Review: A Conjuring of Light by V. E. Schwab

A Conjuring of Light
(Shades of Magic #3)
V. E. Schwab
Release: February 21, 2017
Goodreads Amazon

The battle between four magical Londons comes to a head in this stunning finale to the New York Times bestselling Shades of Magic trilogy by rising star V. E. Schwab.

Londons fall and kingdoms rise while darkness sweeps the Maresh Empire—and the fraught balance of magic blossoms into dangerous territory while heroes and foes struggle alike. The direct sequel to A Gathering of Shadows, and the final book in the Shades of Magic epic fantasy series, A Conjuring of Light sees Schwab reach a thrilling culmination concerning the fate of beloved protagonists—and old enemies.

Review:
I've always struggled with the question of how do I review the last book in a series? On one hand, I want to discuss everything and on the other, I just want you to go read this book. A Conjuring of Light was easily one of my most anticipated books of this year and I'm devastated that it's now over.

I had ridiculously high expectations going into this book after falling absolutely in love with the first two and I'm happy to report that not only did it live up to them, it surpassed them. In my opinion, this book was the epitome of what the conclusion of a favorite series should be. It was perfect! The only time I could put it down was when I needed to take a break to calm myself down. It was full of action, adventure, a touch of romance, and it didn't pull any punches. This book doesn't shy away from death and there were a few deaths in this book that just gutted me.

A Conjuring of Light is one of those books that will devastate you while managing to keep your hope that everything will turn out okay. There were several moments that made me curse and yell at the book and it made me cry but those moments were balanced out with moments of dry humor that were delightful to read and with some truly beautiful moments that made me so happy I hugged my Kindle. There are more than a few scenes that I've gone back and reread at least ten times since I finished this book. Thank you, Kindle bookmark feature!

One of my favorite things about this book, and one that caused me the most heartache, was learning more about Holland's past. It was astonishing to see who he was before the Danes had gotten a hold on him. I also loved seeing the progress that Kell, Lila, Rhy, and Alucard made in their own character arcs. Each of them has changed significantly from when they were first introduced but they still fundamentally remained the same in some aspects. All I can say to V. E. Schwab is thank you so much for these characters! Especially for the delightful and terrifying scamp that is Miss Delilah Bard. She has easily become one of my favorite female characters ever.

This book is a long one clocking in at 624 pages but it's also one I never wanted to end. I will miss all of these characters so much. It's been a journey to read their stories and I'm so happy with how this series ended even though it was also painful. Let's just say my heart is full of so many emotions when I think of this series.

Everything was wrapped up perfectly by the end but I have the feeling that this world still has stories to tell us. In fact, Schwab herself said in a Goodreads email, "... remember: when it comes to this world, new doors are always being made." So, this isn't truly a farewell to the world. Just to this arc and even then it's not really a goodbye. The Shades of Magic series will always be waiting to be reread over and over again. So instead of goodbye, I'm going to say Anoshe- until we meet again another day. 

    

  5 / 5 Stars!

My reviews of other books in this series:
A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab
A Gathering of Shadows by V. E. Schwab

Review: Vicious by V. E. Schwab

Vicious
V. E. Schwab
Release: September 24, 2013
Goodreads Amazon

A masterful, twisted tale of ambition, jealousy, betrayal, and superpowers, set in a near-future world.

Victor and Eli started out as college roommates—brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong. Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to catch up to his old friend (now foe), aided by a young girl whose reserved nature obscures a stunning ability. Meanwhile, Eli is on a mission to eradicate every other super-powered person that he can find—aside from his sidekick, an enigmatic woman with an unbreakable will. Armed with terrible power on both sides, driven by the memory of betrayal and loss, the archnemeses have set a course for revenge—but who will be left alive at the end?

In Vicious, V. E. Schwab brings to life a gritty comic-book-style world in vivid prose: a world where gaining superpowers doesn’t automatically lead to heroism, and a time when allegiances are called into question.

Review by Rose Red:
Vicious was the first adult novel by V.E. (Victoria) Schwab I've read and it was awesome! I’ve read all of her YA books and I loved them all! She has definitely earned a spot on my autobuy list. Schwab is one of those authors I completely trust.

