{Blog Tour + Giveaway} Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas

I cannot even express how ridiculously excited I am to a be a part of the Empire of Storms blog tour! I devoured the book and finished it a day after it came out and I half hate myself for reading it too fast. Now I just feel like my life is a void waiting to be filled by TOG6 (the wait is already so painful). And if there's one thing I am definitely sure of, 2017 is going to be one hell of a ride. (ACOTAR3 and TOG6 in the same year? How will we survive?!)

Here's a cool fact: September 13th isn't just the date of my tour post, it's also the 6 month anniversary of Sarah's visit to the Philippines (last March 13th). It's a day that will always hold a special place in my heart and I am so grateful to have been able to meet Sarah when she came over. If you want to read about my experience, click HERE for my even recap (beware: there is a whole lot of fangirling). And another fun fact: the 13th is an incredibly apt date for my post because I'll be talking about Manon and her Thirteen (some of my absolute favourite characters in the Throne of Glass series). But first, some info about the book...

Title: Empire of Storms (Throne of Glass #5)

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Publication date: September 6th 2016

Buy the book: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / Book Depository

The long path to the throne has only just begun for Aelin Galathynius. Loyalties have been broken and bought, friends have been lost and gained, and those who possess magic find themselves at odds with those don't.

As the kingdoms of Erilea fracture around her, enemies must become allies if Aelin is to keep those she loves from falling to the dark forces poised to claim her world. With war looming on all horizons, the only chance for salvation lies in a desperate quest that may mark the end of everything Aelin holds dear.

Aelin's journey from assassin to queen has entranced millions across the globe, and this fifth installment will leave fans breathless. Will Aelin succeed in keeping her world from splintering, or will it all come crashing down?

Meet Manon and her Thirteen

Art by PhantomRin

Art by PhantomRin

MANON
Also known as the Blackbeak heir and Wing Leader, she acts as the head of the Thirteen. Ruthless and cunning, Manon is a fierce leader that continuously leads her Thirteen to glory.

ASTERIN

Manon's second and her cousin, she is free- and wild-spirited but has overcome insurmountable hardships. She is incredibly loyal and fearless.

Art by PhantomRin

Art by PhantomRin

SORREL
Manon's third, she grounds the Thirteen with her calm and collected attitude. Sorrel gives Manon sensible and tactical advice and acts as a balance to Asterin's wildness.

VESTA
The seductress of the Thirteen, incredibly beguiling, Vesta uses her  beauty and wit to ensnare her prey. She is also one of Manon's fallback sentries.

 

Art by PhantomRin

GHISLAINE

The most knowledgable and well-read of the Thirteen.

Raised with humans, Ghislaine is valuable for both

her supreme intelligence and her skills as a warrior.

Art by PhantomRin

Art by PhantomRin

BRIAR
and
EDDA
Also known as the Shadows. They are distant cousins of Manon (bearing the same moon-white hair but dyed black because of conspicuous they were), they were borne of the shadows and raised in darkness. They are the spies of the Thirteen.

Art by PhantomRin

Art by PhantomRin

FALLON
and
FALINE
Also known as the green-eyed demon twins, they are some of Manon's fiercest warriors.

THEA and KAYA

The lovers of the group,

they are bound by the centuries of hunting

and flying together.

LIN

Never called by her full name "Linnea",

(because if anyone dared to, "that person would wind up

with missing teeth at best, and a missing face at worst"),

Lin is also one of Manon's fallback sentries.

IMOGEN

Not much is known about Imogen.

(Most likely one of Manon's fallback sentries.)

"We are the Thirteen, from now until the Darkness claims us."

Be sure to enter this super epic INTERNATIONAL giveaway for a signed copy of Empire of Storms plus some awesome swag!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow the Empire of Storms blog tour!

September 7 - Katie @ Polished Page-Turners
September 8 - Steph @ No BS Book Reviews
September 9 - Sarah @ What Sarah Read
September 12 - Kelly @ Belle of the Literati
September 13 - Louisse @ The Soul Sisters (You're here!)
September 14 - Gillian @ Writer of Wrongs
September 15 - Andi @ Andi’s ABCs
September 16 - Gina @ Behind the Pages
September 19 - Jaz @ Fiction in Fiction in Fiction
September 20 - Mel @ The Daily Prophecy
September 21 - Betty @ Book Rock Betty
September 22 - Rachel @ Hello Chelly
September 23 - Alexa @ Alexa Loves Books

About the author:

Sarah J. Maas is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Throne of Glass series and A Court of Thorns and Roses series, as well as a USA Today and international bestselling author. Sarah wrote the first incarnation of the Throne of Glass series when she was just sixteen, and it has now sold in thirty-five languages. A New York native, Sarah currently lives in Pennsylvania with her husband and dog. Empire of Storms, the fifth Throne of Glass novel, will release on September 6th, 2016.

She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Hamilton College in 2008 with a degree in Creative Writing and a minor in Religious Studies.

You can stalk find her here:

Website || Blog || Twitter || Pinterest || Tumblr || Instagram ||


So many thanks to the fabulous #MaasThirteen ladies for including me in the tour!

