Spoiler-Free Review | Chain of Gold by Cassandra Clare

Chain of Gold

By: Cassandra Clare

Overall Rating: ★★★★★

From Goodreads: Welcome to Edwardian London, a time of electric lights and long shadows, the celebration of artistic beauty and the wild pursuit of pleasure, with demons waiting in the dark. For years there has been peace in the Shadowhunter world. James and Lucie Herondale, children of the famous Will and Tessa, have grown up in an idyll with their loving friends and family, listening to stories of good defeating evil and love conquering all. But everything changes when the Blackthorn and Carstairs families come to London…and so does a remorseless and inescapable plague.

James Herondale longs for a great love, and thinks he has found it in the beautiful, mysterious Grace Blackthorn. Cordelia Carstairs is desperate to become a hero, save her family from ruin, and keep her secret love for James hidden. When disaster strikes the Shadowhunters, James, Cordelia and their friends are plunged into a wild adventure which will reveal dark and incredible powers, and the true cruel price of being a hero…and falling in love.

Theme Song

TL;DR:

Chain of Gold was one of my most anticipated reads of 2020 and for good reason! It is an amazing addition to the Shadowhunter World. If you’re new to the Shadowhunter Chronicles and don’t mind reading out of chronological order, I HIGHLY recommend you start with this installment. This is Cassie’s best writing yet, and you’ll be so in love with the Edwardian London setting, sassy & sweet characters, and action-packed plot. This has everything you’ll be looking for in a historical-fantasy series. READ IT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

The Good

The Action-Packed Plot

If you’re a fan of Cassie’s other Shadowhunter novels, you know she doesn’t lack in the action department. There’s always some demon to slay, a warlock to track down, a sick downworlder to help, or a hottie to love from afar. Chain of Gold is no different. From page one, the new crew is neck-deep in supernatural problems to solve and the action doesn’t stop until the very last page. Can SyFy just take over the Shadowhunter world and make this into an Edwardian Fantasy Drama? Because I would totally watch it. It’s like a refresh of Dark Shadows, but a million times better.

James Herondale, Cordelia Carstairs, and The Merry Thieves (And Everyone Else!)

For fans of the Shadowhunter world who may have issues with certain heroes and heroines from past series, I’m here to tell you that you have nothing to worry about with this new crew. For newcomers, I’m also here to prepare you to love at least a dozen new characters and all their quirks and questionable choices. James Herondale is the emo bookworm of your dreams. Cordelia Carstairs is the badass heroine who actually thinks about her actions (I’m looking at you Clary), and the rest of the supporting cast will leave you with total swoon heart eyes for days. Seriously, you won’t be able to pick a favorite and you’re going to be rooting for everyone’s happily ever after. You’ve been warned!

The A+ Top-Notch Villain Scheming

Without being too spoiler-y, I’m just going to say that I’m ready for this villain(s?). Clare always does a really great job of humanizing her evil characters and giving them a backstory and it’s no different this time around. You’ll be left hating certain people, and it will feel sooooo, so good and so, sooooo bad at the same time. Prepare for all the drama. 

The World Building Is AMAZING

Queen Cassie is known for making her Shadowhunter world so expansive that sometimes it can be hard to keep up. But, I’m here to tell you that if you’re into high-fantasy worlds with lots of details and characters – this series is for you. Clare ties together her short stories and previous trilogy into this newest installment SO WELL. Her older, beloved characters make appearances, but don’t hog the spotlight, and all her mini stories pave the way for major character arcs to be explored. And, even if you haven’t been introduced to any of her previous work, there’s enough detail for you to still experience a rollercoaster of emotions. You’ll be left wanting more (and will probably buy the entire Chronicles to keep your cravings satisfied).

The Ending

THAT CLIFFHANGER THO. All I have to say about the ending is it’s SO  bittersweet and somehow satisfying all at the same time. I don’t know how my heart could feel so many different emotions at once, and I’m still thinking about where we’re going next. Please mentally prepare yourself for a massive book hangover. And, please let me know if you want to join me in my quest for clues and theories on Chain of Iron.

