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!



📖

The Night Eternal (The Strain Trilogy, #3)

By Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan

Narrated by Daniel Oreskes

Image From Goodreads

[The nail-biting vampire thriller from the world famous-director of Pan's Labyrinth and Hellboy.

The night belongs to them, and it will be a night eternal... After the blasts, it was all over.

Nuclear Winter has settled upon the earth. Except for one hour of sunlight a day, the whole world is plunged into darkness. It is a near-perfect environment for vampires. They have won. It is their time. Almost every single man, woman and child has been enslaved in vast camps across the globe. Like animals, they are farmed, harvested for the sick pleasure of the Master Race.

Almost, but not all. Somewhere out there, hiding for their lives, is a desperate network of free humans, continue the seemingly hopeless resistance. Everyday people, with no other options - among them Dr Ephraim Goodweather, his son Zack, the veteran exterminator Vassily, and former gangbanger Gus.

To be free, they need a miracle, they need divine intervention. But salvation can be a twisted game - one in which they may be played like pawns in a battle of Good and Evil. And at what cost?]

I really wanted this to be good, but after the demise of two crucial characters and another minor character at the end of the previous one, this final instalment just didn't really do it for me.

I get that a story needs to tie up all loose ends but it wasn't as dramatic as it could have been, even though barely any of the main characters actually did seem to survive.

The Master didn't seem as threatening in this one because of his association with Zach. In fact, the vampires didn't seem very threatening at all, not even in the camps where they enslaved the humans to be their food supply.

I felt like more time could have been spent in the camps to increase this threat. They broke Nora out way too quickly for my liking.

I also didn't really like the narrator as much. For some reason it was only in this one that I picked up on the fact that I didn't like the way he did the different voices, even though he narrated the second one too.

Dutch never did make an appearance and there was an odd romance at the end that I don't know how I feel about. Gus was too full on and irritating as time went on as well.

I like the TV show so much. I'm incredibly disappointed that the books didn't entirely live up to it. I hope the final season is better - there are huge differences with a couple of characters included where they haven't been in the books. 

I do feel though - even with the series - that the threat has lessened. I feel like I've said it before but it's the outbreak of a virus that is the most fun and tense to read as people are dying all over the place whereas when the virus has fully taken over and only a handful of people survive, it's not all that surprising if they die or live because you've kind of grown numb to it all from the beginning.

Eh, I would only recommend the first book in this series alone I think.

☽

Carve The Mark

By Veronica Roth.

Narrated by Austin Butler and Emily Rankin.

Image From Goodreads

[On a planet where violence and vengeance rule, in a galaxy where some are favoured by fate, everyone develops a currentgift, a unique power meant to shape the future. While most benefit from their currentgifts, Akos and Cyra do not - their gifts make them vulnerable to others' control. Can they reclaim their gifts, their fates, and their lives, and reset the balance of power in this world?

Cyra is the sister of the brutal tyrant who rules the Shotet people. Cyra's currentgift gives her pain and power - something her brother exploits, using her to torture his enemies. But Cyra is much more than just a blade in her brother's hand: she is resilient, quick on her feet, and smarter than he knows.

Akos is from the peace-loving nation of Thuvhe, and his loyalty to his family is limitless. Though protected by his unusual currentgift, once Akos and his brother are captured by enemy Shotet soldiers, Akos is desperate to get his brother out alive - no matter what the cost. When Akos is thrust into Cyra's world, the enmity between their countries and families seems insurmountable. They must decide to help each other to survive - or destroy one another.]

I was intrigued to read this as I enjoyed Roth's Divergent series so much.

I did quite enjoy it as well. It was well written with the chapters jumping between the two protagonist's points of view - Cyra and Akos. They were both equally likeable and flawed characters which made it very easy to root for them. 

I particularly liked Akos though with his determination to do anything for a brother that clearly can't be saved. The other characters were pretty interesting too, especially Ryzek - for the ruler of a people he seemed oddly calm but often had great influence over his sister to do his dirty work for him.

Roth's imagery was also so beautifully done that I could picture it all very clearly.

I loved the idea of a number of people having some sort of gift as well as a possible fate. The fates were stated pretty early on so it was a case of wondering how they would come about or what they could mean. I also loved the use and repetition of Akos making potions from all these interesting ingredients - it's the simplest of tasks but fascinated me to no end!

The planet names and some of the character names were quite confusing at times and because I was listening to it rather than reading it, it wasn't clear to me who or where they were some of the time. This may have been different if I'd had a physical copy in front of me though.

