Eight Reasons to Love 'Spinning Starlight' by RC Lewis

Spinning Starlight

RC Lewis  

Goodreads / Amazon

Sixteen-year-old heiress and paparazzi darling Liddi Jantzen hates the spotlight. But as the only daughter in the most powerful tech family in the galaxy, it's hard to escape it. So when a group of men show up at her house uninvited, she assumes it's just the usual media-grubs. That is, until shots are fired.
Liddi escapes, only to be pulled into an interplanetary conspiracy more complex than she ever could have imagined. Her older brothers have been caught as well, trapped in the conduits between the planets. And when their captor implants a device in Liddi's vocal cords to monitor her speech, their lives are in her hands: One word and her brothers are dead.
Desperate to save her family from a desolate future, Liddi travels to another world, where she meets the one person who might have the skills to help her bring her eight brothers home-a handsome dignitary named Tiav. But without her voice, Liddi must use every bit of her strength and wit to convince Tiav that her mission is true. With the tenuous balance of the planets deeply intertwined with her brothers' survival, just how much is Liddi willing to sacrifice to bring them back?
Haunting and mesmerizing, this retelling of Hans Christian Andersen'sThe Wild Swans strings the heart of the classic with a stunning, imaginative world as a star-crossed family fights for survival in this companion to Stitching Snow.

Note: I got this as an eARC from NetGalley. 

Eight is an important number in 'Spinning Starlight', so I decided to make this post about eight things to love about this book. (Not that I don't have things I disliked.)

1) The Retelling

I really liked the comparisons to the original fairy tale. I like the original 'The Wild Swans'. It definitely is a fairy tale about family.

The comparisons were pretty simple. Missing brothers. Lost voice. Etc etc etc. The fact that the fairy tale was adapted was pretty awesome in my book.

2) Liddi's personality

I truly loved Liddi's character. She was brave. She went into the unknown for her family. She was dedicated. She gave birth to some awesome ideas. (Non-fashion related, of course.) She was a great and admirable character. Definitely not the usual ditzy heiress. (Or even the rude one. Ehem Eadlyn ehem.)

3) Romance's slow build

I hate insta-love. Hate it. When this book introduced a slow-moving romance, I was thrilled. 'At last,' I thought, 'a slower romance!' (Not that I haven't read slower-moving romances before. I have. This was just nice.)

I may not have loved the romance, but I loved the slow build.

4) Tiav's love for Liddi without knowing who she is

He didn't care who she was before they met. He could barely communicate with her. He loved her anyways. I thought that was interesting. He saw past the Liddi Jantzen everyone else saw. He saw her. (Cheesy, I know. Spare me.)

Isn't that romantic?

5) Brotherly love

I'm an only child. I don't know how older brothers are supposed to act. If I had older brothers, though, I wish they were like Liddi's. These guys were cool. Smart and kind. Warm and loving. They are what I think older brothers are supposed to be. I loved it.

And I appreciate it when books have an emphasis on familial love. Family is forever, you know?

6) The memories

These memories really gave depth to Liddi's relationship with her brothers. (All of them.) They showed family. And love and care. The brothers' love of Liddi really showed.

It was a nice peak into why Liddi cared so much about rescuing her brothers. (Other than the fact that they are her brothers.) Without it, I might have wondered why. (Only child thinking.)

7) The world and tech

The streamers. The Khua. It was so cool. I loved it. The futuristic world was interesting. I loved the advancements in technology. I wanted to live in this world. (After the book, of course.)

8) Liddi's growth

Liddi really grew in this book. She was some paparazzi girl in the beginning. She went to fashion shows and wore expensive jewels. As time wore on, she discovered her potential. She discovered her genius. I really admired her transformation. It was truly amazing.

Rating:

4/5

Don't Hide In the Shadows; Aelin Will Find You

Queen of Shadows

Sarah J Maas

Goodreads / Amazon  

The queen has returned. Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she's at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past . . . She has embraced her identity as Aelin Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen. But before she can reclaim her throne, she must fight. She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die for her. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen's triumphant return. The fourth volume in the New York Times bestselling series contrinues Celaena's epic journey and builds to a passionate, agonizing crescendo that might just shatter her world.

