shoni's reviews
132 reviews

Forever After All by Catharina Maura

4.25

I forgot how much I enjoy the marriage of convince trope. Also Alec 👀 a man like that is what we need 

A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas

lighthearted reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.0

It read as a weird official fanfic but not even a good one at that and like there is no point for it to exist as more than a few bonus chapters. I did enjoy it but it seemed just weird all the same. 

A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas

dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I can see why everyone’s obsessed with these books, but SJM also sticks to what she knows and makes everything happen in the last few chapters. Like damn, i felt like I couldn’t breathe and had to just take a moment after. I do love this wraps things up so nicely for the trilogy. The ending is where everyone is happy, well for the most part, but things are slowly coming back together. I have always loved the idea of an open-ended ending. Obviously, this isn’t that, but it still leaves things to be determined.

like how the new treaty is gonna go, what they’re gonna do now, does Nesta still have any powers left, if she does are they different now?

  Idk there are a lot of random questions to be answered but also none that don’t leave a nice warm feeling behind. It was nice. 

I also adore Feyre’s character development. She went from a no brain cell to genius and honestly, that’s all due to Rhys, he didn’t hide Velaris for all these years but he hid all the brain cells of the entire Pyrthian

it’s why it wasn’t until he said something for everyone to meet up that they all realized the issue/cared to act

Though I think one thing that was done well was writing how Feyre dealt with the trauma and overcame it and became stronger. And by this novel she really grew into her power and who she is and ICONIC OF HER!! I cannot get over the first few chapters of Mastermind Feyre. 

I do love that we finally got to see Feyre’s dynamic with everyone else more. She is their high lady but before that, they are her friends, her family. And I love that we got to see more of that, especially with Elain and Nesta in the same house.  Like they both had some character development but they still bug me, especially Nesta. Like her treatment towards Feyre mainly. Aside from that, she’s great. But I think what Rhys said in book two about them being her family, and by extension his, and he would care for them and love them but it’s gonna take awhile to forgive them for the treatment to her and I do agree. I know Nesta’s redemption arc is coming soon but I think I’ll still be slightly annoyed. Because girl, you aren’t the only one who has gone through this trauma, some went through it and then some (NOT SAYING HER TRAUMA ISN’T VALID BECAUSE IT ISN’T AS BAD) but her treating hers worse is what bugs me instead of having an understanding that everyone is struggling and traumatized. Guess I’ll have to wait till her book to see how I feel though. (I think it's too much of a personal view of my own relationship with my family on how I'm viewing Feyre's relationship with hers🤣)


I do think the story itself could have been slightly paced better, we had this huge build-up to this specific battle and it seemed so rushed. I would have loved to get more of the battle, to see it, to have more

than just them suddenly being there and being by the cauldron so quickly

but I also get why it was done like that. Mainly I get why everyone loves the series, it has my one weakness the morally gray/shadow vibe love interests. I hold a soft spot for them. AND RHYS AND AZRIEL ARE PERFECT EXAMPLES OF THAT. Overall, I did enjoy it and the fairy smut that people keep talking about isn’t even that heavy in the book the way it was always described, it’s there but it isn’t as bad as what I was expecting either. I overall really enjoyed the series. 

Read Me by Lauren Connolly

2.0

Before the Devil Knows You're Here by Autumn Krause

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

 

I finished this book weeks ago and it has still been on my mind ever since, I cannot get over it. This book has been one of my anticipated reads this year and did not disappoint. It gave such a sinister vibe and spin to a folklore retelling. From the very first sentence in her author’s note to the last, I was captivated and couldn’t stop. If it wasn’t for work/life getting in the way I know I would have finished it in one sitting for sure. You cannot put this book down and the pacing of the book itself is done so well that you just get grabbed into the story and don’t want to leave. 

Autumn wrote the book when she lost her grandmother and her love for her comes through so much on every page. You can see how Catalina’s pain and loss are a mirror into Autumn’s and it hit so close to home for me. It felt as if I was the one going through them because I remember the emotions of losing my own grandmother. Autumn also has such a way, the imagery present caused me to be awestruck. Certain lines have been living in my mind constantly, among them being “she was alone, alone in a way she hadn’t known existed, in a way that made her feel like she’d never been born or had already died” because they give me chills!! 

