Every good adventure begins with a clear vision and a hot cup of tea or coffee. Much like this blog, an adventure can be scary and you may not know where it’s gonna take you, but take the plunge. You will not regret it once you’ve taken that first step.
This blog is about all things nerdy. I am excited to begin this journey with you all in; discussing different book topics, coffee and tea, and some fun new adventures in anime and fandoms.
My bookshelf area is where you can get new book ideas, read some reviews and find great pictures of books and bookstores. This area of the blog is my absolute favorite, I have a passion for books and am open to new suggestions. Please don’t hesitate to send me any suggestions on new books, or just want to chat about books in general!
The nerd out section is a place to do just that, NERD OUT! This is where you will find tons of articles and posts about anime and your favorite fandoms (a lot of Star Wars and Lord of the Rings, because I’m obsessed with them). There will also be tons of artwork I have found over the years that are absolutely incredible. If you have any artwork or fan pics and want to be featured on the blog, don’t be shy and reach out to me!
Thank you so much for joining me on this adventure! Now, go grab a cup of tea, or whatever you fancy and have a look around!
– Krissy
Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton
Okay, let me start off by apologizing for how late this review is! I read this book sooo long ago! But with all the crazy wedding stuff I had going on it all got lost in thought! So i’m finally doing it! ABOUT TIME!
You guys, if you didn’t get how much I love this book from my post, The Cruel Prince Review, you certainly will after The Wicked King review. Let me just start off by saying that Holly Black delivered on keeping me at the edge of my seat. Sometimes when you read a sequel to a book you love, it just falls short of your expectations, but The Wicked King was far from that!
This book left me speechless, I love how Holly Black continues to develop these amazing characters, and yet still throw in a few “bet you didn’t see that coming…” with the story line. I’m going to give you my full review of this book below! If you have yet to read the Cruel Prince, I HIGHLY suggest checking out that book before going ANY further here! (Just being honest)
Synopsis:
“After the jaw-dropping revelation that Oak is the heir to Faerie, Jude must keep her younger brother safe. To do so, she has bound the wicked king, Cardan, to her, and made herself the power behind the throne. Navigating the constantly shifting political alliances of Faerie would be difficult enough if Cardan were easy to control. But he does everything in his power to humiliate and undermine her even as his fascination with her remains undiminished.
When it becomes all too clear that someone close to Jude means to betray her, threatening her own life and the lives of everyone she loves, Jude must uncover the traitor and fight her own complicated feelings for Cardan to maintain control as a mortal in a Faerie world.” – Good Reads
PROS:
Storyline: Holly Black did a great job on keeping the storyline going; when at the end of the book of The Cruel Prince I was honestly scared I was going to lose some of the background stuff going on behind the scenes, in this second book. She preludes to some potential allies behind the scenes that you may or may not have sensed from the first book. BUT she delivers in the second, she answered all my questions from the first, and yet still has me asking soooo many more by the end. The storyline kept me on the edge of my set, hanging on for dear life cause I HAD to know what happened next. I love that in a good book, its my favorite.
Character Development: Both Jude and Cardan are, as it should be still developing in the story as the main characters. However, it was great to see the development of some of the other minor characters such as Balekin, Nicasia, Taryn, The Roach and The Bomb, as just a few examples. All these characters have peaked my interests in The Cruel Prince, and it was great getting to know the real them in this book. I can’t wait to see what she does with it!
CONS:
As I said in the Cruel Prince review, there wasn’t anything negative I had about this book for the most part.
With that being said, while I did get a little more out of Taryn in this book, I am really hoping that her half Elf sister , Vivienne, will really come through for Jude in The Queen of Nothing. It would be amazing if all three sisters rose up and succeeded above what everyone thought they were, mortal scum, if you will.
Conclusion:
This book did leave me hanging.. AGAIN… but that’s okay cause at least I know there is another book coming out way! Overall this book was an overall great read to continue the story of Cardan and Jude. If you are looking for a new series to start, this would be the one! I haven’t found a series like this, with attention to detail, Faeries, and this good of a story line all in one, EVER. Some would even say I’m obsessed with the Folk of the Air series. Which is okay with me!