The Bad

NOTHING IS WRONG WITH THIS BOOK.

I have spoken and will not be taking questions at this time.

The Ugly Truth

Chain of Gold is one of my favorites reads of 2020 so far. It is 5-star, fantasy gold and should definitely be on any fantasy lover’s TBR list. If you’re new to Cassie Clare books, do yourself a favor and start here. If you’re not a newcomer, drop what you’re reading and get on the Chain of Gold party bus. It. Will. Not. Disappoint.

Talk To Me

Are you a Shadowhunter fan? Will you be adding Chain of Gold to your TBR?

Trash Tuesday | My Trash Collection

Welcome back, Trash Mob! Today we’re talking about all the bookish merch we can’t live without. I’m sharing some of my favorites today, but if I listed out all my collection gear it would go on forever.

As always, here’s the link to the Trash Tuesday blog page if you want to know more.

Bookish Clothes

I know this might be a given for all book nerds, but I have a serious obsession with bookish clothing items. I have sports gear, summer gear, winter gear, and everything in between. I have an entire drawer in my closet that consists solely of book-related t-shirts and I think I might have a slight problem. Check out some of my favorite pieces!

 

Candles, and Room Sprays, and Essential Oils, Oh My

I have an intense candle and room spray collection based off fictional characters and worlds and it is not weird at all. Who knew Shadowhunters and Rhysand could smell so good (Correct Answer: ME).

 

Bags, Sleeves…All the Ways to Carry All The Books

I’ve lost count at how many sleeves and tote bags I have that relate to my need to read. I will never stop collecting ways to carry around my books. One can never have to much protection for their precious book covers!

Talk To Me

What’s in your trash collection? Anything we have in common? Any items I should add to my current stash?

Review | Nocturna

Nocturna (A Forgery of Magic #1)

By: Maya Motayne

Overall Rating: ★★★

Finn Voy is a face shifter who gets caught by a powerful mobster and forced into an impossible mission: steal a legendary treasure from Castallan’s royal palace or be stripped of her magic forever.

Prince Alfehr is dealing with the death of his brother and the realization that he is now first in line for the Castallan throne. He’s now obsessed with finding a way to bring his brother back, even if it means dabbling in forbidden magic.

Finn and Alfie’s fates collide, they accidentally unlock a terrible, ancient power and now they have to capture it or risk the destruction of the entire world. As you can imagine, things don’t go well and we get some INTENSE fight scenes.

Theme Song

TL;DR

I really wanted to enjoy Nocturna more than I did. While it isn’t a terrible book, I felt it lacking in key places. I absolutely LOVED the Latin atmosphere – it was my favorite part of the entire novel – but the characters and world building could have done with some work. Overall, if you’re looking for a dense fantasy with Latinx vibes and have a short TBR, give this a go, but don’t get your hopes up for this to be your next obsession.

The Good

ALL THE LATIN GOODNESS

This was my first read this year for Hispanic Heritage Month and I was NOT disappointed. All the main characters are brown and proud with last names that speak of Hispanic descent. Everyone speaks Spanglish, moms and old ladies threaten the youth with chanclas, and celebrations aren’t complete without spiced hot chocolate, sangria and Bachata!

The Intensity

It takes about 150 pages (out of the 470 total) for things to pick up, but when it does things get DARK. Motayne doesn’t pull her punches, and some of the battle scenes where villain and protagonist face off get very gruesome and heavy. We’re dealing with family trauma, emotional & physical abuse, slides into alcoholism, and you may or may not see an attempt at a human deboning (yes, like what you do with fish). I always appreciate the darker side to fantasy novels and this definitely doesn’t disappoint.

The Bad

The Magic System

I found the magic system and set up to be VERY confusing…and I read a lot of fantasy books that involve unique magic systems. There was just a lot going on and, in my opinion, could have been stripped down or explained over the course of the entire series (which I hope there’s a book 2 but we’ll get to that soon). Castallans are all born with some type of “main” magic – earth, water, fire, etc. – which is known as elemental magic. Then, on top of that, there’s also a different type of magic that can be done with words. THEN, on top of that, you can also do magic with writing. THEN, to make things more confusing, some special people have “propio”, or a unique inner magic that gives them strange abilities. I seriously had to take notes on this while reading and I found myself over the entire set up super early on.