Note: This review will be full of spoilers.

This review is, essentially, my thoughts as I went through the book with a broad topic as the title and a page number. Enjoy! 

When Aelin sees Chaol in the Vaults
Page 11
I'M SHOCKED. CHAOL.
WILL CHAOLENA SURVIVE???

Chaol and Aelin talk
Page 54
Well den
-cries softly-
The ship is sinking. I repeat. The ship is sinking. 

Manon's appearance
63
Oh look. It's the witch. 
Mild interest.

Dorian 
87
Oh my gosh. What happened to precious Dorian?!?!

The Duke wanting a Valg-witch child
101
AWWE SHIZZ.

Nesryn wanting to tell the family of the man about his passing
127
Wow. Like Castle. Kinda.

Aelin's wardrobe change
143
I wish I could change that quickly...

Aelin fighting
147
I never doubted Aelin's powers of killing. NEVER 

Dorian admitting he tried to fight
176
Thank you, Dorian. My faith in you is restored. Fight, bro. Fight. 

Chaol complaining about Arobynn giving him some Valg dudes to follow
194
Man up. It's what you wanted. Isn't it?

The stones on the grave
199
Ooh. Awesome. I'd love to do that. 

The miracle of Aelin's scent
213
Holy pizzacake. SMELLING HER?!?! Creepy, much?

Rowan
233
Wow. I'm guessing the RowanXAelin ship will be fulfilled here.

Flicking the nose
235
If this was anyone else, his hand would be chopped off by now.

Dominance battle
244
I'd buy tickets to see that.

Music is my soul
295
I think I want to cry. 

Sam
326
I'm gonna cry. Yeah. I'm gonna cry.

Asterin after hearing about the Yellowlegs
334
As much as I'd hate to confront Manon...Asterin is right to fight back. 

Aelin's deception
362
Wow. I never realized Aelin was THAT smart. Wow. 

Celaena is the heir
383
You're a rich woman now, Aelin.

Deception 
387
Devilish woman.

Thinking about naked Aelin
400
Hahahaha. RowanXAelin shippers are in a frenzy now.

Erawan
416
HOOOLLLYY.

Sexual tension
436
Holy pizzacake. I've never read that much sexual tension between any characters. Ever. And they were barely talking about sex. Whoa.

Rowan's shot!
477
I didn't even know that Rowan could be hit. Huh. Not so perfect after all

Manon v. Aelin
480
In all honesty, I couldn't predict this. These two are too evenly matched. It's a battle made in heaven!

Asterin's Confession
504
I feel so much for Asterin. The poor girl...

Lysandra and Evangeline are free
510
Aelin. You little rascal. I love you for this. 

Elide is alone
512
I want to grab this poor girl and hold her close. She has it bad. Bad. 

Chaol and Aelin have a heart-to-heart
520
I feel like this gives me closure. Even though I'm not Chaol or Aelin. It gives me closure. Somehow. 
The poor Chaolena fans, though. I've always been Team Aelin.

The promise to live
523
Does this mean everyone will pair off? Who will Aedion be with, I wonder.

Scents
525
Fae have a creepy obsession with scents...

The three males who meant everything
532
Her harem

Celaena is back
538
Does this mean they don't know that Aelin and Celaena are the same person?

The Wyrdhounds
545
Oh man. Oh man oh man oh man. That's not good. That's not good!

Jumping out of the window
554
It's a bird! It's a plane! It's Aelin! And...Dorian?

The shapeshifter
568
Lysandra is STRONG. Oh my gosh.

Battle united
570
This is the coolest battle ever. Ever.

He's back
573
Can I cry? This is beautiful.

Manon returns
590
Manon really cares about Elide. That's adorable. I'm shipping the two of them now.

Kaltain's sacrifice
602
Thank you, Kaltain. Thank you. 

Lysandra vomiting
606
Lysandra definitely knows how to make an impression. 

Everyone is pairing off
613
Wow. Everyone is pairing off.