“I remember what it was to hate him with the whole of my heart, but I’ve remembered too late.” —The Wicked King
THANK YOU SOOO MUCH FOR STOPPING BY AND CHECKING THE POST OUT! Don’t forget to leave a comment on what your thoughts were of the book, or overall comments of the review! – Krissy
When you read a book, do you love when you are holding on for dear life with every turn of the page? I absolutely love that. The story is so enticing and you don’t know what is going to happen next, next thing you know it 2 am and you can’t put the book down. BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS! Those are my favorite kind of books, I usually reach for a Psychological Thriller, when I want to read a good murder mystery that will utterly leave your mind messed up for days. When I put it that way I sound crazy, but its true!
Thrillers have a special place in my heart. This genre is what got me so addicted to reading in the first place! Theres nothing I love more than trying to figure out what is going on and asking myself a million times a chapter, “what in the actual fuck…”. This genre is my go to when I am not sure what to read, and these authors are some of my favorites!
I have put together a list of some of my favorite thriller reads to add to your list of must reads this year!
1. The Woman in Cabin 10
” Lo Blacklock, a journalist who writes for a travel magazine, has just been given the assignment of a lifetime: a week on a luxury cruise with only a handful of cabins. The sky is clear, the waters calm, and the veneered, select guests jovial as the exclusive cruise ship, the Aurora, begins her voyage in the picturesque North Sea. At first, Lo’s stay is nothing but pleasant: the cabins are plush, the dinner parties are sparkling, and the guests are elegant. But as the week wears on, frigid winds whip the deck, gray skies fall, and Lo witnesses what she can only describe as a dark and terrifying nightmare: a woman being thrown overboard. The problem? All passengers remain accounted for and so, the ship sails on as if nothing has happened, despite Lo’s desperate attempts to convey that something (or someone) has gone terribly, terribly wrong.”
2. All the Missing Girls
“It’s been ten years since Nicolette Farrell left her rural hometown after her best friend, Corinne, disappeared from Cooley Ridge without a trace. Back again to tie up loose ends and care for her ailing father, Nic is soon plunged into a shocking drama that reawakens Corinne’s case and breaks open old wounds long since stitched.
The decade-old investigation focused on Nic, her brother Daniel, boyfriend Tyler, and Corinne’s boyfriend Jackson. Since then, only Nic has left Cooley Ridge. Daniel and his wife, Laura, are expecting a baby; Jackson works at the town bar; and Tyler is dating Annaleise Carter, Nic’s younger neighbor and the group’s alibi the night Corinne disappeared. Then, within days of Nic’s return, Annaleise goes missing.
Told backwards—Day 15 to Day 1—from the time Annaleise goes missing, Nic works to unravel the truth about her younger neighbor’s disappearance, revealing shocking truths about her friends, her family, and what really happened to Corinne that night ten years ago.”
3. The Forgotten Girls
” In a forest in Denmark, a ranger discovers the fresh corpse of an unidentified woman. A large scar on one side of her face should make the identification easy, but nobody has reported her missing. After four days, Louise Rick—the new commander of the Missing Persons Department—is still without answers. But when she releases a photo to the media, an older woman phones to say that she recognizes the woman as Lisemette, a child she once cared for in the state mental institution many years ago. Lisemette, like the other children in the institution, was abandoned by her family and branded a “forgotten girl.” But Louise soon discovers something more disturbing: Lisemette had a twin, and both girls were issued death certificates over 30 years ago. As the investigation brings Louise closer to her childhood home, she uncovers more crimes that were committed—and hidden—in the forest, and finds a terrible link to her own past that has been carefully concealed.”
4. The Child Finder
” Three years ago, Madison Culver disappeared when her family was choosing a Christmas tree in Oregon’s Skookum National Forest. She would be eight years old now—if she has survived. Desperate to find their beloved daughter, certain someone took her, the Culvers turn to Naomi, a private investigator with an uncanny talent for locating the lost and missing. Known to the police and a select group of parents as The Child Finder, Naomi is their last hope.
Naomi’s methodical search takes her deep into the icy, mysterious forest in the Pacific Northwest, and into her own fragmented past. She understands children like Madison because once upon a time, she was a lost girl too.