You know those books that suck you into the story and keep you thinking about them long after you finish them. Vicious was that for me. It met my high expectations and then proceeded to blow them out of the water.

“There are no good men in this game.”

Vicious is about superheroes and super villains, but it’s not your normal superhero story. It really explores the question about what kind of person you would become if you had super powers. The characters are complex. The writing is intelligent and very quotable. The story is fascinating and not predictable.

“Plenty of humans were monstrous, and plenty of monsters knew how to play at being human.”

Her characters are so complexly fantastic you love and hate the characters at the same time. The multiple points-of-view were perfect and didn't take away from our main character. In my mind, Victor and Eli are like Tony Stark and Bruce Banner from The Avengers but if they had had a falling out. They are those friends that are similar yet opposite in so many ways but are joined together by the unifying bands of science and the pursuit of knowledge. They are perfectly imperfect characters that had me hooked from the first page. I loved both Victor and Eli, but I'm totally Team Victor. Eli wasn't as loveable as Victor is. Not only were they great but all the side characters are wonderfully complex as well.

The pacing of the story was spot on. I loved how it switched back and forth between the present and the past. The flashbacks really added to depth to the characters and the plot and provided a way for us to see why Eli and Victor are now enemies and not friends. The truly great thing about this novel is that it makes you think. It makes you wonder about special abilities and what lengths humans would go to become ExtraOrdinary. Some of the characters suffer a loss of self, and taking that journey with them was such an experience.

Vicious was my favorite book of last year and it quickly became one of my favorite books ever. Words really can't do the awesomeness contained in this book justice. All I can say is GO READ IT! You will not be disappointed!

    

5 / 5  stars

Top 5 Wednesday: Top 5 Reasons We Want to be Victoria Schwab When We Grow Up

Top 5 Wednesday is a Goodreads group hosted by Sam from Thoughts on Tomes. Bloggers, booktubers and bookstagrammers post on a common topic every (you guessed it) Wednesday. You can find the lists by searching #T5W or Top 5 Wednesday. And you can join the group on Goodreads if you want to participate.  

This Week's Topic Is:
Authors You'd Want to Write Like
But we could really only think of one, so here are the top five reasons we want to be Victoria Schwab when we grow up.

A post shared by Victoria Schwab (@veschwab) on Oct 19, 2017 at 4:31pm PDT

5. Her Wardrobe and Cosplay Skills
Like Victoria, I am a huge fan having a mostly black wardrobe. Although hers is way more diverse than mine. I envy her nerdy t-shirts and I will admit that I've bought more than one that I've seen her wearing. She also has some serious cosplay skills. Just look at the costume she assembled for her Howl cosplay! It is glorious!

4. She Travels The World
It would be great just to go on a book tour and meet people all over the world, but Victoria actually lived in Scotland for a month to write A Conjuring of Light. Plus, she spent a year there for grad school. I would love to have a job that let me do that!

3. Her Versatilty
Not only does she write for three different audiences - MG, YA, and adult, she rewrites vastly different books in each age group. Vicious is nothing like A Darker Shade of Magic. Same with This Savage Song vs. The Archived. But the one thing each has in common besides their uniqueness is beautiful and atmospheric writing that just sucks you into the story.

This makes my heart happy. https://t.co/t1zlqBARpz

— Victoria/V.E. Schwab -- No I'm not doing NaNo (@veschwab) November 14, 2017

2. She's a Fangirl Just Like Us
Victoria is a lovely person both in person and online. But one of the things I've loved about following her on Twitter and Instagram is seeing her geek out about everything from books to anime to movies to authors. Her fangirling over the Captive Prince books is what made me pick them up. I started watching Black Butler because of her. And her fangirling over Neil Gaiman, an author I also adore, just endeared her to me more.

I am 3 books away from my 100 book reading goal. Tell me what stories you're loving right now, Twitter. Points for ones I might NOT have heard of.

