The below reviews are intended to be short, and easily read within 1 minute. All reviews are my own personal opinions, and I would love everyone to share their opinions as well. I read a lot of Fantasy Books (with the occasional historical fiction and thrilled thrown in), therefore my reviews are generally based on 3 things:
World Building - Is the world of the book worth spending time in?
Characters - Am I able to connect with the characters, or find them interesting?
Plot - Is the plot engaging and does it leave me wanting more?
As Far As You’ll Take Me
As Far As You’ll Take Me is a coming of age tale about finding out who you are, and where you belong. Meet Marty, a young boy leaving his life in rural Kentucky behind to start a new one in London. As if being gay in a close minded town wasn’t enough, Marty’s anxiety has held him back from living his best life.
Hybrid Magic
There is a lot of history and lore in this world, and it feels like this book has just scratched the surface, which makes me excited for the future. I enjoyed reading about each of the three main characters, who all have their own interesting backstories and abilities, and bring something different to the narrative.
Artemis Fowl - The Opal Deception
This may be my favorite Artemis Fowl story yet! I really liked seeing Artemis revert back to the boy he was in the first book. Any growth he had made was completely erased, and he and Holly had to rebuild their friendship from scratch. Even with their issues though, they still made such a great team.
The Children of D’hara
This series does such a great job of expanding on the lore. There are references to characters, world-building, and even plot points from all the way back to the first book - Wizard’s First Rule.
Artemis Fowl - The Eternity Code
Overall, this installment in the Artemis Fowl series felt much closer to the original book in terms of plot and tone than the sequel (The Arctic Incident) did. This book went back to a must simpler heist type story, and there were not as many moving parts as there were in the previous book.
The Dragon Republic
Just like in the previous book, Rin continues to be angry, stubborn, and violent. There are some very complex questions explored in this book, such as - What is the price of peace? And Who gets to decide what’s right or wrong?
Small Magic
Small Magic is a series of short stories that pulls from almost all of Brook’s many fantasy series - The Shanara Chronicles, Word & Void, and more. So, if you are even a casual fan of these series, then you will probably enjoy most of the stories collected here.
Cycle of the Werewolf
Cycle of the Werewolf is a short, illustrated book written by Stephen King, and illustrated by Berni Wrightson. Each short chapter of this tale represents one month of the year, starting in January and ending in December.
Shadow and Bone
I loved the world-building in this book… the Russian influences, the magical creatures, the set up of the Grisha and their hierarchy, and the different types of powers that each order of Grisha has.
Pet Sematary
Pet Sematary is a classic King tale filled with horror… the horrors that can happen to regular people, and the horrors hidden deep within an old Indian burial ground.
The Girl with the Louding Voice
At just 14 years old, Adunni does not want to be a wife. Escaping her marriage and her village will set her on a path that if she survives, she might achieve her dream.
The Bane Chronicles
Starting in the 1700’s and ending in modern times, these stories help us to understand everything that Magnus has lived through… his troubles, his triumphs, his adventures, his heartbreaks, and everything in between.
One of the Good Ones
Overall, One of the Good Ones is one of those books that really forces you to ask yourself the important questions… What does your life mean now, and what will it mean when you are gone? How will you be remembered, and does anyone deserve to be remembered as “good” vs. “bad”?
Artemis Fowl - The Arctic Incident
Overall, The Arctic Incident does a great job as a sequel to the original Artemis Fowl book. Like all good sequels should do, it raises the stakes in a major way. It also allows the characters and their relationships to grow, and resolves some plot points left hanging from the previous book.
Me Before You
I can understand why so many people love this story. Moyes has a way of writing, that keeps you turning the page. Unfortunately for me, I could not get invested in this romance. I found Lou’s lack of understanding of Will’s needs infuriating, and I think she has no idea what life with Will would actually be like.
The Poppy War
Fair warning, when I said this book is grim and dark, I meant it. I can’t think of another fantasy book that so shockingly illustrates the violence and horrors of war. This book is called the “Poppy” war, for a reason. I was on the edge of my seat reading this book, and I had no idea what was going to happen.
The Starless Sea
The Starless Sea is a fantasy tale about a boy who finds a mysterious book in a library, and about a magical place where all stories come from. This book uniquely switches back and forth between Zachary’s journey and a bunch of random stories… But as you continue to read, the stories being to seem less random.
Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy
The stories in this book provide great context for both main and side characters in the Shadowhunter world. While not a “must read”, I do think it will be enjoyed by any Shadowhunter fan.