As Naomi relentlessly pursues and slowly uncovers the truth behind Madison’s disappearance, shards of a dark dream pierce the defenses that have protected her, reminding her of a terrible loss she feels but cannot remember. If she finds Madison, will Naomi ultimately unlock the secrets of her own life? “
5. She Lies in Wait
” On a scorching July night in 1983, a group of teenagers goes camping in the forest. Bright and brilliant, they are destined for great things, and the youngest of the group—Aurora Jackson—is delighted to be allowed to tag along. The evening starts like any other—they drink, they dance, they fight, they kiss. Some of them slip off into the woods in pairs, others are left jealous and heartbroken. But by morning, Aurora has disappeared. Her friends claim that she was safe the last time they saw her, right before she went to sleep. An exhaustive investigation is launched, but no trace of the teenager is ever found.
Thirty years later, Aurora’s body is unearthed in a hideaway that only the six friends knew about, and Jonah Sheens is put in charge of solving the long-cold case. Back in 1983, as a young cop in their small town, he had known the teenagers—including Aurora—personally, even before taking part in the search. Now he’s determined to finally get to the truth of what happened that night. Sheens’s investigation brings the members of the camping party back to the forest, where they will be confronted once again with the events that left one of them dead, and all of them profoundly changed forever. “
Those are my my 5 go to Thriller books that I loved every, gut wrenching second of! Let me know what your thoughts are! Are you going to add them? Have you already read any of them? I want to hear it all!
Instead of being afraid. I could become something to fear.
– Jude ( The cruel Prince: Holly Black )
GO READ IT NOW!
You guys, The Cruel Prince was by far my favorite read of 2018! In this post I will go over the pros and cons of the book, character development and overall consensus of the book. Let me just start with a side note, I have become obsessed with this book! I finished it in two days, I couldn’t put the book down. Every second had me attached to see what would happen next.
Holly Black just came out with the next book in the series called The Wicked King. I ordered the special edition from Barnes and Noble. So it should be coming soon! I promise you once you read The Cruel Prince you will drop all other reads and grab the next one!
Synopsis:
The Cruel Prince follows the story of a human girl living in a land of faerie. Jude is a young girl just trying to survive the cruel world she was dragged into with her two sisters. When life kept beating her down, she decided to become something to fear instead, she does what she knows best in attempt to make the best of her life in Faerie. Just when Jude thinks she has things figured out, fate takes a turn and her quick wits are tested once again.
Pros:
Detail: Holly Black did such an amazing job writing this book. Every detail is laid out to flawlessly. I was able to paint a vivid picture in my head of each character and the land they live in.
Storyline: Guys this book got me hooked from chapter one! The story is incredibly easy to follow, I was biting my nails in anxiety of what’s going to happen next. I can’t tell you the last time a book has got me that hooked. Let’s just say, my fiancé thought I fell asleep with all the lights on, but he found me face deep in this book until I was done reading it (200 pages).
Character Development: The characters in The Cruel Prince were relatable, fun and quick witted. My favorite characteristics in characters. Not to mention that i’m obsessed with anything in the Faerie realm. Holly Black provided so much detail in the background of these characters that you fall in love with them (yes even the ones you last expect)! The vivd background of the main character Jude, and the development of the Prince and his group of heathens is vital to the story and you get it all. She left out nothing. Impeccable job.
Cons:
I HONESTLY HAVE NO CONS TO THIS BOOK! I will say that I wish that there was more development on the story of her sisters. That isn’t really a negative side, you do get some detail of them, ( i’m hoping to get more from The Wicked King) but I wanted to know more about the sisters in a sense of why they are the way they are. Coming from the same background, all three girls developed completely different.
I know… it doesn’t happen often. However it’s hard for me to find cons in a book when I enjoyed it so much, read it in two days and became obsessed. You guys, come on, I even ordered The Cruel Prince bookmarks..
Concluding:
In summary, you guys, make this a read for 2019. Let me know what you think about it.
I completely enjoyed every minute of this book and had to share it with you guys. If you enjoy fantasy and a good lead female character thats a total bad ass, go pick up the book!
“Open eyes are of little use when the mind behind them is closed.”