— Victoria/V.E. Schwab -- No I'm not doing NaNo (@veschwab) November 25, 2017

1. Her Productivity
Victoria reads about the same number of books as I do every year because he considers it part of her job. But she also writes multiple books in a year. Even if you add up all the blog posts both Rose Red and I have written, it's nowhere near that many words. She usually releases at least one book a year and most of the time it's two, like next year when we get both Vengeful and City of Ghosts. The woman must run on tea alone. Seriously, when does she sleep?

and 

Theme Thursdays: A Gathering of Shadows by V. E. Schwab

 

This year we're going to try something new that we hope will help us tackle our TBR piles and keep us motivated to complete our #RockMyTBR challenges. We're starting a new feature called Theme Thursdays! Each month, we'll review books from our respective TBRs that fit a theme we choose at the beginning of the month. February's theme is PIRATES! 

A Gathering of Shadows
(Shades of Magic #2)
V. E. Schwab
Release: February 23, 2016
Goodreads Amazon

It has been four months since a mysterious obsidian stone fell into Kell's possession. Four months since his path crossed with Delilah Bard. Four months since Prince Rhy was wounded, and since the nefarious Dane twins of White London fell, and four months since the stone was cast with Holland's dying body through the rift--back into Black London.

Now, restless after having given up his smuggling habit, Kell is visited by dreams of ominous magical events, waking only to think of Lila, who disappeared from the docks as she always meant to do. As Red London finalizes preparations for the Element Games--an extravagant international competition of magic meant to entertain and keep healthy the ties between neighboring countries--a certain pirate ship draws closer, carrying old friends back into port.

And while Red London is caught up in the pageantry and thrills of the Games, another London is coming back to life. After all, a shadow that was gone in the night will reappear in the morning. But the balance of magic is ever perilous, and for one city to flourish, another London must fall.

Review:
Despite A Gathering of Shadows being one of my most anticipated books of 2016, I just barely got around to reading it after several friends told me to wait until closer to the release of book three. And all I can say is Holy Hell! How have people coped with that ending for a year?!?

While I loved A Darker Shade of Magic, I definitely adored this book more. It felt even more engaging and the characters felt so much more cemented in their personalities and confident.

The story picks up soon after the first book with both Kell and Lila spending their time in Red London. Kell continues to stay with and protect Rhy, whereas Lila has found her place as a crew member of a ship. From page one, I was once again enraptured in Schwab's magical world of multiple Londons.

There's just something magical about Schwab's writing. While is it full of complex world-building, political issues, inversed tropes, and various character dynamics, it is also incredibly readable. Personally, I can easily become bogged down by excessive detail regarding complex worlds and magic systems in fantasy, but I can honestly say that I never had that issue while reading this book. I was always immensely interested in whatever was occurring and couldn't put it down. And I have fallen head over heels for the magic system. I think the idea of the idea of elements and blood and bone being the main conductors of magic is brilliant and I loved that everyone approaches their element(s)/magic differently.

I was thrilled that we got so much Lila in this book. And I totally get now why all my friends describe Lila's personality as "Everyone is like "Lila, no!" and Lila is like "LILA, YES!". After this book, I feel like we're starting to understand Lila, her motivations, and her overall demeanor. She is an incredibly strong-willed individual and she is not afraid of crossing any lines to do what is necessary, which is definitely something we get to witness in this book. Despite the trouble she gets into and causes, I find it impossible not to love her and to respect her for her sheer confidence and audacity.

I loved Kell just as much as I did in the first book. He is still kind of a stick in the mud but he is fiercely loyal, and I think that's what makes him such an endearing character. He will never give up or turn his back on those he cares for. He is also extremely responsible with his strong powers which is admirable considering other characters. Although, I think we will see some different sides of Kell in the next book.

As much as I love Kell, I was ecstatic that we got Rhy POV chapters in this book! I loved seeing his character development in this book. He struggles with becoming a strong, powerful king one day, and the inner conflict he faces between his own emotions and his obligations were truly masterfully done.

Last but not least, my new favorite character in this series is Alucard Emery, the charming pirate captain. Or should I say privateer. I loved his character so much! He's witty, strong, sharp, and exceedingly amusing. I loved his relationship and dynamic with Lila. And I really want to know about whatever the drama is between him and Rhy. Every interaction between Rhy and Alucard was great and it created an interesting contradiction to what appears to be Kell and Alucard's mutual disdain for each other.

