#infernal devices is probably the best place if you don’t want to be spoiled

[bookishbloggerreviews]

Six of Crows/Crooked Kingdom -- An Honest Review

[Warning: I give an honest review that focuses not only on plot but on writing and character as well. As this is an opinion, you can take it as seriously as you want, but understand that my goal is to review, not shame or praise the author.]

HELLO FRIENDS!

I’m back with more bookish content for you, namely, review(s)! So I saw this book series was super popular a little while ago. I put it on my TBR and totally forgot about it, but recently I decided to pick it up and read it and OMGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG. 

(That stands for Oh my goodness gracious good gordy grappling grips gone... I’m just gonna end the joke there before I end up losing all of my followers in one go.) 

Anyway, it was a delight to read and I am here to review not only Six of Crows, but it’s companion novel, Crooked Kingdom! 

So before I get into any spoilers concerning either novel, I would like to take a moment and say that overall, I gave this series a 9/10. For many, this was a 10/10 read, and I completely understand why. The characters were interesting and entertaining, the world was complex and well done, and the plots seemed to make sense, with everything tying back in. So I can wholeheartedly understand why people love these books so much. On the other hand, I gave this a 9/10 because I feel like I caught a few things that other people might not have, or there were some problems with how things were presented that I thought could’ve been polished a little more. (Really, there were just parts that needed polishing and that was it. So that’s what I’ll be focusing on.) 

But anyway... for those who don’t know, I start a book with a minimum 5/10 expectation and adjust my scores from there. So clearly I highly enjoyed the book, and there’s not much else to say about that. 

Now moving onto spoilers! 

(But stop, because if you haven’t read these books then you might spoil a lot more for yourself than you wish and you’ll regret reading this if you haven’t. If not, continue on, fellow Dreg!)

[WARNING: SPOILERS]

(Also, in tribute to how I imagine Kaz would look, I will use nothing but Andy Biersack GIFS. You’re welcome.)

Starting off with Six of Crows... there seems to be a major debate going around about whether Six of Crows was better or if Crooked Kingdoms took the crown. And I would be lying if I said I didn’t have my own opinions about this. My conclusion: Six of Crows was the better book, while Crooked Kingdoms was the better romance. (And yes, you can separate these things.) 

One of the interesting things about having a character like Kaz Brekker is that Kaz keeps company who he qualifies as worth keeping. Having said that, you have to place a value on each of the characters and determine who Kaz really would keep around or not. Inej has immense value, as Kaz can let down his guard around her and expect her to keep every one of his secrets. Nina has value, not only as a soldier, but as a healer, and furthermore, as someone Kaz can manipulate. Jesper has some value as a sharpshooter, but his value lies more in the fact that he’s a fabricator hidden in sight. He’s also easily manipulated, and while somewhat more of a wild card, still easy to account for. Wylan even offers a big asset seeing his heritage and his skill set. But I always struggled to discover what purpose Matthias served. 

Now in Six of crows, he has a pretty clear purpose, at least, for half the time. His skill set is weak, and his ability to make choices is ridiculously questionable, but he at least has the knowledge that one needs to get into this frozen fortress. But once we enter the Crooked Kingdom, Matthias has no purpose. He’s chosen not to return to being a soldier, he can’t commit crimes to save his life, he can’t blend in, he can’t spy, he can’t fight well, he has no expertise in weapons, his whole purpose seems to be centered around Nina. “Fight for Nina, protect Nina, help Nina.” At which point Matthias becomes less of a character and more of a plot device. 

And while I understand we are having an arc of Kaz Brekker essentially becoming more and more human and less and less “Dirtyhands, Bastard of the Barrel”, Kaz wouldn’t keep Matthias around for one more second than necessary, other than to placate Nina. (And given how Matthias seems to have little interest in money, this seems even truer.) 

(And many of you might say: well this is Matthias’s time to overcome his prejudices and show people of previous prejudices they can do so to! It’s an important arc to his character! Well, the problem is... he’s hardly a character. Take away that one train of thought and all you have left is “Nina this, Nina that, Nina, Nina, Nina.” Get what I mean?)

So, in that aspect, I believe that Six of Crows is better written when it comes to the characters dynamic, give/take relationships. 

