December Wrap up 2021

The very last month of the year was a bit of a weird one for me, and you can tell I needed some comfort reads! I really ended 2021 with a bang, finishing both Vardaesia and the Aeneid, and then reading another eight books and one novella. It helps that the weather was beautiful and I was on holidays for the last week and a half of the month. Also, I always read the Percy Jackson books really quickly because they’re so easy and hard to put down. So, without further ado, here is my final wrap up post for 2021!

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I finished off the Medoran Chronicles series by Lynette Noni this month, which was a bitter sweet moment for me. It let this melancholic feeling in my chest, and the book hangover feeling was strong. I can’t say much about Vardaesia or A Very Medoran Kaldoras: Part One without spoiling the entire series but what I can say is that it was a brilliant ending to one of the best Young Adult series I have ever read. It was heartbreaking and uplifting and I felt so many emotions listening to Vardaesia, I was completely encapsulated. A Very Medoran Kaldoras: Part One is a bonus novella that is set a year after the ending of Vardaesia, and it was just this bonus glimpse into the lives of our favourite characters which I absolutely adored. It ended on a cliffhanger by Lynette has since blessed us with a part two, and that is truly a Christmas miracle. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, please read this series!!! Vardaesia ★★★★★ // A Very Medoran Kaldoras: Part One ★★★★☆.

★★★★☆

After buddy reading The Aeneid with Lorna over at unexpectedlearningjourney it was really wonderful to finally finish it! Reading it with Lorna was such a great experience, since she really brought her Latin expertise to the buddy read, and went so far as to translate some passages herself. Although I had a couple of issues with my translation, it was really cool to compare translation choices between my edition and Lorna’s, which really highlighted the challenges of translation. It was really enlightening, and of course the epic poem itself was really fascinating. The links to Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey throughout were always interesting to find, and the tale as a founding myth of Rome is such a great insight into the way the Romans viewed themselves and their connection to the Greeks at the beginning of their Empire.

The whole series gets ★★★★★

Next up this month was my re-read of the entire Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan. The Percy Jackson series is a five book middle grade series the focusses on Percy Jackson, the son of the Greek god Poseidon and his other half-blood (also known as demigod) friends. In the first book, Percy is a 12 year old boy who finds out his father is a Greek god, he is introduced to camp half-blood where other kids of greek gods live and learn to fight and harness their powers. This series is very much a coming of age story that ends after Percy has turned 16, and during his often dangerous adventures with his friends, he turns into a courageous hero. This whole series is all about, friendship, loyalty, adventure and courage. Not only is it a heartwarming and epic tale, it also teaches you a lot of Greek mythology. Reading this series is a really wonderful way to become familiar with many of the myths and monsters of greek mythology, but it is also a lot of fun to read if you’re already familiar. The number of myths, creatures and stories from mythology that Rick Riordan has added to this series is mind-blowing and I feel like every time I read this series I notice more.

★★★★☆

In preparation for something very fun coming soon with my good friend Erica over at Moaninc, I re-read one of my favourite William Shakespeare plays of all time, A Midsummer Night’s Dream. A Midsummer Night’s Dream was written between 1594-1596 and was first published in 1600. It’s one of Shakespeare’s shorter plays and is classified as a comedy. The play has three distinctive groups of characters in the story with the Athenians, the fairies and the workers. The play is based around the marriage of Theseus the Greek hero to the Amazonian woman Hippolyta, and contains unrequited love, the meddling of fairies and a parody play of Pyramus and Thisbe at the conclusion to the play. It is such an enjoyable play, and definitely one of his easier plays to read and follow. It’s a really great play to begin you Shakespeare journey with, and for those lovers of mythology, Shakespeare drew a lot of inspiration from the writings of Ovid in many of his plays including A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

I continued on my Percy Jackson re-read with The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan, the first book in the Heroes of Olympus spin-off series that has your favourite characters but also introduces a whole heap of new characters too! I remember not enjoying this one quite as much as the the following books in the series because none of my favourite characters were in it (cough Percy and Annabeth cough), but I definitely enjoyed this one a lot more in this re-read. Maybe it’s because I am already familiar with the story, not sure. But the introduction of new characters like Jason, Piper, Leo and Coach Hedge just adds a new dynamic to the series, and the world of Camp Half-Blood. The stakes are higher and the enemy is even more dangerous, with old monsters returning to the living world that have been slumbering for thousands of years. Rick Riordan continues to add many new myths and monsters from Greek mythology into his books, but this time, he starts introducing the Roman names.

My final read for 2021 was The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan, the second book in the Heroes of Olympus series, and as you can tell from the title, there’s something a bit different about this book. Neptune is the Roman name for the god Poseidon, which right from the beginning suggests something different is going on. In this book, we get introduced to a new camp for half-bloods, Camp Jupiter, but these demigods are children of the Roman form of the gods which were similar but different. I absolutely LOVE the incorporation of a Roman camp and the Roman versions of the gods. It adds a whole other layer to the series, and the fact that Percy remembers Annabeth the entire time makes my heart all happy. More new additions to the story with Frank and Hazel with their cute friendship with Percy once again just adds more depth to this story. Every new character is so unique, and adds something new and specific to the story, if anyone is tossing up whether they are going to read this series after finishing Percy Jackson, you definitely should! It only gets better and better! I’m keeping these reviews short and sweet, because I don’t want to ruin anything for the earlier books. If you ever want a spoiler review of any of these books just let me know on my instagram or in the comments! As always, you can find me on Instagram @kell_read where I post lots of pics, videos and reviews ✨

Review: The Wolf Den by Elodie Harper

This book was one of the easiest ★★★★★ I have ever given. I am lucky enough to have been given the opportunity to interview Elodie Harper about her book with World History Encyclopedia. You can find the video here and the condensed transcript on World History Encyclopedia. After you’ve finished watching my interview with Elodie, I would recommend you then head over to Erica’s YouTube channel MoanInc, where she has built off the questions I asked, and delved even deeper into the story with Elodie which you can find here!

