Tag Archives: fantasy books

May 20 2014
Image

Top Ten Books My Friends Recommended!

top ten tuesday

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Today’s TTT was supposed to be Top Ten Books About Friendship and I have to admit I found the topic a bit… underwhelming. So instead I decided to showcase the absolute perfect recommendations my friends have given me over the years. A good friend knows exactly what kind of books you like to read, and mine haven’t let me down yet! Without further ado:

Top Ten Books My Friends Recommended!

 Some of the books above are among my all-time favorites and I am totally grateful my friends knew my tastes in reading well enough to single them out for me. There’s a chance I may not have picked them up so quickly otherwise, or worse, I may not of discovered them all… that’s a horrifying thought.

Anyway, what great recommends have your friends given you?

by Niki Hawkes

May 15 2014
Image

Book Review: City of Dragons by Robin Hobb

City of dragonsTitle: City of Dragons

Author: Robin Hobb

Series: Rain Wild Chronicles #3

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 5/5 stars!

The Overview: Once, dragons ruled the Rain Wilds, tended by privileged human servants known as Elderlings. But a series of cataclysmic eruptions nearly drove these magnificent creatures to extinction. Born weak and deformed, the last of their kind had one hope for survival: to return to their ancient city of Kelsingra. Accompanied by a disparate crew of untested young keepers, the dragons embarked on a harsh journey into the unknown along the toxic Rain Wild River. Battling starvation, a hostile climate, and treacherous enemies, dragons and humans began to forge magical connections, bonds that have wrought astonishing transformations for them all. And though Kelsingra is finally near, their odyssey has only begun.

Because of the swollen waters of the Rain Wild River, the lost city can be reached only by flight—a test of endurance and skill beyond the stunted dragons’ strength. Venturing across the swift-running river in tiny boats, the dragon scholar Alise and a handful of keepers discover a world far different from anything they have ever known or imagined. Immense, ornate structures of black stone veined with silver and lifelike stone statues line the silent, eerily empty streets. Yet what are the whispers they hear, the shadows of voices and bursts of light that flutter and are gone? And why do they feel as if eyes are watching them? The dragons must plumb the depths of their ancestral memories to help them take flight and unlock the secrets buried in Kelsingra. But enemies driven by greed and dark desires are approaching. Time is running out, not only for the dragons but for their human keepers as well.

City of dragons 2

The Review:

I talk about Robin Hobb as often as I can! Her books contain everything I love about fantasy – great characters, epic world building, engaging conflict, effortless writing, and dragons! While Kim Harrison is my go-to author for urban fantasy, Robin Hobb is definitely my go-to for high fantasy. I can always count on Hobb to deliver a meaningful, entertaining story. I’ve been slowly working my way through all of her books for the last five years. The trouble is, I’m almost caught up and that horrifies me. All I’m saying is, thank goodness she has a new series coming out in August (The Fitz and the Fool).

City of Dragons is the point when readers start discovering answers to questions that have been built over the entire saga. What’s more, the answers to most of those questions revolve around dragons! And fabulous dragons, at that – they have distinct personalities, always behaving exactly how I think dragon should. Even when the story jumps into a dragon’s POV, you can tell there’s nothing human about them – it’s excellent! The good news is, these are some of the best dragon books out there (in my opinion), the bad news is, I don’t often recommend them for the dragon appeal because dragons don’t play a huge role until later in the saga (though they are still integral to the plot). They’re worth reading, though, because part of the magic is the momentum–building throughout several trilogies, which makes the bits I’m reading now so much feel absolutely epic!

The dragons are great, there’s no doubt about that, but the human characters are what pull me in emotionally and make Hobb’s books so absorbing. Each characters has such strong, compelling conflicts that it’s impossible not to become involved with their individual stories. I’m particularly happy in this novel that we got a chance to read more about Malta and Selden – characters I don’t think we’ve seen since the Liveship trilogy. Good storytelling for me is seeing characters tackle challenges and overcome them, and Hobb’s books have that in abundance. While the most evoking challenges take place on a personal level, the external conflicts in this series are just as strong. Hobb is so conscious of what’s happening in this world on a global scale that it makes everything so much more integrated and realistic. When things that are happening to the characters affect cities half a continent away, it adds a level of complexity and dynamics to the story that helps bring it to life.