There’s one other thing that I believe helps define Six of Crows as the better book, are we get more of a look at the plot and what’s going to happen than Crooked Kingdom. I don’t know about you, my friend, but I’m getting really tired of the whole, “there’s a plot! I’m just not going to let you in on any of it because then you’d already see the whole thing and I can’t make up for it in writing!” Style of plots. It’s obnoxious and I feel rather patronized for the writer to feel that they need to spell out the entire plot for me to understand what is occurring. That or that the writer can’t trust themselves not to spoil the plot before the plot actually unfolds. 

Either way, you’re either mocking your reader or showing that you can’t figure out how to write your own story in such a way that both teases the mind while satisfying the need for the plot to be discovered. 

Now you’re probably sitting there either thinking “great, but what about Crooked Kingdom? What about that? What’s good about that?” And all I can say is ROMANCE. 

Crooked Kingdom does have a great plot, and I don’t want to make it sound like the only thing in the book is romance, but honestly, it’s one of those things where you come for the plot and you stay for the romance. 

The plot, while interesting, was a little overwhelming. If you weren’t paying attention, you’d miss a bunch of the tiny little details about what’s actually going on and the implications that those actions have. Then, next thing you know, you’d be reading about how Jesper suddenly has the ability to control the bullets he shoots. 

But the romance, on the other hand, was very well paced. (The whole Nina and Matthias thing just felt a little bit like wasted potential but otherwise...) 

KAZ AND INEJ: I’VE RARELY READ SUCH GOOD ROMANCE THAT ACCURATELY PORTRAYS PTSD WITHOUT MAKING IT SO DRAMATIC AND UNBELIEVABLE, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME NOT SAYING THAT LOVE CAN CURE MENTAL DISORDERS. 

Plus~

WYLAN AND JESPER ARE SLOWLY BECOMING THE BEST THING FOR EACH OTHER AND I AM HERE FOR THE OTHER TRYING TO MAKE THE OTHER PROUD. WHAT A GREAT SHIP THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. 

Literally, I cannot think of such few ships that have automatically topped my OTP within 2 books. I can’t. Not even the Infernal Devices ever achieved that and they’re a powerful duo. For me, I tend to see a regression of most of my popular ships on book two. Yet these couples are going strong, and with the promise of a third book, I can’t wait to see where they go next. 

So... overall. Unpopular opinion: Matthias was a bit of a wasted character, and because Nina’s story was so heavily tied to his, I found it to slowly slide into the problem category as well. Another unpopular (or maybe highly popular?) opinion: Kaz Brekker is a great character. But not because he murders people, but because he is consistent in his actions, feelings, and thoughts and is not glorified to be this abusive jerk, but rather, wonderfully horrible person. He’s actually horrible, but he’s an interesting kind of horrible that makes me want to keep reading. 

Until next time... 

A Bookish Blogger Out!

[buttermybooks]

Happy Holidays!

This year we decided to do something a little different over here at Buttermybooks! Shopping for friends and family can be a little tricky so this year we wanted to help you out! Our theme this year is “wanderlust” and we have asked our favorite bloggers to share the items that they consider a “must-have” while traveling. This list is incredible and I am so excited to finally be able to share it with you! Let me know which item you are most excited for! Be sure to follow all of our lovely guests and share with your friends! Happy Reading <3

@IFREAKINLOVEBOOKS | CLICK TO SHOP BOOKBEAU

Carol is a 27 year old bookstagrammer and blogger, she can be found crying over Outlander or rereading The Infernal Devices for the 1000th time. Don’t spoil Game of Thrones for her unless you’re prepared to die.

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Vilma Iris Gonzalez is a marketing professional by day, book and lifestyle blogger by night, and working mom always. Since 2013 she’s been focused on building a community of people who love to be on trend and in the know—whether it comes to books, style, home or beauty.

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A twenty something from Tennessee, Summer Webb is an avid adventurer and pizza connoisseur who loves bad horror movies, good books, hot coffee.

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Natasha →  penguin by day | blogger 24/7 -- just a book person recommending you hot drinks & hotter reads!

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 A 20-year-old Cuban-American girl studying journalism. When she’s not writing articles for her classes, you can probably find her devouring a novel or watching a classic film.