― Jim Butcher, Princeps’ Fury
SUMMARY
This series follows the main character Tavi through his journey in the enticing realm Jim Butcher has created. In this realm, most people have furies, magical being that are manifested through the persons strength, however Tavi is not a normal kid, he has yet to manifest his furies while those his age around him have already had years of practice with theirs. Without giving too much away, you will follow Tavi as he goes through life without furies and get swept away by his courage and honor as he develops throughout the books.
Why I love this book so much
I am a sucker for anything magical. In all honesty, you mention the word magic or powers and I’m in. This book captured me when the book introduced the furies, to me this was a new concept. The furies were based on the elements, (water, earth, fire and air) and manifest at a young age, I want to compare it to puberty, it can happen at any point. However, if the fury didn’t appear in someone before the age 16, they were considered abnormal.
This series also does a great job of adding in military strategies and realism. While I do enjoy a good magic duel, it was epic to be able to get a good amount of raw, brutal battles being waged from internal strife. I also really liked the politics that went on behind the scenes in these books. I’m not normally one that likes politics at all, but I do think it is necessary background when there are wars involved in the plot line.
I LOVE the fact that the main character wasn’t the most powerful person, this made me want to know more about where Tavi would end up. As the series develops, Tavi becomes stronger and more courageous as the realm faces some of the biggest threats they have seen in decades. The series does a great job of introducing new characters, that both challenge and accept Tavi at every stage he goes through. NOT TO MENTION there are a ton of totally bad ass female characters in the series as well.
Another main reason to love this series by Jim Butcher is that the writing in itself is amazing. The detail that is put into these books actually makes me feel like I am in the realm. When I read these books I can’t put them down, everything is laid out, I can picture every characters personalities perfectly. I can also picture how the realm is laid out with all the different stead holders lands, the high lords and the first lords.
There are also quite a few surprises thrown in there. But I’ll let you guys figure those out for yourselves!
Overall
If you love science fiction/ fantasy or military realism you HAVE to read this series. You get a little bit of everything, all while keeping the story line clear and to the point while painting a picture in your head, from the realm to the characters themselves!
Also,
Thanks for reading!
If you love science fiction / fantasy and want some more book ideas be sure to check out A Life of Fantasy?!?!
Myth and fairy-story must, as all art, reflect and contain in solution elements of moral and religious truth (or error), but not explicit, not in the known form of the primary ‘real’ world. – J.R.R Tolkien
My all time favorite genre of books by far! I wanted to share with you how I got into these types of books, after only reading murder mysteries and crime series most of my life! When I first met my fiancé, 7 years ago, I was just getting into reading again and the only books I would look at were by James Patterson (one of my favorite authors). My fiancé at the time was really into Jim Butcher’s The Dresden Files, when one day he stumbled upon an author named Kevin Hearne who just so happened to be from the valley! So, he told me I HAD to read this series, knowing that I was entranced by vampires, fairies and ancient druids shows or movies. To my surprise, I was hooked!!
Being able to drift off to a different realm and allow my mind to wander with the pages of these books and grow my love for these fairy tale beings. Kevin Hearne is by far one of my favorite authors now, I had the chance to meet him at Phoenix Comic Con! (Phoenix Comic Con posts to come in the future!) This series opened my eyes to a world of fantasy and fiction, and my passion for reading took off. This world of fantasy really allowed me disconnect from this world, or whatever is going on around me, and takes me to another realm, or place in time. Being able to let my mind wander and beleive for just a little while, that some of these beings actually exists, puts me at ease. I love finding new authors and new charcters to fall in love with in the genre, it’s never a dull moment!
Here is a list of some of some of my favorite big name fantasy books/ series if you’re looking to jump into a new genre. (Not in any specific order)
Kevin Hearne: Iron Druid Chronicles
Jim Butcher: Codex Alera
Terry Brooks: Shannarah Chronicles
Rick Riordan: Percy Jackson and the Olympians
George R.R Martin: Song of Ice and Fire
J.R.R Tolkien: Lord of the Rings series
J.K Rowling: Harry Potter
CHECK BACK IN FOR MORE FANTASY / SCIENCE FICTION FAVORITES THAT ARE OFF THE BEATEN PATH! If you have any questions or comments on any of these books or have some good books for me to check out, please let me know!