This book was so amazing! I really could spout pages in praise of this book. The plot, the magic tournament, the world, the characters... everything was perfect! It was all I wanted it to be and more! If you haven't read this series or this book yet, now is a great time to start.

    

  5 / 5 Stars!!!

My reviews of other books in this series:
A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab

Flashback Friday Review: Vicious by V.E. Schwab

We wanted to revisit Rose Red's review from 2014 because the newly minted Collector's Edition of Vicious is about to be released in both the US and the UK with brand new covers and an extra short story! All we'll say is that these new covers are freaking fantastic! 

Seriously! How amazing are those covers?!? We love that they now match the whole red, white, and black aesthetic Victoria has going on with her other adult covers and they just fit the story so well! And we're so excited that we're finally getting a sequel this year! Vengeful comes out in both the US and the UK on September 25, 2018.

If you haven't read this Vicious yet, now is a good time to! Continue reading for Rose Red's original thoughts about the book!

Vicious
(Villains #1)
V.E. Schwab
Release: September 24, 2013
Goodreads Amazon

Victor and Eli started out as college roommates—brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong. 

Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to catch up to his old friend (now foe), aided by a young girl whose reserved nature obscures a stunning ability. Meanwhile, Eli is on a mission to eradicate every other super-powered person that he can find—aside from his sidekick, an enigmatic woman with an unbreakable will. Armed with terrible power on both sides, driven by the memory of betrayal and loss, the archnemeses have set a course for revenge—but who will be left alive at the end?

Review:
Vicious was the first adult novel by V.E. (Victoria) Schwab I've read and it was awesome! I’ve read all of her YA books and I loved them all! She has definitely earned a spot on my autobuy list. Schwab is one of those authors I completely trust.

You know those books that suck you into the story and keep you thinking about them long after you finish them. Vicious was that for me. It met my high expectations and then proceeded to blow them out of the water.

“There are no good men in this game.”

Vicious is about superheroes and super villains, but it’s not your normal superhero story. It really explores the question about what kind of person you would become if you had super powers. The characters are complex. The writing is intelligent and very quotable. The story is fascinating and not predictable.

“Plenty of humans were monstrous, and plenty of monsters knew how to play at being human.”

Her characters are so complexly fantastic you love and hate the characters at the same time. The multiple points-of-view were perfect and didn't take away from our main character. In my mind, Victor and Eli are like Tony Stark and Bruce Banner from The Avengers but if they had had a falling out. They are those friends that are similar yet opposite in so many ways but are joined together by the unifying bands of science and the pursuit of knowledge. They are perfectly imperfect characters that had me hooked from the first page. I loved both Victor and Eli, but I'm totally Team Victor. Eli wasn't as loveable as Victor is. Not only were they great but all the side characters are wonderfully complex as well.

The pacing of the story was spot on. I loved how it switched back and forth between the present and the past. The flashbacks really added to depth to the characters and the plot and provided a way for us to see why Eli and Victor are now enemies and not friends. The truly great thing about this novel is that it makes you think. It makes you wonder about special abilities and what lengths humans would go to become ExtraOrdinary. Some of the characters suffer a loss of self, and taking that journey with them was such an experience.

Vicious was my favorite book of last year and it quickly became one of my favorite books ever. Words really can't do the awesomeness contained in this book justice. All I can say is GO READ IT! You will not be disappointed!

    

5 / 5 Stars!

Review: A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

A Darker Shade of Magic
(Shades of Magic #1)
V. E. Schwab
Release: February 24, 2015
Goodreads Amazon

Kell is one of the last travelers--magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel universes connected by one magical city.

There's Grey London, dirty and boring, without any magic, and with one mad King--George III. Red London, where life and magic are revered--and where Kell was raised alongside Rhy Maresh, the roguish heir to a flourishing empire. White London--a place where people fight to control magic and the magic fights back, draining the city to its very bones. And once upon a time, there was Black London. But no one speaks of that now.

Officially, Kell is the Red traveler, ambassador of the Maresh empire, carrying the monthly correspondences between the royals of each London. Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they'll never see. It's a defiant hobby with dangerous consequences, which Kell is now seeing firsthand.

Fleeing into Grey London, Kell runs into Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She robs him, saves him from a deadly enemy, and finally forces Kell to spirit her to another world for a proper adventure.

