FALLING KINGDOMS by MORGAN RHODES

Falling Kingdoms
by Morgan Rhodes
Published: December 2012
Publisher: Penguin
Genre: YA, Fantasy
BUY THIS BOOK HERE

The best way to describe this book to you is that it is a YA equivalent of Game of Thrones. It is so epic and amazing that you will be left amazed by the character progression and the beginnings of a huge series. I knew about 20 pages in that I would love this book and it certainly didn't disappoint.

When I had this book for Christmas I knew that I wanted to read it as soon a possible because it is everything that I love about fantasy, you have duel perspectives, battling countries and fantastically written characters.

Whilst this book tends to focus more on the characters than the world building, there is never a lack of any aspect. I knew exactly what to picture when the author was writing the scenes but I think that is because it takes the backdrop of many classic fantasy stories and nothing is totally unimaginable despite the mutterings of magical elements. Thats right, theres magic in this book as well!

The magic element was probably my favourite, it wasn't the main plot but I can tell that it will in the end be the most important factor in this series, the hints and then the stories were super interesting and The Kindred and The Watchers were unique and like nothing I have read before.

Now lets talk about characters... Cleo is one of the best characters I've read about, she is independent, head strong, a little reckless and full of passion. I throughly enjoyed her segments and I think that she has such a strong voice, despite everything that happens she remains strong and I think I may love her slightly.... Magnus is a very intriguing character, I really can't make my mind up about him and to be honest I don't think he can make his mind up about himself. He is mean and reckless and totally like his father but then on the other hand he is nothing like his father because he does feel remorse, but he still does all of these things anyway so does the fact that he feels remorse make any difference? AH I don't know, but this is why I love this book so much because no character is as black and white as they originally seem, they are complex and real. Jonas is again very complex, he wants to avenge his brother but he also has a softer heart and I think that makes him so much more dangerous and so much more threatening to the surroundings, he is also incredibly clever and brave and I think in the second book he will really come into his own.

I can't really say anymore without spoiling anything but I would definitely recommend this to anyone who is too threatened by the size of Game of Thrones, or who finds the GOT series a bit dense because this is everything that is good about GOT but in my opinion even better because there aren't as many characters, the world is not as complex and the writing flows so well that it makes it a super quick read.

5/5 STARS

*affiliate link used

THE WINNER'S CURSE by MARIE RUTKOSKI

The Winner's Curse
by Marie Rutkoski
Published: March 2014
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Genre: YA, fantasy
"Winning what you want may cost you everything you love.
As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions. One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. 
Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin. But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined. 
Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart." -Taken from Goodreads 
I must admit that what attracted me to this book was the cover, I think it could be one of my absolute favourites but after reading the description I knew it would be a book that I would enjoy. It certainly didn't disappoint. Usually when a book has a lot of war strategy in it I tend to turn off and get bored but although there is a lot a strategy it is done so well that you don't feel bored, or at least I didn't. 

The only thing that bothered me about this was the slave, Arin, he was just so unlikable and arrogant and to be honest the relationship between him and Kestrel was just really strange and not at all likely considering the situation. I understand that the author wanted us to really like Kestrel and the fact that she is so gentle towards her slaves is supposed to make us feel like she is badass by going against the crowds, but in reality she cant be that against it for the fact she has so many at her house. So the way that she lets Arin take over and act as though he is the king of the castle just seems slightly pushing it. I felt like he was the one in control, which when you consider her position in society it would be normal for her to be outraged at being trodden on, especially when he continues to embarrass her in front of her friends, surely someone who has lived a privileged life would have something to say about that. 

I didn't mind that Kestrel was so indecisive because to be honest, I think that is what makes her character so realistic, how many teenagers do you know that have no idea what they do want but they know exactly what they don't want? Exactly.  

The world building is exceptional and there wasn't any points in the book that I was confused with what was going on, which is pretty good going for a first book. There was very subtle foreshadowing in this book that I appreciated and it was obvious the effort taken to write this book which could have only been done by such a skilled author.

I felt like the writing flowed really well, the plot although sometimes slow at the start got incredibly interesting and dangerous. This is the first book in a trilogy, I believe, and I think that it has done a really great job at setting the scene and I am eagerly anticipating the other books, because if they continue at the standard of this book, it will be fantastic.

