Adris: Challenge 2015

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Trying to get back in the hang of things. 2014 was my lowest count in years, so, hopefully this year I'll make fifty books. *crosses fingers*

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I've already read a couple of books, so. Here goes.



1. Grave Mercy, 2. Dark Triumph, and 3. Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers

It's a trilogy, obviously, but features different main characters for each story. First of all: His Fair Assassin has an amazing setting ― Brittany during the Middle Ages. It's well researched and seemingly accurate, which is bizarre enough in comparison to the other books I read.

Beyond that, the characters are surprising. The three main characters are female assassins, but beyond that, nuanced and lovely. Sometimes they seemed a bit pale, or two-dimensional, but the rest of the story made up for that lack rather well.

I kind of want to buy them? Maybe? If they're on sale?

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4. Dead of Winter by Kresley Cole

The first book in this series ― Poison Princess ― was alright. The main character was extremely annoying for the first portion, but Kresley Cole has a wonderful ability to make you love characters you'd usually hate. The next book ― Endless Knight ― became exactly what I wanted about two-thirds of the way through.

This book, the third, was unexpectedly not great. I had such high expectations! I'm tempted to stop reading the Arcana Chronicles until she finishes the series. It's just... Cliffhangers of the sort Kresley Cole employs simply aren't cute ― merely annoying.

[Tiffany, Administrator]

adris wrote: "Trying to get back in the hang of things. 2014 was my lowest count in years, so, hopefully this year I'll make fifty books. *crosses fingers*"

Good luck! We're here to root you on!

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Tiffany wrote: "adris wrote: "Trying to get back in the hang of things. 2014 was my lowest count in years, so, hopefully this year I'll make fifty books. *crosses fingers*"

Good luck! We're here to root you on!"

Thanks!! :) I'm sure I'll need it lol

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5. American Gods by Neil Gaiman

People believe, thought Shadow. It's what people do. They believe, and then they do not take responsibility for their beliefs; they conjure things, and do not trust the conjuration. People populate the darkness; with ghost, with gods, with electrons, with tales. People imagine, and people believe; and it is that rock solid belief, that makes things happen.



Fuck I've been reading this book for ages. I don't know how other people feel about it, but to me American Gods is one of those stories that you can only hear — read — at certain times and certain places. I emphatically believe that as a reader, we need suspend disbelief and genuinely delve into a story to understand it.

I hope that makes sense? Either way, this novel captured my imagination unreservedly. While I don't agree with many of the assumptions and underlying beliefs of the tale — namely, the depiction of faith — it doesn't detract from the narrative.

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So I haven't updated any of my reading bc of laptop things, and finals, and moving out. Et cetera et cetera. Life is weird.

6. The Pleasures of the Damned by Charles Bukowski

There is a loneliness in this world so great
that you can see it in the slow movement of the hands of a clock

I don't really have much to say about this. Bukowski seems like a very lonely, bitter man.

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7. Deathless by Catherynne M. Valente

That's how you get deathless, volchitsa. Walk the same tale over and over, until you wear a groove in the world, until even if you vanished, the tale would keep turning, keep playing, like a phonograph, and you'd have to get up again, even with a bullet through your eye, to play your part and say your lines.



Fuck it I adore this book. It grows on you, I think, like bitter coffee or too-soft beds. The setting, the magic, the writing — it's everything you could want. Well, in a way. When I read it, I thought the writing (and plot) would be a lot more like Beauty by Robin McKinley — simple and romantic, with hints of magic. Deathless is very heavy-handed with the fairy-tale aspects, with the world-building, and with the poetical prose. I would definitely recommend reading this when you're in the frame of mind for heavier fiction.

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mild spoilers



8. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller

Okay, wow. It's has been on my tbr list for ages, but damn if I didn't wish I'd read it earlier. If you haven't heard of it, The Song of Achilles is a retelling of the Achilles/Patroclus part of The Iliad by Homer. The story itself is absolutely gorgeous. It's unexpectedly easy to read, with just enough world-building to add dimension, but not so much that it clutters the story. (I say this because I think it'd be very easy to overplay the whole famous ancient poem bit.)

The romance is also simple, but in a heart-rending sort of way. I wasn't familiar enough with The Iliad that I knew what would happen at the end of the book, but the characterization and foreshadowing was enough to make the whole novel an emotional page-turner. If that even makes sense — frankly Achilles and Patroclus make me a bit incoherent. What sweethearts; I'm so in love.

