Monthly Warp-Up: January 2019!

Heeeeeey guys! How are you all doing??

I started off slow this month and man oh man, the two out of three books that I read were a complete gem!! Muse of Nightmares was such an adventure filled ride whereas Verity blew away my mind! Whereas Leah on the Off Beat was a complete letdown on so many levels.

Books I’ve read from this month:

Young-Adult

 

Adult

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Books I’ve read this month (link to my reviews):

4/5 stars

To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before trilogy by Jenny Han

Gemina & Obsidio by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

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Other Stuff:

• I shared a post about 2018 bookish-life!
• In January’s Daydreaming Discussions, I talked about my most anticipated reads of 2019 and some of my throwbacks from last year as well!

K-Drama Reviews:

• What’s wrong with Secretary Kim & Thirty but Seventeen: Hilariously awesome and a must watch!

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So guys, how have your months been? Bookishly awesome or meh? Been busy or just how’s life?

Review: Gemina & Obsidio by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff // The ultimate recipe for space disaster and inter-galactic battle!

  

Title: Gemina & Obsidio
Author: Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Series: The Illuminae Files, book 2 & 3
Genre: Dystopia, Sci-Fi, Romance, [Young-Adult]
Heat Rating: Cool
Page Count and Format: 659 & 615 pages respectively, Hardcover
Published:  October 18th 2016 & March 13th 2018 by Knopf Books for Young Readers respectively
Source: Purchased
My Rating:

Blurb (from Goodreads):

Gemina

Moving to a space station at the edge of the galaxy was always going to be the death of Hanna’s social life. Nobody said it might actually get her killed.

The sci-fi saga that began with the breakout bestseller Illumina continues on board the Jump Station Heimdall, where two new characters will confront the next wave of the BeiTech assault.

Hanna is the station captain’s pampered daughter; Nik the reluctant member of a notorious crime family. But while the pair is struggling with the realities of life aboard the galaxy’s most boring space station, little do they know that Kady Grant and the Hypatia are headed right toward Heimdall, carrying news of the Kerenza invasion.

When an elite BeiTech strike team invades the station, Hanna and Nik are thrown together to defend their home. But alien predators are picking off the station residents one by one, and a malfunction in the station’s wormhole means the space-time continuum might be ripped in two before dinner. Soon Hanna and Nik aren’t just fighting for their own survival; the fate of everyone on the Hypatia—and possibly the known universe—is in their hands.

But relax. They’ve totally got this. They hope.

Obsidio

Kady, Ezra, Hanna, and Nik narrowly escaped with their lives from the attacks on Heimdall station and now find themselves crammed with 2,000 refugees on the container ship, Mao. With the jump station destroyed and their resources scarce, the only option is to return to Kerenza—but who knows what they’ll find seven months after the invasion? 

Meanwhile, Kady’s cousin, Asha, survived the initial BeiTech assault and has joined Kerenza’s ragtag underground resistance. When Rhys—an old flame from Asha’s past—reappears on Kerenza, the two find themselves on opposite sides of the conflict. 

With time running out, a final battle will be waged on land and in space, heroes will fall, and hearts will be broken.

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The Illuminae series was probably my most anticipated read for 2018 and I finally managed to complete that by 2018! This trilogy did not let me down and wow, it was such an explosive read. One of the facts that I loved about this trilogy is how the plot and characters interconnected with one another at the end. For me, I have always found it fascinating to see how the thread comes together at the end and this series does this quite accurately along with leaving a little hint of mystery at the end. Anyhooo, you can read my review of book 1, that is Illuminae here!

“Patience and Silence had one beautiful daughter. And her name was Vengeance.”

*A bit spoilerish!*

In Gemina, we get to see the Hanna and Nik’s story. Their characters are literally polar opposites, the spoiled princess and well… the drug supplier? That sounds literally crazy if I just put it out like that that. LOL. Anyway, although Hanna seemed like a spoiled brat, she was a pretty badass chicka. Her ability for making awesomesauce strategies won me over in no seconds. Nik and Hanna’s constant banter was my favourite thing in this book apart from the visual-worthy action. It was a continuous treat and it was so much fun to read… apart from the bloody mess which was most of the book. The action in this book is so well defined, we even get a few comic-like pages which were absolutely awesome.