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What’s The Book About?

The Wolf Den is a novel by Elodie Harper which is set in Pompeii in the first century CE in Pompeii’s lupanar which is the brothel of the ancient city. The term ‘lupanar’ could mean both brothel or wolf den and the term ‘lupa’ could be used for both a she-wolf, or a prostitute. The novel follows the point of view of Amara, a greek woman born into a middle-class family, who had to be sold after her father died. She ended up as a prostitute in Pompeii, and works at the Wolf Den with four other women. However, Amara hasn't just accepted the misfortune which life has thrown her, and wants more than anything to be free. This novel, which is the first of a trilogy (yay!), follows Amara as she does whatever it takes to change her fate.

The skill of the fighters, the grace of the tigers, all of it is punctuated by acts of savagery. (217)

Historical and Archaeological Roots:

Before we get into my ~many~ thoughts and feelings concerning this book, let’s have a look at Pompeii, Pompeiian graffiti and Venus Pompeiana first. Pompeii is probably one of the most well known ancient cities along with places such as Rome and Athens, but it differs from many ancient cities because in 79 CE, the local volcano known as Vesuvius, erupted, and covered the city and its occupants in lava and ash. It would have been a catastrophic event for those in the ancient world, but it has proven to be invaluable to modern historians and archaeologists as an untouched insight into the daily lives of the Romans who lived in the city, and the neighbouring city of Herculaneum. Excavations at Pompeii have informed our understanding of life in the city in a way that no other site could. The volcanic eruption has preserved architecture, mosaics and wall paintings, bronze statues (which in any other circumstance probably would have been melted down and repurposed), houses, baked goods (look up Pompeii bread!), and writing which has been found in wax tablets, pottery, seals, tomb inscriptions, and probably most interestingly; graffiti. The survival of graffiti from Pompeii is, in my opinion, equally as fascinating as the wall paintings, as it truly shows us that humans really have not changed in 2,000 years. It makes the ancient world feel a lot more familiar, and close. If you don’t believe me, I’m going to add some graffiti found at Pompeii (all in translation from usually Latin or Greek). Let me know if any of them sound familiar! (All graffiti quotes have been cited from ‘POMPEII: A sourcebook by Alison E. Cooley and M. G. L. Cooley (2004).’

1. Commemoration of an architect: ‘Marcus Artorius Primus, freedman of Marcus, architect.’ (67)

2. Latin poetry composed on the walls:

   ‘What is happening? Alas, eyes, first you led me into the fire,

   Now of your own accord you give generously to your cheeks.

   But tears cannot put out the flame;
   They inflame the face and melt the spirit.

   Composed by Tiburtinus.’ (72)

3. The Pompeii equivalent of ‘Kelly Was Here:’ ‘Gaius Pumidius Dipilus was here, five days before the nones of October when

   Marcus Lepidus and Quintus Catulus were consuls.’ (77)

4. And last but not least, graffiti about graffiti: ‘I admire you, wall, for not having collapsed at having to carry the tedious

   scribblings of so many writers.’ (79)

Why is graffiti so important, you ask? Well, for The Wolf Den, in particular, Elodie has drawn names and situations from graffiti found at Pompeii, and woven them into her story. She has used names of prostitutes and even a name of a gladiator in her story, which is not only incredibly unique, but executed flawlessly.

She wants to scream her rage into the night… Her anger is rising like the sea, drowning her. She has to get out. (284)

The goddess Venus held a special place in Pompeii as the guardian deity of the city, and is sometimes referred to as Pompeian Venus. In The Wolf Den, Venus is an important deity, since she is the Roman goddess of love, beauty, sex, fertility, and prostitution. In April, the festival known as the Vinalia was celebrated which was held in honour of Jupiter and Venus. Common girls and prostitutes would gather to the temple of Venus to offer her myrtle and mint and ask for things such as beauty, popular favour, to be charming or witty.

Thoughts and Feelings

Holy moly. This book is an absolute masterpiece, and from the moment I started reading it, I found it incredibly challenging to put it down. Not only did Elodie create a phenomenal story rooted in archaeological evidence, but she also explores so many themes and issues that would have been prevalent in the ancient world at the time this novel was set. Overall, Elodie makes the reader realise just how dangerous and difficult it would have been to be a woman in the ancient world.

