Book Review: Starless Night (Legend of Drizzt, #8) by R.A. Salvatore

Starless Night by R.A. Salvatore
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Hello folks, and welcome to another book review with our favorite dark elf ranger, Drizzt. This time, Drizzt is leaving Mithral Hall to go back to Menzoberranzan to stop the dark elves from attacking Mithral Hall again. He does give Guenhwyvar to Regis, and told him to tell Cattie-Brie and Bueneor in tendays-if he didn’t come back. I felt a bit hurt when Drizzt did this, because he’s not letting his friends help him with his journey. He even went to Cattie-Brie’s DOOR and stood there, wanting to say goodbye, but he didn’t. Just stood at the door, hand poised to knock and say that he’s leaving, and didn’t say a damn thing, but left.

When Cattie-Brie went to Regis and asked him where Drizzt went, he lied, but then, after a near-death attempt (jacking him up, slapping him) Regis finally told her were poor Drizzt went. Shocked and destroyed her room, Cattie-Brie, taking Guenhwyar with her, went down to Menzoberranzan. She first went to Silverymoon and met the beautiful Alustriel, who didn’t know where Drizzt was, but she did help Cattie-Brie by giving her horses with magical horseshoes and made a dwarven houseservant named Fret go with her. Even though it was funny to read when Cattie-Brie sniffed Alustrel’s perfumes and nearly choked herself to death, I find it really cute that she did that.

Drizzt, meanwhile, goes to a forest where he meets several surface elves, including one that he saved during a surface raid party, where he hid said girl underneath her mother’s dead body, pretending to kill her. She attacked him before she cried in his arms, then he and another elf named Tarathiel left and went to the grove of Montolio, where they saw a unicorn. Drizzt went over and pet it, slowly, and he took it as a sign from the goddess Mielikki that she approves of what he was doing, his sacrifice. Then he goes into the underdark, not even knowing that Cattie-Brie and Guenhwyvar went down two days after him.

First, Drizzt went to Blingenstone, where he stayed for several day after he got hit really bad by some machine, I can’t remember what it was, before he left and went back down to Menzoberranzan, where he disguised himself as a slave driver for a bit in the Island of Rothé before he was caught and was taken to Matron Baenere. Cattie-Brie, on the other hand, was right next to him before she got caught by Jarlaxle and the Bregan D’arthe.

The most surprising thing out of this whole book was Enteri, who was SUPPOSED TO BE DEAD, but he survived, thanks to Jarlaxle. He was down there, healing and learning the ways of the drow, thanks to Jarlaxle, even going far as to making a deal with Cattie-Brie to help her get out of Menzoberranzan and save Drizzt from the clutches of Matron Banere while she’s doing a ceremony. While all of that was happening, Drizzt was getting tortured by one of Matron Banere’s daughter, Vendres, and once Cattie-brie and Enteri found him, they helped free him and Drizzt killed his torturer before getting out of his cell.

While they were escaping, Drizzt fought Dantrag Banere and won, killing him and getting his braces. Cattie-Brie grabbed Dantrag’s evil sword, Khazid’hea, which turned into a weapon from Mielikki, tricking the two of them as they left to go back to Mithral Hall. They did stop where Wulfgar died before they were nearly attacked by dwarves, only to find out that Regis became Commander, which shocks the both of them, but they were back home nonetheless.
I truly enjoyed this book. It made me mad, gasp, almost cry, and was on the edge of my seat. I loved every bit of it and I can’t to read the next book, to see how this arc, I guess I can call it, goes. I hope they can protect Mithral Hall from Matron Banere, because I really like Mithral Hall, and hope they do Wulfgar justice I guess?

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Book Review: Night Pleasures by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Night Pleasures by Sherrilyn Kenyon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Born to extreme wealth, Kyrian of Thrace wielded charm and charisma as powerfully as he wielded his sword.

Oh how I miss the world of the Dark Hunters. I miss these badasses so much!!! This book is about my boy, Kyrian of Thrace, and the love of his life, Amanda Deveraux. Amanda wants a simple life-no supernatural involved. One day, she gets kidnapped, getting mistaken for being her sister Tabitha, and woke up chained next to a very sexy man with blonde hair and dark eyes, and...fangs?! Nope. Nope. Nope. She wanted out. But then…

The both of them started to fall in love while Kyrian played the game of “I’m not gonna be attracted to her because good god it’s part of a code to not fall in love” but he fell in love with her anyway. The one thing that did it for me was Theone’s betrayal and Kyrian’s torture in the hands of the Roman Valerious, which was horrible and reading how he broke Kyrian’s legs, then Desiderious doing the same damn thing...that hurt my soul.