Now perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, they'll first need to stay alive.

Review:
I'm going to be upfront with the fact that I loved this strange little book so much! It's diverse, unique, and compelling! Magic, adventure, and danger are found on every page and I loved it so much! I was hooked from page one even though this time I was rereading it.

A Darker Shade of Magic is a story about blood magic and parallel Londons, smugglers and cross-dressing thieves, power struggles and unlikely friendships, forbidden tokens and a truly fabulous coat. And a promiscuous prince that would give Jack Harkness a run for his money. It's a story about Kell, who's gifted (and kind of cursed) with the magical ability to travel between worlds, and Lila, a genderfluid wannabe pirate who wants nothing more than to escape her city for an adventure. They meet in Grey London where Kell is on the run after he makes a big mistake. I'm not going to going into detail about the plot but be reassured that shenanigans and mishaps then ensue.

For me, the story was engrossing from the first but the pace builds up slowly over the first 150ish pages until you couldn't put this book down if you wanted to. The worldbuilding is amazingly complex and intriguing with its four parallel Londons that each have their own personalities and varying magic levels. I enjoyed every moment of losing myself in this world of dingy taverns and pretty palaces and the simple yet complex workings of the magic system. Schwab takes familiar fantasy tropes and turns them on their heads to create something that's not quite like anything I've read before.

The characters are what truly makes ADSOM such an amazing book. The main characters are polar opposites. Kell is reserved, responsible, and surprisingly layered but slightly careless as well. Lila is bold, clever, and seemingly fearless but she has a fragileness to her when you take a closer look. I love them both so much! They balance each other out and make an remarkable team. I loved watching them meet, butt heads, and grow to care for each other. Prince Rhy, Kell's brother, is flamboyant and fabulous and an overall cinnamon roll that I want to protect at all costs. I honestly don't know what to think about Holland, the brooding magical equivalent of Kell in White London. I am torn on whether I want to dislike him or to protect him. The villains of this story are, in my opinion, truly masterfully done and hella scary. They are the kind of evil that makes your blood run cold. I'd never want to run into them. Ever.

Schwab's writing is something else. I have loved everything of hers that I've read and I can say without a doubt that she continues to get better and better with each book she puts out into the world. She has a gradual way of sharing details about the world and character's backstories that keeps you hooked without being info dumpy. I love how she always writes the stories of the characters that are outsiders and don't quite fit into the boxes people would like to shove them in. That's my favorite thing about her stories actually.

ADSOM is everything I want in a fantasy novel: adventurous, magical, immersive, and exciting with a diverse set of characters and awesome worldbuilding. I had high expectations going into this book the first time I read it and I'm happy to say that it exceeded them. In fact, it's one of those books that holds up upon rereading more than once. It's a wonderful adventure that I think everyone should read.

Bravo, Ms. Schwab! Bravo!

    

  5 /5 Stars

Rose Red's Best of 2015

2015 has been an excellent reading year for me! I've almost read 200 books! And that doesn't count the novellas and graphic novels I've read this year! I'm actually amazed that I've managed to read so much this year!

Unfortunately, that also makes it hard to choose an all encompassing top ten books of the year so I'm going to be sharing with you some of my favorite books I've read this year in several different categories. That way I can share more of my favorite books of 2015 with you! :) This is going to be a long post so I hope you all are comfortable.

New To Me Authors

I know what you're thinking. Rose Red, how have you never read any of these authors before this year?!? I know. I am ashamed. I kind of want to go back and slap past Rose Red for not picking up these books sooner. Then again, I'd have to give her a hug as well because I enjoyed the heck out of binge reading these series this year.

I am absolutely loving Chloe Neill's Chicagoland Vampires series! I just got to book seven and it's been a wild ride! Merit is my spirit animal! My goal is to read the last five books and two novellas by the time Midnight Marked is out in March.