There’s nothing more truthful than a play, is there… I think comedies are braver somehow. All of life up there on the stage, and actors have the courage to say what one cannot say elsewhere. (257)

The complexity of the story that Elodie has created is completely awe-inspiring and incomparable. It didn’t remind me of anything else I have ever read. Using names left scratched on the walls of Pompeii, Elodie took them and created a new story for them, one which was as equally uplifting as it was savage. Our main five girls are all bonded in a way that no one else could possibly understand, and yet they are all constantly working against each other (in a way) to make money and live. Elodie definitely puts an emphasis on the unbreakable friendship these women have forged through their shared experiences as prostitutes at the Wolf Den, they know each other’s weaknesses and traumas, and do what they can to shield each other, and keep each other safe in a world which is working so hard to break them. Elodie has an ability with words to cut deep, and do it succinctly. She does not use unnecessary words to make a point, her language is blunt, brutal and wholly truthful. She has truly enlightened her readers on how the world would have been perceived by a woman sold as a prostitute in the ancient world. These experiences Amara and her friends experience strike me as completely real and it honestly gave me chills. It reminds you how much more brutal the world was, especially for women, and she does not try and soften that. She presents it raw and uncut. You feel completely immersed in the city of Pompeii. You can feel the suffocating bustle of the women at the Vinalia, you can feel the comradeship of the women as they move through the streets, and you can feel their terror, their hatred, their relief and their love. It is wholly encapsulating.

Warmth spreads through her. She has never had a friend like Dido. She is the light in the darkness of her life. (199)

Other than the focus of women supporting women, even beyond our main characters, is the idea of a human being viewed as an object, and men’s incomprehensible inability to view women as anything more than objects. When I read Classics For Plebs review of this book, she made the observation that this book forces you to come to terms with the fact that women were sold into slavery daily. These women weren’t necessarily always prostitutes, and it shifts the focus of the reader to the fact that these women have absolutely no control over their bodies and their lives, and it was something happening to women all over the ancient world. Our main characters, our point of view for this entire story, the basis of this entire novel is the fact that these women do not have ownership over their own bodies or their lives. They are literally owned by men, and they are treated by the man that owns them, and 99% of men in this story, as if they are nothing more than a mindless object to be used, abused and then discarded.

You wouldn't understand. You’re just a woman (417)

But although they’re talking about her, they’re only talking to Felix, as if she isn’t really there (316)

You invested in quality stock then. Not got any virgins, I suppose? (305)

This story is less focussed on plot, and more on characters and their relationships with others. As the plot continues, the characters develop and new people are introduced, and new relationships are formed, It isn’t an ‘event heavy book, and is focussed on the lives and experiences of Amara and her fellow she-wolves. It is beautifully written, and truly gives a raw insight into what it would have been like to be a woman in the ancient world. These women were once real, and Elodie has composed such complex lives for them, that it is completely and utterly believable. If you’re thinking you might want to pick up this book, this is your sign to do so! If you have read it, leave a comment with your thoughts on the book, or find me over on Instagram @kell_read and we can have a chat about it!!!

April Wrap-Up 2021

★★★☆☆.75

May 1st! It’s the last month of Autumn in Australia already, how absolutely bonkers. What a whirlwind April was! I feel like I was so busy for the entire month, I blinked on April 1st and found myself at May 1st. It was a great month for me, life-wise and reading-wise. Here’s the thing with me, if I read just one book, or I start a book that’s been on my tbr for a while, or I read a book I really like, that’s a good reading month for me. It isn’t about how many books I read but about how much I enjoy the time I have spent reading. With that in mind, let’s get on to my wrap-up for April 2021! This month was all about Greek Mythology reimaginings, and I was all for it! I read a total of four books this month, two of them audiobooks, one hardback and one paperback.

★★★☆☆.5

The first book I finished was the audiobook of A Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. Clair. A Touch of Darkness is a retelling of the Greek myth of Hades and Persephone, but Scarlett has brought it into an urban setting. This book was steamy and binge-worthy and I was absolutely hooked the moment I started listening to it (although the narrator was much more bearable once I got it on 1.2x speed). At its heart, this book is the story of the abduction of Persephone (the goddess of spring) by Hades (the god of the underworld), but Scarlett imbued it with a new life. She has created an alternative world that is so unique, and she has depicted the gods and their stories in new and interesting ways. Persephone annoyed me a lot whilst reading this (and the next one too), but after watching Scarlett’s interview with Erica from MoanInc, I understand her thought processes and motivations better now. This book was like a reality TV show in book form, with roots in Greek myth and legend and I really enjoyed it! I would recommend this (very raunchy series) to all lovers of Greek mythology who are looking for something a bit different! You can read my full spoiler-free review here!

★★★★☆

My second read of the month was The Book of Five Rings by Miyamoto Musashi and translated by William Scott Wilson. This was a bit of a different read for me, as it’s a manifesto written by the undefeated samurai Musashi, at the end of his life. The Book of Five Rings goes through the Ways needed to learn and master in order to become the best samurai possible, but some of the lessons can definitely be transferred to everyday life. It was a fascinating read, written by an incredibly interesting person from Japanese history, and I thought the translation by William Scott Wilson was easy to read. Find my full review of this book here!