4.5/5 STARS

RUIN AND RISING by LEIGH BARDUGO

Ruin and Rising
by Leigh Bardugo
Published: June 2014
Publisher: Indigo
Genre: YA, Fantasy
*contains spoilers*

"The capital has fallen.
The Darkling rules Ravka from his shadow throne.
Now the nation's fate rests with a broken Sun Summoner, a disgraced tracker, and the shattered remnants of a once-great magical army.
Deep in an ancient network of tunnels and caverns, a weakened Alina must submit to the dubious protection of the Apparat and the zealots who worship her as a Saint. Yet her plans lie elsewhere, with the hunt for the elusive firebird and the hope that an outlaw prince still survives.
Alina will have to forge new alliances and put aside old rivalries as she and Mal race to find the last of Morozova's amplifiers. But as she begins to unravel the Darkling's secrets, she reveals a past that will forever alter her understanding of the bond they share and the power she wields. The firebird is the one thing that stands between Ravka and destruction—and claiming it could cost Alina the very future she’s fighting for." -taken from Goodreads
This is the final book in the Grisha trilogy, the epic conclusion, although probably not quite so epic. There was something about this instalment that just fell flat for me, I did find myself becoming bored and pushing myself to finish, which I didn't have to do with the other two books. However, before I start with the negatives, there were some very obvious positives, mainly to do with the characters. 

If I am being totally honest the side characters made this book rather than the protagonists, Alina and Mal and even the Darkling. Zoya, Genya, David and the Twins were all hilarious, witty and strong. They all had totally different personalities but worked well together and offering quick one-liners that brought some comic relief in an otherwise dark book. Baghra, proved to me even more that she is badass and can look after herself far better than anyone else, she is strong, rude and independent and I really appreciated her and thought that she couldn't have had a better ending, she would have wanted to go down fighting and she did. 

The world building was pretty good although not a patch on the previous two books, but in fairness at this point you should be pretty accustomed to the world without Bardugo having to spell everything out for you.  

Now, lets discuss Alina. Alina was such a let down, I really thought that she would have come out of her shell and become a fighter that the previous two books had set her up to become. But she just didn't, it seemed as though as soon as she had a spark of being strong and manipulative, towards the end this side of her became non-existent again, which is just disappointing. 

Mal is a character who I have to tolerate because I understand that he has his positives but to be honest I just think of him as a drain to Alina. Although he does start to accept Alina's power and the fact that she can do nothing about it, he just has been a character that I just have taken a dislike to for no real reason other than I just cant really see any positive attributions towards him. 

The enemy, The Darkling, whilst always being a constant threat, had very little show time in this book. Sometimes you almost forgot that he was a thing and the whole reason for the upset as I felt like this book mostly just seemed like a quest to find the amplifiers.

Finally, the ending. The ending was insufficient in making me feel like it was a good conclusion, I felt like it was all for nothing, it was too happy, too perfect and I just felt like Alina should have had a different ending. Granted it would have been the ending she would have liked but it was just so flat and well, displeasing, she was destined for great things but settled for the ordinary with a man that never saw her potential when she was at her strongest.

However, this is me being totally critical because I just wanted another ending. The book in terms of writing, character development (other than Alina), and general plot is fantastic and I would still recommend this series if you are looking for a good fantasy YA read.

3/5 STARS

SHADOW AND BONE by LEIGH BARDUGO

Shadow and Bone
by Leigh Bardugo
Published: June 2012
Publisher: Indigo
Genre: YA, Fantasy

"The Shadow Fold, a swathe of impenetrable darkness, crawling with monsters that feast on human flesh, is slowly destroying the once-great nation of Ravka. Alina, a pale, lonely orphan, discovers a unique power that thrusts her into the lavish world of the kingdom's magical elite - the Grisha. Could she be the key to unravelling the dark fabric of the Shadow Fold and setting Ravka free? The Darkling, a creature of seductive charm and terrifying power, leader of the Grisha. If Alina is to fulfil her destiny, she must discover how to unlock her gift and face up to her dangerous attraction to him. But what of Mal, Alina's childhood best friend? As Alina contemplates her dazzling new future, why can't she ever quite forget him? " -taken from goodreads

At first I was unsure about this book. The Russian names of objects and places were confusing and there wasn't any explanation about the Grisha or what Alina was actually doing in the Army, you were kind of just thrown into the story without any ground, but at about 50 pages onwards the explanations came and so did my interest with the story.

