Mini Reviews: A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas, The Rose and the Dagger by Renee Ahdieh, and The Crown's Game by Evelyn Skye

Title: A Court of Mist and Fury
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Series: A Court of Thorns and Roses
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens
Release Date: May 3, 2016

Review

My oh my. I feel like I need an ice cold bath and a nap after every SJMaas book I finish. Her books take me on such an emotional roller coaster and they keep getting steamier and steamier! For those who’ve read her Throne of Glass series, I would say that ACOMAF is similar to Heir of Fire in feel such that it is very character-driven and full of changes. Feyre is going through an incredibly transitional period in her life as she recovers from all that she endured Under the Mountain and adapts to her new life. Since I’ve come to care for her in the first book, my heart went out to her, which made her transformation all the more rewarding. She was always fierce, but now she is fierce in a whole new way. While ACOTAR took place predominantly in the Spring Court, ACOMAF takes place mostly in the Night Court. I loved deepening relationships with old characters (ahem RHYSAND ahem), meeting new characters, and exploring more of this world that SJMaas brilliantly crafted. And there was plenty that happened to set up what I’m sure will be one hell of a next book. Of course, I need it now.

Title: The Rose and the Dagger
Author: Renee Ahdieh
Series: The Wrath and the Dawn #2
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers
Release Date: April 26, 2016

Review

*Happy sigh* This conclusion was everything I had hoped it would be and more. It was just as beautifully written, suspenseful, romantic and magical as the first one, if not more so. And I felt that the story had a strong focus on love and forgiveness which I really appreciated. It picks up right where The Wrath and The Dawn left off and expands the world considerably. Yet everything is still wrapped up nicely in the end. Shazi learns quite a few new things about herself and I enjoyed watching her develop her talents, even though it was only a small portion of the story. Most of the story was focused on breaking the curse and saving Khorasan. And while Shazi and Khalid are still the shining stars of this series, there were so many secondary characters that stepped into the limelight. One of which I particularly loves getting to know was Shazi's younger sister, Irsa who grew into quite the young woman. Everything about this book was wonderful.

Title: The Crown's Game
Author: Evelyn Skye
Series: The Crown's Game #1
Publisher: Balzery & Bray
Release Date: May 17, 2016

Review

I had so much fun reading this one… until the ending at which point all I could do was cry! The premise of two magical people competing for a place of power, with only one being able to survive, might not sound like such a novel idea. Variations of this type of story have obviously been done before. And probably 9 times out of 10, the two competitors fall in love because what a convenient layer of complexity that adds! BUT what made this book unique was the historical Russian setting and the magic that was performed, which was intricately woven into the setting and very beautiful. And who cares if the basic plotline isn’t new, it was still fun! I liked the characters and I thought their attraction to each other was sweet, even if it could’ve used more time to develop. I loved the playfulness with which they competed. And I loved the emotional turmoil they each underwent for being torn between wanting to win and not wanting to hurt the other. BUT I DID NOT LOVE THAT ENDING. I stared gape-mouthed at the end of this book not wanting to believe what I just read. I need the next book now because I need this to be fixed! And I want more magical fun.:)

The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

Title: The Wrath and the Dawn
Author: Renee Ahdieh
Series: The Wrath and the Dawn #1
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Release Date: May 12, 2015
Source: ALA MW

Summary from Goodreads:
A sumptuous and epically told love story inspired by A Thousand and One Nights

Every dawn brings horror to a different family in a land ruled by a killer. Khalid, the eighteen-year-old Caliph of Khorasan, takes a new bride each night only to have her executed at sunrise. So it is a suspicious surprise when sixteen-year-old Shahrzad volunteers to marry Khalid. But she does so with a clever plan to stay alive and exact revenge on the Caliph for the murder of her best friend and countless other girls. Shazi's wit and will, indeed, get her through to the dawn that no others have seen, but with a catch . . . she’s falling in love with the very boy who killed her dearest friend.

She discovers that the murderous boy-king is not all that he seems and neither are the deaths of so many girls. Shazi is determined to uncover the reason for the murders and to break the cycle once and for all.

Review

So here’s the deal. I know I give out a good number of 5 stars, apparently 32% according to Goodreads. That being said, even though I think every book I gave 5 stars to was deserving of it,  I don't know how much my 5 stars are worth to ya'll anymore. But I would guestimate that of that 32% of 5 stars, I suffered a book hangover from maybe 5% max. AND I SUFFERED A BOOK HANGOVER FROM THIS BOOK. You guys, I am not even kidding you when I say that I finished this book and immediately wanted to start from page 1 again. And that NEVER happens. I am pretty much always on to the next book no matter the depths of my love which speaks volumes for this book. So for what it's worth, you REALLY need to read this one.

The Wrath and the Dawn was intoxicating. That's the best way to put it. It starts with Shahrzad volunteering to marry King Khalid, even though he murdered every wife he married prior to her on the morning after. She's gambling her life on the fact that she can intrigue him enough to delay her execution long enough to kill him. And intrigue him she does. Shahrzad  was enthralling. She used every advantage she had to gain the upper hand and this woman was an arsenal. Obviously the situation was complicated. Khalid's not the monster everyone assumes he is, but the truth is a closely guarded secret, one Shahrzad  is determined to learn. I could root for Shahrzad  all day and I enjoyed watching her strategize but I loved it even more when her feelings started to change from hate, to pity, to something that takes your breath away. The connection between these two characters could start a fire and I unquestionably loved them together. Khalid made me swoon like only the best of them have. I honestly couldn't get enough of either of them, individually and together.

I am always a fan of multiple POVs, but especially in cases like this one when it not only gives us a deeper understanding of a relationship, but also develops the story in other ways. There is a growing rebellion in the kingdom, led by Shazi's childhood sweetheart, in an effort to get her back. Through a few different POVs, we meet a variety of interesting characters, get a glimpse of some dark magic use, and watch the rebellion unfold. It was a nice complement to what was happening in the castle. But really, there was so much more that this book had to offer, I am only brushing the surface.

In summary, I loved everything about this book and it is one of the best I have read in a while. I devoured it and I loved every second of it. I think everyone should read this book, but if you like Fantasty and retellings, than it would definitely be a mistake to miss this one! A new favorite!