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Aside from the occasional trip out of state, Haley really began traveling for the first time at the age of seventeen. She has always had a strong desire to explore places that are new and exciting. She also enjoys revisiting some of her favorite areas that she has been to thus far.

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@ALEXBRACKEN | CLICK HERE TO SHOP TRAVEL JEWELRY BOXES

Alexandra Bracken was born and raised in Arizona. The daughter of a Star Wars collector, she grew up going to an endless string of Star Wars conventions and toy fairs, which helped spark her imagination and a deep love of reading. After graduating high school, she attended The College of William & Mary in Virginia, where she double majored in English and History. She sold her first book, Brightly Woven, as a senior in college, and later moved to New York City to work in children's book publishing, first as an editorial assistant, then in marketing. After six years, she took the plunge and decided to write full time. She now lives in Arizona with her tiny pup, Tennyson, in a house that's constantly overflowing with books.

Alex is a #1 New York Times bestselling and USA TODAY bestselling author. Her work is available across the world in over 15 languages.

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30- something. Pearl Jam Fan. Metal head. Mom. Liberal. Traveler. Photographer. Will work for Tim Tams.

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Zoraida Córdova is the author of urban fantasies The Vicious Deep trilogy and the Brooklyn Brujas series. Her short fiction has appeared in the New York Times bestselling anthology, Star Wars: From a Certain Point of View. Zoraida’s most recent release, Labyrinth Lost, won an International Latino Book award, was named a Best Book of 2016 by Paste Magazine and has been optioned by Paramount Studios.

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Justine is the owner and creative mind behind The Bookish Box. She is an avid coffee drinker, mother, and kickass boss lady!

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[gleeksfreaksandwannabes]

11 Tag

I was tagged by the lovely @fromprincess2veganess! Thanks love!

1. What is the rarest color on your bookshelf? Green, only Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince is that color!


2. What’s a genre you have never read (and why)? I took literature through high school and university, so I’ve read quite a few genres, but I would say I’ve never decided on my own time to read horror or thriller, I’m one of those Young Adult/Romance/Fantasy not so teenage girls, I’m not very adventurous!


3. Is there a really expensive book or edition of a book that you would love to have (if so, what is it?)? My Infernal Devices don’t have the same cover style as my Mortal Instruments ones, which kind of bugs me, so I guess I’d like to update those, I’d probably also want to get soft cover editions of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows and Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy, just because I take books everywhere with me and I’m afraid to wreck them!


4. Have you ever picked up a book because it was mentioned in a movie/show/book? I actually don’t think I have! I kind of want to read Little Women, but that episode of FRIENDS where Joey and Rachel swapped books kind of spoiled it for me.


5. We all have love stories we’re tired of, but what’s a love story you would love to read? I actually have no idea! I loved Where Rainbows End, so I probably want to read PS I Love You by Cecelia Ahern, or something else of hers.


6. What’s the coolest place you’ve ever read in/at? From memory, it’s probably something like on a plane or train overseas or something, but I like to be in my room, usually in bed and in utter silence!


7. What language do you predominantly read in? English


8. What’s the best book you had to read for school? Oh god, my memory is crap! Umm probably Jane Eyre?

9. Is there a book you would like to read but that intimidates you a bit? Any of the classics I think, I would love to read them, but I’m worried I’ll get tired or they’ll be too long or old or something, but I feel like I have to read them too? I can’t really explain it.


10. Finish this sentence: The perfect bookshelf is… Filled with loved (maybe hand me down or just family favorites) and new books, all placed so that they’re not all different heights, with just enough creases in the spine to know that they’ve been loved over and over but not mistreated.


11. Is there a poem you really like? Which one? I read a lot of Adrienne Rich’s poetry in high school, which I really liked, and also William Blake’s works in Songs of Innocence and Songs of Experience.

I’m tagging anyone who wants to do this!