But when Acheron Parthenopaeus showed up, that’s when I stood at attention (ha ha, not really). Ash and I have been around each other for so long, that seeing him again made me smile. I really liked how Ash helped Amanda and told her how to handle Kyrian’s soul, though the price he paid for it hurts so damn much. And the painful betrayal that Amanda faked in order to give him back his soul hurted too-but I’m glad she acted along with the betrayal in order to give him his soul back, because I really didn’t want Kyrian to be alone again.

I also loved the appearance of Talon because I missed him too. I wanted to hug the little goober the moment I saw him, because he and Kyrian worked so well, and the way the both of them worked with Amanda while Desiderius was trying to torment the both of them until he died. But the ending was perfect, and I wondered what name did Artemis whispered in Ash’s ear before she disappeared, making my boy go cold? Whoever it was, it scared him half to death, but at least Kyrian and Amanda are happy and are having a baby!! Yay!!!

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Book Review: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

A girl is running for her life.

With those words, I got hooked on this story. This book felt like a Dr. Faustus novel, but with a girl who was invisible to everyone, until someone can finally see her. Her name Adeline LaRue, and she made a deal with a god that listened. This was my first time picking up anything nby V.E. Schwab, and I have to say, this was a very interesting book to read, to just sit and get comfortable and read it. Addie is a very complex character, and with her battle with the Darkness, or Luc as she calls him, seeing history unfolding in front of her in three hundred years and living it is very beautiful to read.

What drew me into this book was the fact that Henry Strauss remembered her. No one else did. Addie kept hoping and praying that he’d forget about her, but each day, he didn’t, and they fell in love...until that one day, when she learns about Henry’s deal with Luc, and does something that’ll change their lives forever. Many, many times, I kept wishing that Addie didn’t learn about Henry’s deal with Luc, and only wished that Henry could live longer, stay longer, to not die after a year. But then...things don’t go as people wish, doesn’t it?

For starters, that ENDING. It pissed me off at the end, but as I kept reading it, I kept getting madder than ever. I thought that Henry and Addie would live forever, instead Addie went to Luc instead and just fucking gave herself up to him for Henry’s sake. Though I hate it, instead Henry turned it around and turned everything she told him into a book, and hot damn, it worked. I don’t wanna spoil more because someone else is reading it, BUT I really enjoyed the book, but I really loved The Darkness, or Luc.

Luc was the most enchanting character I’ve ever met. Honestly. Very enchanting, very smart, very good at what he does. He’s very sneaky and I loved that about Luc, and I keep wondering how things would be if she just stayed invisible, but still remembered Henry while Henry’s soul was with Luc. Would she still make that deal??? Would she still refuse Luc?? So many questions are in my head right now as I write this review, but don’t worry, I really did love this book and I would re-read it again in a heartbeat.

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Book Review: Overlord: The Undead King by Kugane Maruyama

The Undead King by Kugane Maruyama
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have never read a light novel in my life until I picked up Overlord. I have watched the anime (season one, actually) and I loved it so much that I had to read the light novel. I was not disappointed at all. Every scene of the book felt like I was rewatching the anime all over again. The idea of someone who has played a video game for so long, and wanted to stay till the end, only to wake up in your character’s body and you’re stuck in the world, having no idea how to get out of it.

That is what happened to Momonga when he spent one last day in the video game Yggdrasil, because he didn’t want to leave it. He said goodbye to one of his friends and when he closed his eyes...he woke up in the body of an undead lich. Confused, he walked around the Great Tomb of Nazarick and found all these geat NPCs-Albedo, Demiurge, Cyctous, Mare and Aura, Sebas, even Shalltear-and before the game even shut down and he went to sleep, he changed Albedo’s trait of being a bitch to being in love with him.

When he’s trying to figure out what works in the world he’s in right now and what doesn’t, a village called Caine Village got attacked by a bunch of knights of the Thane Sloanacy, to call out another knight they wanted to kill, Granef Stronoff. Ainz helped the village by summoning a death knight and only killed the knights and even helped two girls who were running from the village and gave them a healing potion. Once the village was saved and he spoke to the mayor of the village, that’s when the E-Rantel knights came and Granef and Ainz spoke, even though Ainz had a mask over his face so no one can see what he truly looked like.