ARC Review: It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

Title: It Ends With Us

Author: Colleen Hoover

Publisher: Atria Books

Publication date: August 2nd 2016

Buy the book: Amazon / Barnes and Noble

Sometimes it is the one who loves you who hurts you the most.

Lily hasn’t always had it easy, but that’s never stopped her from working hard for the life she wants. She’s come a long way from the small town in Maine where she grew up—she graduated from college, moved to Boston, and started her own business. So when she feels a spark with a gorgeous neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid, everything in Lily’s life suddenly seems almost too good to be true.

Ryle is assertive, stubborn, maybe even a little arrogant. He’s also sensitive, brilliant, and has a total soft spot for Lily. And the way he looks in scrubs certainly doesn’t hurt. Lily can’t get him out of her head. But Ryle’s complete aversion to relationships is disturbing. Even as Lily finds herself becoming the exception to his “no dating” rule, she can’t help but wonder what made him that way in the first place.

As questions about her new relationship overwhelm her, so do thoughts of Atlas Corrigan—her first love and a link to the past she left behind. He was her kindred spirit, her protector. When Atlas suddenly reappears, everything Lily has built with Ryle is threatened.

With this bold and deeply personal novel, Colleen Hoover delivers a heart-wrenching story that breaks exciting new ground for her as a writer. Combining a captivating romance with a cast of all-too-human characters, It Ends With Us is an unforgettable tale of love that comes at the ultimate price.

(Image and summary taken from Goodreads)

My thoughts:

Colleen Hoover's books have been a hit or miss with me lately, I think the last book of hers that truly "hit" me was Hopeless so I was a bit wary diving into this one. But seeing the overwhelming response to It Ends With Us was what urged me to read it, and after reading it, I understood what all the hype was about. Before writing this review, I honestly did not know what to rate this book, there were so many incredible parts but there were moments that were just to weird for me, and I felt like those moments outweighed the special moments of the story.

If there's one widely known fact about CoHo's books, it's that there is always a twist in them. A twist that will alter the middle half of the story and either elevate the rest of the book or mess it up. And in this case, it was both. I won't go too deep into how the story went because I'll spoil it but I felt like the direction the story was suppose to go became forced and it just didn't make a lot of sense.

As a book, I didn't particularly enjoy It Ends With Us, the characters were flat and out of character at certain times, (Lily was a confusing MC and she was pretty much a reflection of all of CoHo's other MCs except with different baggage)  the pace of the story was way too fast (CoHo insta-love at its finest) and the ending was pretty self-serving and kind of a cop out. Don't get me wrong, the writing was beautiful, I found myself crying at a lot of scenes and I was a wreck throughout most of the book but if it weren't for CoHo's writing and well-written lines, I wouldn't have been able to go through the book.

That being said, I delved deeper into the surface, below the writing and the characters and the superficial stuff and it was... an interesting experience. There was a lot of meaning to this book, given the fact that It Ends With Us is such a personal story to CoHo, and I couldn't help but be affected by the message that she was trying to convey with her story. I just wish that CoHo had executed this story better. I'd still recommend people to read It Ends With Us because there is depth to this book and I'm sure an average CoHo fan would love it. It just wasn't my cup of tea, unfortunately.

Rating:

Review: The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson

Title: The Unexpected Everything
Author: Morgan Matson
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Publication date: May 3rd 2016
Buy the book: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / National Book Store



Andie had it all planned out.

When you are a politician’s daughter who’s pretty much raised yourself, you learn everything can be planned or spun, or both. Especially your future.

Important internship? Check.

Amazing friends? Check.

Guys? Check (as long as we’re talking no more than three weeks).

But that was before the scandal. Before having to be in the same house with her dad. Before walking an insane number of dogs. That was before Clark and those few months that might change her whole life.

Because here’s the thing—if everything’s planned out, you can never find the unexpected.

And where’s the fun in that?

(Image and summary taken from Goodreads)

My thoughts:

The Unexpected Everything was an unexpectedly delightful and heartfelt read. I admit that I was a bit daunted by the 500+ page Contemporary read because Contemps tend to get boring after a while, but I was happy to find out that it was the opposite for this novel. The first six-ish chapters were a bit dragging but as I slowly found the rhythm of The Unexpected Everything, there was nothing that could have stopped me from devouring its words; and by the end of it, 519 pages were not enough.

Andie was, admittedly, a difficult character to connect with. There was something so heavy and nonchalant about her that I couldn't really grasp her emotions, especially when it came to anything about her father or boys, she was very, for the lack of a better word, clinical. It took me a few chapters to really know her and when I did, I found myself reflected in Andie. There are aspects of myself that I saw in her, buried deep and waiting to be unraveled. I still don't really understand what's up with her and only staying with guys for three weeks (or her seemingly constant stream of past boyfriends/her relationship with Topher) but aside from that, everything was good. I found her quirks quite charming (like her Type A-ish personality) but of course, there were moments that those parts of her, don't always work out in her favor.