We were like gods at the dawning of the world, and our joy was so bright we could see nothing else but the other.

[ATL]

So these next books are my new all-time favs.



9. Throne of Glass, 10. Crown of Midnight, and 11. Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

This is an absolutely lovely fantasy series inspired by like, a thousand fairy-tales. Basically, though, the main character is the human version of the firebird, of the Slavic folklore. The mythology isn't that important compared to everything else, though. It's set in sort-of-medieval times, and has elven Fae (see Tolkien), and wow this series was more than I could have hoped for. It’s not so much any one thing — the characters, the backstory and worldbuilding, the plot, the magic — but everything together.

I truly adore this series, and I have since almost the first chapter of Throne of Glass. I think it’s the Celaena’s heartache, though, that really makes the whole thing seem more real. She is undeniably a very strong woman, but more than that, she’s flawed. Sometimes she seems to be a bit too much of a hero — something untouchable and inhuman — but heroism isn’t mutually exclusive with humanity, of which Celaena has in spades.

Just as a note (and mild spoilers ahead), I’m so in love with both Aedion and Rowan. Aedion because I will never not love a stony warrior fighting endlessly for his woman. (He kind of reminds me of my favorite character from the Psy-Changeling series by Nalini Singh, Kaleb Krychek.) Rowan, because “Rowan is the tree of power, causing life and magic to flower.” He is a part of Aelin; he gave her vitality and hope, and that’s not something easily dismissed.

I think what really makes me love these books so much is how unproblematic they are. Celaena isn't torn between two men in a love triangle, or destined to be torn from her true love forever, or anything like that. The romance is realistic and flawed, the characters are realistic and flawed, and even the antagonists are realistic and flawed.

Simply put: if you're looking for a fantasy series, read Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas.

[ATL]

So I was craving Highland romance and kind of went on a binge? It's my guilty pleasure.

12. The Arrow, 13. The Raider, and 14. The Hawk by Monica McCarty

While reading one of these was great (I read The Arrow first), they have practically the same exact plot? I wonder why McCarty wasn’t encouraged to write something different from, well, what she’d already written. That wasn’t particularly eloquent, but I hope you get the gist of things. I admit that I only read these three books — maybe the others are different.

15. A Dark Champion by Kinley MacGregor

I adore Kinley MacGregor, but this book had me worried. It features singing as a plot device — the female romantic interest wants to be a troubadour — and I just… Ugh. While the story did get better later in the book, A Dark Champion will never be a favorite of mine.

16. Seduction of a Highland Lass by Maya Banks

I think I actually read this before? I recognized it when I was a couple of chapters in. It was totally worth the re-read though. Four stars. (Also the rest of the trilogy is fantastic as well. Very nice.)

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17. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

While I had I hopes for A Court of Thorns and Roses, it turned out unexpectedly… bland? I guess I expected more romance??? Let me explain: this story is inspired by Beauty and the Beast, and I’ve been obsessed with that specific fairy tale since childhood. The similar plot elements are more recognizable than any fairytale influences in the Throne of Glass series, but they were very distorted by the rest of the plot. Which isn’t necessarily a bad thing! I just… I think I prefer Beauty by Robin McKinley, if I had to pick. (It's my standard for fairytale-retellings, and one of my favorite books of all time.) Frankly I wish Maas had used less of the fairytale because I think it would’ve been less confusing to my expectations.

Anyways, I’ll probably continue reading the series as it publishes. I’m really looking forward to learning what the fuck happened with Rhysand there at the end. I really liked him. He was by far my favorite character. (Maybe that’s why I didn’t enjoy A Court of Thorns and Roses as much as I thought I would? Usually the love interest is my fav.)

[ATL]

18. Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

I only bought this book because it went on sale for $1.99 and boy was I surprised. Cruel Beauty was beyond gorgeous. I was hooked from the first chapter. It's a retelling of Beauty and the Beast (notice I'm reading a lot of retellings as of late?) but with a very different sort of setting. Nyx, the main character, lives in the sort of Greco-Roman nation that was cut off from the rest of the world by magic. Her people live under the power of the Gentle Lord, the Lord of Bargains.

The world-building, though, isn't what makes this story so special. It's the characters, the relationships. Nyx reminds me ever-so-much of Masha Morevna of Deathless. Especially in her relationship with Ignifex. I don't want to get spoilery, but trust me when I say the both of them are dark and passionate and only vaguely moral, and it's very easy to fall in love with the two.

