euphoricbookreviews

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Keeper of The Lost Cities Book 3: Everblaze (Chapter 2 pg 16)

I find it cute how after Sophie discloses her little crush/liking to Fitz to Keefe he just changes the subject. I think it could be because of two reasons one because he already knew and he didn’t want to like talk about it anymore like he renews it wasn’t a big deal that he disclosed it because I feel as though he just lived his life knowing forgetting that she never told him that she liked Fitz. Two because he likes her and doesn’t wanna talk about it because similarly to the first one he knows that she likes him and talking about it is not gonna change anything and he would rather just move on and not mention Fitz when it comes to her liking him in that way. I find Keefe so cute when he talks about Sophie‘s crushes and her emotions when it comes to boys because he is the pitta me of a young teenage boy and crushes and gossip and stuff like that when it comes to relationships and it’s a breath of fresh air in a book full of new worldliness.

Anyways ~

- XOXO Euphoric Book Thoughts

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Keeper of The Lost Cities (Complete Book 2: Exile)

I finish the second book. Unlike the first book, I don’t have a lot of introspective things when it comes to speaking about people's characters or characters of albums and stuff like that. Mostly because the first book was introducing the audience to the characters in this one is just expanding upon that specifically for Sophie and Keefe. Obviously Fitz, Biana, and Dex are still part of it but they are more background characters kind of like her best friend from the first book more so than Keefe. The characters that did develop though were Brady and Edaline. They both grew as caregivers and parents for Sophie (to the point that outside characters were calling them Sophie‘s parents) as well as growing out of the grief, guilt, sadness Julie’s death caused them. It is interesting that Alden was absent most of the book due to his mind being broken especially since he was Sophie‘s mentor. This gave her a chance to explore other people as mentors and finding someone in the Councilor. I like Sophie‘s personal growth throughout the book we get to see her as readers as insecure then growing into feeling more secure and then at the end of the book she is fully developed in her knowledge of herself and the way she holds herself which is good to see especially based from the first book and even the beginnings of the second book. Obviously, she still has a lot more growth to do but character development-wise she did grow as a character in her own morals and the way she sees things she’s trying to see that the world is not black-and-white and that good person can do bad things and bad people can do good things and that’s kind of where the confusion with the Black Swan takes place. I believe it mostly stems from the fact that she knew that the black swan created her in a way and therefore she thought they were good but then when Grady started saying that they could be the cause of Julie’s death; she started to think of them not being as good and trying to see all the ways they did ruin/hurt/Put her in harm's way. The fact is even as a reader even someone who is re-reading the series I don’t really think that the blacks one is a good organization but obviously they’re not as bad as the rebels. I think that both organizations including the elves‘s government system is not good but again it’s a book. Overall I’ve always liked the second book reading it again I love it just as much as I did the first time I read it not just because I love seeing Keith and Sophie together but I do love the character development; And I’ve always liked second books of series I always feel like the author is able to grow the worlds they made and allows us as readers to see other things other than just introducing us to the world and I just love the second books of most of the series that I’ve read.

Anyways ~

- XOXO Euphoric Book Review

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Keeper of The Lost Cities (Book 2: Exile)

I find it funny how people/dwarves/elves keep calling Silveny a horse.

Anyways ~

- XOXO Euphoric Book Thoughts

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Keeper of The Lost Cities (Book 2: Exile Chapter 23)

I really don’t like how Alden literally brought Sophie to Exile then told her what he wanted her to do. I don’t think it’s fair for her to put her in that position, and the amount of pressure Sophie felt when she learned what she was supposed to do shows this.

Anyways ~

XOXO Euphoric Book Thoughts

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Keeper of The Lost Cities (Book 2: Exile chapter 19 pg. 180-181)

It is definitely my Keefe-Foster bias, but am I the only one who does not like that Fitz can telepathically speak into Sophie's mind. Especially because he says the most unnecessary things inside her head, like you can say that out loud Fitz, honestly Keefe is not wrong when he says that.

Anyways ~

- XOXO Euphoric Book Thoughts

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"Actually, someday you'll find that when you stop equating normal with acceptance, the two are far more similar than you think." - Alden Keeper of The Lost Cities Exile (pg. 173)

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Keeper of The Lost Cities (Book 2: Exile chapter 13 pg. 19)

Reference line: "He's not my father."

This is something that reminds me of Sophie's youth. Although she is 13 now (lol just a year older than the majority of the previous book) she still thinks very black and white. The fact that Grady did not want to work as an Emissary and according to Sophie therefore he does not want to catch her kidnappers is a really young way of thinking. It is obvious in this thought process that Sophie still has not fully grasped empathy (and perhaps never will because it could be something that elves simply are not able to fully grasp) because even though she knows how much hardship Grady went through she still is selfish in thinking. Her not claiming him as a father would hurt Grady especially after everything he did for her and went through because of her. This quote also breaks my heart because the conversation/moment Grady and Sophie were having before the Councillors arrived was so cute and definitely going in towards a positive and healthy relationship between the two. I also think that it is very rude of Sophie to not stick by Grady's side in front of the Councillors after all the times Grady stuck by hers when she was in a similar situation.