My third read for the month was A Touch of Ruin by Scarlett St. Clair which was, again, in audiobook format. I actually enjoyed this one more than the first one, even though we definitely didn’t get enough Hecate. We did get more Hermes (my ultimate favourite character), and some new gods took more of the spotlight than the first book, namely Apollo. I’ve heard that I need to read A Game of Fate, which is the first book from Hades’ point of view, to understand more about his motives and perspective, and I’m really excited to read it, especially because he was sort of absent in this book? Understanding more about Scarlett and her choices when writing the perspective of Persephone has caused me to warm a bit more to her POV, but I’m sure I’ll enjoy Hades’ perspective more 😂 Anyway, my opinions on this series are sort of chaotic but it’s safe to say they are still VERY steamy, unique and overall, enjoyable reads!

★★★★☆

The final book I read for the month of April was Lore by Alexandra Bracken. Similar to A Touch of Darkness, Bracken brought Greek Mythology into an urban setting, but most notably, Bracken brought them into our world. I have NEVER read a book quite like this before. For a week every seven years, 9 of the 12 Olympians are sent to earth and turned mortal, and the bloodlines of many greek heroes such as Perseus, Kadmos and Heracles hunt down the gods and if you kill them, you become the new god and assume their power. This book only covers one week, and it was a wild ride from start to finish. I really enjoyed this book, and I had A LOT of opinions and thoughts about it, which you can read all about here! Lore was definitely my favourite read of the month!

This month I also posted a couple of different blog posts, one on the Mycenaeans and one on Greek Mythology and where to begin if you want to start learning about it. I decided to write the ‘So you Want to Learn About Greek Mythology’ post after chatting to some friends about what a good place to start would be if you’re just beginning to learn about Greek myths, and also because I FINALLY started reading the Odyssey. You guys really seemed to enjoy those posts, so thank you so much for reading them and engaging with my posts on Instagram, really means a lot! Let me know in the comments (or on my insta) what your favourite book of April was, and if you have any requests for guides like my Greek mythology post, or topics for bite-sized ancient history!

Review: A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J Maas

★★★★☆

Hello friends and welcome back to another chaotic review (non-spoiler)! Although, as always, this will have spoilers for the previous books in the series! 

Okay, so, I came into this book after rereading the rest of the series with medium expectations. I really like SJM’s writing style and the world she’s built but I was really unsure about Nesta. So far we have been mostly in the mind of Feyre, with a couple of jumps to Rhys and then we got a few different POVs in the novella (which I loved and want more of ASAP), so I think my trepidation for a book focussed on Nesta is because so far, her motivations were a mystery. She acted like a self-entitled brat, she was cold, rude and didn’t lift a finger to help Feyre when she was younger and kept the family alive, and didn’t get that much better even after she and Elain were turned into Fae. Although it seemed in ACOMAF that she was improving, it was obvious that the war and the death of her father caused a drastic decrease in her mental health. 

This book really made me understand Nesta. It made me understand the choices she made when she was human, and her outlook on life. It was obvious in ACOFAS that she was struggling, but this book really showed how bad she got. This book was massive, both in physical size and what it covered with Nesta. She went through SO much in this book, and although she really bugged me in the beginning, she has become a character that I actually really like (which is a huge surprise).

“I cannot survive without reading.” 

Sarah J Maas

This redemption arc is EVERYTHING that I hoped for, and that definitely has something to do with having Cassian as a main focus and a POV, and Nesta creating her own found family as Feyre did. I really enjoyed Cassian’s POV, it gave his character so much more depth, and he is such a sweet and honourable male and I think that this book was so wonderful in that it allowed us to get so much more of an insight on who he is, and his motivations and history. It was wonderful. 

The new characters in this book, the priestesses, Emerie and Gwyn was so great. I loved having these three women, all who had gone through such hardships, find each other and allow themselves to grow and heal together. Like, YES. And the House! I have to say, the friendship between Nesta and the House was one of my favourite aspects of this book. 

“The cold of the gaps between stars, the cold of a world before light.”

Sarah J Maas

One point I want to make, is the incorporation of ancient history elements and even legendary history. The Myrmidon mountains were one, and also it seemed like Maas used the rough legend of Arthur, Gwyn, and Lancelot at one point which I liked! There was definitely more, but I can’t remember!!! 

The book was so long though, I docked a star off my rating for a few reasons, one, is how LONG it is. I feel like there could have been 100/150 words less and have been just as powerful. I feel like there was a bit of filler in there, but it probably could have been a bit shorter. There was also an issue with repetition, up until about the 120-page mark, I really felt like there was a lot of unnecessary repetition in the thoughts of Nesta + Cassian and it was super frustrating and made the beginning tedious. I also didn’t really vibe that much with the sex scenes, but the angst and tension it caused for the overall story was pretty brilliant. This aspect definitely got better though, as the book went on and the characters grew and healed and developed!

Anyway, I enjoyed this more than I thought! I thought the writing was as good as always, the world-building is always spot on, the characters were all well fleshed out and the events of this book were all new and unique and made me want to keep reading it! All in all, a wonderful read and I would recommend it to anyone who may be having doubts about a book from Nesta’s POV!! 

Review: A Court of Frost and Starlight (Re-read) by Sarah J Maas

★★★★☆

As always, this review is spoiler free (although, nothing much really happens so there isn’t much to spoil), but this review WILL discuss happenings from the previous books. So, if you haven’t read them all yet and you don’t want to be spoiled for any part, please don’t read this review until you’re all caught up!