19. Crimson Bound by Rosamund Hodge

Crimson Bound is in a completely different world from Cruel Beauty. It's about murder and redemption, faith and trust. I love the secondary characters of this story much more — they seem not only sweeter, but often stronger.

Of course, the highly inventive world-building is worth mentioning. The whole story takes place in Versailles, basically, during the time of pre-Revolution France. There's beauty patches and salons and a seemingly infinite number of bejeweled nobles. It's all very excessively vain and conspiratorially rotten.

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Well I'm not counting this because it's a novella, but Secrets at Midnight by Nalini Singh



Featuring the brother of one of my favorite characters, Secrets at Midnight just might be my new favorite Psy-Changeling novella. Bastien Smith is pure perfection. Kirby Rosario is a lovely addition to the series, and I can't wait to sneak peaks at her (and their relationship) throughout the series.

20. Shards of Hope by Nalini Singh



So this wasn't my favorite book in the series, but it definitely was a page-turner. With the first major story arc of the series coming to a rolling stop, Singh has added quite a number of potential subplots. Shards of Hope focuses on the Arrows, a squad of parapsychologically (is that a word?) gifted assassins, who are attempting to become something altogether different, with the leadership of a mysterious telepath named Vasic Zen. Along with his chosen partner, the Arrows are slowly growing to become a true family, if one with violently powerful psychic gifts.

Nalini Singh has always been excellent at building both relationships, and intricate settings. For all her faults (namely, in my opinion, her inability to step out from conventional gender roles), the Psy-Changeling series is one of my favorite series of all time.

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21. Rock Hard by Nalini Singh



So I probably wouldn't have read this book if I hadn't been bored out of my mind whilst the kids were watching Doc McStuffins for the thousandth time. Nalini Singh's one of my favorite authors, specifically my favorite romance author, because of her Psy-Changeling series (as noted above). I really dislike her other big series—Guild Hunter—so I was worried about how well I would enjoy a contemporary romance by her, when I'm usually not a fan of that subgenre anyway. Rock Hard didn't disappoint, but mostly because I had low expectations. I won't go into why I didn't particularly love it because hello, spoilers, but I will say that I'm definitely not trying the other books in the series.

[ATL]

22. Never Seduce a Scot by Maya Banks



Holy fuck this book is wonderful, for so. many. reasons. I kind of fell in instant love with it because of the main character, a beautiful, lovely Scottish lady who, after an accident with a horse, became deaf. I adore most of Banks' Highland romances, but this one kind of took the cake. Just... if you're so inclined, check it out!

[ATL]

[Edited to add the second two books.]

23. The Darkest Minds, 24. Never Fade, and 25. In The Afterlight by Alexandra Bracken

So I read this on the recommendation of Sarah J. Maas. If I'd known they were friends, and that Maas helped beta it, I wouldn't have been so hasty. (Truth is, authors always vehemently support their friends' books, even when they aren't that great.) I'm not saying The Darkest Minds isn't wonderful!!

It's just... more typical dystopian angst, to be honest. I really do love the page-turing plot, the racial diversity, the morally gray protagonists and antagonists. But... not the originality.

[ATL]

26. Return of the Warrior by Kinley MacGregor

Ugh this was definitely not a favorite. I hesitate to read the rest of the series because even though I loved two Brotherhood/MacAllister books (Born In Sin and Taming the Scotsman), the rest really sucked. Like, big time. There's only one book left, but, well... some of her books really suck.

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27. A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking



This is kind of familiar because of the (a) extraordinary popularity of the author, and (b) the gorgeous film that was just made, The Theory of Everything, starring Eddie Redmayne.

All in all, this book was excellent! I'm not strong in science or math, but Hawking explained his material rather thoroughly, if often in a roundabout way. It might have been more deliberate than it seemed, but Hawking's humor definitely showed through, especially in the beginning. I did laugh aloud a few times, which is kind of amazing considering the rather dense subject matter. I mean, that's the thing, isn't it? The "dense subject matter" is covered more simplistically than I had expected, though I knew A Brief History of Time was exceptionally readable, considering its placement on the NY Times Bestselling lists for quite a while. Basically: five stars.

