I really love this series.. It's a sort of historical fantasy mash up, taking elements of historical places, religions etc. but warping it into a fantasy realm. I'm actually almost finished this rather large tome only a few days after beginning. It's a bit less fighty and frantic than the previous three, but I actually quite like that! A bit sad I'll have to wait for the next book (already 😂), though Cameron does write with Sanderson warp speed!

Feeling conflicted. It reminds me of the books in WoT that were extraneous to the series. Lightbringer has been great, but this was Extraneous. ⭐Karris, I am enjoying her transformation immensely! ⭐Gavin, because I didn't see that coming! ⭐Andros, as this wouldn't have any forward momentum without him. ❎ Kip's POV, that didn't hold my interest at all & the constant Horn jokes! Felt like teenage soft core porn. Rename it The Quest For Vaginal Sex!

October Bookie Stats! One of the best months of reading for some time! Only one really dodgy book, and the majority were Picks \m/ Rare month indeed! 😄

Bring on November! Woot!

A nicely put together epic fantasy! It's a lengthy tome, no doubt, but Renshaw has been able to fill it out without to many lags or pot holes. There's a compelling focus on how PTSD acquired through child abuse can truly affect a characters abilities, interactions and potential to succeed - just as in real life! There's also a soft, yet not subtle look at racism. I applaud Renshaw for taking the hefty leaps! I will recommend it to any EFantasy fan

Holy moly! Back-flips, twists, right angles, and tangents! I think Lightbringer fans will be happy happy with the direction The Blood Mirror is taking! I'm at home looking after the poor Frost Beast - he has a fever and infection, so I'm keeping an eagle eye on the naughty kitty. As good an eagle eye that you can give whilst being totally engrossed in a bookeh! 😁 He is doing much better after a few shots of penicillin, phew! 😺❤️😺

Not really book related (well not directly anyway!), I've just been arting and felt like sharing... :)

Felt like a little sci-fi today.. I've been listening to this for a few days, and I'm really enjoying it's gentle way of exploring hard (for some) issues - gender fluidity, abusive relationships, galactic Refugees.. Genocide.. It's pretty amazing, the different cultures within cultures, the different directions taken to become a part of a new world.. Gorgeous stuff!

Steampunk, Cookies & Coffee! Uh oh! I found a Mrs Fields cookie & coffee shop! I don't have the willpower to resist the baking cookie smell.. And the coffee is so good.. And I can get my knees under the table (which is a 'thing' for tall wheelies)!! And I'm listening to Steampunk! Is this heaven?!? I shall never leave.. NEVER!!!!
Is that security?

Fast paced, funny, full of supes & surprises.. With quite a large helping of mayhem! The main character Nate is as hilarious as he is violent (yep, this one is pretty heavy with stuffs blowing up), and he kept me giggling throughout! It actually intertwines Arthurian legend as the fantasy element - which gives it triple points from me! Possibly one of the best in the 'bad arse blokes of Urban Fantasy' category.. Really fun, really enjoyable! \m/

This really is an audio book of epic proportions.. Not only has Jacob Cooper written a well characterised, nicely paced, chock-full of action fantasy - Kramer breathes life into it, just as he has similar books before it. Cooper & Kramer are a perfect pairing!

Unique world building, gorgeous magic system, a good mix of character POV's, and a nod to the complex real life topic of climate change - It is a multilayered and well structured novel.

Been a bit cruddy these last few days, but I've finally gotten out of the house for coffee.. Yay! Feels good to feel good! Listening to Dawn of Wonder, and it's rather funny, surprisingly.. I think the peeps walking past may think I have some 'issues' from the out loud giggling .. They're probably right! Home soon I think.. Don't want to push my 'good day' luck! 😄

Nyxnissa is very excited about her new acquisition sent by the lovely peeps at Pan Mac Australia.. She's a huge fan of Mary Robinette Kowal, so she can't wait to get started.. I'll be buying her the audiobook as well, because MRK narrates her own bookies! She's an incredibly talented performer! #catsoflitsy

The first thing that struck me, was the narrative style. It is written in the form of a long letter, no chapters, as if a friend has written to you. It's an odd tale, about an odd boy, and an odder man - however, it isn't that unusual in its orphan boy fantasy plot, which is its only real negative. It is the interactions between characters that makes this book interesting. Though they are all flawed, they are each unique & brilliantly portrayed.