Elide
627
I have so much respect for this girl. She fought. She survived. 
I can't wait to see what happens next.

Goodbye
639
Oh my gosh. I'm gonna cry. I know I've said it a lot. But this book is an emotional roller coaster.

The end
645
I hope this is the end because the book ended on such a good note. I will read another book from this series, but I might emerge with tears in my eyes and a hole in my heart.
Sarah J Maas, I don't think any of us TOG fans can handle more heartbreak. 

Rating:

4/5

Review: 'Ink and Bone' by Rachel Caine

Ink and Bone

Rachel Caine

Goodreads / Amazon

In an exhilarating new series, New York Times bestselling author Rachel Caine rewrites history, creating a dangerous world where the Great Library of Alexandria has survived the test of time.…

Ruthless and supremely powerful, the Great Library is now a presence in every major city, governing the flow of knowledge to the masses. Alchemy allows the Library to deliver the content of the greatest works of history instantly—but the personal ownership of books is expressly forbidden.

Jess Brightwell believes in the value of the Library, but the majority of his knowledge comes from illegal books obtained by his family, who are involved in the thriving black market. Jess has been sent to be his family’s spy, but his loyalties are tested in the final months of his training to enter the Library’s service.

When he inadvertently commits heresy by creating a device that could change the world, Jess discovers that those who control the Great Library believe that knowledge is more valuable than any human life—and soon both heretics and books will burn.…

The Big Picture: 

I admit that I'm a little disappointed. I thought this book would be extravagant. I mean...look at what it has. Books? Check. Awesome magic and alchemy? Check. Friendship? Check. Family? Check. A MC who is a THIEF? Check.
So where did it go wrong?
I felt like the MC could have had more to him. He was an average, intelligent guy. He was a jack of all trades. Which was terrible for him really.
The first half of the plot was lacking. It was mostly training, and I thought it was dull. The second half was more interesting with more action scenes and more tension.
The romance wasn't really needed. It was cute, though, to my utter surprise.
The world building was a bit lacking, but the world was creative and unique.
The friendships made me smile. The bond between all the Postulants was admirable and sweet.
By the end, I started to long for the sequel. And I wanted to find out what happens to Jess and Morgan and everyone else.

Travel Companion:

If we traveled with the main character Jess Brightwell, he would be:

The Scholar

He would be reading books and writing research papers for his classes at some nationally-recognized university. He would be on the track for a research position at a university or a teaching position. He would work at a bookstore on the weekends, but he wouldn't be the best at the job because he would mostly just sit and read.

We would meet him in a library. He would accidentally trip one of us. He would apologize, of course. We would join him for lunch, his treat. He would describe his research. We would ask him to join, and he would join because he wanted to explore and research the world first-hand.

Jess wasn't anyone special. I felt like he was average. Sure, he was smart. Sure, he was kind. But he wasn't extraordinary like Thomas or Khalila. He was pretty ordinary. I felt like I could be Jess. I felt like anyone could be Jess. Smart but not extremely so. He was kind. I didn't mind that. He treated his friends well. And he had a determined spirit that wouldn't back down from a challenge. (Sounds like Barney Stinson to me.）Some will love Jess. I didn't.

The one thing I liked about Jess was his past. His thieving past. It was interesting, and his family connections got him in and out of trouble during his time as a Postulant. His knowledge from those days changed things. I felt like Jess was sneaky. It made me a little intrigued to see what he would do with his connections.

The Adventure Begins (And Ends):

The first half of the book bored me. It was boring training stuff. I didn't particularly care for it. It wasn't action-y or even drama-y. It was quite dull and boring in my opinion. I know some people will like it if they like knowing how people train in these worlds. But I was bored. Nothing seemed to happen. Nothing too interesting, at least. We were introduced to the world and the characters. Boom. Done.

The second half excited me, though. It had action. They were on a mission, risking their lives. How cool is that? These kids endured loss and hardship. They were scarred and broken. But they kept going. I felt like their determination was amazing and admirable.

I'll Wait For You At the Gate:

The romance was sweet and innocent like many first romances. It was so fluffy and sweet.

