Assassin's Apprentice (Farseer Trilogy, #1)

By Robin Hobb

Narrated by Paul Boehmer

Image From Goodreads

[In a faraway land where members of the royal family are named
for the virtues they embody, one young boy will become a
walking enigma. Born on the wrong side of the sheets, Fitz, son
of Chivalry Farseer, is a royal bastard, cast out into the world,
friendless and lonely.

Only his magical link with animals - the old art known as the
Wit - gives him solace and companionship. But the Wit, if used
too often, is a perilous magic, and one abhorred by the nobility.
So when Fitz is finally adopted into the royal household, he
must give up his old ways and embrace a new life of weaponry,
scribbing, courtly manners, and how to kill a man secretly, as he
trains to become a royal assassin.]

I am so in love with my new place, it's the best and so beautiful and different and not London. In heaven.

Adjusting to a new routine is taking a little bit of time to get used to but one I'm sure I will pick up soon enough.

I'm yet to find a new place to run and I want to start writing my posts ahead of time so I can have them scheduled instead of doing them last minute each time. But, baby steps.

Need to finish unpacking yet...

Moving swiftly on.

I have heard SO many good things about Robin Hobb's books but the lengths of them always put me off starting as they were all just so so so long.

You know a good way to combat lengthy books? Don't look at the size of them. 

Audiobooks are perfect for this. I know 28 odd hours sounds long but it's way less intimidating than say 800 pages. It seems more manageable which is why I've decided to listen to all of Robin Hobb's books on audiobook. It will save me lugging around a large book and I will feel more like I am getting through it, which is always good.

I loveeeeee heavy fantasy books (not heavy physically), just all that intense description and packed in scenes where nothing actually happens but it's in another world and just what the characters eat is fascinating.

Medieval-fantasy is also good. Love a bit of old-fashioned swordplay.

This was similar to The Kingkiller Chronicle books (which are fab by the way) in that not a lot actually happens but it keeps you hooked anyway in the everyday events that the protagonist has to go through.

Fitz was a very loveable character, especially as we got to start with him as a six year old and end with him as possibly being in his early/mid teens? Still not sure how old he is currently but, still, we get to grow up with him making us just that little bit biased when anything happens to him.

The rest of the characters were well-rounded and interesting. There were a few I wasn't sure if I liked or not, and some I definitely disliked but they were all used very well for their parts.

Burrich was one of those I wasn't sure I liked all the way through. He was caring and almost fatherly towards Fitz but then he could also be quite cruel and harsh given how old Fitz was.

Galen and Regal I loathed. They were equally horrible, especially to poor Fitz, but their cunning plans are what pulls the story to its tense climax.

The plot was very good. I loved the slow pace of the beginning, introducing the characters and the surrounding world. Things did move pretty slowly for a long while, but like I said earlier, this was fine with me as it was all interesting. One by one hurdles were thrown Fitz's way; some minor ones to begin with but growing more and more intense as the story progressed.

The magical element was very intriguing. There appears to be two different types and one that's looked down upon. I'm still trying to work out what the difference is between the two but I'm sure that'll become clear in the following books.

The climax was fantastic. I was shocked by some of it which is always a good thing as it's not predictable! I honestly can't wait to continue reading Hobb's books to see how it all unfolds!



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The Heir Chronicles, Book Two - The Wizard Heir

By Cinda Williams Chima

[Seph McCauley has spent three years getting
kicked out of one exclusive private school after
another. And it's not his attitude that's the
problem: it's the trail of magical accidents -
lately, disasters - that follow in his wake. Seph
is a wizard, orphaned and untrained, and his
powers are escalating out of control.

Worse, as the magical accidents that plague him grow
in intensity, Seph makes a discovery: the stories he's
been told about his parents' deaths are fabrications.
The people he trusts most have been lying to him.

Seph is sent to the Havens, a secluded boy's school
whose headmaster promises to train him in magic.
Maybe here he will find a community he can trust?
But he soon learns that the training comes at a steep
cost and everyone around him is keeping secrets.
Where can he turn, when he finds himself at the
centre of a war he may well not survive?]

Oooh, I was wondering how they would continue on from The Warrior Heir, whether the characters would crossover or whether this one would be completely separate but be placed in the same world.

I'm glad that it crossed over to be honest. I enjoyed Jack's character so much in the first one that Seph couldn't really compare in this one (although Jack came across a little cold and grouchy in this one which put me off him).

I did like the story though. It had an intriguing concept and a good mysterious element to it. Unfortunately, I did find it a little predictable in that I guessed who both of his parents were and it wasn't that big of a reveal as to who the Dragon was either.