The Characters

Finn and Alfie are both broken, dark and complex. I usually love when characters have layers that need to be pulled back, but for some reason I just couldn’t connected with them.  I still feel the same way about these two now as I did on page one – indifferent. The character growth in this book is amazing, but the personalities didn’t mesh well with me.

THAT WAS THE ENDING? 

I went into this book thinking I was going to have a crazy, intense cliffhanger because Nocturna is book one in a series, but I was sadly disappointed. There are multiple threats that are mentioned throughout the book – the main antagonist (dark magic mentioned in the recap), the mob boss Finn has to deal with (also mentioned), then of course the plot twist shocker about Alfie’s brother’s murder. At 3/4 complete, nothing had been resolved, issues were forgotten about, and I thought for sure the ending was going to be heartbreaking. Instead, I got a lukewarm goodbye scene and an “all is seemingly well”. I honestly felt like I was reading a standalone, which I guess works well for those who don’t want to complete the series.

The Ugly Truth

Would I recommend Nocturna to my friends? Possibly…but I’d be hesitant. It has an awesome premise and the potential to be great, but I really want to see how book two plays out. It might make me feel differently about my read of book one. So, at this moment in time, WE’LL SEE.

Talk To Me

Have you read this book? If so, what did you think of it? Will you be adding it to your reading list soon?

Book Tag | Bookish Adventure

Thanks to @Jess – Fiction No Chaser for tagging me! It’s been a hot minute since I did any of the tags but this seemed like a great one to strike off my list.

Rules

Imagine that you are an intrepid literary adventurer- braving the harsh bookish wilderness, traversing jungles of pages and slashing through vines of words. Where in the vast world of books would you go?

• Write about one place mentioned in a book you wish you could visit and why.
• List 3-5 things that you would do there.
• Mention which souvenirs, if any, you would bring back with you.
• Then tag some more literary explorers and please link back to the creator (Umairah @ Sereadipity) so I can see all of your adventures!

---

Where I Would Go

It took me a while to decide where I’d want to visit, but I came to the conclusion I’d stay in America because I really wish Rick Riordan’s Demigod world existed. I mean, maybe it really does and I’m just not lucky enough to have the site or be born to one of the *gods*. Percy, if you’re out there, I love you!

What I Would Do

• Visit Camp Half-Blood (obvi)
• Visit Camp Jupiter
• Convince Blackjack to give me a ride around the world
• Go looking for the magical Lotus Casino…I’m of age and it seems like a good time minus the whole getting trapped in time thing
• Visit Amazon headquarters so I can meet the Amazons and convince them to give me a free Prime membership

Souvenirs

Definitely saying I want to take Percy’s pen/sword, Hermes flying sneakers, and a Camp Half-Blood shirt home with me.

Tagging

Anyone who wants to do this tag!

Trash Tuesday | Characters I’m Trash For

Welcome back, Trash Mob! Today we’re talking about characters we’re obsessed with and I can’t wait to share mine. As always, here’s the link to the Trash Tuesday blog page if you want to know more.

I tried to keep my post on the shorter side because I didn’t want everyone reading 20-page essays. Now, let’s get trashy.

Jace Herondale, The Shadowhunter Chronicles by Cassandra Clare 

Um, have I ever mentioned that I am IN LOVE with Jace from The Mortal Instruments. I have Jace art on my shelves and he is and always will be the bad boy for my heart. He’s witty, sarcastic and goes from angsty teenage boy to angsty adult. Did I mention he’s a part-angel demon hunter? And a blonde hottie with a body?

Hermione Granger, Harry Potter by JK Rowling

Let me count the ways I love Hermione. 1) We are both September Virgos. 2) We are both Gryffindors. 3) We are both ISTJ-As (according to 16Personalities). 4) We are both book nerds who need to get our priorities straight. Seriously, Hermione was one of my original idols. She’s strong, sassy, smart, and doesn’t take sh*t from anyone. I relate SO HARD to Hermione and I just want to be like her. Is that too much to ask?