I think this novella was the perfect way to end the Feyre/Rhysand main plot in this series. I understand why people would not vibe with this, they’re right, nothing really happens. It’s more of a bridge. The ending of one focus, and the beginning of a new one and I thought they ended Feyre and Rhysand’s story really beautifully (although I am sure they will make plenty of appearances in the next one!) I am eager for the next book (hopefully) to delve into the internal processes of characters like Elain, Mor and Az are going through, of course in addition to Cas and Nesta which I can only assume are the two POVs in the book? Not sure, but these characters went through war. They went through such horrific events, Elain and Nesta were ripped from their lives and turned into something completely new, and Mor has been struggling with herself, her identity for 500 years. I want to see development! I want to see these characters learning and growing and healing dammit.   

Reading about how Veralis and it’s people were recuperating and rebuilding after war is something that goes beyond this fantasy world, to the world we’re living in. Each of these characters is dealing with their demons in their own way, so I have a feeling that this novella was a way to prepare readers for the next one which may (by the sounds of it) be less major event-based, and more character-driven?? (I would definitely vibe with that). 

“To the blessed darkness from which we are born, and to which we return.” 

Sarah J Maas

What I want out of the next book that this novella made me realise: I want to know what the vulgar expression is thanks!!! I also want Azriel to speak more and just be given more page time!! I love his unique type of humour, and I am SO curious about him and his shadows. I think that if we get to see from his POV, it’s really going to make his character shine in a way it wasn’t given a chance in the previous books. This book also showed how tender and gentle the budding friendship between Elain and Azriel is, and I want MORE thank you very much xo  

Obviously, I am excited to continue to follow Rhys and Feyre and their journey together, but the rest of the characters are all so unique and interesting, I am keen to see what happens next. Okay, so this review was sort of both my thoughts for this novella (I thought it was a lovely way to conclude the arc of Feyre and Rhysand), and introduce the focus for the next books, and also a review for how I think this might work with the next book and my hopes for it. SO basically, this has been just as chaotic as my other reviews, but you should all be used to that by now, right? 

“Stars flickered around us, sweet darkness sweeping in. As if we were the only souls in a galaxy.” 

Sarah J Maas

Review: A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J Maas (Re-read)

★★★★☆.5

This was another re-read in lead up to A Court of Silver Flames, which has very recently come out! The difference between this one and the previous two books is that I have only ever read this one once, and honestly, I could barely remember anything that happened… I realised as I was reading it that it was probably because not a lot actually happened. (There will be spoilers for the previous two books in this review, but will be spoiler-free for A Court of Wings and Ruin!) 

This book felt much more character and politically driven than the previous two books. There were less major events, and more small choices and character interactions which fuelled the majority of it. For me, I really didn’t mind it. I love a book that is heavily character-driven, but I understand other people’s issues that not enough happened until like, the last 100 pages. With that being said, I really enjoyed the beginning of this novel, with Feyre working as a double agent in the Spring Court. It was such a thrill, and the changing relationships and dynamics between the characters was so interesting, compared to the beginning of ACOMAF. 

I loved seeing more of the world, and finally being introduced properly to all of the High Lords. All of their different and unique characteristics, and how they work within their courts was one of my favourite aspects, and the politics between them was tense but also humorous. The most character development and focus though, was definitely on Elain and Nesta. After being forced to turn into Fae at the ending of ACOMAF, seeing how the two dealt with this massive change in their lives in such different ways was really well done. 

Kindness can thrive even amongst cruelty.

Sarah J Maas

One of my biggest peeves in this book is the use of the word ‘Hybern’. We have heard the King of Hybern in previous books, and it has been shortened to ‘Hybern’ when characters are talking about the king, but in THIS book!!! It meant SO MANY things. It was the king, a place, his armies?? and his people in general?? It made absolutely no sense?? I feel like Maas just lost the plot with that particular aspect of the book, it was so confusing!! Is it a place??? Is it the name of this man?? The name of his army?? Please, someone, let me know what is going on 😂

I find it wild, that Lucien left on his mission (keeping the specifics quiet cause spoilers), and then everyone just forgot about him and didn’t communicate with him at all until he showed up later. Not to mention, the ending! Honestly, many aspects of the ending were out of character and hard to believe (yes, it’s a high fantasy novel, but you know what I mean!) It was anticlimactic in a way I forgot about during my first reading of it, and that definitely impacted my final rating which I downgraded to a 4.5 out of 5 stars. 

Night Triumphant- and the Stars Eternal.

Sarah J Maas

I still really enjoyed this book, and this entire series, but ACOMAF is 100% my favourite book of this series. I will be reading A Court of Frost and Starlight before finally moving on to A Court of Silver Flames. I love books with multiple POV’s which is what I would have LOVED from this series, even just this last book! Each character had their place in this finale to the initial trilogy, and it would have been so wonderful to see some of it from a different point of view (although to be fair, Feyre steadily got more interesting and less annoying as the books went on). This is probably the aspect I am most excited about A Court of Frost and Starlight (which will be a re-read) and A Court of Silver Flames. Let me know what you think of this book!! Of course, if you have spoilers you want to rant about, find me on Insta @kell_read!

Review: A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas (Re-read)

★★★★★

This is a non-spoiler review, but it will have spoilers for ACOTAR (fair warning). Just like ACOTAR, this was my 3rd reading of A Court of Mist and Fury, with the last one being about 3 years ago. This one is without a doubt, my favourite book in the series. It turns out that my taste in books hasn’t changed at all and this was still very much a 5 star read for me. This book had so much more going for it than ACOTAR, it had more depth in every aspect from character development, relationships, world-building, and just general tension, angst, and events. It absolutely hooks you in from the very first chapter, and doesn’t even release its grip after you finish it. 