Not to worry though because it was a solid story and I can see how it could possibly unfold in the others to come.

I don't think I enjoyed this one as much as the first one though because it lacked the medieval element that it had and I love medieval plots.

One scene that particularly stood out to me, which I think was fantastic, was the scene where Madison and Seph go off together for a picnic by a scenic river. This scene doesn't have any importance to the story or any impact at all on anything really, I just thought it was so beautiful and could picture every detail described.

Am looking forward to seeing what the others have in store!



📖

The Heir Chronicles, Book One - The Warrior Heir

By Cinda Williams Chima 

[Before he knew about the Roses, 16-year-old
Jack lived an unremarkable life in the small
Ohio town of Trinity. Only the medicine he has
to take daily and the thick scar above his heart
set him apart from the other high-schoolers.

At least, until the day Jack forgets his 'medicine'.
Suddenly he is stronger, fiercer, and more confident
than ever before. And it feels great - right up until
he loses control and almost kills someone.
An incident which proves to be just the beginning.

Jack is about to learn the startling truth: he is Weirlind;
part of an underground society of magical people
who live among us. More, Jack discovers that he's 
unique: he's one of the last of the warriors, and his
power has manifested at a time when both houses are
hunting for a warrior. And until one of the feuding
houses is declared Jack's official sponsor, they'll stop
at nothing to get Jack to fight for them...]

I got bought this book for Christmas as my friend thought it'd be my type of thing, not that she'd read it herself - she just knows me that well!

And I did enjoy this book. I'd never heard of it before and as always, when getting into a new fantasy series it takes me a few chapters to get my head around the new terms, but I grasped them pretty quickly.

The prologue was intriguing and definitely a good way to pull you into the story (also nicely looped around at the end and neatly tied up).

The main bulk of the book was great though. I loved the characters, especially Jack, Will and Fitch. The mix of everyday life thrown into contrast against magical battles and sparring was very well done and I didn't find any of it boring which you can sometimes get in fantasies with all the description.

The tension throughout was brilliant, one big long adventure with little quiet moments that were cute or refreshing. The final battle (although I guessed Jack's opponent moments before it was revealed) was good, I felt it could've been a tiny bit more dramatic. I wasn't on the edge of my seat because it was the outcome I expected too.

I am looking forward to seeing what the rest of the series will bring though. I love the idea of ancient magic and tournaments so I'm intrigued!

Also more to come about Jersey soooooon...



☽

Mistborn: Book One, The Final Empire

By Brandon Sanderson

Narrated by Michael Kramer

Image From Goodreads

[A thousand years ago evil came to the land and has ruled with an iron hand ever since. The sun shines fitfully under clouds of ash that float endlessly from the constant eruption of volcanoes. A dark lord rules through the aristocratic families and ordinary folk are condemned to lives in servitude, sold as goods, labouring in the ash fields. But now a troublemaker has arrived and there is rumour of revolt. A revolt that depends on a criminal that no one can trust and a young girl who must master Allomancy - the magic that lies in all metals.]


It took me a while to get into this one. There were a lot of new concepts and places and characters I had to learn all at once, so getting my head around it in the beginning was interesting.

Once I'd begun to understand it though, it was great. I really warmed to the characters. They were interesting and well-rounded with flaws and dreams like anybody else.

I particularly liked the banter that seemed to go back and forth between them, especially in the first half. It all got very serious towards the end with consequences taking place.

I couldn't decide whether Vin's harshness towards herself was irritating or endearing. We've definitely all been there. But her interactions with Elend at the beginning were heart-warming and had you rooting for them all the way through like most budding romances tend to do.

I loved getting to know backstory's of the characters as well, especially Kelsier and Dockson. I was also intrigued by the different "types" of characters: mistborn, mistings, Gods, terrismen, obligator, inquisitor, mistwraiths. The inquisitor's and mistwraith's fascinated me most with their individual, unique qualities.

The whole balance of adventure and plotting the downfall of an empire against the structural system of class within balls that were thrown, court gossip and power battles between various houses was enchanting.

I was shocked by the ending though. Everything seemed to fall apart so quickly but it was very exciting and I can't wait to see what happens next!



☽

Change For The Better & A Book Tag

A few months ago I had an epiphany of sorts.

Me and Adeel had been disagreeing a lot or arguing, whatever you want to call it, and things were getting tense and frustrating.

But we came through the other side.

And you know what I learned?

Don't try to change others, change yourself for the better instead.

So instead of getting frustrated at the little things he does or says, I've tried becoming more understanding and calm-headed so I don't flip out.