It felt like first love. It was slow and tentative. It was as if Jess was reluctant to succumb to his feelings. I saw that there would be a romance the moment Morgan first arrived. Jess practically was panting and howling to the moon like a dog. Admittedly, the fluffiness made me smile. I didn't adore the romance, but I didn't hate it either.
I thought that the romance was unnecessary, though. It wasn't needed. Without it, Jess and Morgan could have had a great friendship instead. Their relationship muddied things and made things worse. (Especially on Morgan's end.)

Perks and Upgrades:

The friendships were amazing.

The bond the Postulants formed with each other was stunning. They went through hardship and loss together. I liked that this book emphasized friendships. They're important. Friends can get you through the worst of times. Like what happened in this book. The group was tight. Competitive but the sort of people to congratulate their enemies on a job well done.
Romance isn't the most important thing. Friends and family exist too. 

“Hyd nes y byddwn yn cyfarfod eto. Until we meet again.”

“O menos que te vea primero,” Dario said. “Unless I see you first.”

Page 350 'Ink and Bone'

Ah...the world building was a bit lacking, but it was a stunning world to read.
Here's what I know:
The Library has mini-Libraries called Serapeum. Librarians control these. The High Garda guard the Libraries. The Scholars are researchers. There are Magnuses in each field of study, including Obscurist, Artifex, and etc. And there's this Archivist dude. I'm not sure what he does.
There wasn't a lot of explanation. I was annoyed by that. I wanted to know about the world. And the people. I wanted to know about the Codex. And the way the Library infiltrated the lives of every person. And why the Welsh and English fight. (I know that Wales doesn't like being under English rule but still. There had to be some linchpin that set things into motion.) I wanted to know about their alchemy and the limits of alchemy. There were gaps in the world building.

I did think it was a stunning world, though. It was interesting and very unique.

"A life is worth more than a book! Vita hominis plus libro valet!”

Page 34 'Ink and Bone'

You Have Arrived at Your Destination:

The ending left me longing. I had started to like this book. The plot was starting to become more and more interesting. The world was starting to feel a little home-y. I wouldn't want to be a smuggler, but I wouldn't mind being a Scholar.
I had some unanswered questions left. What about Wolfe? Morgan? What will Jess do with Thomas's plans? Who is the Archivist? What does he/she do? What happens in the Iron Tower?
I can't wait for the sequel.

Rating:

4/5

Review: 'Dreams of Gods & Monsters' by Laini Taylor

Dreams of Gods & Monsters

Laini Taylor

Goodreads / Amazon

By way of a staggering deception, Karou has taken control of the chimaera rebellion and is intent on steering its course away from dead-end vengeance. The future rests on her, if there can even be a future for the chimaera in war-ravaged Eretz.

Common enemy, common cause.

When Jael's brutal seraph army trespasses into the human world, the unthinkable becomes essential, and Karou and Akiva must ally their enemy armies against the threat. It is a twisted version of their long-ago dream, and they begin to hope that it might forge a way forward for their people.

And, perhaps, for themselves. Toward a new way of living, and maybe even love.

But there are bigger threats than Jael in the offing. A vicious queen is hunting Akiva, and, in the skies of Eretz ... something is happening. Massive stains are spreading like bruises from horizon to horizon; the great winged stormhunters are gathering as if summoned, ceaselessly circling, and a deep sense of wrong pervades the world.

What power can bruise the sky?

From the streets of Rome to the caves of the Kirin and beyond, humans, chimaera and seraphim will fight, strive, love, and die in an epic theater that transcends good and evil, right and wrong, friend and enemy.

At the very barriers of space and time, what do gods and monsters dream of? And does anything else matter?

Travel Companion:

If we traveled with the main character Karou, she would be

The Artist

She would read stunning artwork. Her art would be internationally known. She would also move and never stay in one place. Her art would represent the world and the suffering within.

