Queen of Shadows, Malice, and Eragon and Finally The Oleander Sword.

Hey there, welcome back to Billy's Book-Vlog Emporium, where we chat about all things sci-fi, fantasy, and fiction books in general.

We're kicking off our brand-new Book Blog with "Malice" by John Gwynne. I actually finished it the day before yesterday, and it was SOOO good. The writing, the tension, the action scenes—oh, there were some intense action scenes in this book. I did struggle a bit with the pacing at first because the character POVs felt a bit disjointed, and I wasn't used to that. I initially vibed more with how Tasha Suri handled her characters in "Jasmine Throne," where the POVs played off each other, so I was more accustomed to that style. But I'm glad I stuck with "Malice" because it ended up having really great character development and awesome scenes. I liked how Corban and Veradis grew and found their own paths as characters throughout the story. Some of the other character storylines, especially Cywen, definitely stressed me out towards the end since I'm not sure if they made it through or not. I might have to dive into Book 2, "Valour," to find out if any of my faves made it out. Oh, and the reveals—there were tons of character reveals with the side characters too. 5/5 stars for Malice.

Hey everyone, I'm diving into "Queen of Shadows" by Sarah J. Maas, which is the fifth book out of eight in the Throne of Glass series. I'm really into it—things are getting super interesting now that I'm in the second half. I'm at Chapter 55, and it's all kicking off. The other day, I read a part where Maas was describing the story Lore, and it had this creepy vibe. I remember Celaena was there with Rowan and Aedion in this weird, forgotten temple underground along with Chaol. I was a bit worried something intense would happen, but thankfully, it was just some Lore-building. Honestly, if Sarah J. Maas ever wants to switch up from epic fantasy, I bet she'd be great at Gothic or horror with the way she sets the scene. I'm also loving how Manon and Elide's storylines are unfolding. I think Manon is really trying to keep the reins of her Iron-teeth Witch group, the Blackbeaks, even as things start to fall apart. I do wish we got to spend more time with the other storylines, like Manon's and Elide's. Speaking of Elide, she's an intriguing character—really determined to escape and find a place where no one knows her. I can't blame her, considering what she's been through. There's another character in Manon and Elide's storyline who crosses paths with them, but I can't mention her name or how she fits into the ongoing story in Queen of Shadows since it'll reveal certain plot points—but she's interesting, now compared to how she was before at the beginning of the series. No, it is not Celaena that I'm talking about, Celaena's in Rifthold right now.

Alright, moving on to Eragon by Christopher Paolini. Honestly, I'm enjoying the book; it's a solid debut, but it doesn't quite give me that tingly feeling. You know, when I read fantasy, or even something like The Bone Season that mixes fantasy and sci-fi, I get this tingly feeling like the story could actually happen or some exciting stuff is about to go down. Unfortunately, I'm not getting that vibe as often with Eragon as I'd like. But that doesn't mean there aren't exciting things happening. Since it's a debut, I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt, especially now that I'm about 66% through, and the story is slowly but surely heading towards the finish line. I think I'm about 12 chapters away from finishing, and Eragon, the main character, is really coming into his own. He's becoming surer of himself and more confident in his dragon riding as well as his sword and sorcery skills. But we'll have to see where he makes his next stand against the Empire.

Whew, still hanging in there, y'all? Good? Awesome, because we're about to dive into the last book I made some progress on. That book, of course, is The Oleander Sword by Tasha Suri. I'm actually kinda early days for this novel, I'm on Chapter 18, which is a Malini POV. The story is taking an interesting turn, I believe. There were a couple of moments that I got a little nervous over because I didn't realize or know what was about to go down, not with Bhumika and Priya (they are two of the book's POVs, alongside Malini and Rao). I didn't know what was going on with their magic; it seemed to not be functioning as it should have. I do have some theories about that, but I'm for the moment keeping it to myself. I have some thoughts about other parts of the story as well, mainly that Priya should finish with whatever she and Malini are trying to do now that they've had their first big reunion in the story. Because I've got a certain thought that now that the Yaksa are involved, events are about to become even more chaotic and messy. But I like the way the author is handling the various storylines; she's definitely adding some intrigue into some of the characters' already chaotic lives.

Okayyy, and that, as they say, is that. Til next time.

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Bookish Recommendations- Fantasy Style

Welcome on Back to yet another Blog Post, this time, a bookish Recommendations one for the Fantasy Genre, starting with Beginner, then Intermediate and finally advanced.

Newcomers

Fireborne- Rosaria Munda

I think Fireborne is an awesome way to get into the fantasy genre. The pacing is great, the tense scenes keep you on edge, and the characters are really well done. I do wish it wasn't just Lee and Annie, though. They're great, but I wanted a third point of view to get their take on the looming conflict and their thoughts on Lee, Annie, or the fallen Dragonlords. Plus. theres also Dragon Duels between characters, and those are pretty cool too. Just a heads up though the characters do carry some heavy baggage, so you might want to check out any content warnings. I should probably continue with the Sequel soonish mabye. Another nice solid intro into the Fantasy genre is Once Upon a broken heart, and that book is also unorthodox in the way that the heroine is kind of more a thinker and she has to use her wits to overcome obstacles and her environment, shes not a warrioress, like Malini or Priya or Celaena Sardothien. but i think that what makes her unique i think that and how the book is structured, in that Evangeline isnt looking to save the world, at least not when the story starts off.

The Bone Season- Samantha Shannon

This book is another great introduction to the fantasy genre, but The Bone Season also has a bit of sci-fi mixed in. It's a blend of genres, and I think the way she combines them with an alternate history vibe is awesome. Plus, I love how Samantha Shannon weaves together her world-building and character moments—it's just superb. It's a bit slower paced, but don't let that stop you from giving it a try. The Lore and Character work are also really Solid writing by the author, that's my thoughts at least.