The infusion of bloodlines, unique gifts, betrayal, secrets, otherworldly planets and an almost gladiator-style arena was definitely a fantastic mix. And the ending left some questions with a few shocking revelations too!

I can't wait for the next one!

Alien: Out Of The Shadows

By Tim Lebbon

Narrated by Rutger Hauer, Corey Johnson, Matthew Lewis, Kathryn Drysdale, Laurel Lefkow, Andrea Deck, and Mac McDonald

Image From Goodreads

Even though I'm a writer I'm struggling to find the words tonight. Not for the review, that's fine, but for what happened today at Westminster.

I feel like these attacks are getting more and more frequent no matter where we are.

What is the world coming to?

---

[An Audible Original Drama. As a child, Chris Hooper dreamed of monsters. But in deep space, he found only darkness an isolation. Then, on planet LV178, he and his fellow miners discovered a storm-scoured, sand-blasted hell - and trimonite, the hardest material known to man. When a shuttle crashes into the mining ship Marion, the miners learn that there was more than trimonite deep in the caverns. There was evil, hibernating and waiting for suitable prey. Hoop and his associates uncover a nest of Xenomorphs, and hell takes on a new meaning, Quickly they discover that their only hope lies with the unlikeliest of saviours... Ellen Ripley, the last human survivor of the salvage ship Nostromo.]

Alien: Out of the Shadows was an audiobook I'd been considering for some time.

I was skeptical about using my monthly credit for it on Audible though because it's just so damn short. I didn't think it would be worth it.

But Oh. My. God. Just wow. It was so so SO worth it.

It had me on the edge of my seat the entire time. 

I could visualise it all fantastically thanks to the Alien films. I think this short story slots somewhere between the first and second of those films especially as Ripley isn't the only character from the first film to make an appearance.

The characters were brilliant. Having a different actor for each was wonderful. It really helped in differentiating between them all. Ripley was just like in the films as well, sarcastic, headstrong and brave.

The use of the sound effects were done very, very well. Right from the beginning we had the crackly radio communications, the banging of doors, air escaping when an air lock was opened, gun fire, alien screams, everything. It made it feel SO realistic.

The plot was simple and straight forward, the tension was incredible and I loved the entire voice cast ensemble and the dark humour throughout!

Four and a half hours was the perfect amount of time. It didn't drag on and tied everything up so neatly that there aren't any gaping holes when taking the films into consideration.

I loved it!!

If you fancy something short that doesn't need a lot of concentration this is perfect for you. You don't even need to have seen Alien, it's great as a stand alone too.

A Christmas Carol

By Charles Dickens

Narrated by Sir Derek Jacobi, Kenneth Cranham, Miriam Margolyes, Jenna Coleman, Brendan Coyle and Roger Allam

Image From Goodreads

[In October 1843, Charles Dickens - heavily in debt and obligated to his publisher - began work on a book to help supplement his family's meagre income. That volume, A Christmas Carol, has long since become one of the most beloved stories in the English language. As much a part of the holiday season as holly, mistletoe, and evergreen wreaths, this perennial favourite continues to delight new readers and rekindle thoughts of charity and goodwill. With its characters exhibiting many qualities - as well as failures - often ascribed to Dickens himself, the imaginative and entertaining tale relates Ebenezer Scrooge's eerie encounters with a series of spectral visitors. Journeying with them through Christmases past, present, and future, he is ultimately transformed from an arrogant, obstinate, and insensitive miser to a generous, warm-hearted, and caring human being. Written by one of England's greatest and most popular novelists, A Christmas Carol has come to epitomise the true meaning of Christmas.]

I apologise for not posting this yesterday, I just had the craziest busy weekend and ran out of time to write it!

It may have been one hell of a crazy weekend but boyyyyy was it good.

I'll tell you more about it in Wednesday's post!🙊

---

A Christmas Carol was never really something I'd considered reading so I'm pretty glad Audible made it available for free over Christmas.

I love the film Scrooged, but for some reason I never put two and two together that A Christmas Carol is the story of Scrooge also.

I mean duhhhh. How did I not know that?

I loved the cast, a whole host of people for an audiobook! Genius.

Sir Derek Jacobi as Dickens was wonderful. He's so flamboyant and squeaky-voiced, it almost feels like a children's story and his voice is so expressive, it really makes you understand the characters without the need to see any facial expressions.

The story itself - obviously - is great. The four ghosts were equally comedic, terrifying and kind. The sound effects helped greatly with this, especially when Jacob Marley makes his first appearance - really creepy!

It was short and sweet and I think I might read/listen to it every Christmas now. It really gets down to what Christmas is all about - or what it should be about - and I want it to be a reminder for myself each year that I should be thankful for my family and loved ones over gifts and money. 