Yup. I bailed. It was just so... 😴. I think I am just too old to handle teenage boys in books. My constant thought is 'Can you stop being a teenage boy for one second and... Oh, right, they are teenage boys..' (no offence to teenage boys here, I'm just an old biddy that is annoyed by everything.. GET OFF MY LAWN!). It just wasn't my thing, but I can definitely see why it's so captivating for young gals & guys!

I wasn't a fan of ToG, mostly due to the love tri swamping the book. Celaena was the vapid assassin! But, a friend insisted that I read the CoM. Maas really hit her straps here! The love-tri blends into the narrative, instead of overwhelming it - C is allowed to be a 3D character! The pacing hit its mark & all of the action scenes had consequence. The mystery held right until needed, to make the big villain reveal 💥! LEAGUES better than ToG! Yay!

The rather unnerving stare The Frost Beast was giving me during the excitement after Chaol's birthday party 😍😍 (those that have read it will know what I mean!!) Frosty, you're creeping me out with that gaze! I am actually enjoying this installment much more, possibly because the love triangle hasn't been at the forefront of the story line. Celaena has been coming into her own! Though I have a feeling the triangle will rear its ugly head again..

The only writer I've read, that can get away with writing a plotless novel. Every word meticulously chosen to make NY a multi-sensory experience, every vignette-type chapter amazing. Though the characters are total wankers, you can imagine that they are exactly what you & your cohort might be like with magical powers. There's a compelling honesty in that nihilism! This is Fantasy Literature. Or, what wizards do when they have nothing to accomplish

A good continuation of the series, w/ the focus largely on Miro & Amber. Great to see Amber really develop & shine in this. World building deepens, new lands and peoples to explore, each with distinctly different 'magic'. The only thing stopping this from being great, is its propensity to jump over sections of plot line, not giving time for a full exploration. It occasionally made the tribulations of the characters look effortless. Onwards to 4!

Out and about reading Crown of Midnight on this gorgeous Spring day! Confession - I wasn't a fan of the first Throne of Glass book. I know right? Heh! However, a friend of mine insisted quite vehemently that they get better, and that I should try again.. Apparently ToG fans are quite enthusiastic about their love for Celaena! I do like that she's book obsessed! So.. Here it goes! So far, so good...

Snuggled up in bed, nursing a wicked headache, and listening to Eric Meyers narrate A City Dreaming.. So far, it's a bat sh*t crazy urban fantasy, with a side helping of humour.. Now, closing eyeballs before they pop! Night Littens!

Just reading.. Like ya do.. I really should go outside and get some sunshine, stuff like that... *taps to next page*
😂

Oh my, what have I gotten myself into.. I've worked out that if I read it aloud, I can mostly make sense of it.. And people complain about the English language changing now.. I think it's already changed people! Keep up! 😂 #serialreader

Filled with quirky monsters, quick witted dialogue, kung fu and amazing magic. But most importantly, it's full of heart. Exploration of a mix of Chinese cultures & spiritualities, the plight of working class Chinese immigrants, and the place of women within it. It's jam packed with the diversity I've been craving to see in fantasy. Cultural, religious, feminism. It affected me on an emotional, and spiritual level. I really hope it does for others

Liked The Character Better In The Movie - Donald Sutherland as President Snow. Possibly a weird one, but I think Sutherland pulled off a pretty big feat - he made me feel a kind of sympathy for Snow, that certainly never happened when I read the books.. And if there's one thing I dislike in Heroes vs. Villains type books, it's one dimensional villains.. Sutherland gave Snow dimension.. #octphotochallenge

I actually really enjoyed this, and I think if it had've been written as a full book originally, rather than a kindle series squished into a book, it would've been a Pick. There's some clunkiness when the episodes join, and some mechanisms that would've been perfect for episodes, but superfluous in a novel. Kind of like binge watching a TV series, but expecting it to run like a smooth movie narrative. Def worth reading, just not quite awesomeness!