Of course there are still times where I get grouchy, but he's so persistent most of the time that he always manages to make me smile again.

This is definitely something I need to work on because I don't want to grow up to be a consistently negative and moody cow, I want a positive mindset and I want to be kind and forgiving quickly.

What a great time of year to set this new goal, huh?

Anyways, I've also got another book tag below (again I got it from Lindsay's blog, check her blog out here).

Question 1:
Hardback or paperback?

Paperback, they're way easier to hold whilst reading! Although some hardbacks can be really pretty - The Miniaturist is one memorable one with a lovely binding and endpapers.

Question 2:
Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings?

I hate this question. I've been asked it a few times and I never know how to answer. I feel so guilty for choosing! Harry Potter was my childhood so I will forever love it, but, there's just something about Lord of the Rings...

Question 3:
The smell of an old book or the smell of a new one?

The smell of a new one. I've smelt some of the old ones before and some are alright but others can just smell fusty and damp? Maybe it's just however you store them!

Question 4:
Stephen King ot RL Stine?

Okay so I literally just had to google RL Stine as I'd never heard of him, but he wrote Goosebumps! Didn't think I would've read anything of his if I didn't know his name, but I've definitely read at least one Goosebumps book. I've also only read one of Stephen King's books - Carrie. I preferred Carrie to Goosebumps although there's about ten years age difference in when I read them, but I've heard a lot of good things about King's works so I may pick up a few more of his in due time!

Question 5:
Sci-fi or Fantasy?

Fantasy all the way. That's pretty much all I read.

Question 6:
Reading indoors or outdoors?

Depends on the weather really. Indoors mostly though I think. The sun can get so bright sometimes when you're reading outside that it makes me so sleepy and then I'm getting all hot and bothered too. Reading in bed is the best for me I think.

Question 7:
Twilight or 50 Shades of Grey?

Twilight. Although they're both basically the same thing. Hello, 50 Shades is fan-fiction of Twilight. Ahaha, sorry to say I've read all of both. I like the way Stephenie Meyer writes, it's just the storyline of Twilight obviously isn't great, but another of her novels I've read is brilliant. 50 Shades looks like it was written by a teenager.

Question 8:
Shop online or from a local bookstore?

Bookstore. Any chance I get and I'll be in a Foyles or Waterstones, rifling through their many shelves. It's pure heaven. I don't really have any local, independent bookstores in East London though. However, it's great when I visit my dad in Faversham because they have a good handful of old, musty, crooked bookstores.

Question 9:
The Great Gatsby or Catcher in the Rye?

I've only read The Great Gatsby so that one I guess, although I actually didn't think much of it even though everyone raves about it. I will read Catcher in the Rye at some point, added to my ever-growing list of to be reads...

Question 10:
Fiction or Non-fiction?

Fiction. I rarely pick up non-fiction. A great one I've actually read this year, that's non-fiction, was Unbroken. Mind-blowing.

Question 11:
Bookmarks or dog-earing?

I actually do both. I bookmark my position in the book, obviously, but I dog-ear the points of 25%, 50% and 75% because I like to know how far through the book I am. Strange, I know! Aha.

Question 12:
Dr Seuss or Roald Dahl?

I've not really read either? Like I have a little Roald Dahl collection from my childhood on my bookshelves back home but I don't remember reading them very much. And Dr Seuss I think I've only read snippets of. I'll pick Roald Dahl though because I prefer his stories.

Question 13:
eBook or Audiobook?

Audiobook after this year. A new love was found when my friend suggested Audible to me. I like eBooks too, I must dust off my kindle this year!

Hope you've all had a wonderful Christmas
x



☆

The Name of the Wind (The Kingkiller Chronicles, #1)

By Patrick Rothfuss.

Narrated by Rupert Degas.

Image From Goodreads

[Told in Kvothe's own voice, this is the tale of the 
magically gifted young man who grows to be the 
most notorious wizard his world has ever seen.

The intimate narrative of his childhood in a
troupe of travelling players, his years spent as a
near-feral orphan in a crime-ridden city, his
daringly brazen yet successful bid to enter a
legendary school of magic, and his life as a
fugitive after the murder of a king form a 
gripping coming-of-age story unrivalled in recent
literature.

A high-action story written with a poet's hand,
The Name of the Wind is a masterpiece that
will transport readers into the body and mind of
a wizard.]

Oh my god, I am loving listening to audiobooks. Why did I not do this sooner?!

I can't believe distributing audiobooks is one of my main tasks at work and it took me a good six months before I even thought about, just maybe, listening to one myself. 