Simon Randell, The Empirium Trilogy by Claire Legrand

SIMON RANDELL IS MY FAVORITE SLYTHERIN. He’s moody, knows how to use those weapons, and can sass talk you for days. If you haven’t read Furyborn, you should. It’s full of broken, complex characters, intense magic and TIME TRAVEL. This artwork is from the Furyborn preorder that I wish I had gotten.

Talk To Me

 Will you be joining Trash Tuesday? Any prompts you’re hoping to see in the future?

Review | Spin The Dawn

Spin The Dawn

By: Elizabeth Lim

Overall Rating: ★★★★★

Maia Tamarin dreams of becoming the greatest tailor in the land, but as a girl, the best she can hope for is to marry well. When a royal messenger summons her ailing father, once a tailor of renown, to court, Maia poses as a boy and takes his place. She knows her life is forfeit if her secret is discovered, but she’ll take that risk to achieve her dream and save her family from ruin. There’s just one catch: Maia is one of twelve tailors vying for the job.

Of course, Maia gets caught, and all hell breaks loose. She’s sent on a daunting, epic journey on behalf of the King and takes along a magical sidekick in hopes of making it out alive.

Theme Song

TL;DR

Spin the Dawn is a Disney fairytale wrapped up in an EPIC fantasy box. If you love Mulan, Cinderella, Aladdin, or any of the Disney classics, you’ll love Lim’s take with her Project Runway twist. Just know you’ll have to wait for Fall 2020 for Book 2!

The Good

Disney Vibes

There are MAGICAL GLASS SLIPPERS, a MAGICAL CARPET RIDE, and a high-key reference to a trapped GENIE. Mix it all together with the “girl becomes boy to get what she wants” trope and you have all the makings of an awesome Disney fairytale-esque story. Not going to lie, the first 12 pages or so are the first 5 minutes of any Disney movie, so prepare for the tragic backstory and lots of tears.

The Questing

It doesn’t take long for Maia to be discovered and for her epic journey to begin. I loved every second of her trials. They’re high-stakes, full of magic, and INTENSE. I felt like I was on my own quest to find magical fabrics for dresses. You won’t be disappointed with Maia or her tasks.

The Romance

This is definitely a slow-burner and I wasn’t disappointed with the lack of smut. There are kisses and swoon-worthy moments and I was here for all of it. It’s refreshing to have a YA book that has cute love stories without millions of smut scenes. The romance level is appropriate for the book and I was content with the cute overload.

The Bad

That Reveal Though

I was really sad that Maia was found out so early on. I would have preferred it to be true to Mulan – or even She’s the Man/Twelfth Night/Every other “Girl becomes Boy” story – to see how that would have affected the plot and love story. It was perfect just the way it was, but of course if there is one thing I am going to think about it’s the what ifs. 

The Ugly Truth

If you love fantasy, fashion, and/or fairy tales you will love Spin the Dawn! I would highly recommend bumping this up on your TBR list.

Talk To Me

Have you read this book? If so, what did you think of it? Will you be adding it to your reading list soon?

Trash Tuesday | New Obsessions

Hey fam, welcome to my newest thing. Before we get into things, I wanted to acknowledge the definition of TRASH that we’ll be using. Thanks to Urban Dictionary, I didn’t need to come up with my own explanation, so to make it easier here’s what it means to be trash. Example: I am complete trash for Shadowhunters…but I digress. 

This topic came about when I was discussing my current obsession (hot lumberjack Bear Shifters) with the squad – @Loretta & @Jess. I was jokingly mentioning how I should start a blog theme about all the weird randomness I become trash for and they were super into it. So, here we are! (Shoutout to Loretta for making the awesome banner & logo.)