Because, let's face it, at Christmas it can all get a bit hectic and it seems the trivial things take over and the meaningful ones are forgotten.



☽

The Fall (The Strain Trilogy, #2)

By Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan

Narrated by Daniel Oreskes

Image From Audible

[Humans have been displaced at the top of the food chain, and now understand - to their outright horror - what it is to be not the consumer, but the consumed. Ephraim Goodweather, director of the New York office of the Centers for Disease control, is one of the few humans who understands what is really happening. Vampires have arrived in New York City, and their condition is contagious. If they cannot be contained, the entire world is at risk of infection. As Eph becomes consumed with the battle against the total corruption of humanity, his ex-wife, Kelly, now a vampire herself, is ever-more determined to claim their son, Zack. As the Biblical origins of the Ancient ones are gradually revealed, Eph learns that there is a greater, more terrible plan in store for the human race - worse even than annihilation...]

I actually wanted to write about the Chinese New Year Celebrations we went to on Sunday but I feel that it deserves more of my time and concentration, so for now, here is another review.

I quite enjoyed this second instalment, but not as much as the first one. I didn't feel as engaged.

Although there was the imminent threat of the vampires, obviously, it wasn't as immediate for me anymore because, well, the outbreak is the most exciting part, right? It has immediate consequences of who gets infected and who survives. So once the main outbreak has claimed the majority of the human race it doesn't quite seem as scary (obviously I wouldn't be saying that for a real virus outbreak).

As I'd already seen the series, I knew somewhat of the plot (although I feel like it almost lacked in this one, not a whole lot actually happened) so wasn't too surprised about what did happen.

Eichorst made his appearance (hallelujah!) but he wasn't as horrible as he is in the series which is a little bit disappointing. Still no Dutch (I reckon they used their "artistic licence" for the show and created her).

But I do like Zach better in the books. He's a right little twat in the TV show (good technical term there) and I don't particularly like him, but in this - so far - he's alright.

I'm a little surprised by the ending of this one though. Something that didn't happen in the TV series is definitely something good as I didn't see it coming. I'm now perplexed as to what to expect in the final one!

☽

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!



☽

The Strain

By Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan

Narrated by Ron Perlman

Image From Goodreads

[A plane lands at JFK and mysteriously 'goes dark', stopping in the middle of the runway for no apparent reason, all lights off, all doors sealed. The pilots cannot be raised.

When the hatch above the wing finally clicks open, it quickly becomes clear that everyone on board is dead - although there is no sign of trauma or struggle. Ephraim Goodweather and his team from the Centre of Disease Control must work quickly to establish the cause of this strange occurrence before panic spreads.

The first thing they discover is that four of the victims are actually still alive. But that's the only good news. And when all 200 corpses disappear from various morgues around the city on the same night, things very rapidly get worse. Soon Eph and a small band of helpers will find themselves battling to protect not only their loved ones, but the whole city, against an ancient threat to humanity.]

I've been watching the TV series for a while now (series three has just finished!) and I thought del Toro's take on vampires had such a unique twist that I couldn't help but be drawn in. 

I loved it from the start. So I thought I would try reading/listening to them as well.

I'm happy to say this first book is on par with the TV series. Except for a few differences, they are exactly the same and because I watched it first I can picture everything perfectly!

I love how it's almost read like a script with the headings of each section the whereabouts in the city. 

The dialogue is good, a bit bland at times, and the descriptions are fantastically gross. 

The added music effects were really creepy and helped to break up all of the parts. 

I was so creeped out listening to this that even walking around my empty house in the day I had to put the radio on to ease my nerves!

The characters are the best part. I grew to them quickly in the series and, subsequently, the books. 

The snippets of backstory we get for each character is great, especially for Setrakian.

Fet is my favourite character, although that might be something to do with the TV series too. He still has a sense of humour even amongst all the end-of-the-world-ness going on.

From watching the series first though, I am a little disappointed by the lack of Dutch and Eichorst. Both of these characters were so amazing in the series, I hope they do make an appearance in later books.

I'm definitely intrigued as to whether the next two will follow with the series or branch off. They've certainly left off where series one ended and I can't wait to read the next one!

The Wise Man's Fear

By Patrick Rothfuss.

Narrated by Rupert Degas.

Image From Goodreads

[Sequel to the extraordinary THE NAME OF THE WIND, THE 

WISE MAN'S FEAR is the second instalment of this superb

fantasy trilogy from Patrick Rothfuss. This is the most exciting 

fantasy series since George R. R. Martin's A SONG OF ICE AND

FIRE, a must-read for all fans of HBO's GAME OF THRONES.