Duh, what an idiot.

The Name of the Wind is a brilliant, intriguing, fascinating read (or listen in my case).

So far, I can determine that it is about a young man's adventure through childhood alone - after an unfortunate, tragic event occurs to his family - and his ambition to get to the university, so that he can finally learn about (and I presume track down) the people that took his family away from him so soon.

It is longggggg (just over 28 hours worth), but it is so worth it. Every detail and minor action is thought of, it is so beautiful.

I did struggle initially to get to grips with it, but I think that's only because of it's quite complex story (to begin with) as you're thrown right into the middle of it and have to learn all these new characters and places and events and terminology that Rothfuss just made up.

I did enjoy Rupert Degas's reading though, he can do a multitude of voices very well and I can clearly tell all of the characters apart from this.

I also absolutely loved the characters. I got so drawn into their lives that - even though there wasn't a whole lot of action action - you're completely intrigued by all of the mundane events that goes on. 

You end up really really rooting for Kvothe as he always seems to get himself into some sticky situations. You also forget that the whole thing is pretty much him telling his story to a scribe, occasionally flitting back to the present day.

The friendships (and even the enemy-relationships) are beautifully done. There is humour and knowledge and disbelief all entwined. And even though Kvothe is meant to be in his mid-teens, I can't help but root for him to get the girl.

It does say in the blurb that he's a wizard and I would just like to clarify for anyone who wants to read this that he isn't a wizard in the sense like Harry Potter, but it is a story that includes an underlying magical theme. 

Basically, whatever you think you know of magical literature, put it aside and be prepared to get something fresh and fantastic. 

I can't believe this was all just one day of him telling his story with the promise overall of three days (obviously within this one day he has told the majority of his childhood and teenage years).

I am definitely hooked on wanting to know what happens next, following his story as he grows into his adult years can only get more interesting I believe! 

(I am currently about 15 hours into the sequel which is an astonishing 43 hours long!!)

Absolutely brilliant.

Dracula And Other Horror Classics

By Bram Stoker.

[Dracula and Other Horror Classics collects the most memorable
tales of horror by Bram Stoker. In addition to Dracula -- the
landmark vampire novel that set the pattern for virtually all
vampire fiction written after its publication in 1897 -- this
omnibus collects the novels The Jewel of Seven Stars and The 
Lair of the White Worm. It also includes a dozen of Stoker's
short tales of the macabre, including "Dracula's Guest", a
sidebar to his famous novel.

For more than a century, Bram Stoker's fiction has inspired
countless writers of horror and fantasy fiction. This volume
allows readers a unique opportunity to appreciate the full range
of his dark imagination.]

Dracula
I was worried initially that the writing style would be too difficult to grasp, but I was pleasantly surprised that it was rather easy. From what I can remember (I did begin it in April after all) Dracula started off reasonably well-paced. I found I enjoyed the story line with Lucy and her antics better than the subsequent manhunt for Dracula himself, meaning I didn't enjoy the ending as much as I could have. There was quite a bit of waffling as well that really wasn't needed which made the pace a bit slower right before the climax. I also found that the characters came to trust too easily and fell in love awfully quick, but maybe that was just part of the times.

The Jewel of Seven Stars
This one drew me in straight away with the Egyptian theme throughout (I find the whole mummies and curses ordeal fascinating). Again, I found that the protagonists fell in love way too quick for my tastes but I went along with it anyway. This, like Dracula, started off well then declined in a lot of unnecessary waffle followed by ending with a bang. I'm still in shock now at how this one ended so I would have to say this one might be my favourite out of the three longer tales as it was so unexpected.

The Lair of the White Worm
From reading the title to the end of this one, I was terribly confused. First of all, a worm? That's the big threat? And second of all, the plot was kind of all over the place. The love between the main characters seemed to happen instantly and then the death of a character had an absurd reasoning behind it. The only bit I really enjoyed was the climax-type scene towards the end because the imagery was really strong and this tiny bit made sense to me. I didn't understand half of what was going on though.

Dracula's Guest and Other Stories
The majority of these shorter tales, funnily enough, I rather enjoyed. They were quick and to the point, drawing me in and then abruptly ending in all sorts of weird ways. The Squaw, The Judge's House and The Burial of the Rats were my favourites out of the bunch with intriguing plots, a strong role for the familiars and beautiful imagery.

Overall, even though the writing was quite easy to navigate, it was still obvious that they were all written some time ago as the women were expected to stay out of the way and let all the men do the work and the racism in The Lair of the White Worm was absolutely horrendous!