Literary Best Friend - This can be taken two ways, not only are they Fitz's best friend throughout all the Fitz & Fool novels, but I reckon that I would love to have The Fool as one of my besties too. They may be unpredictable, but they are loyal, loving, and truly intriguing.. One of my all time favourite characters! I keep trying to render them digitally, but I don't think I'll ever capture their true spirit successfully! #octphotochallenge

Because sometimes our default mode as females, is to project the opposite.. And in the context of this book, this sentence resonates loudly.

HP - During a uni break, way back when the earth was young, I went on a trip to New Zealand to go Lord of The Rings touring. During a tour to explore the Flight to Helm's Deep, I fell down the side of a cliff and busted up my knee badly (surgery ensued). The day after, The Order of The Phoenix was released. Knowing I am a Harry Potter fan, my Pa purchased it for me to keep my mind off my mashed up knee. It worked pretty well! #octphotochallenge

The ultimate in the 'friendly, intelligent dragon w/ human friendship w/ flying and fighting ensuing' sub genre of fantasy. Obviously the foundation stone for all of its successors in this kind of field. Yet, it still works better than most of those that built upon it! Possibly the first fantasy in its time period that allowed a female protag to shine in her own right. Anne McCaffrey was truly a Master craftswoman in this type of classic fantasy.

Tonight's Cat Butt Kindle Cradle is being modelled by The Frost Beast.. Poor boy, I do these things when he's too sleepy to realise what's happening. I can't believe I haven't read this before now! What type of sci-fi/fantasy fan am I?! I'm not sure how many books are part of the Pern universe now, but it's more than I can count on my fingers! Why is it fantasy books never call coffee coffee? In this it's Klah, another recent was Cavf #catsoflitsy

Saturday Lunch! Huddled inside out of the cold chowing down on Chicken, Pumpkin & Pesto salad w/ a side of The Girl With Ghost Eyes! Really enjoying it so far.. about a culture I know little about, but it's written in a way that is totally accessible. The audio is fantastic, because the Mandarin (I believe it is! Correct me if I'm wrong!) is pronounced accurately, rather than the mess my mind would attribute to the words. Such a musical language!

I saw monthly Book Stats are a thing here on Litsy, so I thought I'd join in! We Android users have so much to learn about this community, but the process is so much fun! This may be the first month in my existence that I haven't read a comic/graphic novel.. Not sure what's going on there! Apocalypse? 😂 Thanks everyone for the awesome welcome! May October be.. Is awesomer a word? Heh!

Has the all the same great qualities as book 1 'The Cutting Edge'. Quite a lot of exposition, but it was interesting stuff, so I shall allow it 😂. Character development is fantastic, as is the magic system, and world building. Further into the plot, it becomes much darker, and much more violent than book 1. Nothing so extreme as many modern fantasies, but it is a steep change, so just a warning. Buying book 3 as soon as credit day arrives!

There's something about this quote that chokes me up every time I come across it!! Thought I'd share..

The Frost Beast and Nyxnissa are obviously enjoying tonight's bedtime audiobook session.. Quietest they've been all day! Granted,
Mil Nicholson's voice is incredibly soothing.. Not sure what Nyx is doing though.. Cold head? Burrowing? Finding the softest spot to strike in the next rumble? 😂 #catsoflitsy

Books, saving broke people from useless microwave repairs since 1954.... Perfect height!

".. Sometimes she wished 'needed' felt less like a synonym for 'useful'."

I agree with Blue wholeheartedly..