Okay, so... Clark is definitely going in my list of top book boyfriends everrr. Other than the fact that he gives a whole new meaning to adorkable (like, a really hot meaning to it), he's insanely down to earth and just the type of guy you'd want to be with. Sure, he has awkward moments but those "dorky" parts of him add so much to his charm. I was literally half in love with him (and Bertie) a few pages into meeting him. Clark was a huge part of The Unexpected Everything and he gave so much meaning and depth to this novel. My heart melted pretty much every conversation between him and Andie, they are so shippable, I swear. But more than their amazing relationship, they both have their own merits and independent personalities. I dare you not to fall in love with Clark (you'll fail, lol).

I absolutely adored the dogs featured, they gave the book a lightness that it needed. (And they were all adorable!) I also really liked Andie's "squad": Palmer, Bri and Toby. To be honest, I liked Toby least because there were moments I wherein she was so self-centred and all "boo-hoo" and no one called her out on it because they felt too bad for her. Even to the end, I still felt iffy towards her. But otherwise, their group's dynamic was really good and their text conversations are 👌. (You'll get the significance of emojis in the book.) Also, the growth in Andie's relationship with her father made me tear up at times, their special moments together were so lovely, the rebuilding of trust and everything was so well done. Safe to say, I got all the feels.

I don't think I've ever had so much fun reading a Contemporary book before. The Unexpected Everything is packed with first love, adventure and all kinds of unexpected magic, it was such an amazing experience; and I enjoyed every moment of it. I cannot recommend this book enough. (Guess I'll be reading Morgan Matson's other novels now.)

Rating:

.5

Waiting on Wednesday (56)

Waiting on Wednesday/s are hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine in which you choose a book or books that you're excited and waiting for.

This week's Waiting on Wednesday book is...

Title: A Court of Mist and Fury (A Court of Thorns and Roses #2)

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Publication date: May 3rd 2016

Pre-order the book: Amazon / Barnes and Noble / Target

Feyre survived Amarantha's clutches to return to the Spring Court--but at a steep cost. Though she now has the powers of the High Fae, her heart remains human, and it can't forget the terrible deeds she performed to save Tamlin's people.

Nor has Feyre forgotten her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court. As Feyre navigates its dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms--and she might be key to stopping it. But only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future--and the future of a world cleaved in two.

With more than a million copies sold of her beloved Throne of Glass series, Sarah J. Maas's masterful storytelling brings this second book in her seductive and action-packed series to new heights.

(Image and summary taken from Goodreads)

Reasons for why I am super excited to read this:

1) I absolutely LOVED A Court of Thorns and Roses, it was actually the second best of I read last 2015 (the first being Queen of Shadows, obviously). I am really looking forward to seeing Feyre, Tamlin, Lucien, and Rhys (him, most of all) again and finding out what they're up to in this one. I can already imagine ACOMAF to be grittier, more angsty and steamier than ACOTAR.

2) Sarah mentioned how the map gets more filled out in ACOMAF and I'm very excited to explore the world of Pythian even more and see what adventures and dangers lay ahead, as well as see the rest of the Courts and meet their respective fae members. If there's one thing I love about Sarah's writing, it's her incredible world building, every word in every sentence is written to make a reader truly experience the different settings, textures, and feelings. You should check out Sarah's Pinterest board for the A Court of Thorns and Roses series, it's filled with sooo many pretties and will legit tease you about everything. You can see it HERE.

3) A Hades and Persephone retelling? I AM ALREADY THERE. I have always been in love with the Hades and Persephone mythology and I know that Sarah will do the concept justice. Looking forward to seeing how she portrays that in ACOMAF.

4) Major, major cover lust! The covers of the ACOTAR books are my absolutely favourite amongst all of Sarah's novels. And from what she's been hinting, there are some secrets buried in this cover itself and I just cannot wait to uncover them.

5) I will 1000000000% read anything by Sarah J. Maas. Anything. She could write a version of the phone book and I'd still read it.

What are you looking forward to this week? Let me know in the comments below!

Stacking the Shelves (32)

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews! It's where bloggers can share what they got for review, bought, borrowed, won or gifted (both physical and eBooks may be included! :D)

Here are the awesome bookish things I got recently:

Bought:

An Ember in the Ashes (An Ember in the Ashes #1) by Sabaa Tahir (Goodreads)

The Winner's Curse (The Winner's Trilogy #1) by Marie Rutkoski (Goodreads)

The Winner's Crime (The Winner's Trilogy #2) by Marie Rutkoski (Goodreads)

For review:

Riders (Riders #1) by Veronica Rossi (Goodreads)

The Last Boy and Girl in the World by Siobhan Vivian (Goodreads)

*ARC* Ruined (Ruined #1) by Amy Tintera (Goodreads)

The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson (Goodreads)

*ARC* Some Kind of Happiness by Claire Legrand (Goodreads)

*ARC* The Geek's Guide to Unrequited Love by Sarvenaz Tash (Goodreads)

*ARC* Ivory and Bone by Julie Eshbaugh (Goodreads)

So many thanks to the amazing people at Tor, Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins International and Fully Booked! Incredibly excited to dive into these awesome reads.

What did YOU get in your mailbox this week? Let me know!