It’s no secret Hobb is one of my favorite authors, and I hope I was able to convey a smidgen of why that is through my gushing. These books are excellent, but they definitely have a slower pacing compared to some other fantasy novels on the market (although never boring). If that doesn’t bother you then trust me, you’re in for something amazing!

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

May 4 2014
Image

April 2014: Review Recap!

Review Recap

 This month I made a concerted effort to post more reviews. After all, it’s not as if I’m lacking in material to write about – I think at last counts I was almost 20 books behind in reviewing (ouch!). As a book blogger, that’s not a horrible problem to have, but I’m looking forward to the day when I’m only, say, five books behind. The trouble is that I have been on a huge YA kick and those books take practically no time at all to read. I think maybe as early as June I will be able to get back to reading robust fantasy novels again… In the meantime, here’s a look at what went down in April on The Obsessive Bookseller:

Book Reviews:

The Assassin’s Blade by Sarah J. Maas
Abandon by Meg Cabot
Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins

The Assassin’s Blade by Sarah J. Maas – 5/5 stars!

Abandon by Meg Cabot – 1/5 stars

Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins – 4.5/5 stars

The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau
Rush by Eve Silver
The Eighth Day by Dianne K. Salerni

The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau – 2.5/5 stars

Rush by Eve Silver – 3/5 stars

The Eight Day by Dianne K. Salerni – DNF

And my favorites this month:

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson
Kushiel’s Scion by Jacqueline Carey

 The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson – 5/5 stars!

Kushiel’s Scion by Jacqueline Carey – 5/5 stars!

These books were epic!

Waiting on Wednesday Features:

Normally, I mention which WoW book I most excited to read. This month I’m choosing ALL of them!

Top Ten Tuesday Features:

Top Ten Books You Might Like If You Enjoyed Throne of Glass!

Top Ten Female Characters That Inspire Me!

Top Ten Most Unique Books I’ve Ever Read!

The Top Ten Gateway Books of My Reading Journey!

 I almost didn’t participate in a couple of these TTTs but found myself inspired at the last minute.

 April’s Escape Reality Book Club Pick:

Scarlet

(ERBC is for anyone who wants to geek out about YA. If you’re interested, check out our official launch post).

 That about sums up my month! What great books did you read in April?

May 3 2014
Image

Stacking the Shelves – April 2014 Edition!

Stacking the shelves

Hosted by Tinga’s Reviews

Considering how many books I bought last month (as seen in March’s STS) I think a serious cutback in book buying was definitely called for. I’m pleased to say that the only books I acquired this month were either purchased last month during my spend-a-thon or bought under my personal read 4, buy 1 challenge. Here’s a look at what I got: 

Hardcopies:

1

Most of these I’ve already read. I’m at the point where I’m only adding the best of the best to my collection. I think all of these qualify. :)

Ebooks:

All of these I snagged for under $3.00 – killer! I’ve been hearing awesome things about both Red Rising and Archived, and who doesn’t love Robin Hobb?

Library:

Turtlebomb!!! I’ve read about half of the books I’ve borrowed (thank goodness for online renewals), and have, for the most part, enjoyed them all. My favorite read in this category was the Girl of Fire and Thorns – which you may have noticed is also in the “purchased” category… it was AWESOME!

ARCs:

Thief’s Magic by Trudi Canavan
May 29, 2014
Fool’s Assassin by Robin Hobb

Thank you Penguin Random House! Having the chance to review an early copy of The Immortal Crown is like a blogging dream come true for me. Be on the lookout for the review of it near the end of the month!

 Also, you may have noticed I’m doing a great job sticking to my new resolution to stop requesting so many titles from Netgalley and Edelweiss. I’m reserving that for the best ones – like a new Robin Hobb and a new Trudi Canavan!