Picking up the tale of Kvothe Kingkiller once again, we follow

him into exile, into political intrigue, courtship, adventure, love

and magic... and further along the path that has turned Kvothe,

the mightiest magician of his age, a legend in his own time, into

Kote, the unassuming pub landlord.

Packed with as much magic, adventure and home-grown drama

as THE NAME OF THE WIND, this is a sequel in every way the

equal to its predecessor and a must-read for all fantasy fans.

Readable, engaging and gripping THE WISE MAN'S FEAR is the

biggest and the best new fantasy novel out there.]

I have a tonne of reviews to write up, so bear with me if there's not many lifestyle posts around!

I am falling more and more in love with these books. Patrick Rothfuss' writing is absolutely a-ma-zing.

There was a lot more action in this one compared to the first one, but, still, even the everyday mundane activities the book covered or the slower moments were made to be interesting yet again. 

I don't know how he does it. There's just something about the way that he writes that makes me feel so engaged, I love it. I could only ever hope to write to near his standard someday.

I still think Kvothe is a brilliant character. It was great to see him break away from the University for a bit, although this then lead to a lack of Sim and Will, but the new characters along his journey were also great. I especially enjoyed Kvothe's interactions with Tempi.

The villains were amplified upping the stakes a great deal. It was great to start off with his university rival again and then to progress onto darker, more powerful enemies on his travels.

I found the Fae aspect very interesting indeed. It shows the good and bad in people, no one is wholly good or bad but a mixture of both.

The fleeting on-off romance with Denna was both lovely and frustrating. You root for them so much but then a lot of things do end up getting in the way.

The twist at the end I did not see coming (and still am trying to understand if it was a twist or me just reading it the wrong way!), but I cannot wait for book three!! He needs to hurry up and finish writing it.

✌︎

The Girl on the Train

By Paula Hawkins.

Narrated by Clare Corbett, India Fisher and Louise Brealey.

I've timed this perfectly as the film was released just a few days ago, muhahaha.

All coincidence of course.

Image From Goodreads

[The debut psychological thriller that will forever change the way you look at other people's lives.

EVERY DAY THE SAME Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning and night. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. She's even started to feel like she knows them. Jess and Jason, she calls them. Their life - as she sees it - is perfect. Not unlike the life she recently lost.

UNTIL TODAY And then she sees something shocking. It's only a minute until the train moves on, but it's enough. Now everything's changed. Unable to keep it to herself, Rachel goes to the police. But is she really as unreliable as they say? Soon she is deeply entangled not only in the investigation but in the lives of everyone involved. Has she done more harm than good?]

I'm kind of a little bit disappointed with this.

Like, I don't even know if I really enjoyed it or not. I feel like I should like it more because it was so well-received by everyone else.

I started off enjoying it. I was gripped and curious for the most part.

I love the way Hawkins created really detailed characters, realistic ones at that. 

The details - or lack there of - for Rachel's alcoholic tendencies and her blackouts helped add to the whole mystery.

Although, I loathed both her and Anna pretty much throughout the entire thing - even their voices got on my nerves, so a well placed voice cast I'll have to admit. 

They were both such horrible types of people.

But I can't pinpoint exactly what made me lose my enjoyment out of it in the end. 

I just know that once I'd twigged who the killer was, I didn't care for the rest of the novel.

I liked Megan's character and her backstory, it was heartbreaking and horrible. 

Plus, there was the twist with who the killer actually was, but, yeah, I felt we found out too early somehow.

Meh, I don't know, mediocre at best.

I am looking forward to the film version though, it looks brilliant and from what I've seen of the trailer Emily Blunt looks like she'll nail the character of Rachel.

✌︎

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.

Elantris

This is a few days late. It's been a mega hectic kinda week so I apologise for the tardiness.

Audio book numero trois: Elantris

By Brandon Sanderson,

Narrated by Jack Garrett

Image from Goodreads

[Elantris was built on magic and it thrived. But
then the magic began to fade and Elantris
began to rot. Now its shattered citizens face
domination by a powerful Imperium. Can a
young Princess unite the people of Elantris, and
lead a rebellion against the imperial zealots?]

I love Brandon Sanderson's novels.

I love the way he writes. 

He always uses so much detail and colour and vibrancy. 

It creates such a clear picture in my mind that it's like watching a film come to life.

I love getting to know his characters as well. 

Raoden and Sarene, in particular, were very good protagonists, but even Hrathen in the end was another I came to enjoy reading about.