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28. FBI/US Attorney #2 A Lot Like Love, 29. FBI/US Attorney #5 It Happened One Wedding, and 30. FBI/US Attorney #4 Love Irresistibly by Julie James



So these are all romances in the same series, obviously. They take place in Chicago and feature two groups of people (FBI Special Agents, who investigate crimes, and the U.S. Attorneys, who prosecute the offenders). The romances themselves are generally repetitive, which comes with the turf, but it's why I didn't continue on with them. They're also more plot-based than I'm used to, with a lot less non-bussinessy screen-time with just the two main characters. They are, though, better written than a lot of the romances I read, so: three and half stars, each.

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31. Breaking Point by Pamela Clare

So this romance was rec'd by Julie James (the above), and it was pretty much crap. Okay, that might be a bit strong, but the relationship just felt so weird. I didn't like it at all.

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32. The Professional and 33. The Master by Kresley Cole



I really don't want to get into my personal preferences with this so I'll just say that these're really fucking well-written BDSM erotica. I'm so in love with Kresley Cole. I held off on reading these because one of my all-time-favorite series, Immortals After Dark, is just going so fucking slow. Like, Cole needs to hurry the fuck up & quit branching off to write young adult (the Arcana Chronicles) or erotica (even if The Game Maker series is amazing). Truthfully, Cole's publishing rate blows my mind, but I'm still upset with waiting for my favorite IAD characters to get their own books. (Seriously, though, if you're not squicked out by BDSM, try The Master like, right fucking now.)

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34. Captive Prince and 35. Prince's Gambit by C.S. Pacat



So this is my new favorite series. I'm putting it alongside the Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller, Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge, and the Song of Ice and Fire series by George R.R. Martin. The second book is really where it's at, bc I'm a huge fan of anything even resembling fluff, which is nonexistent in the first installment. Let me hit you up with some content warnings, though: slavery (my big one, portrayed positively more than once), rape (a lot), sex sex sex sex sex (so much sex) (you see: explicit, non-consensual, group, public, & more). For a more thorough list, check here. I want anyone to read this series to be prepared, because it can be Fucked Up.

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36. The Martian by Andy Weir

So this book is become a movie, which looks fucking awesome. It has a great plot and Matt Damon, so yeah, not too worried about that one.

The thing is, in my opinion, the book fucking sucks. Like, I finished it so it wasn't the worst, but it was pretty bad. Weir should've co-authored with someone who can write characterization & emotional resonance. The Martian was all about the science/mechanics behind everything, and less about the humanity behind the story. I don't know? Basically, after a while, I didn't care anything about the "how" & only wanted a scene or two that would provoke some sort of emotional response. Does that even make sense?? I mean, besides the odd laugh, it was kind of bland.

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37. The War of the Worlds

No one would have believed in the last years of the nineteenth century that this world was being watched keenly and closely by intelligences greater than man's and yet as mortal as his own; that as men busied themselves about their various concerns they were scrutinised and studied, perhaps almost as narrowly as a man with a microscope might scrutinise the transient creatures that swarm and multiply in a drop of water.

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38. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

So I really adore this novel, for a few reasons. It's really quite beautiful, and surprisingly a good page-turner. I identified w/ the mc in so many ways, and that definitely took me by surprise (usually the books I read feature overly emotional mc's, whereas Dante was my type of laconic*). I really adored quite a few scenes; Ari and Dante definitely made me want to drive out into the middle of the desert & get drunk.

Also! And this is a big one, with spoilers. I was so worried about the potential angst of the main relationship, but the only emotionally-resonant homophobia in the book was internalized. (There may have been background homophobia, but I didn't care enough to remember it). I was so relieved that there wasn't any parental rejection, or anything like that.

* I had learned to hide what I felt. No, that's not true. There was no learning involved. I had been born knowing how to hide what I felt.

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39. Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

So many people love this book, and I just can't understand it?? I'm trying really hard to respect people's preferences et cetera but fucking hell this book sucked so fucking much?

Well, let me just say that I found it (a) unoriginal, and (b) deeply problematic. I hated how repetitive parts of it got, and how the whole novel was devoted to plot w/out emotional resonance, or interesting characterization. I hated the rivalry with whats-her-face, fighting over the fucking prince. I hated the 'weird feeling in my stomach' moments bc come on, seriously? I hated the obvious parallels between Red Queen and Red Rising by Pierce Brown, which you only have to read the blurb to spot. I hated the fairly 2D motivations for like, every fucking character, most that were obvious & some that came completely out of left field (that isn't a plot twist; Aveyard needed more foreshadowing). Mostly I hated the whole trope of presenting the mc as desirable by having a whole lot of men lust over them. That really, really pisses me off.

