Goodbye Spring, Hello Summer and December! The final month of 2021 has terrifyingly arrived, but with constant stress brought on by the fact that it’s almost 2022, it is also a festive time for love, laughter and general merriment. So, lets have a look at what I read during the second last month of 2021!
★★★★☆
The first book I finished this month was Royal Assassin by Robin Hobb, the second booking the Farseer Trilogy (find my review for Assassin’s Apprentice here). Royal Assassin follows on from the end of Assassins Apprentice in the eyes of Fitz, a bastard son to one of the late kings-in-waiting to the throne of the Six Duchies. This second instalment of the series was not only a lot longer, but quite a lot more brutal too. Just when you think Fitz has been through enough for a boy so young, yet another event puts him in the thick of things. As the Six Duchies continue to be ravaged by the Red Ships, it is also being poisoned from within which makes Fitz even less safe than before. I loved the addition of Nighteyes the wolf, and getting to know more about the Wit, and the way it is received in the community. A wonderful continuation to the series and I am looking forward to seeing how this trilogy will end!
★★★★★
Book two for November was the audiobook of Graevale by Lynette Noni. Graevale is book 4 of the Medoran Chronicles, a YA fantasy series that just keeps getting better with each book. To think that some people had to wait between the end of this book and the beginning of the next stresses me out - I love having every single book available for me to devour as quickly as possible. This series is like a combination of Harry Potter, Covenant and something else I can’t put my finger on in the absolute best way possible, and this one really hit me in the feels. Graevale introduces us to a number of other mortal races in Medora and gives more time to some of the teachers which I loved. The ended absolutely ripped out my heart and I genuinely had no idea what to do with myself. If this series continues to be this wonderful, it will definitely become one on my favourite YA series, and most likely a comfort series that I will read over and over again.
★★★★★
The next book I finished in November was Lore Olympus (volume one) by Rachel Smythe. If you’re not already familiar with Lore Olympus, it’s a webtoon that is updated weekly by Rachel and can be found for free online. This graphic novel only covers the first 25 episodes or so of the ongoing tale, but it hooked me in so quick I then couldn’t help but binge read the rest of the story for the few days following my finishing volume one. Lore Olympus is a reimagining/retelling of the Greek myth of Hades and Persephone which has unique artistic style and doesn't shy away from sensitive topics. This is a brilliant amalgamation of ancient and modern, with Olympus being a modern world, and the real world set in Ancient Greece. The graphic novel introduces all of your major Olympians (although some only feature later in the webtoon), and incorporates a number of myths and aspects of Greek mythology into the story, whilst still feeling like a brand new tale. It is truly wonderful, and I would recommend it for all lovers of Greek mythology.
★★★☆☆.5
The final book I finished this month was another audiobook, and that was We Three Heroes by Lynette Noni. This book is actually three novellas, one from D.C.’s point of view, one from Jordan’s perspective and one from Bear’s. It doesn’t follow on from Graevale but there were a few really important aspects from these novellas that you probably want to know about before jumping into Vardaesia (I know it’s hard but it’s worth it). I wasn’t as much of a fan of the three narrators for these stories, and D.C.’s novella was a bit repetitive and slow, but it was really redeemed with Jordan and Bear’s stories. Both of them had a lot of grief to work through, and being able to read some scenes from previous books but from their perspectives was truly wonderful, and it would be remiss of me to mention that there are SO MANY heartfelt scenes in these novellas. I literally couldn’t handle it sometimes, my emotions were all over the place! This book really got me ready for the final instalment of this series (even though I’m gonna be so sad when it’s over).
It was a tie between Lore Olympus and Graevale for my favourite read of this year, let me know what your favourite read of the month was in the comments or on my wrap up post on Instagram! ✨