On top of that the characters are amazing. One thing I really appreciated is how Catalina’s views and priorities were very obvious and easy to understand from the beginning. Nothing was done to try to change that about her as a character. And Paul, let's talk about Paul, shall we? Because that man… THAT MAN exceeded my expectations. Like I am not over him and his action and everything he’s done like a god damn. Where can I find myself a man like Paul? He seems so off-putting BUT THERE IS SO MUCH MORE TO HIM.

LIKE HOW CAN I GET A MAN TO RUN INTO A BURNING BUILDING TO SAVE MY BOOKS?! AND THEN BUILD ME AN ENTIRE LIBRARY BECAUSE HE COULD AND KNEW I WOULD FIND MY WAY BACK?! LIKE HOW?!

 Though I think my favorite would have to be John’s POV. It is such a good parallel to Catalina’s POV and helps unfold the story. His POV is truly something I wasn’t expecting, he managed to get the sympathy of the reader even though he’s supposed to be the bad guy.

Like he never wanted to live this life, he never wanted people to die, yet he was misled, just like all deals with the devil, they are doubled edged sword. AND THAT CATALINA IS HIS GRANDDAUGHTER?! LOVED THAT TWIST

And that on its own speaks to Autumn’s own writing. To how she can manage to get you to sympathize with someone who’s you aren’t sure if you’re supposed to feel anything good towards. I can’t wait for more readers to discover the wonderful world that Autumn created in BTDKYH. You’ll fall in love with the world and the characters so quickly that you don’t even notice that you’ve finished the book. I seriously cannot stop thinking about this book and how amazing it is. I'm so excited to be able to underline and annotate my favorite lines and such.  

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I can see why everyone loves this book the most. So much happens and Feyre goes from being an illiterate love-struck girl to becoming such a badass woman. I am here for it. SJM managed to really show that your healing isn’t linear but also that it isn’t until you are being pushed too far that you truly realize what you are being put through and that sometimes an impartial opinion is needed. There is also such character development for all of them. Not just the main, you can even see how the side characters have changed/evolved from the beginning to the end as well. Just everyone being more understanding and respectful of each other. Honestly, that’s exactly what everyone needs in life. What everyone deserves, is a group of friends like that. 

I think my favorite thing was seeing Feyre deal with her trauma and trying to heal with it and not realizing when she did heal. Especially when she realized that her journey of healing was starting, she found joy again in things she couldn’t bring herself to do again. I’ve been in that spot before and so seeing her heal by surrounding herself with people who not only understand but she trusts just made me smile and so happy to see. Though I think my favorite was seeing the way Rhys's character development was shown. It was clear from the beginning that he cared about Feyre, but I think the subtle hints and acts he did to help her heal made him stand out because we all need people like that in our lives. Who notices exactly what we need and the best way to provide that as well. I just really appreciated it and I understand why everyone simps for him, he truly is what every girl would want. Just someone who will watch out for you and know exactly what you need when you need it. I also think the decision to make a “Tamlin’s a bitch” tab was a great decision. Because that man was being the biggest bitch I swear I was ready to stab him myself out of pure annoyance and hatred. Like I seriously could not stand him at all. <spoilers> BECAUSE let's BE REAL HERE, who after such a traumatic event thinks it's okay to lock someone up in a house after they were locked for months and being tortured? Both Tamlin and Lucien didn't do shit and they were just trying to bring peace. LIKE HOW ARE YOU GONNA BRING PEACE TO THE PEOPLE IF YOU CAN'T EVEN BRING PEACE AND HELP HEAL YOUR FIANCE HOW ARE YOU GOING TO HELP EVERYONE WHO WENT THROUGH THE SAME TRAUMA IF NOT EVEN MORE? god that man makes me so mad. And honestly, props to Feyre for pretending to be in love with him still by the end of the book. That isn't easy to do with a horrible person like that. Because I could not deal with him. </spoilers>

ALSO ALSO, if anything. This book has taught me that always trust the vibe.

BECAUSE I DIDN’T TRUST THOSE STUPID ASS QUEENS AND LOOK AT IT, THE VIBE WAS RIGHT THEY SUCKED (well most but yeah). IT WAS ALSO THE SAME VIBE I GOT FROM IANTHE AND THAT WAS PROVEN RIGHT AS WELL. SO LIKE TRUST THE VIBE.

Like that seemed so wrong, people are really selfish and horrible and it proved the point. Like sheesh, let the pasts stay in the past and learn and heal from it, don’t make things worse. 