We would meet her working on some street art in Prague. We would go over and talk to her. She would be evasive and would leave. We would follow her. (Like the stalkers we are.) She would go into her favorite cafe, a weird place with coffins for tables. We would pay for her meal and strike up a conversation with her about art and everything else under the sun. We would mention our travels, and she would be interested. We would invite her to join us on our adventures. She would join us because she would want to see the world with other people.

If we traveled with the main character Akiva, he would be:

The Leader

He would be the one in the front, charging towards the enemy. He would fight with everything he had. He would never resort to violence, though. He would resolve things peacefully. 

We would meet him leading a protest. He would be breaking up a fight. We would start talking about rights and dreams. We would understand his dreams and want to make his visions comes true. We would ask him to come with us to bring peace to the world. Akiva would join because he would see hope in our cause.

If we traveled with the main character Eliza, she would be:

The Secretive Friend

She would be kind and warm. She would be funny and jovial. But she would be hiding things. Certain things she said would be odd. Her actions might be different than her words. We would be able to tell that she had secrets. We would never push it, though. We would let her have her space. 

We would meet Eliza in a library, working on research. We would take her hand and toss her into an adventure. (I mean...research is boring.) She would be reluctant at first. She would finally accept the adventure when she gazes at the sunrise from the mountains because it would remind her of the fiery wings of her kin.

Karou (I keep misspelling her name, so bear with me) was pretty awesome as always. She had her magical flying powers as well as her creative thinking. Her creative thinking  helped her create some amazing battle strategies. Or…ways to escape a full-on war. She played peace maker in this book. A medium between the seraphim and the chimaera. As well as translator to Zuzana and Mik.
This book had less of her, though. I wanted to see her side of things. I didn’t mind it when Akiva took center stage in this book. Karou was mostly the lover in this book. The girl who thirsted for the boy's touch. That annoyed me. She was an awesome character. She was brave and powerful. She was her own person. She didn't have to be somebody's lover. She could be her own character. Truth be told, I wouldn't mind Karou having her own book that was entirely about her. (But the reality of the matter is that Karou is part of a package. It's either Karou and Akiva or no Karou at all.) What I’m saying is that she didn’t need to be just The Lover in this book. She could have been Just Karou, and everything would have been great.

Akiva was great. He was the main actor on the stage this time. We got to see Akiva work his magical mojo in this book. 

Akiva was a great character. He had motivations behind his actions. Sure, he did a lot for Karou, but he also did some things for himself. His decision with the Stelians? That was entirely him.  It showed that Akiva could do things without Karou. He loved being with her, but that doesn’t mean he needed Karou 24/7.  
His magic was awesome. He could disappear and summon large flocks of birds. (That's actually from Days of Blood and Starlight, but let's not dive into specifics, okay?) He used his wounds to his advantage. It gave him access to his magic. And sirithar? That was so cool. Being able to access that massive amount of power was a huge advantage for him. He could had the ability to do so much more with sirithar. And he did. Akiva was given this power, and he used it wisely.

And we were introduced to Eliza. She was this quirky character who had a burning hatred of Morgan Toth (but it was understandable.) She was a researcher who lived in America. She had a shady past.
I didn't know her purpose in the beginning when we were introduced to this girl. I was confused. Who is she? What's her importance? Gimme Akiva and Karou! I thought. She wasn't given a huge part in the majority of the book. She was the sort of character I would write off as a side character with not much of a purpose. It was only when she started spouting nonsense in Seraphic that I understood. All in all, I didn't particularly like her. The ending spotlighted her, but it didn't show her in an appealing light. I know Laini Taylor tried to make her seem nice by making Zuzana the People Hater enjoy being in her company, but I just couldn't like Eliza.

BUT. I understood her hatred of Morgan Toth. He was evil. I wanted to strangle him. He was a terrible person. My anger boiled underneath my skin when I read what he did.

He sent out those messages? And unveiled Eliza's secret? Excuse me? You had no right to do that. It’s her secret to tell. I condemn you! Shame on you! He was a terrible person.  

