Heir of Fire

Author: Sarah J Maas
Publication Date: September 2, 2014
Source: Purchased (at the Heir of Fire Book Tour!)

Summary from Goodreads: Lost and broken, Celaena Sardothien’s only thought is to avenge the savage death of her dearest friend: as the King of Adarlan’s Assassin, she is bound to serve this tyrant, but he will pay for what he did. Any hope Celaena has of destroying the king lies in answers to be found in Wendlyn. Sacrificing his future, Chaol, the Captain of the King’s Guard, has sent Celaena there to protect her, but her darkest demons lay in that same place. If she can overcome them, she will be Adarlan’s biggest threat – and his own toughest enemy.
While Celaena learns of her true destiny, and the eyes of Erilea are on Wendlyn, a brutal and beastly force is preparing to take to the skies. Will Celaena find the strength not only to win her own battles, but to fight a war that could pit her loyalties to her own people against those she has grown to love?

Rating: êêêêê

Review

Brilliant! Amazing! Un-put-down-able!

OK, so assuming you've read the other books in the series, you think you know Celaena, well you really get to know her in this book (and you're mind will be blown!). The character development is really well done; we finally get details about Celaena's past and we get to see her grow.

We are introduced to a new character who is also well developed, and I really don't want to say more about him because I can't spoil it for you. I am looking forward to more from him, and seeing where his story goes.

The plot moves at an excellent pace. There are a lot of details woven throughout scenes that come together in unexpected ways. The plot literally thickens as Celaena continues her journey. 

This book is darker and deeper than the others in the series, however I feel that it truly was necessary for the story. The writing is spectacular! This book made me feel pretty much every emotion possible (yes, I even cried... more than once). 

Seriously, you should stop reading this review and just pick up this book already!

Enter to win a signed copy!

Heir of Fire Book Tour

Sarah J Maas, me, Alexandra Bracken, & Daw Metcalf

Saturday night, I was fortunate enough to attend Sarah J Maas's Heir of Fire tour. My sister and I drove approximately two hours to get there, we left early in case there was traffic and scored front row seats! This was my first book signing event and I LOVED every minute of it. The librarian introduced each author with a quick bio with some fun facts, and then he asked some awesome questions that really made the authors think.

Sarah was the "headliner" of the event, but after hearing Alexandra and Dawn's answers, I quickly became a fan of them as well. And of course I had to have their books and meet them too.

Here are some fun facts I learned at the event about Sarah and her Throne of Glass series:

• Sarah considers herself a "method writer" and she often acts out scenes while writing
• Throne of Glass was inspired by Cinderella 
• If she were to cast any actors (from any time) in a movie adaptation of Throne of Glass, she would choose Sam Worthington (from Avatar) as Chaol, Vivien Leigh for Celaena, and Sam Heughan (from Outlander) for Rowan
• Sarah has a new series coming out (hopefully May 2015) called A Court of Throne and Roses which is inspired by Beauty and the Beast 
• When asked about world building, Sarah coined the term "worlding"

All three authors agreed that if they were casting a movie adaptation of their books, it was most important for actors to have the right essence for their characters.

Here is a clip of one of my favorite questions from the event:

What would happen if your characters were transported to our world?

After the Q&A session, the authors signed books.

This was truly my favorite part because all three took the time to chat with every person in line while signing their books. Sarah even had her own copy of Throne of Glass that she asked us to sign.

All in all it was a great time and I am looking forward to reading all the books I got at the event. More importantly, I hope I get to see these ladies again in the future because they were all so cool and so down to earth.