While I was reading a few reviews after finishing up with Gemina, someone said that the virus-thing was much more horrific than the alien thingy in this book. Although I was completely dedicated to these aliens… err, I mean that slimy stuff creeped me out but yes, the first book had its own charm with everything being new and sudden. (It was still scary!) 

In Obsidio, we get the final showdown between our beloved characters and evilish BeiTech! On top of that, we get Asha!! Kady’s cousin! Yohooo. Although Asha’s character was my least favourite was she was humanly fierce and I admired her for that. She desperately wanted to save her baby mouse, and the rest of Kerenza, well whatever was left of it. BiTech people were really, really plain trash. I kinda wanted to see a more detailed punishment for them at the end. The ending did feel a bit rushed, however, I still thoroughly enjoyed it. Although there were some portions which scared the living hell out of me, at the same time, I couldn’t stop reading either!

But when it comes to scary, AIDAN takes home the price ladies and gentlemen. With the advancement of technology, the possibility of such things actually coming true made the situation more horrific. AIDAN gave me the chills!! And what’s up with it being so obsessed with Kady? My goodness… The level of creepiness I had to deal in this book.. yet it was the best! Okay, the moment I thought AIDAN has redeemed itself, he just goes on a murder spree. Again. *sighs* Yet without AIDAN nothing would have been possible either. AIDAN is such a character you love to hate, similarly hate to love. Weird. I know. But that’s what AIDAN is. 

If you loved the formatting of the first book, I am damn sure you loved these two as well. One of the things I love about series is how the characters all unite in the last book. This book was no different, albeit the circumstances were pretty rare. Anyhooo, the characterisation and development of the plot throughout this series is pretty phenomenal. The fast pace and the storytelling were engaging and on-point throughout the whole series. I am definitely looking forward to the second trilogy of these authors together! I have a feeling it’s not going to let down as well!

Recommend it?

Must-read!!

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So, guys have you read the Illuminae series? How was your experience with it? If you haven’t picked it up yet, are you excited to read it? Share your thoughts with me!

Review: Godsgrave by Jay Kristoff || Where everything took a whole new turn

Title: Godsgrave
Author: Jay Kristoff
Series: The Nevernight Chronicle, book 2
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, [Young-Adult]
Heat Rating: Warm
Page Count and Format: 421 pages, Hardcover
Published:  September 7th, 2017 by Harper Voyager UK
Source: Purchased
My Rating:

Blurb (from Goodreads):

A ruthless young assassin continues her journey for revenge in this new epic fantasy from New York Times bestselling author Jay Kristoff.

Mia Corvere has found her place among the Blades of Our Lady of Blessed Murder, but many in the Red Church hierarchy think she’s far from earned it. Plying her bloody trade in a backwater of the Republic, she’s no closer to ending the men who destroyed her familia; in fact, she’s told directly that Consul Scaeva is off limits. But after a deadly confrontation with an old enemy, Mia suspicions about the Red Church’s true motives begin to grow.

When it’s announced that Scaeva will be making a rare public appearance at the conclusion of the grand games in Godsgrave, Mia defies the Church and sells herself to a gladiatorial collegium for a chance to finally end him. Upon the sands of the arena, Mia finds new allies, bitter rivals, and more questions about her strange affinity for the shadows. But as conspiracies unfold within the collegium walls, and the body count rises, Mia will be forced to choose between love and revenge, and uncover a secret that could change the very face of her world.

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If you thought Nevernight was a torturous read, wait until you’ve read Godgrave because the wait for the next book is literally unbearable…

“If Vengeance has a mother, her name is Patience.” 

HOLY GUACAMOLEYYY!! This book simply took everything to a different level. I expected that, but not thaaaat much. I remember falling into a slump after finishing Nevernight because no other book was living up to my expectations after reading that one and the experience was quite similar to this book too (fortunately, I’m out of the slump now…). I also feel like it’s best to go into this book without knowing anything, even the blurb for the best reading experience.