Alina is interesting, she is certainly not a perfect character, she has flaws and is a little whiney. However, she has a power that she never even knew she had and is thrown into a world that she has always been secluded from and expected to thrive, so really given the situation I can't really blame her. My biggest issue was how quickly she fell towards the Darkling, but then it is explained that the Darkling has abilities to draw you in. Alina's friendship with Genya was fun and light although I was confused about what happened to her in the end. 

The Darkling and The Apparat were some what of a mystery and the Apparat is still a question mark, but I do have a feeling that he is going to be important to the story in the later books. Obviously the Darkling's intentions are clear, I am really interested in what he's going to do next. 

I do feel as though this book gave a lot of information dumps but some didn't even explain anything and I still have questions about the world, not knowing everything about the characters is not something I am worried about as for a first book I know enough but I feel like I need more from the world. The world is interesting but I don't feel as if I can really picture it in my mind and to be able to connect completely I need to have more, but that being said it is a first in a trilogy so maybe that will come soon enough!

4/5 STARS

THE INFERNAL DEVICES by CASSANDRA CLARE

Clockwork Angel, Clockwork Prince, Clockwork Princess

by Cassandra Clare

Published: August 2010, December 2011, September 2013

Publisher: Walker Books

Genre: YA, Fantasy

"The Infernal Devices is a series of novels by author Cassandra Clare, centering on a race called the Shadowhunters introduced in her The Mortal Instruments series. The series is a prequel series only in that it takes place in an earlier time period to the Mortal Instruments series, and contains some of the character's ancestors. Clare has insisted that the series' can be read in any order" -Taken from Wikapedia

After devouring this trilogy I think that it is safe to say that it is now firmly in my top 10 favourite series/trilogies of all time. 

Honestly, it baffles me how Cassandra Clare can write these fantastic, complex character that actually communicate and have relationships that are both believable but also heartbreaking. There isn't a single character in this trilogy that I hated and not just because you were supposed to hate them, I just hated them because the were so one dimensional and boring, which was the issue with The Mortal Instruments. 

I do feel as though I cant help but compare TID to TMI because the difference in the writing and characters is astounding.  I feel as if this trilogy really showed that Clare can form a fantastic world with equally compelling characters. 

I felt like Tessa, Will and Jem, whilst being in a love triangle it wasn't as tedious as Simon, Clary and Jace because each of the characters took each other's feelings into account. For the most part I felt like these relationships, and not just the love-relationships but the friendships were real and raw and when they could they shared their thoughts. Throughout the books you couldn't help but route for them all, what I really enjoyed about this trilogy is that all the characters had their limelight, Sophie, Charlotte and Henry and the Lightwood brothers all shone in their own right and that was amazing. The villain, Mortmain, was unpredictable and constantly threatening unlike the pathetic Valentine in TMI. 

My only issue in the whole three books is that in my opinion there was a bit too much Welsh involved that sometimes felt forced and just necessary, and I'm am saying that as a speaker of the language, I just felt like it was a bit clunky, it was specifically irritating in the Clockwork Princess but that is really my only pet peeve. 

Basically what I am trying to say is that you have read any of the Mortal Instruments series and have despaired, then I would urge you to give the Infernal Devices a go as it is all of the good of TMI but so, so much better. 

All 5/5 STARS

SWEET RECKONING by WENDY HIGGINS

Sweet Reckoning
by Wendy Higgins
Published: April 2014
Publisher: Harper Teen
Genre: YA, fantasy, romance
*this will not be a spoiler free review, as it is a third book in a trilogy*

"It’s time. 
Evil is running rampant and sweet Anna Whitt is its target. Nobody knows when or how the Dukes will strike, but Anna and her Nephilim allies will do anything necessary to rid the earth of the demons and their oppressive ways.
The stakes are higher than ever, and Anna is determined that the love she feels will be her strength, not a liability. But trying to protect the ones she loves while running for her life and battling demonic forces proves to be perilous—especially as faces are changing and trust is fleeting. When the Duke of Lust sends Anna’s great love, Kaidan Rowe, to work against her, Anna must decide how much she’s prepared to risk.
In the most sensual and fast-paced installment yet, Sweet Reckoning brings all the beloved Neph together one last time to fight for their freedom." -taken from Goodreads