Let’s start with the addition of the new characters; Cassian, Azriel, Mor, and Amren. I absolutely adore them all. They are all so unique, but all work so well together. Learning about each of their backstories, as well as Rhysands, and how they became the family that they are is truly one of my absolute favourite aspects of this book. The banter between the inner circle, and how they’re so comfortable with each other gives much of this book such a homely feel to it. 

“He thinks he’ll be remembered as the villain in the story. But I forgot to tell him that the villain is usually the person who locks up the maiden and throws away the key. He was the one who let me out.” 

Sarah J Maas

The main focus of this book is Feyre, how she is dealing with the events from Under the Mountain, and her personal development as a Fae. The treatment of PTSD, and highlighting the importance of having people around you who understand and are there for your well-being is so prevalent in most of this book. Feyre learns so much about how she has changed, physically and mentally from before the events under the mountain, and she realises what she deserves and DAMN I’m here for it. Because Tamlin, Ianthe and even Lucien (poor Lucien), acted like such trash. Their treatment of Feyre, their continuous exclusion of her and their inability to see that she was obviously struggling really bothers me. Every time I read this book, their actions make me queasy. And don’t for ONE second tell me that Tamlin never, not once, woke up to Feyre vomiting, like excuse me. No. 

I have always loved Rhysand as a character, but never more than in this book. Not only do we get to understand who he is, but we learn about his history and the lasting effects of what he had to do Under the Mountain. He is exactly what Feyre needed, and it frustrated me how long it took her to realise that he was a good guy, and was doing what he could to help her because he FULLY understands how she feels. He didn’t need to be connected with her to understand the darkness inside her from what she had done. It’s just, so much more complex than ACOTAR in every way and I really loved it. 

“To the people who look at the stars and wish, Rhys.” Rhys clinked his glass against mine. “To the stars who listen— and the dreams that are answered.”

Sarah J Maas

Getting to see more of Prythian and this world is another wonderful part of this book. Here we get to learn about the Night Court, we get to understand how courts differ more than just whether they’re Spring, Summer, Dawn, etc and the choices that the High Lords can make. We get Velaris, we get the Court of Nightmares and we get an introduction into the Illyrians. Just, so good. Plus, the writing definitely felt improved from the first one. 

This book had a lot of brilliant development in it, for the characters, relationships, the main plotline (which I won’t get into because spoilers), political tensions, and the world as a whole. If you loved this book, if you hated this book, I’d love to hear your thoughts/rants and opinions! Got spoilery stuff ya want to rant about? Feel free to send me a message on Insta, you can find me at @kell_read!!

Review: A Court of Thorns and Roses By Sarah J Maas (Re-read)

★★★☆☆

This was my third reading of A Court of Thorns and Roses, and my feelings and opinions on it haven’t changed much at all from the second reading, but my initial thoughts were quite different. So let’s get into this (spoiler-free) review! 

First and foremost, I always enjoy the whole Beauty and the Beast retelling-vibe. I also thought that the world-building was pretty great. You get enough in this first book of the series to get a feel for the world, but to leave some things to be found out in the later books which I really like. And honestly, the last 100 pages are so good, they’re darker and they’re raw and I really enjoy them. Every time, I forget how much better this series gets the longer you get into it. 

The character development, and development of the relationships and relationship dynamics throughout the book I also think is excellent. In the beginning, Feyre was pretty damn annoying. It was frustrating being in her head, but honestly, by the end of the book she was much more interesting and maybe it was the fact that she went through SO much at the end that she was a way better POV. As she loosened up at the Spring Court, and formed connections with Tamlin, Lucien, Alis and even Rhysand, she became more interesting. 

Lucien and Rhysand are still my two favourite characters from this book. They are funny, witty and just way more dynamic than the predictable and a bit boring Tamlin. Tamlin is painted as ‘swoon-worthy but I really do find him boring and predictable. The dialogue between Feyre and Lucien is probably the most interesting part of the first 60% of the book to be quite honest. Lucien backstory never gets easier to read, it always makes me so sad. Maybe it’s because we get more information about Lucien than Tamlin, which is why I like him so much more? I don’t know. Tamlin seems like he’s just a bit self-serving? It’s interesting. Also, let’s just say, don’t take Rhysand at face value. This book only hints at the depth and layers of these characters and the world which you really only get into in book two. 

Don’t feel bad for one moment about doing what brings you joy 

Sarah J Maas

But, compared to the other books in the series, this one is seriously lacking. It definitely sets up the world and the characters for so much potential, but on it’s own, it falls short. Elain and Nesta are interesting characters, Elain is sweet but oh so very useless, and Nesta is icy and brutal. I will be very very interested to read a book from her POV to hopefully get a bit deeper into why she is how she is, because honestly, at the beginning of this book her words and actions are inexcusable. She is definitely better when we encounter her later in the book, but still. Doesn’t make up for her initial behaviour.