After everything went down in the previous book, Mia is finally working for the Red Church but when she comes face to face with an old enemy, her perception towards the Red Church begins to sway and when the actual truth comes out, the line between right and wrong begin to blur. Not there was anything, to begin with, but now it’s up to Mia to decide where she wants her final destiny to be.

Interesting writing style!

In Nevernight, the writing style felt a little way too much in the beginning but I didn’t feel like that for a second while reading Godsgrave, I was hooked from the very first page and the jumping between the past and the present was actually quite fun, I usually don’t like when that happens but that very fact made things much more interesting in this book.

An Intense Plot!

The plot was bloody awesome! And intense! How does Kristoff do that? Everything was a bloody mess but it was amazing at the same time. It was really hard to put this book down, I just wanted to leave everything and read this book for the whole day! Okay, so in Nevernight, we saw Mia entering the Red Church as a student and now in Godsgrave, she is a full-fledged blade, who still wants revenge for her family despite the warnings from her masters. But as the book proceeded, things became just so much more than just revenge. But this book was sooo bloody, oh so bloody and dark. Oh, oh and I also missed Mister Kindly soooo freaking much. Also, wolfie was a nice addition, the constant bickering of those two provided the necessary relief and it was quite humorous and funny at times.

Character growth!

We are introduced to a lot of new characters in this book as Mia takes on a new journey and becomes a gladiator. I loved Mia’s character growth as a person in this book. She was a closed-off character in the first book and here we get to see a whole new side of Mia, she also discovers her sexual orientation in this book and I definitely enjoyed how everything was executed. It’s so hard to review this book without spoiling anything. So. Freaking. Hard. People.

Mia closed her eyes.
Raised her blade.
‘O, Mother, blackest Mother, what have I become?’

Anyway, I freaking loved the new characters and the relationship Mia shared with them. It was amazing but heartbreaking at the same time. Jay Kristoff is cruel, people. And that’s not a fact but a reality. How am I supposed to live until the next book?

Plot-twist that’ll ruin your life! (if you still have any after finishing this book…)

And the FREAKING PLOT TWIST!! Who does that!!! My goodness, there are some plot twists you are amazed at and some are too much to handle. Combine those two! That’s exactly how I felt after turning the last page. 2 major plot twists and I have no freaking idea what’s going to happen next. I had 1% hunch about the 2nd twist but the 1st one was out of completely nowhere. It smacked me right in the goddam face!! I mean, it completely changed the whole game dude!

I have to stop now otherwise my rambling will never end!!

Overall,

Godsgrave was an amazing, heart-pounding read. This was a fast-paced read and I enjoyed every moment of it. Also, this book was more dark and intense than the first book, so brace yourself guys! This series is absolutely perfect for fantasy and action lovers!

Congratulations if you have made it to the end of my endless screaming, screechingly fangirling review where I simultaneously want to hug the book and throw it at the wall.

*SPOILER* Who the freaking saw that coming at the end???? The one she hated the most and now she shares blood relation with him? LIKE SERIOUSLY???!!! Alsoooo, I loved the romance between Mia and the Ashlinn though she did the one thing I hated the most in the previous book but THAT ENDING people!! That bloody freaking ending!! *END OF SPOILER*

Recommend it?

Jinjja! Do I still need to say that?!

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So guys, what are your thoughts on this book? Did you love it or did it felt flat for you? Or are you still waiting to read this book?

Also, if you want to discuss spoilers in the comments, please write spoilers before you state your thoughts. 🙂

Review: Nevernight by Jay Kristoff || When you shake up Hogwarts + Assassin’s Creed!

Title: Nevernight
Author: Jay Kristoff
Series: The Nevernight Chronicle, book 1
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, [Young-Adult]
Heat Rating: Warm
Page Count and Format: 429 pages, Hardcover
Published: August 11th, 2016 by Harper Collins
Source: Purchased
My Rating:

Blurb (from Goodreads):

Destined to destroy empires, Mia Covere is only ten years old when she is given her first lesson in death.

Six years later, the child raised in shadows takes her first steps towards keeping the promise she made on the day that she lost everything.

