Round-up 2020 – Books with a lasting impact!

Hey guys!

As you might have observed, I have been doing round-up posts with a focus on genres read this year.

However, in this post, I wanted to focus on books that left an impact on me that lasted well after finishing the book. This year, I discovered a lot of new books spread across various genres, but a few were just amazing! These books gave me something to think about, brought out a lot of emotions or just sent me on a wonderful adventure filled with fun and learning!

Click on the book image to read my review of the book

  —————————————————————————————————————-

Historical Fiction

The Violinist of Auschwitz The Lost Village

Fantasy Fiction

A Heart So Fierce and Broken (The Cursebreaker Series) Finale (Caraval, #3) A ​Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes, #4)

Middle Grade Fiction

 Sol Invictus (The Eye of Ra, #2)

General/Contemporary Fiction

337

 

Do share your thoughts in case you have read the above books. If you have recommendations for such reads, please leave a comment so that I can add the book to my ever growing TBR pile!

Round-up 2020 – YA Fantasy Fiction series!

Hey guys!

As you might have observed, I have been doing round-up posts with a focus on genres read this year.

However, in this post, I wanted to focus on fantasy fiction book series that I have read in their entirety and enjoyed. I will focus not only on series that are completed, but even ones which have an upcoming sequel or final book.

  —————————————————————————————————————-

The Ember Quartet by Sabaa Tahir

An Ember in the Ashes (An Ember in the Ashes, #1)A Torch Against the Night (An Ember in the Ashes, #2)A Reaper at the Gates (An Ember in the Ashes, #3)A ​Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes, #4)

This is the most talked about series and I thoroughly enjoyed reading all the books. I started the series at the beginning of this year and worked my way through the first three books! I fell in love with Laia, learnt to hate and then love Elias and create various relationships with the various characters we meet through the journey!

A wonderfully fast-paced and explosive series, the plot has all the elements of fantasy, romance, action, war, friendship, family and so on! You name it, it will be there!

The series came to a conclusion this December with the release of the final book, A Sky Beyond the Storm. I am glad that I read this series and was able to follow through until the end.

Caraval series by Stephanie Garber

Caraval (Caraval, #1)Legendary (Caraval, #2)Finale (Caraval, #3)

Another series that I thoroughly enjoyed this year was the Caraval series! Having read book 1 last year, I followed up with Books 2 and 3 this year. I know that I was a little late to the party, but better late than never right?

I would have regretted not taking the journey with the characters and playing the game! A wonderful concept, the author brought to us a whole new world and a new concept with characters to love, hate and wonder at. In the end, we cannot help but fall in love with the characters, the concept and the world! A complete roller-coaster of a ride, this series is definitely worth it’s popularity!

Read my reviews of Legendary here and Finale here.

Cursebreakers series by Brigid Kemmerer

A Curse So Dark and Lonely (Cursebreakers, #1)  A Heart So Fierce and Broken (The Cursebreaker Series)

Yet again we have another critically acclaimed and famous series that is currently doing the rounds thanks to the anticipation of the upcoming final novel: A Vow So Bold and Deadly.

This is a story of love and loss, of friendship and relationships, bonds between siblings and people. The author has crafted a lovely plot that will have the readers hooked from beginning to end.

I also love the way the author has played with words in the titles of the books and the meaning they have with respect to the sections of the plot covered in each book. The series has been worth reading so far and I cannot wait for the last book.

Check out my reviews of A Curse So Dark and Lonely and A Heart So Fierce and Broken.

Ash Princess trilogy by Laura Sebastian

Ash Princess (Ash Princess Trilogy #1) Lady Smoke (The Ash Princess Trilogy, #2) Ember Queen (The Ash Princess Trilogy)

This is a gripping series that follows Theo as she navigates the palace that once belonged to her mother and finally finds a way to fight for what is hers. The journey is split among three books and the series is definitely worth reading!

I absolutely enjoyed reading about Theo and the various characters in the book. I have somehow missed to review the books on my blog, but I hope to get to it soon.

  —————————————————————————————————————-

These are just a few of the wonderful book series that I have read this year! I look forward to discovering and reading more in 2021!

Do share your thoughts and recommendations for new series!

#R3COMM3ND3D2020 with #BookBlogger Namrata Ganti (@redpillows91) #redpillows #damppebbles #BookRecommendations #publishedin2020

Thank you damppebbles for the feature!

damppebbles.com

Welcome bookish friends to damppebbles. Happy Wednesday. The weekend is almost in sight! Today I am delighted to welcome another brilliant book blogger (I have to ask, where are all the authors this year? Bloggers are smashing it!). It’s the lovely Namrata of redpillows. Namrata’s blog is fantastic so if you don’t already subscribe, head on over there in a tick and correct that.

So, what is #R3COMM3ND3D2020? It’s about sharing the book love. It’s a chance for authors, book bloggers and bookstagrammers to shout about three (yes, *only* three) books they love. They can be written by any author, in any genre and published in any way (traditionally, indie press or self-published). But there is a catch. All three books must have been published in 2020. To make things interesting I have added a couple of teeny, tiny rules this year which are; 1) the book must have…

View original post 593 more words

Book Review: A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer

About the Book:

A Heart So Fierce and Broken (The Cursebreaker Series)

Find the heir, win the crown.
Win the crown, save the kingdom.

Harper has freed Prince Rhen from the curse that almost destroyed his kingdom. But all is not well; rumours are rife that there is a rival heir with a stronger claim to the throne and that ‘Princess’ Harper of Disi is nothing but a fraud.

Grey has fled the castle carrying a terrible secret. When he is discovered by soldiers and returned to Ironrose by force, Grey’s allegiances begin to shift. And as he grows closer to an enemy princess, he is forced to decide whether he will stand against Rhen for the crown he never wanted …

My Thoughts:

Brigid Kemmerer brings to us a well-written, action-packed sequel that follows Grey’s journey as he deals with the truth about who he is. All secrets come to light at some point, and it is the same in this story. When the truth about Grey comes to light, he is seen as a threat to the kingdom. Rhen, now freed from the curse is not ready to see reason or understand. All he sees is betrayal.

The author weaves together a rather complicated set of emotions spread among all the chaaracters, all layered one on top of the other. To get to them, we have to peel back each layer and deal with what is revealed. With so many rumours about Harper and the rival heir about, Rhen is at his wits end to keep everything together. This story mainly focuses on Grey’s journey, his actions and decisions and his interaction with the enemy princess and kingdom. We see how he grows, how he learns to become a prince in his own right and how he interacts with the people around him. There is a stark contrast to Grey’s personality and Rhen’s which is beautifully brought out in this book.

This story is a wonderful sequel to the first, showing us a different aspect of the plot and story and culminating in a cliff hanger, leaving the reader wanting for more! I am sure that every cursebreaker is impatiently waiting for the next book to know what happens!