Throne of Glass- Sarah J, Maas

If you've never dived into Fantasy or are thinking about giving it a shot, "Throne of Glass," the first book in the series, is a great place to start. It works as a stand-alone too, since most of the action happens in one main spot—the Glass Castle if one is hesistant about embarking on series The story moves quickly and has solid action scenes. Celaena is an amazing character, even if she can be a bit ruthless and indifferent at times. There are some cool twists in the book too. The pacing is generally good, even though it hits a few bumps here and there, but it was a solid debut so i was willing to let it slide

Moderate

If you've read the Beginners or Newcomers section and are ready to dive deeper, welcome to the Intermediate/Moderate Area. Here, the topics and characters are more complex than those in the Beginners area.

Jasmine Throne- Tasha Suri

I believe "The Jasmine Throne" serves as a great introduction to the intermediate level of fantasy. Each character in this book has their own motivations or goals, even when they collaborate or form alliances with others. The characters exhibit morally ambiguous thinking, which makes them particularly intriguing to read about. There are a few intense scenes where the author unexpectedly eliminates certain points of view within a single chapter, but I won't spoil anything for readers, so I'll stop there. The first book primarily focuses on Priya, as her presence is most prominent, though other perspectives like Bhumika, Malini, and Rao also receive significant attention. Additionally, the book tackles i think heavy themes such as tyranny, oppression, and how the rebellion, at least in the book mirror the horror and terror imposed by those in power. there is Magic system in the story as well and i like how its grounded in the environment and if you dont go through this certain process then you can't get that magic but even if you do survive, theres a high chance you'll die anyway because of the toll, going through that process exacts.

Grace of Kings- Ken Liu

I liked Grace of Kings for its unorthodox approach to epic fantasy. Although it falters with some female character moments, especially toward the end, the portrayal of the brotherhood between male characters and its deterioration was well-executed. The scenes between Jia and Kuni Garu were engaging, as were those involving Mata Zyndu and his romantic interest. While the pacing was slow at times and occasionally off track, the character work was decent, and the world-building was intriguing. The absence of traditional fantasy elements like elves and dwarves was notable, with deities intervening in human affairs and magic as a theme being limited. i did think that the fantasy was primarily driven by technological means like invention and science was interesting. It's still a solid read, and I recommend giving it a try.

A Darker Shade of Magic- V.E Schwab

This book is soo good, and the way that the author approached the magic system and how only certain people or characters like Kell, the main male lead could access it, was i think very interesting. i also liked how the fact that there was multiple londons and how each london had its own way of governing was also really cool. i also really enjoyed the aspect of having both the leads, so kell, who is from Red London, and Schwab's female POV, Delilah bard who is from Grey London, I liked the fact that both of them are on their own paths and storylines before they end up meeting and interacting with one another. the villains are also really cool and the theres some interesting duels that go down between the different magic users as well in here. it was definitely a good read, and i recommend picking it up.

Advanced

Well, Well, so Yallve made it to Advanced, so this portion is majorily for those who have read the stuff in Moderate and the Newcomers and want more. I have 3 books for this section. Also mind you everything that Ive written on this list is of my own person opinion, so for those reading this post if you disagree thats fine i think, everyone has different reading tastes.

Priory of the Orange tree- Samantha Shannon

This book definitely fits in the Advanced, It is Vast, clocking in at around 800 or so pages, it's definitely sweeping, though we do follow majorily a group of 4 core characters, but those characters also end up interacting with a ton of characters around them. there were certain moments in the back half of the book which it was too smooth i think. i dont know everything just seemed unlocked, and all the villains fell before the heroes and such, that was my one gripe that i had. This and the fact that one of the characters got away scot free after doing certain things. Those two gripes that i listed aside, it's not bad, Priory was actually my intro into Samantha Shannons work. I ended up reading or Finishing The bone season after Priory. Dont be daunted yall by the size, the story ends up rolling rather quickly i think. There is magic in the book but it is limited in the way, not everyone can have access and for those who do, you have to be careful of how much you use. Theres also dragons, theres pirates, it has that epic feeling most definitely. The lore and mythology the author did were also nicely done.

Malice- John Gwynne

This Novel, now that i have finished the book is Really Good, and i put this book in a similar vein to Jasmine Throne in that its very character focused while also delivering a story that has an epic and grand feeling. The payoff for the buildup of various character plot lines while also laying down the seeds for the continuing story was also very nice. The action, there are a lot of just great epic battles between men and Giants that certain characters participate in. theres revelations, Betreyal, its just great. The scenes just felt very cool and i'm trying to decide if i should start the next book because, certain character fates are left hanging or they're up in the air, and i want to see if they make it or not. I dont know if there a magic system, i know certain character end up using something the Earth power, and that its neither good or evil but it's not widely accessible not unless you know where to look or who to teach you. the Character journeys were also really good, and i really enjoyed their adventures, Cywen, Corban, Veradis, Nathair, Kastell, Evnis, Camlin, all of them, the way they grew throughout the book was really nice. Go read it.

My Dark Vanessa- Katy Elizabeth Rusell

The subjects discussed by the author in this book are quite intense. I'm talking abuse of power, Teacher student relations, Grooming. Although it's not a fantasy novel, I'm including it in my list of recommendations because I believe everyone should read it at least once recommended or not. I also whole heartedly suggest checking content warnings due to its heavy themes. Nevertheless, it's a worthwhile read, as the author addresses these serious topics with a sense of levity. I appreciate how the story offers a glimpse of hope for the characters by the end. I'm very glad I persevered through it, and i think you guys will too, should you decide to Pick up the book

Alrighty that is another bookish post done, thank you reading yall my blog posts.

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