All the Books I Read in May: A Fantasy-Filled Month
It has been a while since I did a reading blog post, and I’m thrilled to share all the books I read in May. I’m so happy because I am finally on track for my 2024 reading goal. My May reads have been fun and filled with fantasy adventures!
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
I finally made my way through Throne of Glass. This story takes place after The Assassin’s Blade . It was good! It has been a year since Celaena Sardothien was captured and jailed in the slave mines of Endovier. She is Adarlan’s greatest assassin after all. When she meets the Crown Prince of Adarlan, he offers her a deal she can’t pass up; he’ll sponsor her in the King’s competition, and if she can beat twenty-three other thieves, murderers, and assassins, and serve as the King’s assassin for the next four years, she can reclaim her freedom. However, this doesn’t prove to be easy as someone is secretly killing off the champions one by one. Celaena will find allieship with the captain of the guard, friendship with a foreign princess, and possibly some romance with the Crown Prince.
I absolutely love the worlds Maas can create in her novels. I always feel that I am in the worlds she creates and I never want to leave when her tales come to an end. Throne of Glass is no exception. I fell in love with the characters and the ideas in this story. She paints this duality of Celaena that I usually don’t expect when someone writes about an assassin. Celaena has this dark and dangerous side to her yet she is humanized by her love of makeup and dresses. I love that! Cold-blooded killers can have soft hobbies too! Let’s normalize that. I was not a big fan of Prince Dorian and Celaena’s short romance. I just couldn’t see them being together. Chaol, however, is honestly my favorite, and I was picking up a subtle fling between him and Celaena? Not sure how I feel about it but I have to read the next book to find out more. Princess Nehemia is so awesome and I loved the friendship she and Celaena built together. *chef’s kiss*
I do have to say, that it took me longer than I anticipated to finish this book because of the writing style. I know this is one of Maas’ first published novels and her writing has changed since then, and I did take that into account when rating this. Her ideas have pushed the rating up since it is so fresh and different from stories I have read and I am curious to see how the rest of the series is going to pan out.
Rating: 3.5 stars
A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas
Making my way through fantasy books has never been more magical. Especially after reading A Court of Frost and Starlight (ACOFAS). I read the first three books of A Court of Thorns and Roses Series (ACOTAR) about two years ago and fell in love! I put off reading the last two because I didn’t want Feyre and Rhysand’s story to end. The world-building, writing, and characters are so perfect that I ended up in the biggest reading slump of my life. I had no idea what to do with myself because all I could think about were these lives that I had temporarily lived for the two weeks straight I had read these books. Seriously, I hadn’t picked up anything else or read anything else in a long time. But now I am back and better than eva! And I finished this series, giving me closure.
Anyway, this novella was so cute and made me tear up a little. Feyre, Rhysand, and their family and friends are back in Velaris after the war against Hybern. They all juggle the trauma and experiences they have faced from the war while also rebuilding their wonderful city and preparing for the Winter Solstice festivities. Some are coping well with the outcomes of war, while others, particularly Nesta, are struggling to move forward with their lives.
I thought this novella was such a sweet and comforting ending to Feyre and Rhysand’s story. I don’t know where I would be without this powerhouse of a couple. I enjoyed how calm and promising the ending was and it set up a clean slate for the next book, Nesta’s story. While ACOFAS is just a filler, this novella was much needed for me to put this series to rest and move on.
Rating: 5 stars
A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas
Alas, I have finally concluded reading the ACOTAR series with A Court of Silver Flames (ACOSF). Wow! All I can say is I was not expecting this story to be so raw and scandalous might I add. Nesta’s story is one I will never forget but always will have compassion towards. After the war with Hybern, Nesta is digging her own grave through self-destructive behaviors and tendencies. Feyre gives Nesta an ultimatum; either train with Cassian and work in the Library under the House of Wind or live in the human realms. Nesta is a High Fae and the humans would extremely ostracize her, so she accepts the former offer. Being in close quarters with Cassian is what fuels her temper and unleashes powers she has tried to keep away. Yet, facing her trauma and understanding her powers might be the key to saving the world (again) from the insufferable mortal queens.
Nesta’s story is unlike any other character’s journey I have read so far. There is so much grief and self-loathing that I didn't see in the previous books. I hated Nesta for the way she treated Feyre. By the end of this book, however, I had a change of heart. I thought she was just cruel to be cruel, but instead, she was in a lot of pain. Nesta was too prideful to let others see her guilt and shame while lashing out at anybody who triggered her. She truly felt that she didn’t deserve anything right and good in the world. I felt her pain, and I cried multiple times. I loved the focus of female friendship and it was so heartwarming to read that Nesta made her own friends. So many action scenes really made me think I should work out like Nesta and the Valkyries. Maas painted those scenes well because I found them so fun and exciting to read. Also, can I just say the spice in this!!! It was hard to keep a straight face while I listened to the audiobook instead of reading it!
All this is to say that I really loved ACOSF and I’ll be waiting for the next character to top Nesta’s development.
Rating: 5 stars
Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Promise by Bryan Konietzko, Michael Dante DiMartino, Gene Luen Yang
After rewatching Avatar: The Last Airbender (ATLA), I felt compelled to continue my fixation on the show by reading the graphic novels, well one novel. I love this show so much. Every time I watch it, I fall in love with the characters and their world of strange animals and cool elemental bending. It is such a bittersweet moment when the last episode comes to an end. It was done so well and it is always hard to say goodbye to the characters you love most. I always never want the story to end. So, I borrowed the comic book ATLA: The Promise from my local library.
The Gaang (Aang and his friends) grapples with life after winning the war against the evil Firelord Ozai and the loyal Fire Nation. Avatar Aang and Fire Lord Zuko do their best to achieve an era of kindness and peace after centuries of trauma and hardship. Yet, it proves to be a little more difficult than the Gaang thought after a disagreement with the placement of Fire Nation Colonies that settled in the Earth Kingdom during the war. Many side-plots and filler episodes make it feel like you are watching another episode of this famous TV show. Reading it was awesome. I heard the characters' voices exactly how they would say their lines and it was fun to read! It was a nice break from traditional fantasy novels, and the pictures were a nice change of pace, too.
Rating: 5 stars
I hope you enjoyed my May reading wrap-up! What books did you read in May? Share your thoughts in the comments below and don’t forget to subscribe for more bookish posts!
