrayal.
The ending has me looking forward to what's next, it's not particularly cliffy but it'll certainly keep you thirsting for book 3.
With Chosen Champion, Elise Kova has yet again impressed with her vivid imagination and sense of adventure and the characters transcends their bounds into something unknown.


P.S: Vi and Taavin keep getting cuter! Like I am so loving their journey towards each other.



View all my reviews