This is the last book in the Sweet Evil trilogy and wow it didn't disappoint. It started as it meant to go on and Anna was full of a purpose that she lacked in the previous books. The growth in her character in this book was brilliant, she is no longer the innocent, oblivious teenager that she was but a strong, brave woman. Kaidan also did a lot of growing up in this book and their relationship got knocked up about five hundred percent. I'm not going to lie I didn't think it was going to happen, I thought Kaidan would flip out and leave but nope, he stayed and manned up and did what he needed to do to protect Anna. 

A character that I haven't really spoken about in my previous reviews is Marna. She had a very sad storyline in this book and as with all of these characters she could no longer act carefree and young, if anyone I think Marna had to do the most growing up. 

Despite the impending doom that is inevitable of a last in a trilogy there were happy and heart-warming moments that I have come to expect and love. My favourite scene in the whole of this series was the thanksgiving dinner at Pati's house, it was so nice to see everyone happy and as a huge family, it made me smile the whole way through because its so obvious that they all care for each other. 

I'm not even going to discuss that death because it broke my heart into a million pieces but it was also beautiful and a true mark of the love that the two characters shared. The epilogue was also one of the most heart-warming ones that I have read and concluded the story amazingly and also leaves your imagination go wild thinking about all the possibilities.

4.5/5 STARS 

SWEET EVIL by WENDY HIGGINS

Sweet Evil
by Wendy Higgins
Published: May 2012
Publisher: Harper Teen
Gernre: YA, fantasy, romance

"Embrace the Forbidden
What if there were teens whose lives literally depended on being bad influences?
This is the reality for sons and daughters of fallen angels.
Tenderhearted Southern girl Anna Whitt was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She's aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but it isn't until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage and her willpower is put to the test. He's the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna.
Forced to face her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns?" - taken from Goodreads.

I went into this book pretty unaware of what the plot really was about and I think that helped to make me enjoy this book so much more. I have never read an angel book before that was even vaguely interesting or realistic, but this was. The characters, although showing obvious signs of extreme angst, which is understandable considering Kaidan's parentage, were pretty well developed and well rounded. 

I thought that the world building of the Nephilim world was second to none and I thought that the colours in your aura was pretty great and gave you an even better idea about characters because you can literally see what they are feeling. 

Anna is very innocent and pure, which although is necessary for the story it did feel a little bit bizarre to have a teenager so completely oblivious and nervous about situations that really aren't embarrassing at all.

This book is really hard to talk about without giving away too much so all I will say is that this was a very solid foundation for a trilogy and I can't wait to read the other books to see what happens.

4.5/5 STARS

HALF BAD by SALLY GREEN

Half Bad
by Sally Green
Pulished: 1st March 2014
Publisher: Penguin
Genre: Fantasy, YA
"Half Bad by Sally Green is a breathtaking debut novel about one boy's struggle for survival in a hidden society of witches.
You can't read, can't write, but you heal fast, even for a witch.
You get sick if you stay indoors after dark.
You hate White Witches but love Annalise, who is one.
You've been kept in a cage since you were fourteen.
All you've got to do is escape and find Mercury, the Black Witch who eats boys. And do that before your seventeenth birthday.
Easy." - from Goodreads

Now, YA fantasy books are absolutely my favourite genre and so I was very excited when this book was released and was being compared to Harry Potter, which is my ultimate favourite series. So I obviously brought it on release day and was even lucky enough to find the last signed copy at my Waterstones. Although, due to my massive TBR pile I have left it until now to read this book, I honestly wish I hadn't bothered. 

This is the first book this year that I haven't finished, that's not to say I won't go back and finish it but only because I hate not finishing a book, especially when I have paid full price for a hardcover, but I certainly wont be going back to reading it because of the story. 

Nathan, the main protagonist, is constantly abused and belittled all because he is 'half white witch and half black witch', there is no explanation as to why everyone hates the black witches so much and no explanation as to why Nathan is literally kept in a cage. It was monotonous and boring and incredibly slow paced throughout and especially at the beginning the sentence structure was incredibly strange. I assume Green was trying to create suspense and drama by using short, clipped sentences but instead it failed and completely ruined the flow of the book. 

