Happy day #15 of Blogmas! We have a shorter post today.
Here’s my weekly Top 5 Tuesday created by the wonderful Shannah @Bionic Bookworm Blog and hosted by Meeghan @Meeghan Reads(go check out their blogs; they’re amazing!). I know we shouldn’t judge book by their covers but as a book hoarder, I cannot help but sometimes buy books by their covers…anyone else? I don’t know if these books are the best book covers of 2020 but they are some of my favourites!
How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories – I won’t ever shut up about this beautiful edition – ever.
The Hunter and the Mage. I love the covers of this series and the MC Lyana is soo beautiful! loving the representation!
Children of Virtue and Vengeance– This cover was way better than the book…Well, at least I have something nice to look at.
Blood and Honey – This is one of the most beautiful book covers I’ve ever seen and it compliments the first book in the series perfectly.
The Invisible Life of Addie Larue – When I saw this book cover, I knew i had to have it
What are some of your favourite book covers? Let me know in the comments!
I loved the first book so much, especially the retelling part, that I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy this one has much as I have the first…LET ME TELL YOU: I LOVED IT EVEN MORE.
2021 cannot come enough because I NEED the third book as soon as possible.
Title: The Hunter and the Mage (The Raven and The Dove #2)
Author: Kaitlyn Davis
Synopsis (Goodreads): Return to the world of The Raven and the Dove, where winged people rule the skies, a lost kingdom lives at sea, and two star-crossed lovers hold the fate of each in their palms. Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas, Sabaa Tahir, and Leigh Bardugo!
A mage written in prophecy…When Lyana wakes in the Sea of Mist, adventure is the first thing on her mind. But between her unruly new magic and an unyielding young king, the world below comes with more responsibility than she ever dreamed. An entire civilization exists within the fog, and its survival depends entirely on her.
A hunter forged in blood…Adrift at sea on a ship full of strangers, Rafe fights to cope with his new reality. He’ll do anything to return to the sky and the people he left behind. When a surprising offer comes his way, he instantly accepts, sparing no time to consider the consequences.
Loyalties are tested and an ancient war begins anew…With rebellion in her heart, Cassi defies her king and befriends the prince she’s been ordered to kill. Oblivious to the threat, Xander welcomes her into his inner circle, determined to rescue his mate. As one works to help and the other to hinder, an ancient enemy stirs, forcing Cassi to choose between trusting the man who broke her heart and turning her back on everything she’s ever known.
4 stars: Aphrodite – Goddess of love and beauty. That means that I really liked the book, whether it was the writing style, plot or characters. It means it was an amazing book that I would completely recommend for the beautiful piece of art it is. However the book is not a Persephone because something keeps it from making it one of my favourite book ever.
Iris– Goddess of rainbows. Nothing new here, we all know that rainbows represent the LGBTQ+ community so this Goddess will be featured whenever a queer relationship or character appears.
Athena– Goddess of wisdom, poetry, art, and the strategic side of war. I will feature the goddess whenever there is a BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, Person of Colour) because they are a symbol of resilience, strength and wisdom to me. I also want to put forth African folkore, myths and gods and since Athena is the goddess of poetry and art I thought it was fitting.
I would like to thank the author and the BookFunnel Team for providing me an ARC of The Hunter and the Mage
The retelling of Tristan and Isolde in the first book was based on deceit and I liked how the author still manages to weave that theme into the story. I have a sweet spot for morally grey but lovable characters and I had my fill with this book.
The ending of the last book was chaotic to say the least and it picked up right where we left of. I really thought the beginning was a little slow because all of the characters were adjusting to their new fates. These moments were filled with so much angst and my poor heart couldn’t take it. In a good way. I love angst. This allowed us to discover the world below the mist and it was fascinating. I am in awe of the impeccable world-building. I think it was the strongest asset of this book. Everything was so well-thought, both in the different Houses in the world above and in the World below the mist with all the different kinds of magic.
I also liked all the new characters and especially the ship’s crew on The Wanderer. Brighty is my new favourite and I really hope we will get more chapters in her point of view. The multiple point of view is really working with this story and it was nice to connect the dots with every little clues we were given; I really enjoyed that.
Now on to my favorite part: the new romance between some of the characters! I did not see that coming and I honestly loved it. My heart is full and warm and I really hope we get to see more of their undeniable chemistry.
I also really like how well the character development was made in the sense that the characters became more mature but still have their essence. Often with second books in a series the characters change so much that you barely recognize them but thankfully that was not the case here. It was wonderful to see them all grow and becoming confident. I’m really attached to all of the characters (the good ones and the bad ones) and I really can’t wait for the next books.
Also this is a spoiler-free review but DAMN that revelation in the last chapters! Can’t wait to find out more!
I really would have liked a page at the beginning which introduces, categorizes and explains the different types of magic. It would have been really helpful because it was easy to get lost.
GIVEAWAY
Anyone who pre-orders a copy of The Hunter and the Mage is elligible to receive two gorgeous character cards (drawn by the artist Dominique Wesson) as a thank you – one of Xander, and one of Cassi. All the information, including the sign up sheet, can be found on the author’s website: https://www.kaitlyndavisbooks.com/p/pre-order-giveaway.html There’s also an additional giveaway for exclusive character art on the page. I wouldn’t miss it if I were you!
I hope you enjoyed this review! Have you read the first book? What is your favourite retelling? Let me know in the comments!
I can’t believe we’re in September already! This year has been pure chaos and the month of August certainly lived up to that. Let’s dive into my wrap-up!
August was my best reading month ever!! I had the time of my life. I read so many amazing, diverse and interesting books. I highly recommend all of them! (Except the one I gave two stars to).