I have to praise the neek-neek Zuzana and her faithful violinist Mik here. They were pretty amazing. They were just humans, but they charmed the pants off the chimaera. They were charismatic and humorous. I loved their romance. (They were amazing together. And what great chemistry!)
Zuzana was fierce. She was a perfect example of a fierce female. She was a true neek-neek. She was witty and quick to a retort. She would snap at you. And Mik brought out the best in her. He calmed her down. He made her laugh. He was the water; she was the fire. They were great on their own, but they made a better pair when together.  

The Adventure Begins (And Ends):

I thought the plot was lacking a bit. It seemed slow and boring.
For one, there weren't any actions scenes. Well...they were there, but I didn't get to see them. All the action happened when Akiva and Karou weren't in the picture. That essentially meant we didn't get any of the action. I mean...who doesn't want to see Liraz in action? Seriously! She was one of the best fighters in the entire series. 

I hated that I couldn’t see the one battle that happened in this book. Akiva and Karou were yanked from the battle. They were nominated to be the peacemakers and shoved towards Jael. We didn't get to see the angels fall out of the sky. I wanted to see that. I wanted to see Thiago in action. I wanted to see the gore and blood. I hunger for action. But I didn’t get the action I wanted in this book.
What I got was an annoying fake grandmother and a tension-filled usurping scene. (I thought it was a great scene. Don't get me wrong or anything. It was fantastically written and all. But...Wren needs her daily dose of action.) Akiva's aptitude for magic took me by surprise. I knew he was good, but I didn't know how good Akiva was.

I'll Wait For You At the Gate:

And finally...Karou and Akiva action! Last book, we had Akiva yearning for Karou. And Karou, finally, accepted her burning love. I was (im)patiently waiting for some romance between these two. (Gah. Laini Taylor is brainwashing me into wanting romance. That’s a miracle.)
Their romance scenes were filled with electricity. Their scenes were great examples of how to write chemistry. When they touched, stars exploded. The sun shone brighter. The world stopped. Babies were born. Etc etc etc.
In the end, I shipped them. Hard. I completely accept their pairing and encourage them to make adorable Kakiva (Totally making up their ship name) babies with eyes made of fire and stunning blue hair. 
These two might have had their problems, but they were great together. I felt like they barely knew each other, though. Akiva was barely with Karou as Karou. I know her soul was the same and all...but still. You need time to adjust to this new person. They're not the same in every way. They're different now. I felt like this part was rushed. It could have been touched upon longer. Oh well…

Still looking at her with that half-hesitant intensity, Akiva reached out very slowly, and, with one fingertip light against her cheek, hooked a loose strand of her hair and pushed it behind her ear. The tiny touch sparked and blazed, but the spark and blaze were subsumed by a deeper, fuller fire when he brought the whole of his palm against her cheek. His gaze was vivid, hopeful, and searching, and the touch was whisper-light, and it was… a taste of the cake Karou couldn’t have. It was more than a taunt. It was a torment. She wanted to turn her face and press her lips to Akiva’s palm, and then his wrist, to follow the path of his pulse to its source. To his heart. His chest, his solidity. His arms around her, that’s what she wanted, and… she wanted movement that spoke to movement, skin to skin and sweat to heat to breath to gasp. Oh god. His touch made her foolish. It spliced her right out of real life with its drumbeat of armies angels portals weapons war and into that paradise they’d imagined long ago— the one that was like a jewel box waiting for them to find it and fill it with their happiness.

224-225 ‘Dreams of Gods & Monsters’

Perks and Upgrades:

N/A

You Have Arrived at Your Destination:

I spun around in my chair after I put down my phone. "I'm dead," I moaned, spinning in a circle slowly.
'Is this a book hangover?' I wondered.
The answer is YES.
The ending gave off such great vibes. It was full of karou. It was full of hope. I felt full after reading that last page.
At first, I felt like this book was going to end on a terrible note. I was nearing the last hundred pages, and I knew there were two gaping plot holes in front of me. One being the Stelians. (What’s up with them?) The other being the Cataclysm Eliza and the Stelians talked about. I was worried about this book. Was this actually the last book? Or was there another coming out? I voiced my worries to my poor aunt who had the luck to be sitting by my side the moment I hit the last hundred pages mark. (82% in, if I recall correctly.)
But. This book didn’t end like I thought it would. The plot holes were patched up. It was a smooth ride to the epilogue. I had no questions left. I could only smile when I finished the last page. 