So that’s it for my haul! How did YOU do this month? :)

by Niki Hawkes

Apr 28 2014
Image

Top Ten Books You Might Like If You Enjoyed Throne of Glass – Revamped!

top ten tuesday

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

Yup, I have finally jumped aboard the Sarah J. Maas fangirl train, and not a moment too soon! As high-fantasy YA novels are my favorite things EVER, I’m thrilled that Throne of Glass has had such an impact on the reading community. Most of the bloggers I follow have read it, the same holds for the many YA readers in my own community. After recommending it constantly to customers, I quickly realized that I needed to be prepared for when they came back with “Ooooooh! I loved it so much! What can I read next?” From that question was born this list:

Top Ten Eleven Books You Might Like If You Enjoyed Throne of Glass!

If you liked:

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas
Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

You might like:

girlBook Info: Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Reason for Recommending: setting, story, and genre – this is my favorite book from this list. While I love reading about Celaena and think she’s a cool character, I don’t find a single thing about her relatable. Elise, however, from Girl of Fire and Thorns is exactly the kind of heroine that makes me fall in love with a book. Her relatability is what allowed me to fully immerse myself in the story, whereas ToG always seem to keep me at arms-distance. I’m not saying you will also like this one more, but there’s definitely a good chance you will enjoy it.
                                                                                                                                                                    

Grave Mercy by Robin LeFevers

Book Info: Grave Mercy by Robin LeFevers

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Reason for Recommending: story, romance, character – and assassins! Granted the main character is a lot more timid than Celaena, but progression of the story in the romance feels really similar to ToG. I haven’t read the second or third book in this series, so I can’t speak to its ongoing similarity, but I think ToG readers will definitely at least enjoy the first one.

                                                                                                                                                                     

The Midnight ThiefBook Info: Midnight Thief by Livia Blackburne

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Reason for Recommending: character, atmosphere – this book offers another kick butt heroine who shows a lot of skill in her profession (thieving) right from the start. The city she lives in and the conflicts also remind me of ToG and I thought the general atmosphere both books were incredibly similar. This one definitely takes its own unique turn, but I felt it was just as entertaining along the way.
                                                                                                                                                                     

The winner's CurseBook Info: The Winner’s Curse

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Reason for Recommending: character, genre, setting– of all the female protagonists on this list, actually view the main one in The Winner’s Curse as the most similar to Celaena, yet I can’t quite put my finger on exactly why. She’s an interesting character with a lot of strong convictions, so that might be why she resonated with ToG for me. I am really confident about the recommendability of this one to ToG fans – everyone seems to be raving about it with the same enthusiasm.
                                                                                                                                                                      

The Young Elites by Marie Lu

Book Info: Young Elites by Marie Lu

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Reason for Recommending: character, setting, and genre – the main character for this book reminds me a lot of Celaena, only she wears the scars of what she’s been through on the outside as well as the inside. There is also a real darkness to her character that mimicked some of the low points of Celaena’s journey. Add in a secret guild and magic-users and you’ve got yourself a fairly comparable novel. I really liked it.
                                                                                                                                                                      

The Assassin's Blade by Sarah J. Maas

Book Info: The Assassin’s Blade by Sarah J. Maas

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Reason for Recommending: all the things – okay, I realize how stupid it is to say “if you like this author, you should read more of this author” but not everybody takes the time to read prequels and novellas, so I have to tell you this book makes ALL THE DIFFERENCE! If you haven’t read it yet, drop everything and read it now – it turned to me from a casual admirer of the series to a ToG super fan overnight… possibly because it gave me the insight into Celaena’s character that I’d been needing.
                                                                                                                                                                       

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Book Info: Graceling by Kristin Cashore

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Reason for Recommending: genre, character, romance – this is the teen fantasy book that got me hooked on the genre. It has a wonderful adventure and a beautiful love story. I’m recommending it for ToG fans because I think they will like the main character and enjoy the journey. I don’t have any specific similarities between the two series, but chances are if you liked the genre in general you’ll enjoy this book. That being said, the third book, Bitterblue, has a TON of similarities…
                                                                                                                                                                      

