My Top 5 Book Series!

 

1. Harry Potter by J.K Rowling.

 

 

 Well of course this was going to be on my list, it's what really got me into reading, I mean I had read the likes of Roald Dahl books but Harry Potter was what really got me into being a hard-core reader. I started reading this series when I was 8, my dad bought me the first 4 books for Christmas and so I started reading it that night. I'll be honest though, before my dad got me it, somebody else had ordered it for me from a magazine because I liked the sound of it and thought ooo magic, but when I actually received the book and I was like, ehh I'll read it eventually and just never picked up because I thought it sounded naff. But because my dad had bought me the first 4 I felt obligated to read them and I am so so glad that I did because Harry Potter has become a huge part of my life and I feel that it's made me who I am today, Harry Potter will continue to be my top favourite series of all time, altogether there are 7 books in this series.

 

Synopsis: So I'm sure everybody know what Harry Potter is about - but for those of you who don't I will explain to you what it is about. Harry Potter is an ordinary boy who lives with his vile Aunt Uncle and Cousin in an ordinary house in Number 4, Privet Drive. But when letters start arriving addressed to him in green lettering and a stamp on the back his Aunt and Uncle confiscate his letters. Then on his eleventh birthday a great big man knocks down his door and tells him that he is a Wizard and has a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and so everything Harry knows is about to change forever, but for good, or bad?

 

2. The Wardstone Chronicles by Joseph Delaney.

 

 

Now this is another series that I picked up not long after I finished Harry Potter series, I think I read this when I was around 13, I read the back of it and thought it sounded really intriguing, it sounded scary and I was interested in a series that dealt with ghosts and ghouls and witches and boggarts and so I picked this up. I fell in love with this series from the moment I read the first book. Altogether there is 13 books in the series and also a spin off from Tom's perspective who is the apprentice that the Spook takes under his wing to train so that he can become the next Spook when he retires or if he dies. Its a great story following Tom growing up and facing battles that he never thought he would have to face.

 

Synopsis: ‘Someone has to stand against the dark. And you're the only one who can’
For years, the local Spook has been keeping the County safe from evil. Now his time is coming to an end, but who will take over? Many apprentices have tried. Some floundered, some fled, some failed to stay alive. Just one boy is left. Thomas Ward. He is the last hope. But does he stand a chance against Mother Malkin, the most dangerous witch in the County?

 

3. The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare. 

 

 

So I picked this up on a whim I quite liked the sound of it and thought that it sounded interesting and I was right, it was unlike anything I had read at the time - it had demons in it, some badass shadowhunters and a lot of twists and turns it was like a rollercoaster. I loved this book it soon became one of my favourite series, so much so that I even got a tattoo on my wrist of the angelic rune. I felt that throughout the whole story Cassandra Clare's writing improved so much, and I was so happy with how it ended, it's such a good series and it can really help some people get into reading I feel. Altogether there are 6 books in this series.

 

Synopsis: When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder― much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing―not even a smear of blood―to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy? This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know... 

 

4. Black City by Elizabeth Richards.

 

If you follow me on Instagram then you should of been expecting this to pop up here because it is literally my favourite trilogy that I have ever read, it's so amazing! I read the first book in 2 sittings because I just couldn't put it down, it hooked me in and I wasn't able to put it down because I needed to know what was going to happen at the end of every chapter - there were so many twists and turns and so many cliff-hangers that kept me at the end of my seat to find out what would happen in the next chapter. It's unlike any dystopian young adult book that I have ever read, I highly recommend this to everybody that I speak to, especially if you love Dystopia novels. So of course with is being a trilogy there are 3 books in this series.

 

Synopsis: Deep in the heartland of the United Sentry States are the burning ruins of the Black City, a melting pot simmering with hostility as humans and Darkling's struggle to rebuild their lives in the aftermath of a brutal and bloody war. A wall now divides the city separating the two races. Trapped on the wrong side of the wall is 16 year old hustler Ash Fisher, a half blood darkling who'll do whatever it takes to survive, including selling his addictive venom Haze to support his dying mother. When he meets Natalie, hatred soon turns to a love that could be punishable by death.

 

5: Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead. 

 

 

Okay so I put this series off for so long because I was never a huge fan of Vampire stories and I'll be 100% honest it was because of Twilight that I got put off Vampire stories because of how much I didn't like Twilight, and no it's not just because of the whole Harry Potter and Twilight feud, in all honesty I couldn't give a crap about that whole ordeal because they're nothing alike anyway so who cares. I eventually started to slowly to get into Vampire novels thanks to the Darren Shan series and after reading the back of this book and my best friend ranting on about it for ages I finally relented and picked it up and decided to give it a go and I am so so glad I did because this series is amazing! Rose is such a sassy teenager I love it, and it's got some badass fighting in this, and some pretty awesome characters. The character building in this is so good, Rose goes from a bit of a whiny cow to a complete and utter bamf. So there is 6 books in this series.

 

Synopsis:  St Vladimir's Academy isn't just any boarding school - hidden away, it's a place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They've been on the run, but now they're being dragged back to St Vladimir's where the girls must survive a world of forbidden romances, a ruthless social scene and terrifying night time rituals. But most of all, staying alive.

 

Thank you for taking your time to read this if you did - any of these on your top 5? Let me know! :)

Queen of Shadows by Sarah J. Maas.