But the chance to strike against such powerful enemies will be fleeting, so if she is to have her revenge, Mia must become a weapon without equal. She must prove herself against the deadliest of friends and enemies, and survive the tutelage of murderers, liars and demons at the heart of a murder cult.

The Red Church is no Hogwarts, but Mia is no ordinary student.

The shadows love her. And they drink her fear.

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This book was seriously SO. FREAKING. AWESOME!! I finally picked it up in July because the release of Godsgrave was coming near and I couldn’t wait to see what the fuss was all about. Oh, damn, I sooo understood because this book took me in for such a ride that I’ll never forget in this lifetime! But my order of Godsgrave got delayed and I’m dyiiiiing!! I need to know what happens next so bad!

“Never Flinch.’ A cold whisper in her ear. ‘Never fear. And never, ever forget.’ The girl nodded slowly. Exhaled the hope inside.

Mia Covere moves forward with only one aim in her mind. Her need to avenge her family keeps her going and there’s only one place which can train her for the mission she wants to accomplish, that is the Red Church. But reaching there is a big hurdle to begin with and being a student there is a whole other nightmare. Mia realises the ultimate challenge when not only she has to use her her mind but her heart comes on the line as well.

A Kickass Plot!

Nevernight was an awesome combination of assassination, kickassery and romance! Although I had read a number of reviews for this book, the overall idea for this book was still very vague to me, so I mostly went in knowing nothing. This book definitely had a slow beginning and the pace slowly picks up (at the rate that you’ll not be able to breathe during the last couple of chapters!) once she arrives at the Red Church. And once the actual journey starts, you know you are in for the ride. Mia has always wanted to learn the art of assassination and who could better teach her than the Red Church, she has heard various tales from her master and yearned to be a part of it because it would be the only be she would be finally able to take back what she lost long ago.

“The brighter the light, the deeper the shadow.”

This book was such an interesting read. The plot was unique and it never failed to surprise me throughout the book. Mia had an usual ability to manipulate shadows which was a pretty interesting aspect and as a character, she was neither perfect nor strong but she did not fail to make her mark. She was seriously so god damn awesome! And I really freaking enjoyed Mister Kindly though sometimes it gave me off vibes, well we’ll get to see more of that in the next book.

Intriguing Characters!

“If her face were a puzzle, most would put it back in the box, unfinished.”

This book had an abundant of characters which provided more layers to the plot. I enjoyed Mia’s friendship Tric, Ash and Charlotta though I didn’t like Jessamine and her brother much. The romance between Tric and Mia developed a little all of a sudden but I had no complaints. None at all. And most of all, I loved the fact that each and every one of these characters were unpredictable as hell and it kept me guessing throughout the book.

Mind-boggling twists and turns!

Things really sped up once the actual competition began at the Red Church. The masters were pretty creative, especially Aalea was cunning as hell and it was clear that each of them assigned their task after putting many thoughts to it, they were creative like them but dangerous as well and my heart was really beating fast whenever one of my beloved characters stood in the face of grave danger because that was available in abundance. The twists and turns never stopped coming! I also enjoyed the character of Lord Cassius and I really wished I had got to see more of him.

“Sometimes weakness is a weapon. If you’re smart enough to use it.”

I think I was a bit reluctant to pick up Nevernight in the first place because one thing was common in multiple reviews I had read, the writing style. And when I started this book, I could relate. The writing was really hard to get into, sometimes I had to stop and clear my head before I proceeded but I only had this problem in the beginning, as I read along, I didn’t realise when this problem had gone away and I was breezing through the book in no time. In the end, I ended up loving pretty much everything, including the writing style.

Overall

Nevernight was a fantastic read! The plot was intriguing as well as the characters which kept my interest throughout the book. I couldn’t keep this book down. I enjoyed the action and the romance and I sooo can’t wait for Godgrave!! I seriously hope my copy arrives soon. My patience is wearing veeery thin!!!

Recommend it?

Yes!

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So guys, what are your thoughts on this book? Did you love it or did it felt flat for you? Or are you still waiting to read this book?