August statistics
Books read: 11
Total pages: 3654
5 Stars ★★★★★
Beach Read – Emily Henry. This is one of the best romance books I’ve ever read and it was the perfect summer read. It dealt with so many topics and had so much depth and I might never recover. You can see my full review here.
Take A Hint, Dani Brown – Talia Hibbert. This was so so cute and Zaf and Dani live in my mind rent free. I cannot recommend this book enough. You can see my full review here.
Bérénice – Racine. This is a French Classic and my friend recommended it to me and it was one of the best plays I’ve ever read. I would love to see it live.
Queen of Shadows – Sarah J. Maas. WORTH THE HYPE. It’s my favourite of the series so far.
4 Stars ★★★★
Party of Two – Jasmine Guillory. It feels like the author looked inside my head, saw exactly what I wanted and needed to read and wrote it.
Get A Life, Chloe Brown – Talia Hibbert. This was one of the steamiest, funniest, healthiest and cutest books ever written. It tackled so many subjects and Talia Hibbert handles them with care and love.
The Hunter and the Mage – Kaitlyn Davis. I received this ARC for the second book in The Raven and the Dove series and I think I even liked it more than the first book. Full review to come.
Shatter Me – Tahereh Mafi. This is a beloved books in the book community and my sister’s favourite series so I just had to read it. I think the beginning was too slow-paced for me but once it picked up I couldn’t put it down. I really can’t wait to read the second book in the series since it is a lot of people’s favourite and we get to see Warner a lot more so there’s that too.
3.5/5 Stars ★★★
This book. Phew. I had such a great time reading this book because it was a historical romance with a Black main character!! How haven’t I read this sooner? Since it dealt with the Civil War, the topic of slavery and racism were dealt with but it was more triggering to me than I thought so I can’t give it more stars but the romance is definitely 10/10.
2 Stars ★★
I had so many expectations for this book but it was so bad it nearly made me angry. This is quite sad because I love The Selection series by the author.
August was so weird because there were really good moments but also very bad ones so I really don’t know how I feel. I’m really grateful for the escapism books offered so it wasn’t so bad.
I am also under a lot of stress because I am moving to Paris on Saturday and it’s what I’ve always wanted but it is also intimidating and scary since we’re in the middle of a global pandemic.
I’m still very hopeful because I’m going to meet so many new people and start my master’s degree and I missed going to class. This new chapter is so exciting!! I’m going to send positivity into the world and pray for the best.
I have mostly watched dance movies for some unknown reason and I loved it! My personal favourite was Work It because the chemistry between Sabrina Carpenter and Jordan Fisher was off the charts! It wasn’t perfect but I had a good time. Also is there anything Jordan Fisher cannot do?? Feel the Beat was good too and I loved the representation! But the romance wasn’t very convincing even if the actors had chemistry. My sister recommended Battle to be because there’s Lisa Teige and she also stars in Skam but it was quite disappointing and the ending was quite abrupt and so many questions.
I also watched Ghost for the first time ever and it is now one of my favourite movies!! The cast and their acting was phenomenal and the plot was so interesting and clever! I loved it.
Spot some of your favourites? What were some of yours? Let me know in the comments! Karla xx
Woohooo I did it! *Happy dance*. I managed to read 10 books in three weeks! The first two weeks were off to a rocky start but I managed to catch up this week since I read 5 books. FIVE BOOKS. IN A WEEK. I usually manage to read five books in a month so I’m very proud of myself.
I really liked challenging myself and I think I might do this project again in the future. I want to hank you for taking this journey with me. Here’s a list of all the books I read with ratings and small reviews :
5 STARS ★★★★★
Beach Read: I love romance with my whole heart. I scarcely read books that do not contain a romantic relationship in it. It can be the worst plot ever, if the romance works, then I’m sold. This book was the best romance I have read in a long time. The chemistry between the characters was wonderful and the banter was just so well-written I couldn’t spot grinning. The plot was complex and exceeded my expectations and the writing style made it an enjoyable and swift read. I want to put this book into everyone’s hands. Full review to come.
Bérénice: This is a French classic. I love everything the playwright Racine writes and this play was no exception.
4 STARS ★★★★
Shatter Me: It’s my sister’s favorite series and what got her into reading. I cannot believe it took me so much time to read it. The beginning was too slow for me but once the plot picked up I couldn’t put it down. I can’t wait to read the rest of the series.
Party of Two: It’s as though the author looked inside my head, saw the kind of book I craved for and wrote it. It was perfect.
Get A Life, Chloe Brown: This was so cute. It was a healthy, sexy and funny romance and I couldn’t get enough. I also want to get a life…and a Redford Morgan please.
The Hunter and the Mage: this is the second book in The Raven and the Dove series. This was an ARC and I will release a review closer to publication date. I was so afraid it wouldn’t live up to my expectations but it did and that makes me so happy.
Clap When You Land: This was heartbreaking in a beautiful way and reconciled me with books written in verse. A true masterpiece. See my full review here.
3 STARS ★★★
The Wicker King: This has highly been recommended to me and I ordered it immediately. I initially gave it four stars but it was very different from what I expected and I think I was trying to convince myself that I loved it but I didn’t.
Her Royal Highness: This story was really cute and had all the elements I like: a sapphic relationship, a school in Scotland, great friendships and royals. What’s not to love?
2 STARS ★★
The Siren: this was a big disappointment especially since I love The Selection series. This was a lot darker than I expected and the romance was lukewarm. I couldn’t wait to get it over with.
That’s all folks. Spot any favorites? Let me know in the comments!
Anotherbookworm 