I've said it before but 2015 is going to be known as the year that I became obsessed with Nalini Singh's books. I binge read both of her paranormal series this year. And ZOMG! I adore them both so much! SO SO MUCH! I wrote Read This F@!%ing Book posts for both of them. You can find the Psy-Changeling post here and the Guild Hunter post here. :)

I've heard a lot about how amazing Written in Red by Anne Bishop was for years now but I never found the time to pick it up. Oh my goodness! Why, Past Rose Red? Why?!? I freaking adored all the books in this series! I'm anxiously awaiting Marked in Flesh's release in March. WHY IS IT NOT MARCH YET?

Urban Fantasy

 

You all know that Urban Fantasy is where my reading heart is at. It is my favorite genre hands down. I could probably write up a top ten books of the year list with urban fantasy alone! SO many excellent books. It's not surprising that I had a hard time choosing my favorites of the year, is it?

This year I finally picked up Patricia Briggs's Alpha & Omega series and OH MY GOODNESS! WHY DID I WAIT SO LONG? Let me be honest, I was nervous to pick it up. I adore the Mercy Thompson series and I didn't want A&O to turn out to be not awesome. My fears turned out to be ridiculous since I adored A&O just as much as Mercy! I'm still not sure whether Hunting Ground or Dead Heat is my most favorite of the series but I love the whole series hardcore. And by reading it, I finally was able to catch up on Mercy! Oh my goodness! I'm so glad for that too! Frost Burned and Night Broken were amazing! I can't wait to get my hands on more books by Patricia Briggs!

Okay. You all know my all-encompassing love of the Kate Daniels series. So of course Magic Shifts was going to be on this list! There's been a bunch of mixed reviews about it throughout the blogosphere but I adored it! It was so fun to see Kate and Curran in a setting other than Beast Lord and Consort. I need the next book so badly!

My favorite urban fantasy debut this year definitely goes to Owl and the Japanese Circus! This book was unique and fun! I really enjoyed it! And the sequel, Owl and the City of Angels, was a non-stop thrill ride! If you all haven't read this series yet, you need to! It's great! And you all will fall in love with Owl's vampire hunting cat, Captain. I totally did!

As I mentioned earlier, I fell in love with Chloe Neill's books this year. I adored The Veil! It's set in a post-magical apocalyptic New Orleans and all persons with magic are imprisoned in what is essentially a concentration camp called Devil's Isle. I'm so excited to see more of Claire and Liam in the next book, The Sight!

I haven't read many YA books that I've enjoyed this year. In fact, I've DNFed a lot of them this year. But I have read some that I've loved! Cold Burn of Magic falls into that category! It was so great! How could I not love a book that has both a magical mob and monsters?

And the last series I'm going to mention in this section is The Edge series by Ilona Andrews. This was everything I wanted it to be and more! I loved the world and the characters SO much! I really how Ilona Andrews comes back to this world and some point! I'd love to see more! Maybe it could focus on the younger generation in this book? I totally would read about all of the shenanigans George and Jack will get in to!

Science Fiction

2015 is also the year that I read more science fiction. I had kind of fallen of the band wagon the last few years in the genre. Not that there hasn't been good books, I just didn't feel like reading the genre. I have lots of books to catch up on but let's talk about my favorites of this year.

Time Salvager was the sci-fi/dystopian/thriller mashup that I never knew I wanted before I read it. It was kind of a dark and depressing take on time travel. And I loved it! It was refreshing to see that time travel has physical, emotional, and mental consequences. Too many books and movies, gloss over it and never show the downside to time travel. I should know by now that Wesley Chu will never let me down when it comes to science fiction. I can't wait for the next book to come out this next year!

Now, let's talk about Zero World! This book was pure high octane awesome! It was an amazing sci-fi spy thriller... in space! And I was enthralled from page one! It was everything I wanted it to be and more! If you haven't read any of Jason Hough's books and you like sci-fi, you need to pick his books up ASAP! I've loved everything he has written so far.

Now this last book might be cheating since I'm only half way through it at the time of this post, but ZOMG! I'M LOVING IT SO MUCH! It will definitely be one of my favorites of the year. I've adored the whole Lunar Chronicles series from the first and Winter is looking to be the series finale that I've been hoping for. Really. How could I not like a series that is made up of sci-fi fairy tale retellings? I can't begin to tell you how sad I am that this series is ending. I'm reading it slowly so it will last longer.