We’re hoping to make this into a weekly thing with weird open-ended prompts and all (like non-book related things we’re trash for, bad boys, ridiculous covers), so please let us know in the comments if you’re interested in joining the trash mob. To get a feel for what these would be like, keep reading. My first Trash Tuesday is all about T.S. Joyce and her Shifter Series! So, without further ado, here is the latest trash that I am currently trash for. 

*Disclaimer: All mentions of “trash” are made in a super loving manner. I love trash books and don’t actually think they’re trash, so haters please move along.

SHIFTER WEREBEARS ARE A THING YOU NEED IN LIFE

T.S. Joyce writes paranormal romance novels about hot lumberjacks and firemen…who turn into bears (and lions, and gorillas and dragons OH.MY.) Seriously, I never thought I needed these in my life but I ended up binging 23 books within the matter of a month. I repeat TWENTY THREE BOOKS IN ONE MONTH. I’m KILLING my Goodreads challenge thanks to this series, and I’m not even done yet. There are like fifty something books that span multiple generations of shifters and you get hot, steamy vibes in them all. What am I doing with my life now? Trying to figure out which shifter I love the most.

I’m also going to take a moment to appreciate the fact that Joyce actually keeps a consistent timeline and plot throughout the entire series and focuses on actual problems/villains  they run into instead of just the smut. Don’t get me wrong, the fluff and smut is great, but there’s depth in this series, too. Don’t mind me while I start a fan casting page dedicated to hot lumberjacks.

Please join me in my love for all things shifters. I need a crew and more people to obsess because AKSHDFDKJHSG. I have no words for how trash I’ve become for shifters.

Talk To Me

How do you feel about paranormal romances? Do you think you’d read T.S. Joyce? Are you looking forward to more Trash Tuesdays?

Stormlings | A Stormheart Playlist

If you haven’t started The Stormheart series yet, you should! I’m getting so hyped for the release of Rage (book 2) and just finished a re-read of book 1, Roar, so decided to create a playlist for Aurora and all the different storms they face throughout the series. If you could be any type of weather, what would you be? What song would you use to describe yourself?

The Breakdown

I decided to pull together songs that reminded me of certain characters like Aurora, our princess turned storm hunter, but also songs that just gave of a “stormy” vibe. Check out some of my faves below, and why I chose them!

Come Clean, Hilary Duff

This song definitely screams Aurora at the beginning of Roar. She’s naive, secluded, and just wants to start fresh away from her mom and all the expectations that have been set for her. 

Notable Lyrics: “Let the rain fall down, and wake my dreams
Let it wash away my sanity. ‘Cause I wanna feel the thunder. I wanna scream
Let the rain fall down. I’m coming clean”

Thunder, Imagine Dragons

This song reminds me of the entire storm hunter crew that Aurora joins, but especially Locke. They all dream of bigger and better things, and use their powers to get what they want. Also, it’s a song about being like thunder, so if that doesn’t fit the bill, I don’t know what does.

Notable Lyrics: “I was dreaming of bigger things
And wanna leave my own life behind…
I was lightning before the thunder”

Roar, Kary Perry

If there ever was a theme song for Roar, it’s this. She goes from damsel to outright fighter/survivor by the end of book 1. And she is back and ready to fight for her kingdom.

Notable Lyrics: “I got the eye of the tiger, a fighter
Dancing through the fire
‘Cause I am a champion, and you’re gonna hear me roar”

Talk To Me

What did you think of my picks? What songs would you add? Do you have any playlists you’d want me to create?

Jacin Clay | A Lunar Chronicles Playlist

I’m back at it with another Lunar Chronicles playlist! This time, I’m featuring everyone’s favorite emo, Lunar Soldier Boy – Jacin Clay. If you’re looking playlists inspired by some of the other Lunar Chronicles characters, you can find them here.

The Breakdown

Jacin Clay is DEFINITION emo boy. He wears his hair in a pony, has a spiky attitude toward everyone, and has a secret soft side only for Winter. So, you can imagine that all his songs are based on my love of emos. Seriously, if you are an emo kid, let’s be friends.

“Know Your Enemy” – Green Day

All Jacin wants to do is protect Winter. And he will literally do whatever it takes, even working with people he doesn’t like – or betraying people he might.