Giveaway

The Prize: One SIGNED copy of Heir of Fire

The Rules:

US only

Winner will be notified by email and has 48 hours to reply before an alternate winner is picked

All entries must be made via Rafflecopter and are subject to verification

Follow the Yellow Book Road is not responsible for prizes that are lost or damaged in the mail

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Stolen Songbird

Author: Danielle L. Jensen
Publication Date: April 1, 2014
Source: NetGalley

Summary: For those who have loved Seraphina and Graceling comes another truly fabulous fantasy...
For five centuries, a witch’s curse has bound the trolls to their city beneath the ruins of Forsaken Mountain. Time enough for their dark and nefarious magic to fade from human memory and into myth. But a prophesy has been spoken of a union with the power to set the trolls free, and when Cécile de Troyes is kidnapped and taken beneath the mountain, she learns there is far more to the myth of the trolls than she could have imagined.
Cécile has only one thing on her mind after she is brought to Trollus: escape. Only the trolls are clever, fast, and inhumanly strong. She will have to bide her time, wait for the perfect opportunity.
But something unexpected happens while she’s waiting – she begins to fall for the enigmatic troll prince to whom she has been bonded and married. She begins to make friends. And she begins to see that she may be the only hope for the half-bloods – part troll, part human creatures who are slaves to the full-blooded trolls. There is a rebellion brewing. And her prince, Tristan, the future king, is its secret leader.
As Cécile becomes involved in the intricate political games of Trollus, she becomes more than a farmer’s daughter. She becomes a princess, the hope of a people, and a witch with magic powerful enough to change Trollus forever. (Source of Summary and Book Cover: Goodreads)

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Review: The first few pages were slow, but before I knew it I was at the 50% mark and asking myself how that happened.

I loved this book. The summary does not do it justice. The world building in this book was excellent, I felt like I could easily envision everything. I’m not really familiar with trolls, but I loved the way the author wrote them.

I love Cecile, she is unlike most female characters in YA novels. She is stronger and smart. Tristan was a bit more difficult for me at first, but he grew on me and I came to understand him. The secondary characters were also well developed and most were likable.

The plot moves at a great pace. There are a few twists and a few scenes that made my heart race. There are some complex plot lines being laid as the foundation for a fun series. I enjoyed the romance, especially because there was no insta-love.

The writing was excellent; there were times that I felt some strong emotions. I was definitely not ready for this book to end and was disappointed when I noticed I was at the 98% mark. That being said, with the way the book ended there is clearly more to come and I absolutely cannot wait.

I received a copy of this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Shadow Throne

Author: Jennifer A. Nielsen
Publication Date: February 25, 2014

Source: NetGalley

Summary: One war.
Too many deadly battles.
Can a king save his kingdom, when his own survival seems unlikely?
War has come to Carthya. It knocks at every door and window in the land. And when Jaron learns that King Vargan of Avenia has kidnapped Imogen in a plot to bring Carthya to its knees, Jaron knows it is up to him to embark on a daring rescue mission. But everything that can go wrong does.
His friends are flung far and wide across Carthya and its neighbouring lands. In a last-ditch effort to stave off what looks to be a devastating loss for the kingdom, Jaron undertakes what may be his last journey to save everything and everyone he loves. But even with his lightning-quick wit, Jaron cannot forestall the terrible danger that descends on him and his country. Along the way, will he lose what matters most? And in the end, who will sit on Carthya's throne?
Rousing and affecting, Jaron's adventures have thrilled and moved readers in The False Prince and The Runaway King. Journey once again with the Ascendant King of Carthya, as New York Times bestselling author Jennifer A. Nielsen brings his story to a stunning conclusion withThe Shadow Throne. (Source of Summary and Book Cover: Goodreads)

Rating: 5 Stars

Review: My heart is still racing…HOLY MOLY!

The action started immediately and never let up. I was completely engrossed in this book – I was dying to know what happened next and at the same time trying to savor every moment of the final installment in this wonderful series.

I love Jaron. He is one of my all time favorite characters. He is young, lives in the moment, and is absolutely, consistently true to himself. The other characters in the book are equally likeable. You can’t help but love each of Jaron’s (somewhat motley crew of) friends.

The plot moves at an incredible pace and kept me guessing at all times. I was blown away by the cleverness of Jaron’s actions and decisions. This book is more than fantasy and adventure – it was suspenseful and action-packed. There were times that I felt Jaron had worked himself into an impossible situation and I thought for sure the book was heading towards a very specific ending; thank goodness Ms. Neilsen has better writing skills and more imagination than me!

The ending feels right. I don’t want to say more than that and give it away, but I will say it’s very rare that I am happy with the way the last book in a series ends.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE this book and highly recommend it!

I received a copy of this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Other Books In This Series: