the_ya_assassin's reviews
377 reviews

Review to come

Edit 08/01/2021 -
I have since thought back on this book and realized . . . I really didn't enjoy it. I was in a reading slump when I read this and THOUGHT I enjoyed it. But now I realize that if I had truly enjoyed it, I would've gotten out of my reading slump. It was very unoriginal - it followed the SAME EXACT storyline as ACOTAR with the same characters. I will still be picking up the sequel, but I know I thought too highly of this book.

Thank you HMH Books for Young Readers Publishing for the eARC through Edelweiss!

"Where do you think legends begin, if not from truth?"

So in [b:These Hollow Vows|53422971|These Hollow Vows (These Hollow Vows, #1)|Lexi Ryan|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1603478051l/53422971._SY75_.jpg|82902232], we meet stubborn redhead Abrielle Kincaid (Brie), our main character, in the human realm. She steals from the rich to help keep her and her sister Jas afloat after their mother fled the mortal realm to be with a noble fae and their uncle died. They have a contract with their aunt to work to pay off their debt to her, but the costs are catching up to them. Long story short, the aunt sells Jas to the Unseelie King Mordeus, and thus starts our adventure into faerie. Brie will do anything to help rescue her sister, going so far as to make a deal with said Unseelie King to collect and deliver three magical objects to him: a mirror, a book, and a crown. However, all three of these relics are in the Seelie court.
Brie needs to get access to the Seelie Court, and the only way to do that is to participate in the competition for Prince Ronan's hand. Despite her opinions on fae, Brie slowly accepts and falls in love with Prince Ronan. He promises to help save Brie's sister, but Brie's deal with the Unseelie King prevents her from telling him that she's taking care of it. She accepts help from her fairy godmother and a group much like the Inner Circle from [b:A Court of Mist and Fury|17927395|A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #2)|Sarah J. Maas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1546406996l/17927395._SY75_.jpg|25126749] to help her learn to use a special skill she acquired when she came to faerie. Finn, said group's leader, happens to be VERY Rhysand-like with the same charm. She internally struggles with her feelings for Finn and Ronan (a shocker, I know. What would a YA book be without a good old love triangle?)
Brie isn't quite sure who she can trust and feels guilty throughout the novel about her secrets. Even more so, who she loves is brought into question.

I don't think there are any content warnings I can give for this book. There's mild intimate scenes and some cursing, but nothing I think that needs to be warned about.

I REALLY enjoyed this book. I do see where some people might dislike it, because it's VERY similar to the A Court of Thorns and Roses series and the main character isn't always likeable. However, there were many other redeemable parts of this book that made me love it.
For starters, the world building was fantastic. The fae AND human worlds had very distinguished rules, mythical creatures (fae only), locations, types of faeries, and magical relics. The magic system was kind of developed, but I think it could've been taken a step further if there were LIMITATIONS to each fae's magic (like where they only had control of a certain element).
Secondly, the characters. I pretty much matched each of the core characters to a character from A Court of Thorns and Roses. The plot is COMPLETELY different BUT the characters were similar. Let me list the matches:
- Brie = Feyre (obvi)
- Finn = Rhysand
- Lark = Elain
- Kane = Azriel
- Tynan = Cassian
- Pretha = Mor
- Ronan = Tamlin
- King Mordeus = King of Hybern
- Queen Arya = Amarantha

Brie wasn't as strong as Feyre, in my opinion, but they acted similarly. When I first started reading THV, Brie kind of seemed . . . conceited and she still was at the end of the book. Her opinions about fae had changed for sure, BUT her anger boiled over at the end. I didn't see much change in her as a character sadly. Brie was slow on the uptake (you'll see what I mean when you read These Hollow Vows, which you NEED to read), BUT she is reasonable and does what NEEDS to be done, or rather, what she WANTS to be done (which is finding and saving her sister). I can appreciate that about her - a woman with a goal and determination to do whatever it takes to reach that goal.
However, I'm not happy we didn't get to see more of the two love interests in this book or Finn's circle in this book. I am a hopeless romantic and LOVE love triangles, but this one fell a little flat for me since there didn't seem much fight between the three characters in it. AND the characters just fell a little flat for me 'cause nothing really happened with them. Though I do love some faerie wine, if you know what I mean (or you'll see what I mean lol).

Thirdly, the scenes and extra tidbits. There were a LOT of easter eggs and references to other famous stories if you pay close enough attention. Some examples include references to Cinderella, Narnia, Harry Potter, classic fae stories, and Beauty & the Beast. Watch for what I mean and message me if you catch any of these.
Each scene played a key role in building up to the climax plus they twisted the trust and hope more and more for Brie. I honestly love seeing characters struggle because it makes the story more believable. I NEED a main character to struggle, both internally and externally, which [a:Lexi Ryan|2856947|Lexi Ryan|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1624493726p2/2856947.jpg] delivered. Every chapter, as the old saying goes, made the snot thicker and thicker, or in this case, the plot.

Although, that ending made up for all of the tiny mistakes I had with this book. It was a HUGE twister and one I honestly didn't see coming. I'm shell shocked. It wasn't . . . cruel exactly, but it wasn't a kind ending either. I feel excited to see what Brie does next. I am looking forward to the sequel VERY much, like . . . I need my hands on it now.

I'd recommend this for fans of:
- ACOTAR
- [b:Throne of Glass|7896527|Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass, #1)|Sarah J. Maas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1495278054l/7896527._SY75_.jpg|11138426]
- [b:The Selection|10507293|The Selection (The Selection, #1)|Kiera Cass|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1322103400l/10507293._SY75_.jpg|15413183]
- Narnia by [a:C.S. Lewis|1069006|C.S. Lewis|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1564671804p2/1069006.jpg]
- The Iron Fey by [a:Julie Kagawa|2995873|Julie Kagawa|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1257816454p2/2995873.jpg]
- Retellings
- Literally ANYTHING with fae in it

DNF at 40%

My brain and heart just weren't attached to this book at all - I was skimming, I couldn't focus, I put it down several times . . . I like some contemporaries, but this is just not it for me.
I've heard many people describe this book as "fun", "lighthearted", "made my life better". I don't see how any of these things could possibly occur.
For starters, it's very unrealistic. How in the world do MANY people in this small town in Indiana have so much money? Enough to PAY for a HUGE prom and a large enough scholarship to help Liz make it to a PRIVATE UNIVERSITY?!?!
In addition, there are several blatantly racist comments. I get the whole civil rights movement going on right now merits this and endorses it, but isn't it actually the opposite of what we want? Unity and equal treatment for ALL?
Also, the author COMPLETELY missed their chance of a friends to enemies to lovers romance that would've actually made me keep reading. It's all fine and dandy that the author included a lesbian romance in this book, but it just wasn't enough for me to care. In addition, she uses one of the biggest tropes - love at first sight. I believe it is complete crap and just couldn't bring myself to continue.
Sooooooooooo . . . I decided to just read the last pages of the book and find out if Liz won the title of Prom Queen or not. She does, of course.

I won't write a review since I couldn't get through it. I didn't realize it was magical realism and missing person mystery. I thought it'd be more about a circus with missing pieces in its history or something. Sadly, this is just not what I'm in the mood for right now. I need some high fantasy with some romance and/or a modern love story. We shall see.

Thank you Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Tor Teen Publishing and Netgalley for sending me an eARC of The Endless Skies in exchange for an honest review.

DNF at 48%

I am not going to leave a starred review for this book because I can't accurately judge the entire book - only the terrible first half I was able to get through. I am so sad I didn't enjoy [b:The Endless Skies|49247252|The Endless Skies|Shannon Price|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1622421436l/49247252._SY75_.jpg|67125535] because it had a really intriguing synopsis and I was looking forward to reading it.

In The Endless Skies, we have three POVs - Callen, Rowan, and Shirene (mind you, I literally had to check my updates of this book to remember their names). Pretty much everyone in Heliana, their floating city, are Leondai - winged-lion shapeshifters. They protect the other four magical realms as an elite group of warriors that endure years of training. Rowan, one of our main characters, is going to become a certified part of these warriors the next day after training for four years to prove her loyalty to the kingdom. However, an unknown and deadly disease shows up in over 15 children from their city. Callen and Ox, Rowan's BFF and crush, are sent to the enemy/human lands to find the cure.
Rowan can't become the warrior she always dreamed to be and being the selfish and impatient girl she is, she seeks out information to have an excuse to go help save the kingdom. She finds said information and decides to desert to prove herself (and supposedly save) those she loves. The clock is ticking though - the humans will attack soon and even worse, the expected time frame to cure the sickness is cut in half.

I am majorly disappointed. The premise for this book was so amazing which is the reason why I requested it! I had to force myself to even get to 50% because there were so many confusing info-dumps from the worldbuilding early on. In addition, I disliked all of the characters and the obvious love triangle that showed up from the get-go couldn't entice me to continue. I was skimming for the last 10% I was reading simply because the story wasn't all that interesting. In addition, [a:Shannon Price|17716119|Shannon Price|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1544716489p2/17716119.jpg] used the same phrases and words that just made me want to scream - "roar," "one last time," "skyward," etc. There was also so much "showing" instead of "telling" that I literally skipped several pages and still knew what was going on

I was so looking forward to reading this book and am heartbroken I wasn't able to finish or enjoy it.

Thank you Wattpad Books Publishing for sending me an eARC through Netgalley.

"'I believe in the sun even when it's not shining. I believe in love been when I cannot feel it. I believe in God even when He is silent.'
'Who said that?'
'Someone who also lived in darkness and managed to find the light.'"

*4.5 stars*

I can NOT believe I haven't heard more people talking about this book. Think of it as the ultimate combination of the TV show, Motherland: Fort Salem and classic dystopian novels, like The Fifth Wave and Divergent.

The readers follow two main characters - the fiery and fierce redhead, Adra, who is suspected to be the last female on Earth, and green-eyed and dark-haired Kaden. I loved the dynamic between the two of them and had so much fun reading this book. I could not put it down, and the writing kept me engaged. The worldbuilding was well-done too, though I wish we would have gotten more backstory of the cycles of the plague that had swept the land like how the five waves in the Fifth Wave did. The whole clan thing was brilliant addition on Nelson's part.

The only things that prevented me from giving this a full 5 stars were the pacing and character inconsistencies. Pacing-wise, I sometimes felt like I missing part of the story because scenes jumped from one another instead of flowing into each other. I had no sense of how long passed between each scene (most of the time), which left something to be desired for me. I don't like not knowing when or how long a story takes place. And then character-wise, the characters sometimes felt out of character to me. There were several times while reading, I thought "That doesn't sound like the Adra I just read about." The characters were also a little dull sometimes, while other times I was like "I LOVE these characters!"

Other than that though, I enjoyed this story about the last known female on earth after a plague swept across the world. I hope to read more about Adra's and Kaden's story in a sequel because I really want Adra to find her father and sister (and possibly other females as well) and restore the human race to its former glory. Do not be fooled by the synopsis - this book has a lot of action (and a little gore) and is definitely a story worth adding to your TBR.

Review to come.

Thank you Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and Netgalley for sending me an eARC of Heart of the Impaler to read and review on my platforms. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

"That's the problem with kings and princes. Their promises are easily made, easily broken."

This is weirdly specific, but 3.5 stars. This is not a bad review from me - I just didn't enjoy this book so much to read it again (which is what I usually reserve for 4 stars and up), but also where I did enjoy it.