Let’s finish this mess of a review by saying it’s hard to review a book impartially when you have read the next ones… Honestly though, if you read this and don’t vibe with it that much, PLEASE try to read the next one. This is my least favourite book in the series and it honestly gets SO much better! If you’ve read this book, or the series, let me know what you think of it!

Review: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

★★★★★

Putting words down for how I feel about this book, how it made me feel reading it, is proving to be an incredible challenge. It is intriguing, dazzling, beguiling, wondrous, mesmerising and whimsical. It was soft, gentle and absolutely nothing like how I imagined it, and I am so incredibly glad.

“You may tell a tale that takes up residence in someone’s soul, becomes their blood and self and purpose. That tale will move them and drive them and who knows that they might do because of it, because of your words. That is your role, your gift.”

Erin Morgenstern

The book is about a circus, which isn’t really anything like a circus. It all began with a challenge, a girl named Celia and a boy named Marco. This challenge has rules, but Celia and Marco don’t know them, and it takes them many years to fully understand the stakes upon which they are battling. However, it is the most thoughtful, gentle and elegant challenge, with each move made with purpose and intention. There was no action in this book, it was an incredibly slow burn and the romance is subtle, yet fits in perfectly with the book.

It was written out of time, with the beginning of each chapter probably in a different location, day or year than the one before. Its disorienting, like the entrance to the circus; you don’t know where you are, or where anyone is but you know if you keep going, you’ll be in the circus. The writing was so spellbinding, just as the magic in this book. It’s impossible to describe my feelings about this book, its soul is the circus, and the circus is nothing without those making it what it is. The Rêveurs were such a wonderful idea, and I will be a Rêveur for this book, forever. 

“The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not.”

Erin Morgenstern

I want nothing more than to experience a circus like this, and I know I haven’t done this book justice with this review, but it is truly impossible. The characters, every single one (and there were many), were fleshed out, unique, and utterly pivotal to the story. They were (almost all), morally ambiguous, which heightened the level of ‘realness’ to this. People aren’t purely good or bad, people make bad choices, and the actions of the characters in The Night Circus, were so incredibly believable within this dazzling world. I will have to shout out my two favourite characters, Poppet and Widget. They brought something to the book that no other characters did, it’s an indescribable quality, but it’s there nonetheless. 

From the first chapter, and the obvious link to William Shakespeares The Tempest, I knew I was in for a story about spirits and illusions, magic and performances, and that’s exactly what I got. This book is much like Le Cirque de Rêves, it is beautiful, mystifying, and unique, and only with you for a short while. This book will not be for everyone, there is no action, it is not fast-paced, and there is no steamy romance, but it is probably one of the most intricate books I have ever read, and I implore you to give it a try.

Review: From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L Armentrout

★★★★☆

Okay, I’m going to keep this spoiler-free, but its gonna be damn hard. This is a very tentative 4 stars, because honestly, I had more issues with this than I was anticipating. But I will start by saying that I listened to the audiobook, and the narrator did such a good job! I would definitely recommend listening to this book! 

That brings me to my first issue with this book, the writing. It started with this enormous info dump which I am going to assume takes up the first two-three pages. This was not a good experience when listening to the audiobook, especially because I couldn’t easily re-read it/ review it later when terms and people were mentioned. It was so bland to listen to and also just way way wayyyy too much information. Like, honestly. Build the world please. This book had so much potential, and I literally couldn’t tell you any noteworthy part of the world building?? There’s a big wall called ‘the rise’ (real original lol), and of course there’s small houses in the poor district, and the fancy big castle thing. That’s all I got. With the writing, there was so much repetition. SO MUCH. I found myself thinking, ‘we just heard this like 2 minutes ago, we don’t need to hear it again.’ So yeah, there was a few issues with the writing which put me off. The world grew later in the book, like, the last 30%, but before that, it was very two-dimensional and bland. 

However, the book was a slow burn, and to be honest with you, I vibe with that. Obviously, I would have preferred that the world was built, and dimensions were added in that time, but also just getting to know the characters, the relationship dynamics and history of the people we’re reading about is something I enjoy. 

What a great segway into the characters. We are in the POV of Poppy for the entire book (and in first person too which shook me at the beginning), and oh my god. Poppy is so stupid. Sorry, she is not some amazing heroine, she is dumb. Yes, she took the initiative to learn how to defend herself (bless Viktor), but you’d think being forced to be ‘The Maiden,’ and literally not allowed to talk to anyone would mean that she would be a good observer?? That she would use her inability to talk to people to observe, and actually SEE what was going on around her. But no, she literally didn’t see anything that was right in front of her the whole time, and would be absolutely bamboozled when explained to her. I understand why she feels how she does, she’s kept isolated and alone for her whole life – but she doesn’t act like it? And!! She doesn’t use it to her advantage? I dunno, her POV was mostly enjoyable, but damn she could be slow. 

Then we get to Hawke. I’m not going to say a lot about him, because I don’t want to spoil anything, but I am disappointed. He is not the sexy, brooding but actually soft and sweet bad boy that we live for. The ending was really interesting, like the last 5 or 6 chapters were just wild, and it’s really set up the potential for an exciting sequel, but the VERY LAST SENTENCE literally left me with goosebumps, but not the good kind. Yes I was surprised with one or two aspects of the wild final 30% of the book, parts of it were SO obvious that honestly, I picked them up pretty damn early. 