Product details:
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Paperback, 656 pages

Publication date: 1st September 2015.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Ages: 16+
Source: Bought it myself from Waterstones 

Synopsis:
Everyone Celaena Sardothien loves has been taken from her. But she's at last returned to the empire—for vengeance, to rescue her once-glorious kingdom, and to confront the shadows of her past . . .

She will fight for her cousin, a warrior prepared to die just to see her again. She will fight for her friend, a young man trapped in an unspeakable prison. And she will fight for her people, enslaved to a brutal king and awaiting their lost queen's triumphant return.

Celaena’s epic journey has captured the hearts and imaginations of millions across the globe. This fourth volume will hold readers rapt as Celaena’s story builds to a passionate, agonizing crescendo that might just shatter her world.

 

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Before I start this review I just want to clarify that these opinions are all my own and this is just how I feel about the book. I also want to point out that it won't be spoiler free, so if you have not yet that don't read any further, this is just for people who have already read the book. Okay so now that I've cleared that up, time for me to do my review.

 

So let's start off by saying that I was highly disappointed with this book, like I would say that this series is one of my favourite ones, Heir of Fire is one of my favourite books that I have read this year, and I was so so excited to get my hands on this that I went to Waterstones on the day that it came out just so that I could pick up the book and start it that same day but... I wish I had of waited a bit longer, because it wouldn't of made any difference about it. So shall I start off by saying that I felt like this could of been at least 200 pages shorter, because for the first 200 pages at least it was Celaena dropping her assassin name and going by her birth name again: Aelin, then it was trying to figure out how she was going to save Aedion and then it was her actually saving him and then for a lot of it he was recovering from a wound that was half healed anyway but because the stitches ripped it took him even longer to recover even though he was basically nearly healed fully!

 

Then Rowan returned and don't even get me started on their relationship, my god it was such a forced relationship in my eyes, like she was literally swooning over him so much, he returned and she basically bathed him, wouldn't or couldn't leave him alone, was constantly touching him, and Rowan was just as bad constantly thinking to himself just how amazing Aelin was. She also was a complete bitch to Aedion, when he found out about their blood oath obviously he seen his arse a bit and she was just a complete dick about it, saying that even if they hadn't done it yet she would still do the blood oath with Rowan because he earned her trust, what and everything that Aedion went through isn't good enough?!?! I just feel that she changed the characters way too much compared to how they were in the first 3 books, i.e the whole love story between Rowan/Aelin was just too much, they were originally just good friends/mentor and then all of a sudden she isn't wearing underwear just so she could 'tease' him, I'll be honest I thought that was pathetic and didn't like how she did that, I also found it so frustrating how he kept saying that he couldn't do it and didn't want anything to happen with them then as soon as she basically threw herself on him, he couldn't wait to get his hands on her, what happened to them just being friends and him being her mentor! I seriously don't understand where all these feelings came from, from both of them!

 

I also worked out that she has literally had feelings for like 4 different people and she is only 19!

1. Sam
2. Dorian (kinda)
3. Chaol
4. Rowan

And each one of them have in some way or another confessed their feelings, 3 of them have even said they loved her and she hasn't once said it back! Who is she going to move onto in the next one.. :')

I was just getting so annoyed with Aelin all throughout this book, she was far too clingy with Rowan and just disregarded every other character apart from Lysandra who she hated in the first 2 books!
Also, when she kept wandering off and not telling anybody where she was going, or whenever she needed to plan something out she would allow Rowan to know but would never tell Aedion what was going on, she just made out like she couldn't wait to see him and they spent a whole night talking about what had happened with them and then she couldn't care less about him. They also used Lysandra's jeweller a lot to get out of some of the tough situations.

 

Chaol though, I mean it's annoyed me how he has just been pushed to one side. Team Chaol all the way! I really hope that she does more with him next book, and he best be able to bloody walk! I could sit here and type for hours about how amazing I think he is, but I'm just trying to get across all the things I dislike. I will say one thing though, I'm glad that Chaol is happy with Nesryn but I want him and Aelin to be together, I just love them so much :(

 

One of the main stories I was really invested in was Elide and Manon's characters, Manon was my favourite in Heir of Fire, so I was so excited to find out what was going to happen to her in this one and oh I just love her, words can't begin to describe how much I love her, I also am 100% positive that something is going to happen with her and Dorian like definitely. But Elide and Manon where my favourite in this one, I like how she became a bit protective with her. And when Asterin told her about the baby I genuinely nearly cried, it was so heart-breaking. I really don't have anything bad that I want to say about Manon, she's just flawless. The whole fight with Manon and Aelin was amazing though, I loved how badass Manon was, but I could be being bias because I just love her and think she's fabulous! Also the whole Arobynn thing I wasn't too fussed about, I kind of wished that Aelin had of killed him to get her revenge but I wasn't too fussed that Lysandra did it because lets be honest she had just about as much reason too, if not more.

 

The ending was another thing that I liked, I enjoyed the big twist that she did with the king, I thought that was clever and thought it was really well thought out. So with all that ranting out of the way, I would still recommend you read it if you like the rest of them and I will be continuing with them, because I felt similar with the second book but I loved Heir of Fire, so who knows maybe I'll love the next one. Anyone else feel the same? Let me know! Thanks for taking your time to read this :)