Romance

Oh, Romance! As a genre, you make me giggle in delight like a little girl. I love you and your variety so much! It also made limiting myself to three books very hard.

First up, I binge read the last five books in Kristen Callihan's Darkest London series and I adored all of them! But if I had to choose a favorite it would definitely be Evernight although Moonglow is a close second. I adored Holly! I loved that she's a brilliant scientist. She also went through hell in book four so she had a lot to work through with her PTSD, but she was still brilliant. I also adored Will Thorne. He's charismatic, crude, and cheeky while being loyal and sweet. And he went through an even larger hell than Holly did. I loved their relationship and how they used each other to become less broken. I'm eagerly waiting for more books in this series!

You all know that I adore Jennifer Armentrout's Wait For You series so it's not a surprise that one of the two books released this year made it on the list. I had a hard time choosing because they were both amazing but Roxy's book won out in the end. Fall With Me is just one of those books that makes you fall in love with New Adult. If you haven't read this series yet, you need to change that ASAP! It's so good! It gives me so many warm fuzzies. Also, the male leads in this series are collectively called the Hot Guy Brigade in this book which is a super accurate description. Also, you all need to meet Reese! He is my favorite!

Finally, the last book I'm going to talk about in this genre is my second most favorite YA book of the year after Winter. The Anatomical Shape of a Heart surprised the hell out of me with how much I loved it! I was a little nervous going into this book because I’m not a big fan of contemporary books whether they’re adult or YA. But I absolutely adore Jenn Bennett’s adult series so I decided to give her YA debut a shot. And I’ll admit that the premise fascinated me! I’ve never read a book that’s a romance between an aspiring anatomy artist and a notorious graffiti artist. Heck! I don’t think I’ve even heard of a book with an anatomy artist in it. From the very second that these two meet, I was hooked. I wanted more of them… more of their banter and more of them falling for each other. Seriously! I loved them! YOU ALL NEED TO READ THIS BOOK!

Fantasy

 

 

Urban fantasy may hold my heart but that doesn't mean that I don't love epic/high fantasy and steampunk a lot too! And there have been so many awesome fantasy books released this year not to mention a few older fantasy books I finally got to.

It wouldn't be my favorites in fantasy if I didn't mention the latest Brandon Sanderson book. I've loved everything he's ever written so it's not a surprise that I adored the latest installment in his Mistborn series. Shadows of Self was everything I've come to expect from Brandon Sanderson. The Mistborn world is still epic and fascinating and Wax and Wayne are still my favorites. I need the next book after that ending though! Good thing we only have to wait until January for it or I might die of feels and curiosity.

If I had to choose my absolute favorite book of the year, I'd have to choose Uprooted by Naomi Novik. I still can't talk about this book without gushing and I have pushed it on so many friends and family members. It was one of those books that just remind you of why you love a genre as much as you do. This book made me feel like I did when I first discovered Robin McKinley and that's one of the highest compliments I can give a book.

If I had to choose my second favorite book of the year, that honor would go to A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab. I've been a Schwab fangirl for a while now and this book blew all of my expectations out of the water. There's parallel Londons, magic, cross-dressing thieves, a wannabe pirate, sadistic royalty, and a prince who channels both Prince Harry and Jack Harkness. It was absolutely amazing! Schwab  proved yet again why she is one of my favorite authors. Also, I've never been more excited to find out that a book is the first book in a series. I need book two yesterday.

And for my final fantasy pick falls to an author's debut book. The Emperor's Blades came out last year and was one of those books I regretted not getting to until this summer. It was amazing! There was nothing new or groundbreaking in the tropes used in this book, but it reminded me why I adore some of those tropes. Also, this is a book about SIBLINGS! I loved Kaden, Valyn, and Adare! How many books do you know focus on siblings? I haven't read very many lately and it made this book even more amazing! Also, there are giant hawks that are used to transport this world's elite band of assassins! How cool is that? I want to ride one!

Books I Wish I Had Gotten To In 2015

 

 

At the end of every year, I have a list of books that I wanted to read but just ran out of time before doing so. These are all books I really wanted to read this year. They will definitely have high priority in 2016.

This was a hard post to write but those are my favorite books of the year! What books were your favorite this year? Do we have any in common?