Granef and the Thane Sloanacy did into a fight, but then they switch and it was Ainz vs The Thane Sloancy. The fight scenes in this book is really well written and it felt real, and I liked how Ainz was serious and also thinks about what spell to use before he attacks. He shocks the humans of the spells he uses, and they even try to get him to join the group, but Ainz says no, and i also like reading the thought process of the humans on the other side, trying to figure out what the hell is Ainz and how is he that powerful enough to kill angels and how he was still standing. In the end, they were sent to Nazarick and Carine Village is safe and in the protection of Ainz Ooal Gown.

For my first light novel, I have to say that I truly enjoyed it and am glad that I got book two and am planning on getting more of the series and finish watching the anime as well so I can enjoy it so much more. The light novel covers episodes one through four and I can’t wait to read where this story will lead us.

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Book Review: The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan

The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I have DNFed this book, I put this book down MULTIPLE times, and I have also forgotten that I’m reading this book up till now. I finished this book yesterday, and I have to say, this book has to be one of my favorite books, right next to Dread Nation by Justine Ireland. The Eye of the World, though it is a long book with fifty three chapters along with the glossary, was very eyecatching, very easy to follow, and also very good to enjoy, to sit back and relax and just read.

The Eye of the World is about a boy named Rand al’Thor who lives in Emon Field with his friends, Mat Cuthon and Perrin Aybara, and his father, Tam al’Thor. They were excited for Bel Tine, a festival that celebrates spring, when Moiraine and Lan came to the village. They were only seeking shelter, no more, and that sparked the whispers and the fears that came with being an Aes Sedai. One night, Trollocs and a Myrddral appeared and attacks the village, looking for Rand and his friends. Sadly, they weren’t in town, and Tam got hurt. Rand found a way to make it back to the village, where Moiraine healed him and tells him that he and his friends have to leave the village to go somewhere else, to Tar Valon.

Though it hurt him and his friends to do that, that’s when they discover that they are much more than just a couple of farm boys from a small village called Emon Field/Two Rivers.

First off, Rand and his friends are haunted by the Dark One himself, and they tried to keep it from Moiraine, but they couldn’t keep it to themselves when they told her. Secondly, Perrin became a Wolfbrother, who can speak and communicate with the wolves. He and Egwene get caught by the Children of the Light, who thought that he was lying about some things, and one man was honestly going to kill him, but thank god he didn’t as they escaped thanks to Moiraine and Lan and Nynaeve. Egwene and Nynaeve can channel, though Egwene is excited about it and Nynaeve...isn’t. Mat stole a dagger that made him not trust a bunch of people (yep, THAT DAGGER) and it also cursed him, but Moiraine tried to heal him, but it didn’t work too well.

We also meet a lot of monsters and people in the book. We meet the ogier Loial, the trollocs, the myrddral, the forsaken and the Dark One, who for a couple of chapters he appeared scared me a bit, but as I moved on and kept reading, he became less scary to me. I also loved the other characters in the book, like Logain Albar the False Dragon, Elayne Tarkand, the Tuatha’an, Elyas-those people were so, so good and I felt like they rounded out the world, even though this is book one of this series.

I do have book two and book eleven, and one day, I will get all of the books, but for now I’m gonna finish this book review by saying that this is a really good fantasy novel, and a really good forway into the Wheel of Time series.

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Book Review: The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I normally don’t read new releases on the year/day it comes out. But because there was so much hype for this book, I decided to read it. My god, the hype for this book is real, because I loved every single moment of it. The grumpy/sunshine trope, the fake dating trope-set in academia? I was there. And the cover of the book drawn by one of my favorite artists on Twitter? I pre ordered this book before I could say less. There were other couples in this book, and the diversity in this book is really good as well, but I loved Olive and Adam’s fake relationship, and I also love Olive’s whole entire character. This book was just so good that I don’t know if I can get through the rest of the review.

The Love Hypothesis takes place at Stanford University, where Olive Smith is a third year Ph.D candidate, who makes the biggest mistake of her life and kisses the first person she sees...that person turns out to be Adam Carlsen, a well-known arsehole and a professor/scientist who wanted to automatically report Olive for kissing him. So Olive came up with a good idea to pretend they’re fake-dating, and shockingly, Adam agrees.