Frankly, I'm not sure I would've enjoyed this when I was like, twelve years old, and would read almost any ya. I just... don't understand why people like this? I mean, I guess I could understand parts of it (the catchphrase — rise, red as the dawn) but all in all, I would give it an absolute zero if I could.

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40. After Hours by Cara McKenna



Why I liked this romance: it was much more realistic than most of the books I read. That's it. Pretty much the only reason.

[ATL]

41. The Atlantis Gene by A.G. Riddle



Why I liked this sci-fi: it was kinda interesting?? Note: there'll probably be minor spoilers in this. I liked the genetics-sciencey aspect of the plot, but the rest... I'm kind of surprised that it's such a best seller. I didn't like the main characters very much, and I'm completely uninterested in Nazi history. It was definitely fascinating while I was reading it — a real page-turner. Now, though... I find myself completely uninterested in continuing the series. Oh well.

[ATL]

42. Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas



Why I liked this fantasy ya: the writing! I really love Maas' writing style; it's very emotionally resonant to me. The rest... Well, the main romance was fairly tiresome to read. I know Maas is getting bashed about this, but Rowan was emphatically not the romantic interest I was hoping for. I remember how excited I was reading Heir of Fire just because Rowan Whitethorn was a hot, interesting guy that the mc wasn't all that interested in. Queen of Shadows kind of fell flat in that aspect — the clichés of having a sexy as hell immortal lover, who's also a badass & extremely infatuated with the mc.

Notice I haven't mentioned the plot. I was never really in the whole series for the plot, aside from the obligatory pining with Celaena/Aelin for Terrasen. Queen of Shadows heavily relied on a powerful!Aelin, in which all of her plots went perfectly according to plan & her companions stood by gaping at her brilliance. And yeah, after the other books I would hope some things to go her way, but it got to be just too much.

[ATL]

43. Highlander Most Wanted by Maya Banks

I read this book at the beginning of October, so I can't remember a whole lot about it. I recall really disliking how the heroine was treated for the sake of misunderstandings and angst, but that's about it. I gave it three stars.

[ATL]

44. Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

So this book was mostly weird, vaguely entertaining, and interestingly written. Frankly, I like more linear and obvious plots, but I did enjoy the characters for the most part. It comes highly recommended, with a movie and all, so it obviously has something to it that people like. *sighs* Moving on...

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45. Winter by Marissa Meyer

This is the highly anticipated final installment of the bestselling series the Lunar Chronicles, and I'm not sure if I even liked it. I feel like this is getting repetitive with the last few books, but goodness. In my opinion, there was too much screentime for couples that alread had their own books, the villian was feeble and ended up seeming powerless, the book spent a lot of energy on plot things and not character things, and I was distinctly unimpressed by the conclusion. What I did like was the non-romantic friendship dynamics, the author's beautiful writing of Winter's mental trauma, and the other characters' reactions to Winter's beauty. I just really liked Winter and her beau, but aside from that I was largely dissatisfied with the novel.



I will note that I absolutely love this series' book covers and will adore them for that reason alone. I wonder if Meyer's next series will also have gorgeous covers?

[ATL]

46. Sweet Ruin by Kresley Cole



I didn't like this book for the most part just because it didn't hit on my preferences (i.e. kinks), but it definitely made me so excited for the future of the series. Not that I wasn't already excited, and I'm still looking forward to the next book in her erotica series more than anything, but Sweet Ruin set up the beginnings of some relationships I'm really into. So. Write quickly, K Cole!

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47. When a Scot Ties the Knot by Tessa Dare

So this was on my friend's Kindle account, and I decided to give it a try. Best. Decision. Ever. I'm so fucking impressed by this book. It probably should be too soon to say, but fuck it. Tessa Dare is officially one of my favorite romance authors, just because of this fucking book. It's well written, witty, grounded, lovely, and (for a lack of a better word) so romantic.

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48. Romancing the Duke and 49. Say Yes to the Marquess by Tessa Dare



More books by Tessa Dare. I was less impressed w/ these (as opposed to When a Scot Ties the Knot) but they're still surprisingly entertaining for romance novels. Generally, romances fluctuate between angst, fluff, and smut, with occasional "yes, i am awesome" moments. Dare's books are full of good humor. No one takes themselves too seriously, and the lead characters are often effortlessly funny.

Only one more book to go!