This was a wild ride. This whole series. I was barely holding on as I was thrown about. This book was a roller coaster of emotions and twists. 

This was a great end to a great series. 

And so it was. Karou and Akiva held on to each other and didn’t let go.

612 ‘Dreams of Gods & Monsters’

Rating:

4/5

Review: 'Days of Blood and Starlight' by Laini Taylor

Days of Blood and Starlight

Laini Taylor

Goodreads / Amazon 

Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love and dared to imagine a world free of bloodshed and war.

This is not that world.

Art student and monster's apprentice Karou finally has the answers she has always sought. She knows who she is—and what she is. But with this knowledge comes another truth she would give anything to undo: She loved the enemy and he betrayed her, and a world suffered for it.

In this stunning sequel to the highly acclaimed Daughter of Smoke & Bone, Karou must decide how far she'll go to avenge her people. Filled with heartbreak and beauty, secrets and impossible choices, Days of Blood & Starlight finds Karou and Akiva on opposing sides as an age-old war stirs back to life.

While Karou and her allies build a monstrous army in a land of dust and starlight, Akiva wages a different sort of battle: a battle for redemption. Forhope.

But can any hope be salvaged from the ashes of their broken dream?

Travel Companion:

If we traveled with the main character Karou, she would be:

The Artist

She would read stunning artwork. Her art would be internationally known. She would also move and never stay in one place. Her art would represent the world and the suffering within.

We would meet her working on some street art in Prague. We would go over and talk to her. She would be evasive and would leave. We would follow her. (Like the stalkers we are.) She would go into her favorite cafe, a weird place with coffins for tables. We would pay for her meal and strike up a conversation with her about art and everything else under the sun. We would mention our travels, and she would be interested. We would invite her to join us on our adventures. She would join us because she would want to see the world with other people.

If we traveled with the main character Akiva, he would be:

The Protester

He would go to protests and rallies. He would protest war. He would yell and shout, but he wouldn't be juvenile about it. Akiva would be a presence at every rally. He would exude power and strength. He would be a karate instructor or fencing instructor for his job. He would work at his job during the day and protest at night. He wouldn't use violence, though, and he would break up fights at the rallies and protests.  

We would meet him at a protest. He would be protesting animal rights. We would see his determination and his dreams of peace for the future. We would ask him to join us to see the world and help bring peace to the world. He would join us because he would want to help people attain peace and safety.

Karou was pretty awesome. She was smart and funny. She was quirky. She had some great lines. 

You’re welcome for the wings, now use them to pee farther away please thank you! 

Page 142 ‘Days of Blood and Starlight’

I liked Karou. She was an interesting character. She was disconnected from the other chimaera. She was the traitor, the angel-lover. She didn’t look like them. She didn’t act like them. Karou was more human than the other chimaera. She was standoffish, but she was a pretty happy person with her friends. She made jokes. She could cry. She was human in a sea of beasts and monsters and angels and seraphim. She was pretty awesome.

She put up with pain to help the chimaera rebellion. She was forced into isolation. She had no one there for her. She went through so much. All for the rebellion. That takes dedication. But I wanted her to have a happier ending. I wanted Karou to truly be happy. I cared for her as if she was my little sister. Laini Taylor, congratulations on making me care for Karou.

Akiva was completely different in this book. He learned from his mistakes. He was more solemn. He was also very sad. He was lonely. His heart ached. He wanted Karou. He wanted to be with her.

I thought Akiva was okay. I thought he had a great backstory. He had a past. He loved Madrigal. He went through a lot to be with her. He cared for her a lot. And he suffered when she was killed. Meeting Karou helped Akiva gain hope, but he screwed it up. (Sigh…the male species.) He loved her, and she loved him. He went through pain. (A different kind of pain. He went through emotional pain. Karou went through physical AND emotional pain. Man…Karou’s really strong.) He did things because of Karou. 

