DISCUSSION: a deep analysis of the folk of the air

First, I just want to say that I wholeheartedly agree with the notion that we should stop hyping up popular series by white authors and instead give attention to all of the overlooked books by authors of color. I know I talk about this series way too much, I really do! I sincerely apologize to everyone who follows me on Twitter and has to see me cry about these books like two to three times a year.

I’m not really here to defend myself for liking this series but I will say that the reason I talk about and reread it constantly is because I’ve emotionally attached myself to the characters, specifically Jude and Cardan, for whatever reason. Anyways, this post serves as my own sense of validation, in that I can go back and reread this post whenever I read the series again and feel like thinking “cheers, I’ll drink to that” to my own thoughts. Also, I can link to this instead of tweeting the same things every time I reread.

I wanted to post this before How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories aka the Cardan Novella comes out because I wanted to share my thoughts before we get his point-of-view. Depending on how it reads, I’ll probably come back and add more to this point. Actually, I’m anticipating that because I’m so excited to get his perspective.

You can also read my reviews of The Wicked King and The Queen of Nothing. (Even though I read The Cruel Prince as an ARC, I never got around to reviewing it. However, I have too many Thoughts about the series in general, so this will serve in lieu of it, I suppose.)

This post contains spoilers for the Folk of the Air trilogy (The Cruel Prince, The Wicked King, and The Queen of Nothing). Please do not read this post if you do not want to be spoiled!

DISCUSSION: a deep analysis of the grishaverse

(from my tweet)

SO you’ve read King of Scars and are conflicted by the events in the novel. OR you’re tired of the Shadow and Bone trilogy being slandered because everyone prefers Six of Crows. OR you also want to discuss the complexities in the Grishaverse. No matter the reason, I’m sure you’re here because you agree with me in one of these areas.

I finished King of Scars last month, so I decided to reread the original trilogy. This sparked a LOT of thoughts in my head, and I decided to compile them into one post! Here, I’ll be examining why people consider the S&B trilogy to be lesser than SoC (when in reality, it still holds its own as a series) and unpacking how this all affects KoS. (Or: in which I get all scholarly on this blog That I Do Just For Fun, or so I tell myself.) This is in lieu of a review for KoS because I feel like a lot of what happens in there has so much to do with the events of the S&B trilogy. Major spoilers for all the books in the Grishaverse. Please do not read this if you have not read all of the books in this universe, excluding The Language of Thorns.

MINI-REVIEWS: The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare

originally posted here

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I’ll be honest, this is part-review, mostly confessional, because I have a lot of feelings and memories after marathon-reading all 6 books in 6 days. And then Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy the next day. I am so tired. So tired.

MINI-REVIEWS: The Conspiracy of Us Series by Maggie Hall

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THE CONSPIRACY OF US trilogy by Maggie Hall

originally posted here

The Conspiracy of Us (book #1)

4 stars

I’m reviewing this book two years later, so my impression is probably very different from the first time I read it.

The Conspiracy of Us is an intense thriller that takes you around Europe. Avery West has just discovered that she has family outside of her mother, and they’re kind of a big deal. Her family is part of the Circle, a secret group of 12 families that essentially run the entire world. Avery discovers that she might just be the key to an ancient prophecy that the Circle have been trying to solve for hundreds of years. But she has no desire to sit idly by, so she travels around Europe trying to find more details about the prophecy herself.

You’ll fall in love with all of the main characters, especially Avery. Her character development throughout the series is so great. There is a love triangle, but I feel like it’s handled very well. A fast-paced book with a great plot and an amazing set of characters, The Conspiracy of Us should be on your TBR list.

Map of Fates (book #2)

4.25 stars

If you weren’t completely feeling The Conspiracy of Us, I can easily tell you Map of Fates is so much better. It had such iconic scenes that I don’t want to spoil, so I’ll just say that the underwater scene and the train scene were some of the best moments of YA tbh. The characters develop a lot more in this book, and you learn a lot more about them.

Mysteries are uncovered and solved as Avery and her friends travel the world in search of the answer to the prophecy that the Circle have been trying to solve. Betrayals and plot twists unravel, and you won’t see them coming. Map of Fates is an amazing sequel that easily overcomes the first one, and the ship(s) alone will make you want to reread.

The Ends of the World (book #3)

4.5 stars

I’ve been looking forward to The Ends of the World for more than a year, especially because it was pushed back 6 months. It totally lived up to my expectations! I stayed up late last night to read it, and here I am the next day, still crying because the series is over.

I am honestly still in shock from this book. It was the best one in the series, hands down, and I completely loved Map of Fates. There’s more of the same intrigue, mystery-solving, traipsing around important landmarks, etc., but there are wayyyy more plot twists in this one. I did not see any of them coming at all, and I spent the entire book on edge.

The found-family trope is so strong in this book :’). It started to appear in the second one, but it came to full strength in this one. And I’m so in love with the ship!!! I really don’t want to spoil something, so I think I should just stop there, but ahhhhhhh my heart is so full.

The Ends of the World was an amazing end to a great trilogy. I’m sad for it to end, but I am completely happy with the way it did. Pick up this series if you like thrillers, found family, or kissing scenes.

Overall, the Conspiracy of Us series is one that starts a bit cliche, but totally develops as you follow Avery’s journey as she discovers the Circle and all of the secrets that come with it. If you like Ally Carter’s or Jennifer Lynn Barnes’s books, you’ll like this series.