[bakechochin]

Book Reviews - Railsea

Railsea - China Mieville - In the spirit of ‘new year new me’, I decided to begrudgingly give Mieville another shot, and I found it perfectly readable but no better than the other Mieville works I’ve read - So straight off this world is fucking awesome, and more importantly is consistent within itself -> Like obviously I’m a great fan of the usual Mieville weirdness, but the shit in Kraken seemed incongruous with the London setting and Perdido Street Station was just an infernal clusterfuck -> This book, by contrast, presents a weird setting with down-on-their-luck nomads hunting giant fuck-off moles (and occasionally other animals), but because that’s the whole vibe that the world is going for, it works a lot better than something like Perdido Street Station, which didn’t have an overall vibe as much as it just had a bunch of kooky concepts thrown together in one mishmash gallimaufry - It’s a young adult book, but I wasn’t too fussed because a) I’ve read other enjoyable YA books in the past and b) if Mieville’s attempts at writing adult fiction include the kind of repulsive gratuitous shit we got in Perdido Street Station, I’ll happily opt out of that -> The limitations of the young adult subgenre that I was anticipating didn’t really negatively affect all that much to be honest; there’s still violence but gratuitous gore is replaced with brief and ambiguous descriptions of injuries, and because of the protagonist’s own innocence, more salacious subjects never really come into play, so I’d say it works out quite well - I really fucking loved the Moby Dick allusions in this book, and I love how it cranks that shit up to eleven; sure, Moby Dick had one captain Ahab, but in this book, every fucking captain is an Ahab, so hell yeah I’m down with reading everyone’s crazy stories about those bastard animal nemeses - What’s more, the dramatic fights and encounters with giant moles, whilst few and far between, are fucking, and I mean fucking amazing, especially the last climactic fight against Mocker-Jack which I will not spoil the specifics of because it’s easily the best fucking part of the book - Mieville irritates me because even though I’m generally averse to his work, there are recurrent themes in his work which I love; this book does a better job at handling the idea of industry in place of religion than Perdido Street Station (which I thought was kind of silly and a bit of a deus ex machina regarding how it resolves some of the more farfetched elements of the plot), and I fucking love Mieville’s particular brand of made-up slang, which in this book gave us words like ‘diggiters’ and ‘spinecandy’ - The ending was infinitely better than the endings of other Mieville books I’ve read; aye it does have the same problem of trying to resolve matters really quickly, but it was quite nice and hopeful for the future of the characters, and was a relatively satisfying way to end the book - I always bitch about stuff like this, and I don’t want to seem like a shitty reader because I can’t remember names, but this book really takes that complaint and runs miles with it; as cool as it is that all the names in this book are unique and nothing like real-like names, it makes it a bitch to try and remember them all, especially when right at the start you’ve suddenly got the names of eight fucking people of seemingly varying levels of importance thrown at you, and it was a bitch at first trying to remember them all -> And then as the plot progressed, I realised that ultimately none of them are that important, with any of them being able to feasibly perform any role, and what little character development these side characters go through is kind of irrelevant when all the side characters are pretty much interchangeable - Mieville’s wanky metanarrative began to really piss me off as the book went on; like I was already kind of on the precipice, like not fully engrossed in the story, and I wanted to try to get more into it but the flow kept on getting interrupted by Mieville just spouting some shit like ‘oh man look at all this story stuff going on, oh shucks I wonder what these other characters are doing’, and it really took me out of the story - The pacing was pretty notably off in the book, which kind of links in with some of the other points here but is ultimately prevalent throughout, and for all the interesting bits there were just as many monotonous bits with not a whole lot going on - I has a few problems understanding the importance of the family behind the world-changing plot devices that the blurb boasts of, because ultimately they don’t seem like major players in the overall world with their achievements being understated or only mentioned vaguely, and the family members who are still alive not really becoming relevant until a good one hundred and fifty pages in -> Like yeah it’s established that they’re looking for the end of the world or some shit, and the characters seems to think that this is like the coolest thing ever, but I didn’t really understand the significance of finding this when ultimately most people in the world think it’s a myth and therefore shouldn’t really give a shit about it - This is the most petty minor complaint I can give, but it pissed me off that Mieville doesn’t use the word ‘and’ in this book, but instead uses the ‘&’ symbol constantly, and even tries to contrive some bullshit reasons as to why this is the case in the context of this world - stop doing this Mieville, don’t be a shit -> I could probably use this very petty example as an overarching reason as to why I don’t like Mieville’s work as a whole; these incredibly simple and inconsequential things in his works are given such complex and wholly unnecessary and totally shite explanations, and I don’t want to read chapters just chatting shit about how the serpentine look to the ‘&’ symbol reflects all aspects of this world - 6.5/10

I have a load of other book reviews on my blog, check that shit out.