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

Book Info: Poison Study by Maria Snyder

Genre: Fantasy

Reason for Recommending: character, story, pretty much everything – this is the single most similar book to ToG on my list, down to the introduction of our heroine being led from her prison and being made an offer. From there, the love story, the setting, the conflicts, and the plot all resonate with the things I loved about ToG, which is why I am highly recommending this title. If you only choose one book from my list to try, I’m most confident about this one.
                                                                                                                                                                      

The Magician's Guild by Trudi Canavan

Book Info: Magician’s Guild by Trudi Canavan

Genre: Fantasy

Reason for Recommending: setting, atmosphere – this is another one of those titles that reminded me of ToG because of the general setting and atmosphere of the story. It takes place in a school for magicians, and the castle, city, and world all reminded me of where ToG took place. I also found a resonance with the magic system, particularly the dark magic. This wouldn’t be my first recommend on the list, but if you’ve read most of the others this one will definitely help hold you over.
                                                                                                                                                                         

Medalon by Jennifer Fallon

Book Info: Medalon by Jennifer Fallon

Genre: Fantasy

Reason for Recommending: story, setting, character – I’ll admit it has been a really long time since I’ve read this book, but the overall essence of what I remember reminds me a lot of what I like in ToG, especially as the series progresses. It’s one of the books I’ve been itching to go back and reread, and now might be a great time while I’m waiting for the next ToG book to come out…
                                                                                                                                                                        

Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey

Book Info: Kushiel’s Dart by Jacqueline Carey

Genre: Fantasy

Reason for Recommending: setting, atmosphere – I’m including this book on my list because there are several parts within the story that evoked the same regal atmosphere as in ToG… And that’s kind of where the similarities end to be honest with you. This is one of my all-time favorite series, but it comes with several disclaimers – sexual content, violence, and slow pacing. Read it at your own risk…
                                                                                                                                                                        

I hope you find this list helpful and enjoy these titles as much as I did! I’ve added all of them to a shelf on my Goodreads page if you’d like to go read more about them. Happy reading! :-)

Have you read any good books similar to Throne of Glass?

by Niki Hawkes

Apr 22 2014
Image

Coming Soon: Firefight by Brandon Sanderson

firefightTitle: Firefight

Author: Brandon Sanderson

Series: Reckoners #2

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Release Date: January 8, 2015

The Overview: They told David it was impossible–that even the Reckoners had never killed a High Epic. Yet, Steelheart–invincible, immortal, unconquerable–is dead. And he died by David’s hand. Eliminating Steelheart was supposed to make life more simple. Instead, it only made David realize he has questions. Big ones. And there’s no one in Newcago who can give him the answers he needs. Babylon Restored, the old borough of Manhattan, has possibilities, though. Ruled by the mysterious High Epic, Regalia, David is sure Babylon Restored will lead him to what he needs to find. And while entering another city oppressed by a High Epic despot is a gamble, David’s willing to risk it. Because killing Steelheart left a hole in David’s heart. A hole where his thirst for vengeance once lived. Somehow, he filled that hole with another Epic–Firefight. And he’s willing to go on a quest darker, and more dangerous even, than the fight against Steelheart to find her, and to get his answers.

firefight 2

 Hosted by Breaking the Spine

 With the premise of superheroes gone bad, Steelheart could have easily been cheesy and overdone… instead, it was one of the most unique books I’ve read in a long time. I found it cheeky, action-packed, and thoroughly engaging and am practically chomping at the bit to get my hands on this sequel. Sanderson is quickly creeping up my list of favorite authors – everything I read by him is just so different and amazing… is there anything he can’t do? Who would’ve thought the man that brought us the most epic fantasy ever (Way of Kings) could also write a comic book adventure with a twist? It’s almost not fair. If you haven’t read the Sanderson yet, pick up anything – you won’t regret it. I had so much fun reading Steelheart, I can only imagine Firefight will be just as good!

What book are you waiting on?

by Niki Hawkes