I love morally grey characters, I LIVE for a villain that is complex, but by the end of this book, I was just angry, frustrated, and frankly, incredibly uncomfortable. This book was a binge-read for me. It was interesting, and I wanted to keep reading and the last 30% of it kept me on my toes, but it wasn’t a 5 star read. I am SO conflicted. Honestly, it’s hard to review this without spoiling it, and it’s hard to give it a star review. I have probably contradicted myself a few times during this, and I can’t help it. I would LOVE to know your thoughts about this book! Please leave a comment, or message me on insta (especially if it’s about spoilers!) This was a wild mess, I’m sorry, but welcome to my brain!

Review: Theogony and Works + Days by Hesiod

★★★★☆

Theogony and Works + Days are both epic poems from the rich history of Greek epic poetry. They are dated to the 8th century BCE and credited to the greek poet Hesiod. Prior to being written down, these two epic poems were part of the oral traditions of Ancient Greece such as Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, and would have been written down later than their initial telling by Hesiod. 

The Theogony, which comes from the Greek word ‘theogonia‘ meaning ‘birth [or generations] of the gods’ is aptly named since it is primarily concerned with describing how the universe came into being, and the genealogy of the titans, gods, monsters, nymphs, dryads, demigods and everything in-between. From chaos or chasm, came the Earth, misty Tartarus, Eros (the god of sexual love), Erebos, and Night. From them came Air and Day, starry Heaven, Mountains, Nymphs and the Oceanus. It all pretty much escalates from there. 

This founding myth of the creation of the universe is the cosmogony of Ancient Greece, and explains just how the universe came into being, and why things are. It’s honestly such an interesting read, I really enjoyed it. I loved the interconnectedness of the primordial gods to the rest of their offspring and beyond. Comments about how parts of the Theogony were from specific regions, and regional myths is so fascinating, and the fact that we have the knowledge that sections of the text would have been added in later blows my mind! This piece of work is over 2600 years old, and yet it can still be enjoyed in the modern day. 

The themes of power + violence, cycles of succession and family are so prominent in the work and are all interconnected within each other. These themes absolutely transcend time, with violence and power being hand in hand in our current political climate, although hopefully, we are on an upward trajectory away from that damaging time. Family remains as a massively important concept in the modern world, and it is often a device used in literary and cinematic works! This synthesis of such a massive variety of Greek myths and legends concerning gods and the universe needs to be appreciated more! 

The Works + Days though… not so much. This was definitely an interesting text, although not as enjoyable. It is very clearly split into different concepts which could only be read as a rule book of sorts. Sections such as myths and fables, works (evil is easy but virtue is hard), a calendar which tells the best time to plant + harvest crops, a calendar on when is best to travel by sea, advice on family management and a section at the end about days and basically which days to do things, and which days to not. It is definitely very intriguing, but not as fun to read. 

Works + Days is the first extant account of the concept of the ‘five stages of man’ which incorporates the Golden Age, Silver Age, Bronze Age, the age of heroes and the Iron Age which is the age of Hesiod’s life. It is a Greek creation myth which essentially traces back the history of man through five stages, or races until it gets to the current stage. We also get the earliest written account of Pandora and her pithos (yeah, it was a jar not a box, sorry). Essentially, Hesiod says that women are the punishment of man, and because Pandora spilled the contents of her jar, the world is plagues by illness and all sorts of evils. When Pandora was created, she was bestowed traits by the gods and goddesses of Olympus including the skills of weaving, a deceitful nature and shameless mind and lies and crafty words. From this alone, you can understand the general attitudes towards women in Ancient Greece. 

Not only that, but I really hated reading the section about how men are ready for marriage at around 30 years old, but women (basically still girls), are perfect five years after menstruation began. So for some, as early as 15/16 years old. It’s easy to gloss over uncomfortable and confronting views and beliefs from the ancient world, but it is SO important to acknowledge that there was real issues, just as there is today. It’s okay to read a piece of classical literature and be uncomfortable! 

So, overall, I enjoyed reading these two works! They give us SO much information on Ancient Greek beliefs and understanding of the world around them, and of general ideas of everyday life as a farmer. They are really interesting pieces, fairly easy to read and plenty of notes to supplement the reading as you go. I would definitely recommend reading these if you’re a fan of Greek Mythology and the ancient world!

Review: Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

★★★☆☆

The fact that it was published over 200 years ago gave me some trepidation when I started it, especially since the only other experience I have of reading Jane Austen was during Uni which gave me plenty of resources, background, and support for understanding it! 

“The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.” 

However, these worries were futile because although the witting style and vocabulary is definitely something to get used to, the characters and themes struck me as very universal! A young man who thinks he’s the best (and lets everyone know it), and couldn’t possibly understand why someone wouldn’t reciprocate his feelings could definitely be used to describe people in this day and age. A friend who is self-serving and self-absorbed and a handsome man who is inclined to open your eyes to the world. 

The relationships in this novel were dynamic, and I really enjoyed the contrasts Jane Austen made between our protagonist Catherine, and what would happen if this was a novel in which she was the heroine. It was such an interesting and engaging writing style, and although Catherine was indeed our heroine who endured a number of dissatisfying and embarrassing events, the parallels drawn between her and heroines of novels she so happily read were endearing!

“If adventures will not befall a young lady in her own village, she must seek them abroad.” 

– Jane Austen