So, I was outside, bewdiful weather, listening to The Raven Boys.. 10 minutes later the clouds rolled over, and I was soaking wet.. Didn't stop me from listening to The Raven Boys though.. Just stuffed my Kindle under my coat, and all was good.. Crazy Spring weather!

Why Hachette, I didn't know you cared so much! 😂 This is the first page of Hachette Australia's 'New Year' publicity catalogue.. Had me slightly weirded out until the next page, which shows its advertising the book Get Your Sh!t Together by Sarah Knight.. Well, at least they have a sense of humour! 😄

Anyone else seen this? It's an app called Booktrack, that adds a soundtrack/sound fx to books. I thought it'd be pretty gimmicky, but I previewed this bookie, and I'll be darned! 😵 It syncs to your reading speed very quickly, so the sound fx are timed to the scenes well. The first dragon screech made me jump, scared the bejeezus out of me! They don't have many books in their catalogue yet, but it's definitely something I'll be keeping an eye on!

I'm just about to start reading this, and so I was taking a good look at the cover... So, is it just me, or do the Raven Boys look like they could actually be a 90's boy band? The perfect combination of personas! 😂
J/k. I can't wait to hop into it! I keep hearing good things!

Ew, my Kindle is grotty 😱 Anyway! Cutting Edge is full of Imps, Pixies, Fauns, Gnomes, Dragons, Sorcerers etc - all the good stuff a classically rooted fantasy should have. However, the story line doesn't rehash the classics, nor do the characterisations! A sex crazed imp, cat eating gnomes, a burnt out sorcerer turned father, a princess that would rather do laundry than her prince.. And yet it's actually a serious novel about toppling an empire!

Well, at least it isn't a Grey Squirrel I suppose! 😂
Did anyone get something totally unexpected, or strange as a Patronus? #patronus #pottermore

Ann M Martin started my voracious reading at 8yo w/ Babysitters Club. I probably wouldn't be a bibliophile now if I hadn't been introduced to those girls.
Margaret Atwood made me realise I wanted to change my uni degree from Sci/Law to Arts/Sci when I spent every Law lecture in the library stacks reading her books, instead of learning law.
Brandon Sanderson is the only author that I must read every book he's written! Who are you Hoid?!? #3authors

Mara by Me - So, I've been digitally arting (technical term. Heh!) some of my favourite female fantasy characters. It's actually a really soothing process to give my imaginings structure! Anyway! Meet Mara from the Empire Trilogy. She's intelligent, kind, courageous, patient.. And bloody ruthless! The full pic (if you feel the need to look) is up at https://ello.co/bookfrivolity/post/no0lmjvmtwgxclkwylb5aa
#bookart

I try not to.. But I think it's part of human nature..? #quote #daveduncan #thecuttingedge

Fantasy is all about suspending disbelief, but I really couldn't keep it up with Sterling. It's very witty, which is what kept me reading for so long.. However, the relationships the lead female protag has with the male characters around her, and the decisions she makes around them, made me cringe continuously.. Unfortunately I just couldn't keep that disbelief suspended past half way..

Went for a wheel out to the creek w/ my powdog Iris (crazy mosquitoes!) & started listening to this! Powerful start! "The end of the 19th century in SF's Chinatown, Li-lin, the daughter of a renowned Daoshi exorcist, is a young widow burdened with yin eyes—the unique ability to see the spirit world. Her spiritual visions and the death of her husband bring shame to Li-lin and her father—and shame is not something this immigrant family can afford."

Ah The Frost Beast just can't help himself! Posting a review about Path Of Fate, but now it's all about The Beast.. Of course! 😂 Crazy cat be crazy..

Path of Fate is a really softly goes, feminist, travelogue fantasy. A really amazing lead female character that is torn between her duty to heal and to fight. A sprinkling of romance. Mind melding with wild animals! Flora, fauna, botanicals and agriculture. All the things that bring me joy!

Friday Night Audiobooking! Never read a book centred around Imps before.. With some interesting info on Gnome drinking habits..