Here's the biggest problem with Heart of the Impaler: there is nearly NO plot. Based on the title alone, you would think this would be a retelling of Vlad the Impaler (aka Dracula). When I read the synopsis and it said "for fans of Kiersten White's And I Darken" I was so excited for another Dracula retelling. However, the story has some VERY loose elements of this since Vlad is the main character, but he doesn't go off the deep end of insanity UNTIL the end.

You may be thinking, huh, then why is it titled "Heart of the Impaler"? This is because the whole story centers on the love triangle between Ilona (the female love interest), Vlad, and Andrei (Vlad's cousin, they are like brothers though). It tells the story of how Vlad became infamous for staking people due to an obsession with a girl, who loved his cousin instead of him.

While I was bummed that the story didn't focus more on a plot, the worldbuilding and history elements were AMAZING. In addition, I had FUN reading this book. I've been in a reading slump since March, and while I've still been reading books, every book I've read has been somewhat dull to me. This historical romance book has gotten me out of it finally (I think) because I enjoyed the romance. I will confirm this theory once I start reading "The Last She".

My other issue with this book was with the characters. Everyone, save Andrei, was SUPER boring and archetypal. For example, Ilona alone fit into several tropes, including "I'm-not-like-other-girls", "good-at-everything-she-tries", and the "I'm-prettier-than-everyone-but-don't-know-it". However, she had some redeeming qualities like being determined, independent, and headstrong (NOT smart though. She was very naive). I also found her unique in the fact that she loved studying birds. I've never read a book where the female MC did this. I HATED Vlad for the most part. For the brief time that he was sweet to Ilona, I liked him. But the rest of the time, I hated his egotistical, entitled butt. I did notice that Delacroix (whether purposely or not) made Andrei and Vlad character foils. What I mean by this is that they are opposites: Andrei is quiet and a follower, while Vlad is boastful and a leader. Andrei is cautious and strategic, while Vlad is impulsive.

I did like the fact that there were three different POVs. Sometimes it was hard to distinguish at first who was narrating because there weren't any headers for when it switched, but it was easy to figure out who once I got further into the sections.

Overall, Heart of the Impaler is the new release you should reach for if you want a book with a love triangle and a dash of history.

Okay, my problems with this book so far (only on page 22 and thinking of DNF-ing):
1. The amount of casual cursing is highly inappropriate and I already don't like the MC. I don't believe authors should encourage young adults to curse.
2. This is marked as YA, yet it reads as middle grade, minus the foul language.
3. The "N" word is used on page 2. WHY IS THIS ACCEPTABLE?!?!?! I understand the author is POC, but still . . . it's not something anyone should condone.
4. I don't care about a person's race until they shove it in my face. This book did that on the very first page. I understand this book is supposed to tackle racism but the moment you make that distinction about the MC, are you not being racist?
5. The author told readers that if the Law is ever after you, that you should run away, even if you are not guilty. Running is a sign of guilt. More than likely, if you just follow the directions of the law, you will be FINE (of course, there are some bad Law people out there).
6. Oh, and the first 2 chapters are terribly confusing due to word choice.

Update 06/16:
Nope. I'm done. This book is not getting finished. This is officially my first DNF all year at 20%
The "N" word was used again. The "S" word was used more times than I could count. An author, no matter their color, should NEVER condone using the words used in this book.
It reads like middle grade and is so obviously a debut, it's scary. The way the author wrote most of the first chapters was confusing and annoying. Rue is stuck-up and rude (she ignores her dad simply because he wasn't there when her mother was killed or when she grew up). She acts like she's entitled to break the rules and not have consequences. And then that one chapter where it had a flashback . . . it switched channels so quickly and without any warning, I was SUPER confused.
I also don't care if the way Rue speaks is realistic and normal. It is very incorrect and the author condones being rebellious through Rue's character and speaking in such a way. The worldbuilding was also very underdone. Also, the whole "god" thing that was promised isn't prominent in the story and the characters stuttered so often.
I don't understand how this book is so popular. It had so much potential and the author failed miserably.

*3.5 stars*

Review to come