Review: Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Title: Illuminae

Author: Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Series: The Illuminae Files, book 1

Genre: Dystopia, Sci-Fi, Romance, [Young-Adult]

Heat Rating: Cool

Page Count and Format: 599 pages, Hardcover

Published: October 20th, 2015 by Knopf Books for Young Readers

Source: Purchased

My Rating:

Blurb (from Goodreads):

This morning, Kady thought breaking up with Ezra was the hardest thing she’d have to do.

This afternoon, her planet was invaded.

The year is 2575, and two rival megacorporations are at war over a planet that’s little more than an ice-covered speck at the edge of the universe. Too bad nobody thought to warn the people living on it. With enemy fire raining down on them, Kady and Ezra—who are barely even talking to each other—are forced to fight their way onto an evacuating fleet, with an enemy warship in hot pursuit.

But their problems are just getting started. A deadly plague has broken out and is mutating, with terrifying results; the fleet’s AI, which should be protecting them, may actually be their enemy; and nobody in charge will say what’s really going on. As Kady hacks into a tangled web of data to find the truth, it’s clear only one person can help her bring it all to light: the ex-boyfriend she swore she’d never speak to again.

Told through a fascinating dossier of hacked documents—including emails, schematics, military files, IMs, medical reports, interviews, and more—Illuminae is the first book in a heart-stopping, high-octane trilogy about lives interrupted, the price of truth, and the courage of everyday heroes.

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“You have me. Until the last star in the galaxy dies, you have me.”

This book blew me away!! Like Literally!! This was so freaking goddamn awesome and I’m in dire need of the next book in this series! I had to wait, so much to buy this book because it was freaking costly but the price dropped for only one day, just one day and I got damn lucky!! I finally picked it up this month and I loved the thrilling ride!

Kady didn’t think her day could get much worse after she dumps her boyfriend Ezra. But that very day her planet is invaded by the BeiTech and they both become refugees in Hypatia and Alexander’s vessels respectively. With Kady’s hacking skills not only she is able to communicate with Ezra but also learn some horrifying secrets that everybody is withholding. When something goes terribly wrong with the Alexander, Kady decides to take it upon herself to save Ezra. But will she be able to save herself in time?

The plot was unique and freaking fantastic! The whole story is told in emails, documents, reports, interviews etc, which made it a pretty interesting read. Though I did have my doubts if I was going to like the format or not but I LOVED it! This book managed to hold my attention from the very first page to the last and I didn’t feel bored for even a second. Kady and Ezra become refugees like thousand others when their planet is invaded by the BeiTech. And thus their story begins as the enemy vessel, Lincoln tails them to destroy them once and for all.

Kady and Ezra were interesting characters. I loved them so much! The plot twists and turns kept coming which made it a heart stopping read. AIDAN (or the artificial intelligence) was an interesting aspect as well, I had my doubts about it from the beginning and the things it did, scared me so much. It felt so surreal. There were numerous other characters which played a vital role and when things started going down, damn… it broke my heart.

“Miracles are statistical improbabilities. And fate is an illusion humanity uses to comfort itself in the dark. There are no absolutes in life, save death.”

I felt very angry with Alexander’s commander and some things that he did but I couldn’t keep myself from feeling bad when his ship was breached. Same goes for AIDAN, I think I have a love/hate relationship with that thing. As much as it scared me but it also did the total opposite thing in the end which surprised me to no end!

I loved the relationship between Ezra and Kady, it felt real and I ship them so much! I loved the trust and faith they had for each other. But undoubtedly Kady stole the show along with AIDAN that is. She was such a strong and sassy character. I admired her so much. Things got so intense, especially towards the end, it was hard to keep this book down.

Overall, Illuminae was a fantastic read! The plot was executed in a unique way and I fell in love with the characters. The action and the adventure kept me glued to the book until the end. The writing was smooth and the pace was even throughout the book! Although this book didn’t exactly end with a cliffhanger, I am dying to know what happens next! I need more of Ezra and Kady! And perhaps AIDAN too!

Image Credit: Source

Recommend it?

YES!!

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So, guys have you read Illuminae? How was your experience with this book? If you haven’t picked it up yet, are you excited to read it? Share your thoughts with me!