Anyways ~

- XOXO Euphoric Book Thoughts

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"Being powerful worries people, Sophie. It's unfair and it hurts, but can't you understand why it happens?" - Grady Keeper of The Lost Cities Exile (pg. 101)

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Keeper of The Lost Cities (Complete Book 1)

This is my second time reading the book/series and just finished re-reading the first book. I have a lot to say about the plot and the characters and everything. First, as you all know the book is told from Sophie's POV so honestly, a lot of what she says is biased based on her feelings at the moment, but because she can read people's minds (although she doesn't do it often) we get other people's POV (kind of) as well. The overall book was good to read again I really do like being reintroduced to a new world such as the elf world in this book especially when it co-exists with the human world (like Harry Potter and Percy Jackson). I find myself having to constantly remind myself that Sophie is in fact 12 and try to take myself back to the way I thought when I was 12. With that being said she is portrayed as being mature for her age in some ways and of course lacking in other ways. The introduction of major characters is always interesting to re-read because of the way Sophie describes and views them.

FITZ

I have to be completely honest with all of you I am Keefe-Foster biased, but with that being said I really do/did try to read the book as if it was my first time before I knew the characters or even the existence of the love triangle. The way Sophie first met/saw Fitz I think really impacted her view of him because 1. she met him in the human world before she knew that elves existed so she viewed him as exceptionally beautiful; so when this handsome stranger her in a way rescues her not only form herself as she was running away but from the discomfort, the human world gave her it makes complete sense for Sophie to view Fitz the way she does. Honestly, I feel as though Fitz does not have a backbone and really only does what his father says and this is his shortcoming. It is almost as if he lacks empathy and can't comprehend how his actions can/will affect others. Because of this, he hurt Sophie emotionally countless times throughout the book. I honestly think that Fitz's character could be much better especially since he is the oldest in the friend group, but maybe his character shows the readers how much the elves are brainwashed to believe everything that is told to them by someone in a higher rank and not question it. Fitz could be a perfect example of what elves are supposed to be like/do showing the readers why it is such a big deal that the Black Swan exists and what Prentis did was so bad.

DEX

Honestly, I find it so funny the way Sophie views Dex especially since we the readers and Sophie herself know that Dex has a crush on her. It is interesting that Shanon Messanger chose Dex to be on the cover with Sophie and on the first book at that. It is also interesting to me that by the time Sophie meets Dex she is used to elves being good-looking and is able to look past that view him the way she would view coming across a boy her age in the human world. Dex's character is the epitome of the main character heroine/hero best friend and honestly, I love that for him. I truly feel like his character has the most growth which I love to see in books. The fact that it was him who was kidnapped along with her at the end of the book because he went to go look for her shows how much he cares and how much he is needed although he does not have an ability yet. Unfortunately, solely based on the first book I do not have much to say on Dex mostly because he was very much a side-character that Sophie herself look at for comfort and convince other than his Fitz/Vacker hatred is so funny and I love the little tension it causes with her friends.

KEEFE

As I mentioned before I love Keefe's and Sophie's relationship and their first meeting to me is so cute, natural, and exactly what Sophie needed at that time. I feel as though Keefe is portrayed as a 'breathe of fresh air' that Sophie needs as she deals with so much stress around her and a constant state of being on guard and serious. Keefe is known to take things less seriously and be spontaneous in his actions (except for when he is with his dad). I think the fact that Keefe is an empath says a lot about his personality and character it shows that he knows when to stop the teasing or when he can continue based on Sophie's changing emotions. The fact that Keefe is Fitz's best friend shows the 'yin and yang' of them as people, their outlook on life, and the way they look at Sophie. I can't wait to keep reading to see the growth of their relationship. But even though I love their relationship I cannot forget 'negative's as well. The fact that he is not serious all the time is something that Sophie does not like and is, therefore, a negative when it comes to him as a character. I do have to say though I personally love when Keefe comes into the scene because I, myself, gets relaxed when he is there and perhaps I am projecting onto Sophie what I feel hoping she feels the same way, but what is a character in a book if not for me to project my thoughts and feelings on to them.

BIANA

Biana gives me Regina from Mean Girls vibes at the beginning of the book with the way she ignores and quietly watches Sophie from afar while keeping Fitz away. When she approached Sophie and said she wanted to be friends I was wary but they did seem to get along, so I just went with it. Once Sophie, and the readers, found out that Biana only became friends with Sophie was because Alden telling her too was not really a surprise to me, but when it happened was perfect for the growing tension in the book with all the problems stacking up on Sophie which truly pushed her over the edge. Biana's character does not have that much depth mostly because of the way Sohpie viewed her as someone who doesn't like her and then as a sorta friend. Similarly to Fitz, I do feel as though Biana only does what her father says, but I feel as though she speaks out/acts out more than Fitz.

ALDEN

For Alden, he is portrayed as Sophie's mentor, but honestly, to me, he reminds me of an antagonist because of the way he rarely ever tells her the full truth and constantly tells her it's not a problem even when it is. I know it's because of her youth, but the fact that it has to do with Sophie I do not think that is fair, and most readings when the hero/heroine is not told something from someone they end up being an antagonist which they don't find out until much later.

The ending of the book was interesting mostly because I wished Sohpie would go through a little bit more angst with Grady and Edaline and Fitz and Biana because I wish her being pronounced dead was not enough in a sense that if she didn't get kidnapped what would have happened. I honestly do like relationships that when problems happen and one person goes through something bad they make up without talking because that does not make the problem go away. I did not write a section for Edaline and Grady mostly because their role in the first book is sided characters who are there for her, then not, then there for her again.

Anyways ~

- XOXO Euphoric Book Thoughts

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Welcome

Hi, this is my first post for this blog! Each post afterwards will be my rants, thoughts, and analysis of parts of different books. I will put the book name, chapter, and page number in the title to warn for any spoilers, although the way I am writing my thoughts is based on the notion that the reader has read the book or at least up to the part I am in the book. I’m so excited!