They go on dates at Starbucks, Olive putting sunscreen on Adam’s back, the sex in the hotel (pretty damned good, honestly) and the Tom Benton problem...I hated him. Just like Maven in Red Queen, I had a weird feeling towards Mr. Benton, until after Olive’s presentation at the science conference and he said all those horrible things that made her feel so horrible after she had sex with Adam and heard the recording right in front of her friends made me feel for her, because she wanted Adam free from her and that she won’t be in Boston to work for Tom.

Well thanks to the power of Malcolm and his boyfriend, Olive found Adam in a restaurant filled with a bunch of Harvard higher ups and Tom, and she got scared and just...pulled out her phone and played the recording for everyone to hear. To me, this was such a powerful move for a girl who is scared of someone, who doesn’t know what to do, but to stand there and play the horrible words that Tom has said to her. Of course, Adam got upset (Kylo Ren, is that you??) and told Olive that ‘he’ll take care of it’ and then the cute double date-SO CUTE. I loved it (and that Malcolm and Adam hates Pumpkin Spice...I AM OFFENDED in a good way) and Tom Benton went away, and everything is fine. Adam isn’t moving to Boston, and Olive is going to Berkeley to pursue what she wants to study really badly.

I honestly loved this book, mostly because I can relate to Olive very well, even though I;m not pursuing a scientific degree, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. In the words of our lord and savior Adam Driver: “Good Soup.”

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Book Review: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

When I first picked up this book, I wasn’t in the mood to even read this book, and that was a couple years ago, I think. Then I picked it up now, and I’m so glad that I read it. I really enjoyed it and it was very different from the fantasy that I’m used to reading. I was shocked about the guns in the book for a second, but then as I kept reading, it kinda works in this world and even the small scientific explanations of the powers were pretty fun to read.

BUT MAVEN. I don’t see why everyone swoons over this man-I hate him. I want to kill him so bad after I read THAT SCENE because WTF my guy. But I sensed that he’s a jumped up little shit the moment he came on the scene, and then when I read that chapter...MOTHER-

Before I get into that and the reason why I hate him, let’s get into the book, shall we?

So here’s a girl named Mare, who is stealing to keep her family well fed and whatnot. She is a friend of Kilorn and sister to Shade, who had “supposedly” died but I’ll get into that the more I get into this review. She is shocked that Kilorn is getting conscripted into the army-something Mare doesn’t want to happen. Because a couple months later she’ll be conscripted into the war as well, so she goes to her friend to find some way to smuggle her and Kilorn out of the Stilts and far away from the Red and Silver world. From there, she meets a woman named Farley, who is part of a revolutionary group called the Scarlet Guard.

Mare took Farley’s price-which meant going to the Silver Island to get something really expensive and really priceless. Unfortunately...that doesn’t happen. She gets caught, but her sister had her hand shattered, and she felt so bad that she went out and met a boy named Cal, whom she tried to steal from...who turns out to be the Crown Prince, who shocked Mare when she got the job of being a maid, and her first job was her being the help at the Queenstrial. During the Queenstrial, Mare’s powers manifest...and she can do lightning.

So what happens when the royal family catches you and brings you to them?

Mare is turned into a lost Silver Princess to hide that she is a Red that can do lightning, and her time in court, though it was short, was very different from everyone else. She had to go to protocol, she had to go take classes on how to be a lady and go to lunches and stuff with the Queen...but at the same time, she’s secretly aligning herself with Farley and the Scarlet Guard, along with Maven...who turns around and betrayed her and Cal at the drop of a hat. Like why, my guy, why….

But then when she and Cal was going to get executed...Maven played a video so twisted, so horrible that I don’t know if I can even call him a proper King for what he and Queen Elara did to Cal’s father (forces him to do) and then the twisted and malicious lies just hurts my soul SO SO MUCH and I fucking hated it so much that I wanted to scream. But I’m glad Mare and Cal escaped, and I’m really glad that Farley is still alive...BUT SHADE IS ALIVE. W...TF….how???

Turns out, this boy can teleport.

Shocking, I know, but then, it kinda fit Shade.

I truly enjoyed this book and I’m glad I read it (and also brought the rest of the series to read in between my other books) and I can’t wait to read more of the series.

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