I will say, I get why a lot of people have put off SJM books as it isn’t for everyone. Yet, I do think she has a good writing style, that get you intrigued, that you can’t help but keep reading wanting to understand. Especially as SJM has a tendency to have everything happen near the end of the book. To have everything else be character exposition small plot progress and then have shit hits the fan and everything happens so quickly and suddenly. I do think she has a great writing style and it truly does shine in this book to show that she can write a good range, as ACOTAR focused so much on the basic plot structure to introduce the world and everything else, and here you can see her focus more on what she is comfortable writing, on what she knows. Even knowing a good amount of spoilers, especially the ones everyone’s always shocked about at first, it still had that same shock value and amazement of what was written/what was done to further the story. 

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

challenging emotional inspiring mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

LOOK GOING INTO THIS WITH ONLY KNOWING THAT EVERYONE SIMPS FOR RHYS AND THAT THERE IS FAIRY PORN LIKE THERE IS SO MUCH MORE??

That being said, I enjoyed the book. Feyre is a bit of a half a brain cell gal but it's okay. We love her for it. She makes it work. She has a way of making it work for her. Her with her no plan plan was kinda iconic. Though in the beginning seeing how it from her being so hesitant to her fighting constantly to her just being accepting about the situation and slowly finding the love and beauty in Prythian. HONESTLY MOST IMPORTANT POINT WAS THAT NO ONE PERSON IS GOOD OR BAD AND THANK YOU FEYRE FOR SHOWING THAT. 

Now Tamlin, from the beginning HIS VIBE WAS OFF. I don't like him, I don't trust him, just red flags all around.

LIKE HOMEBOY WOULDN'T DO SHIT WHEN SHE WAS OUT HERE DOING THE TRIALS AND RHYS OUT HERE DOING THE MOST EVEN THOUGH THAT COULD BACKFIRE ON HIM??? No wonder everyone stans Rhys. Like he was just sitting there and doing nothing but Rhys was out here doing the most. LIKE TAMLIN STOP BEING SUCH A TERRIBLE CHARACTER.

Like yeah I was clear he was hiding something but it wasn't in theI'mm doing it to protect you/becauseIi can't physically say something but instead it was givingI'mm keeping secrets because I can and am don't want anyone to know the real me. honestly, he sucks. I have nothing else to say about him

Lucien, he has great lines. He's great. He might be Tamlin's friend but that's okay. At least he isn't like some people who have the hots for him THEY KNOW WHO THEY ARE. But he's a good friend and a great character. It shows that he never wanted to be a part of any of this but makes it work nonetheless. 

AS FOR RHYS! He's great. Honestly, he's very cocky but also I knew he was playing the long game. Honestly game regonizes game. Good for him. He was doing what no one else was willing to do EVEN A CERTAIN LOVE INTEREST. Honestly, I'm curious what book two brings, as book one wasn't the best. BUT THE MEME CONTENT ALONE TOP TIER. 

The Playlist by Morgan Elizabeth

emotional inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I went into this knowing nothing and was very surprised. Because I felt like I was being called out. I saw so many similarities between me and Zoe and it's making me honestly reflect a little on my life. But also her road trip sounds exactly like what I said I've always wanted. What I want to experience. It was a cute story filled with great characters who I wished were in my life 🤣🤣

Distance by Luna Mason

3.0

She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan

adventurous dark emotional inspiring sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

 It's honestly a crime that life kept me from finishing this book, I love this book and it was just something different from what I've been reading and it was exactly what I needed. I loved all the characters because their flaws were made so clear and from the beginning none of them were perfect and yet they were still made loveable and easy to follow and root for them. 

ALSO THE PARALLELS BETWEEN ZHU AND OUYANG!! I cannot get over them. From the beginning, I knew they would have many overlaps and each one did not disappoint me. they also always reminded me of my OCs which just made it so much better because it made me love them just even more and sympathize with them more than I probably should have. 

ALSO WHEN OUYANG KILLED ESEN!! I was waiting for that. I can see why Ouyang was said, this was the only person who showed him mercy BUT ALSO THAT THERAPEUTIC FEELING THAT IT HAD AFTER HE SNAPS OUT OF IT! But also that he didn't back out even after having such feelings for Esen and still going through with it no matter what was what he needed. He might think a part of him died, but just like when he stabbed Zhu and cut of her arm, he was also reborn. 

I'm so excited for the second book now! I can't wait to see where the story goes from here for both Zhu and Ouyang and where they overlap again. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, and War