Notable Lyrics: “Bringing on the fury
The choir infantry
Revolt against the honor to obey”

Vindicated, Dashboard Confessional

Every emo boy’s anthem. That is all.

Notable Lyrics: “Vindicated. I am selfish. I am wrong
I am right, I swear I’m right. Swear I knew it all along and
I am flawed, but I am cleaning up so well
I am seeing in me now the things you swore you saw yourself”

She’s Out of Her Mind, Blink 182

OKAY – I seriously think there are tons of celebs out there who are writing songs specifically for TLC, because hello, Jacin is LIT-ER-AL-LY in love with a girl who is out of her mind.

Notable Lyrics: “I’m in deep with this girl but she’s out of her mind.”

Talk To Me

What did you think of my picks? What songs would you add? Do you have any playlists you’d want me to create?

Review | Stalking Jack the Ripper is A Quirky CSI Tale

Stalking Jack the Ripper

By: Kerri Maniscalco

Overall Rating: ★★★

Seventeen-year-old Audrey Rose Wadsworth was born a lord’s daughter, with a life of wealth and privilege stretched out before her. But between the social teas and silk dress fittings, she leads a forbidden secret life cutting open dead bodies in her Uncle’s lab.

A a string of savagely killed corpses drags Audrey into the investigation of a serial murderer, and with the help of her uncle, brother, and the amazingly irresistible Thomas Cresswell, she attempts to solve the case.

Of course, things don’t go her way, her feelings get the best of her, and the shocker at the end leaves Audrey reeling. But hey, at least there’s Thomas!

Theme Song

TL;DR:

Stalking Jack the Ripper is a quick, quirky read. It’s CSI meets Scooby Doo, leaning more into the lighthearted feelings of the latter. If you’re looking for an easy, cute murder mystery, I’d definitely give this a go! But, don’t expect to go into this with the hopes of being shocked into speechlessness – the plot twist is terribly obvious and left me wanting just a little more.

The Good

On the Next Season of CSI: 19th Century England

I’m here for the dead bodies and all the historical fiction! I love a good murder mystery. Especially when it involves one of the most notorious unsolved serial killers of all time. The atmosphere and mood of this book are spot on. I want more 19th century murder cases.

Thomas Cresswell, Please Dote Upon Me

You will be adding Thomas Cresswell to your book boyfriend list the minute you meet him. He’s book smart, sassy, easy on the eyes, and you’ll want to be the Holmes to his Sherlock. Honestly, he’s probably the main reason I’m continuing on with this series. He’s an adorable, socially awkward detective and I’m HERE FOR IT.

The Bad

You Call That A Plot Twist?

I love a good murder mystery and I thoroughly enjoy being stumped right up until the end. When I read any type of thriller/mystery half of my rating is dependent on how quickly I figure out whodunit…and I called the murderer literally the first appearance they made. It’s painfully obvious, and I wish there was a little more mystery.

Audrey Rose, Come ON Girl

Audrey Rose has the potential to be such a strong, badass leading lady, but she does some stupid AF stuff in this book. I just wanted to scream at her the entire time, “COME ON GIRL.” She sneaks out ALONE during the height of Jack the Ripper’s terror. She gets CAUGHT multiple times. Then she ignores clues because she’s in denial. I wanted her to stick to her guns, but I found her lacking at times.

Imma Need a Bit More Adult-ish Content

This book is considered YA and it totally fits the bill, HOWEVER, it’s definitely on the younger side of the spectrum. If this was put in the Middle Grade section at the book store no one would riot. It’s definitely G-rated and I’m not saying I need smut, cause I def don’t, but I would have liked a bit more mature scenes and discussions. If you’re looking for something a bit darker and intense, then you should skip this one.

The Ugly Truth

Stalking Jack the Ripper is an easy, fun read! I’d definitely say it’s more middle grade than young adult, but if you’re looking for something light and  Sherlock Holmes-esque give this one a go.

Talk To Me

Have you read this book? If so, what did you think of it? Are you on the Thomas train? Loved it more than I did?