This is without a doubt the most disappointing book I have read so far and am incredibly annoyed I paid full price for it. Although in the interest of being fair I will not give this a star rating because I couldn't make it to the end. 

SPLINTERED by A G HOWARD

Splintered
by A G Howard
Published: January 1st 2013
Publisher: Abrams
Genre: YA, Fantasy

"Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.
When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family.
She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own." -From Goodreads

I feel as though if I had had enough time to really sit down and read this book within 1-3 sittings, I would have loved it. However, as it happens that wasn't possible and it took me a little over a week to read. That doesn't mean to say that I didn't enjoy this book, because I certainly did and am looking forward to reading the sequel, when I have enough time to read it in a 1-3 sittings. 

This is basically a dark retelling of Alice in Wonderland, it is far more mysterious, dark and twisted take on the tale and I really, really enjoyed it. Although at times I did find Alyssa slightly annoying I think that was part of her charm, but Jeb, well Jeb just downright irritated me. I have no real reason to dislike him other than the fact that he constantly tried to baby Alyssa and he always thought of her as a maiden in distress, when in reality he was more often than not the character in need of rescue. 

There were times in the book when I thought things were just too easy, they seemed to escape with little trouble and all of the main 'tasks' were over within a short chapter (sometimes two) and I just felt as if there needed to be more explanation and more world building. The book certainly relies on the reader's knowledge of the original Alice in Wonderland novel as a foundation of what is happening.

All things considered, I thought this was a very good book and I enjoyed it a lot, had I had more time I probably would have loved it.

4/5 STARS

DOLL BONES by HOLLY BLACK

Doll Bones
by Holly Black
Published: 7th May 2013
Publisher: Doubleday Publishers
Genre: Children's Fantasy

"My name is Eleanor Kerchner.
You can call me the Queen.
I died in 1895.
Now it's time to play.
A chilling ghost story by the bestselling author of The Spiderwick Chronicles, Holly Black."

This book was brilliant. It is targeted for a slightly younger audience but that didn't meant that I enjoyed it any less. After reading The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by the same author and not really enjoying it, I was somewhat sceptical about this. What this book did offer that the Coldest Girl in Coldtown did not was wonderful characters that were well developed and a story that constantly kept me interested. The doll 'Eleanor' is a constant fright and if I was younger I would have been incredibly scared, it was part of the charm of the book. 

The 'play' chat that went along with the three characters added a lighter sense of relief in the book and was written so well that it brought me back to my childhood when I was playing with dolls and making up incredibly developed and well-thought out scenarios. 

I would have loved to have read this book when I was younger but I would still recommend it to anyone even if you are older than the target audience. A refreshing, fun and somewhat scary book that should not be missed.

4/5 STARS
*I was sent this book for free in exchange for an honest review*

GAME OF THRONES by GEORGE R R MARTIN

Game of Thrones
by George R R Martin
Published: August 6th 1996
Publisher: Harper Voyager
Genre: Epic Fantasy, adult
*this will not be a spoiler free review*

It's hard to write a review about this completely epic book without totally ruining the plot so instead I will do a character discussion with a few of the characters because if I talked about them all this post would be about 10 pages long.

Favourite characters: 

Daenerys Targaryen: Dany is without a doubt my favourite character in this book, and possibly one of my favourite characters of all time. I think that she handles everything she is forced to deal with in such an amazing way. It's brilliant to finally read about a female protagonist that isn't whiney and dependent on men, the last chapter of this book showed that she can survive on her own without the safety of a man. Also she is of the dragon blood! Which is obviously extremely cool. Her brother Viserys is such an idiot and I was very satisfied with his ending, he was obnoxious and was extremely abusive towards Daenerys often telling her that he would happily let all of the Dorthraki rape her if it meant he could get an army! I am really excited about watching Dany's character grow throughout the next books and hopefully seeing her get to the Iron Throne.

Arya Stark: Again Arya is another very strong female protagonist who knows her own mind. Despite being brought up to be a lady she knows that she wants to learn how to fight with a sword and I love the fact that Ned (her father) encourages her to be different and to learn how to fight despite the fact that it goes against all of the norms that are expected of noble women. There are a few moments when you can see just how young she actually is but despite this she is the most badass nine year old I've ever read about. She's extremely independent and wild-spirited girl and she is stark contrast to her older sister Sansa. Arya is another character I am excited to read about and I hope she finds safety.