The Adventure Begins (And Ends):

The plot was okay. It was confusing in the beginning. We had so many perspectives. It was too much. It was overwhelming. I was lost. It was like swimming in pudding. (And the image is just…shiver…) I couldn't comprehend what was happening. (My poor brain.)
The plot had action. The fight scenes were amazing. Especially the ones that featured Akiva’s deadly swordsmanship skills. The angels were great fighters. And Ziri could hold his own against some evil angels. The soldiers were efficient and deadly. They attacked quickly and without mercy. The actions scenes has tension, action, blood, and gore. The things an action-lover like me yearns for.
The middle had a more interesting plot. We had Akiva back in the world of the serpahim. He was back with his brother and sister. And he was fighting again. There was Thiago's cruel attacks and the Emperor's retaliation. It was bloody and terrible. Both sides were murdering innocents. The only reason they did it? To get back at the other. They didn't even attack each other specifically. It was like a dance. They danced around each other. They didn’t attack directly. It was horrific to read yet surprisingly interesting.

I'll Wait For You At the Gate:

The romance was confusing. Akiva still yearned for Karou. He stilled loved her. And she despised him. After what he did? I would hate him too. But at the end...Karou's feelings were a mess. I felt like these two would have been a great power couple. They were both great characters. Powerful and strong.

They had chemistry. I can’t deny it. I actually wanted Karou to accept Akiva. They were amazing together. (Before Karou knew the truth, of course.) I would have shipped them if they were together. I understand why Karou didn't show love for him, though. She had been betrayed, but she had to accept the fact that Akiva was trying to make things right. If only she noticed...
And a love triangle started to form. I don't like love triangles. And it’s not like this love triangle was expected. The Kirin was kind. He was someone who cared for Karou. He would be her ally but not her lover. He didn't need to have an unrequited crush. The Kirin was innocent. I didn’t want him to get hurt. 

And as I said, I felt like Akiva and Karou would be great together. 

Perks and Upgrades:

I disliked that it took thirteen chapters to get to Karou's perspective. We had to wait to hear from her. I wanted to know about Karou. I wanted to know what was going on with her. I wanted to know what Karou thought of Akiva's betrayal. I wanted to know what was keeping her busy and where she was. I was waiting for her. This annoyed me a bit. We had to wait for such a long time. It did cause tension and build up, though, but I wanted to know about Karou’s situation from page one.
We had Akiva's perspective, Zuzana's, and some less important characters. We got to catch up with some old friends while we waited for the leading role to walk down the aisle. I didn't like the information dump, though. Everything that happened since the last book was shoved down your throat. You had to sort through the pieces and choose what to keep in mind.

You Have Arrived at Your Destination:

The ending was a complete cliffhanger. I wanted more. I had questions left. What will happen next? What happened to them? Will there be an alliance? Is Ziri okay? I wanted answers. I can't wait for the next book.
The ending had action. And the way Akiva went to help Karou when the angels came? True love. I could see that Akiva would do anything for Karou. And what happened with Ziri? Whoa. And Zuzana going back to Karou? Oh gosh. So much happened at the end. Plot twists were thrown at me as if I was participating in a dodgeball fight.

Akiva's actions against the Emperor were surprising. He did that. Wow. Akiva was stronger than I thought. I truly admired Akiva then. Akiva showed strength and determination. He morphed into a completely different character then. A stronger character, one who could plan things and take action. That really changed my opinion on Akiva. Not that I love his character or anything…I just respect him now.

I was worried about the chimaera and Misbegotten. I had to know what happened to them. Would they survive? Would they form an alliance?

The last chapters were filled with tension. I clung to my phone, wondering and wondering. What happens next?

Overall, the book wasn't terrible. Karou was an amazing character as usual. Akiva was okay; he could have been better. The plot was okay. There was a lot of action, though. (Which I liked.) The romance was a bit odd for me. The love triangle annoyed me, but I sort-of-but-not-really shipped Karou and Akiva. The ending was a cliffhanger, but it was still pretty amazing.

Rating:

4/5