They were all portrayed so realistically - character trait-wise, not magical element-wise - that you couldn't not love them, despite their faults. 

Even the minor characters were well-developed and interesting.

The plot was flawless. 

The way Sanderson flicks between different points of view is great, it really gives a full view of the story and the twist at the end was brilliant. 

I really didn't see it coming.

There's a beautiful mix of magic, love, friendship, religion and action in this epic first novel of Sanderson's.

It really is a great read - or listen - and I'm thoroughly looking forward to listening to more of his novels in the future!




✌

The Silmarillion

By J R R Tolkien. 

Narrated by Martin Shaw.

[The Silmarillion is an account of the Elder Days, of the First Age of Tolkien's world. It is the ancient drama to which the characters in The Lord of the Rings look back, and in whose events some of them such as Elrond and Galadriel took part. The tales of The Silmarillion are set in an age when Morgoth, the first Dark Lord, dwelt in Middle-Earth, and the High Elves made war upon him for the recovery of the Silmarils, the jewels containing the pure light of Valinor.

Included in the book are several shorter works. 'The Ainulindale' is a myth of the Creation and in the Valaquenta the nature and powers of each of the gods is described. 'The Akallabeth' recounts the downfall of the great island kingdom of Númenor at the end of the Second Age and 'Of the Rings of Power' tells of the great events at the end of the Third Age, as narrated in The Lord of the Rings.]

I've been wanting to read this one for a while now and I had, in fact, started it a long time ago but I just found it quite difficult to get my head around, so I thought listening to it would be a bit easier!

I certainly understood it better, especially as I read a review beforehand saying that you should think of it more as a bible instead of an ongoing story, a bible of how the Tolkien world and specific characters came about.

I thought, overall, it was good, a lot to take in, and interesting to see how everything was created and linked up to the following novels. I must admit, I got confused at times and still had to read a summary guide after each chapter just to make sure I understood what was going on. The narrator had a very soothing voice so I kept missing bits as well, my mind wandering away to other things!

I also tended to get very excited whenever someone I knew was mentioned (i.e. Galadriel, Gandalf, Saruman, Sauron, Aragorn, Frodo, Elrond and even Shelob's ancestor!)

Definitely worth a read if you're interested in knowing a full in-depth backstory. Very descriptive as always and am even more eager to re-read Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit again.



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What I'm Loving Right Now

I meant to make this a sort of series but, yanno, I don't think I post regularly enough for that. My blog would just consist of these posts and reviews if that were to happen.

Maybe one day when I can find some sort of motivation again. I swear, I used to be so good at being organised, turning up early, having presents and cards ready in advance, buying products way before they run out. But now, no, I'm Miss Disorganised and can't seem to find where I put my motivation.

Anyways, without any further ado, here are the things that I'm loving right now:

1. Audible - I recently wrote a review of listening to my first audiobook and I just have to share my love for them again. Honestly, they are genius. I'm currently listening to The Silmarillion (as I tried to read it and just couldn't get into it properly!) and I already can't stop thinking ahead about which one I'm going to use my precious monthly credit on next.

2. Dracula - I have finally, finally read Dracula (review to come when I finish all of the other horror stories within this book)! It was easier to read than I first anticipated which was a surprise and now I really want to see Christopher Lee's film adaptations!

3. Formula 1 - The season has started again and I am loving every second of it, even more so that it's on Channel 4 now and the presenters don't irritate me. I was a little bored at the end of the last season as the Mercedes team were constantly winning (started off that way this season too), but then the last two races were shocking and exciting and I'm hooked all over again.

4. Running - I don't know if I've mentioned it on my blog yet (probably not as I wanted to see how it went) but I've recently started running. I couldn't find myself getting into a proper routine doing the abs and squats each week so I thought I'd try something new. I'd heard a lot about how it's a good stress/anxiety reliever, and so far I am thoroughly enjoying it!

5. Game of Thrones - apart from episode 6, I think every episode of this new season has been action-packed, fast-paced and full to the brim with unexpected twists! I just. GAME. OF. THRONES ❤ can't wait for the last few episodes.

6. Avocados - my new obsession and they're healthy, result! Absolutely love adding these to a salad to put with my dinner, even tried it in a Spanish omelette yesterday and it was to die for ❤ ❤ ❤ still need to try it on toast tho.

7. Warmer weather - I used to hate heat and the summer months but, now, I'm really starting to enjoy them. Everyone is so much happier and it's all chilled and beaut. Don't get me wrong tho, I still enjoy winter, I will forever be a winter girl, with my constant freezing cold hands and feet!

What have you been loving lately?

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