Cersei Lanister: Cersei is the Queen and later the Queen's Mother and although she doesn't have her own POV in this book I regardlessly found myself becoming very interested in her character and extremely excited to hear more from her later in the series. She is incredibly ruthless and strong, she is feared throughout all of the Seven Kingdoms and is the backbone of the royal court. Her relationship with her brother, Jamie, was a little disturbing but seeing as this is from a completely different time relationships like that weren't that taboo I suppose, the only problem is is that Joffery was the result of it.

Tyrion Lanister: Tryrion is a dwarf and so in this book where being able to fight defines you as a man, he has to use other ways to make his mark in the Game of Thrones and his mark on the world. He instead uses his brain and cunning to get what he wants and to gain respect. His wit is pretty funny and even just from reading the first book in the Song of Ice and Fire series there was a large character progression already and so I can't wait to see what happens later on in the series.

As you can see the majority of my favourite characters are female, I think that has a lot to do with the fact that although this is an epic fantasy book which includes a lot of discussions about War and battles, George R R Martin can create strong and incredible female protagonists. He doesn't belittle them and he makes them just as strong a player in the Game of Thrones as any of the men he writes about and no character is under written or under developed.

Characters who I hated*
*not because they were written badly in anyway at all, just because of their personalities. I actually think that an author that can write characters that make your skin crawl are among the best.

Joffery Baratheon: Of course King Joffery had to be the first upon this list. I genuinely haven't hated a character this much since Professor Umbridge (Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix). The way he treats Sansa and the way he handled the whole Ned Stark situation made me want to punch him in the face. He didn't even have POV in this book and yet he is still my most hated character, I think that says a lot.

Sansa Stark: I hated her until her last chapter up until then all I did was roll my eyes because she is honestly the most pathetic, goody-two-shoes ever. She was ridiculously annoying and was constantly trying to get Arya into trouble despite the fact that it usually was as much Sansa's fault as hers. She just seemed so ridiculously naive, for God sake Sansa your father is about to be executed, your sister has run away, your eldest brother has called the bannermen and is marching into War and your younger brother has lost use of his legs and all you care about is your dress and your 'gorgeous Prince Joff'. Stupid girl.

So all in all as you can see I absolutely LOVED this book. It was action right from the first page, the character development was like something I have never read before and the world building was equally as fantastic. I can't wait to continue on with this series and although these are pretty hefty books averaging on about 800-1000 pages do not let this put you off because they are completely captivating. The amount of characters can get slightly confusing at the start but just use the appendix at the back and you should be fine because around the 100-200 page mark you are completely familiar with nearly everyone.

5/5 STARS

PERCY JACKSON SERIES REVIEW by RICK RIORDAN

Percy Jackson series:

by Rick Riordan
Publisher: Puffin
Genre: Children's, Fantasy

Wow, this series is incredible. I absolutely loved every book in this series, the writing is brilliant and all of the characters, even minor ones were wonderfully written and given backstories which made you actually care about what happened to them. The world building was phenomenal and there is a massive emphasis on Greek Mythology which I found incredibly interesting and added a unique aspect to this fantasy series that I haven't seen before. Although this is intended for children ages 9 and up, I honestly feel as if this (like with Harry Potter) can be read and enjoyed just as much no matter what age you are. If you are even a little bit interested in fantasy books or even Greek Mythology then I would recommend these books with every fibre of my body.

This series also comes with a kind of novella type book called 'Percy Jackson: The Demigod Files' which happens between the fourth and fifth books. Although it is not completely necessary for you to read this (I didn't know about it until after I was on the fourth book anyway, so I just read it after I'd finished the fifth because I wasn't sure where it fitted in) I think its a pretty cool addition to the series and has a three short stories that enhance the fifth book.

I'm definitely looking forward to the spin off series 'The Heroes of Olympus' which I will continue on with later in the year.

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief 4/5 STARS
Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters 5/5 STARS
Percy Jackson and the Titan's Curse 4/5 STARS
Percy Jackson and the Battle of the Labyrinth 4/5 STARS
Percy Jackson and the Last Olympian 5/5 STARS
Percy Jackson: The Demigod Files 4/5 STARS