Tag: throne of glass

Books We Want to be Made​ Into Movies

April 17, 2017

filmwish

Nowadays most of our favourite YA novels are being or already have been adapted for film including The Hunger Games and The Maze Runner and this Summer’s romance drama ‘Everything Everything’ which I am super excited for as the trailer looked amazing and I am a huge fan of the book. But there’s always that worry that directors and producers aren’t going to stick to the book which occasionally results in a crap movie *cough* Percy Jackson *cough*. Most of the book to movie adaptations I’ve seen recently though have been pretty good and the elements they’ve changed and added I felt have been beneficial. Anyway, this got me thinking about a few of my favourite books and which ones I’d love to see on the big screen, so here’s a few that I hope one day will successfully be made into movies!

The Queen of the Tearling – If you haven’t heard of ‘The Queen of the Tearling’, its a fantasy/sci-fi novel set in the distant future and sees Princess Kelsea battling the evil Red Queen in an attempt to claim her throne. From what I’ve heard this is a Warner Bros project and even has the backing of Emma Watson who apparently loved the book so much that she’s considering tying herself to another franchise for the sake of being involved. And to top it all off Harry Potter producer David Heyman is also on board so I have high hopes for this adaptation!

Shadow and Bone – One of my all time favourite series which follows an orphan girl in a fantasy world discovers her own magical abilities when her best friend is in danger –making her an in-demand monster hunter. The rights were snatched up by DreamWorks back in 2012 and once again Producer David Heyman, the man who saw the potential in J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter books, was attached to produce, along with Jeffrey Clifford of Heymaker Films.

Six of Crows – The Grisha world is definitely one of my favourites so there’s no surprise that another one of Leigh Bardugo’s books is on my list, I need to see this world on the big screen! I tried to look for info on a possible movie but I can’t find anything but I hope if the do decide to make this into a film then please let it be good, this is one of my favorite books, I don’t want them to ruin it with a bad adaptation!

Anna and the French Kiss – I thought I should include a contemporary on my list as the rest of them are all fantasy novels. But this is such a cute story about a girl called Anna who is sent to France for School and it’s here she meets Etienne St Clair who is just wonderful in my eyes!

Throne of Glass – Probably my favourite YA series because Sarah J Maas is such a legend who has a real gift for writing and creating amazing characters. It was announced a while ago that these books were going to be adapted for a TV Show which I have mixed feelings about as I love these books so much I’d want the TV Show to be perfect and I really don’t want it to turn out like Shadowhunters! Anyway, Hulu is developing Queen of Shadows, from the Mark Gordon Company, which will serve as a studio on the project and its series portfolio includes works like Criminal Minds and Grey Anatomy so fingers crossed its good!

I’ve got so many more books that I want to list but this list was getting a bit too long so if you guys enjoyed this then let me know and I’ll make a second post! Plus I’d love to know what books you’d like to see on the big screen, so leave us a comment!

Queen Of Shadows – Sarah J Maas

October 7, 2015

Spoilers ahead! Sorry we couldn’t contain ourselves!! And also apologies for the capital letters and thousands of exclamation marks!! We both just loved this book so much!!

Amy’s Review:

Words can’t describe all the emotions I feel for this book; it blew me away. Sarah J Maas is the queen of fantasy and has created a book filled with so much action, emotion and just pure amazingness!!!

Aelin Galathynius, Queen of Terrasen returns back to Rifthold for vengeance and to face her past and future. As she tries to save the ones she loves she must also save her kingdom by freeing magic once and for all. With the help of her friends Aelin embarks on a dangerous and dramatic adventure whilst uncovering dangerous and life changing secrets.

The plot was perfect. It was well paced and when I say there was action behind every page, I meant it! So many secrets were also revealed about almost every character which just made me scream with excitement or gasp in horror and shock. It was so dramatic, exciting and such an enjoyable read with so much going on!

Aelin is always a wonderful character to read about and with her you never know what to expect. I loved how she would sneakily do her own thing without telling the reader or the other characters so when it was revealed you felt you were right there with the other characters. She is still the ass-kicking, sassy and strong woman she’s always been and it was nice to see her develop more as a character, friend and Queen. I was so pleased when Aelin and Manon finally met, I had a little fit in my seat when I read it!! And it was so badass because they are such strong and powerful characters!

Sarah J Maas alway does a good job at creating and portraying the beautiful men in her books and Queen of Shadows wasn’t an exception. All of them are just perfect; they’re badass but kind and powerful yet gentle. At the beginning of the book, I was a little disappointed with Chaol at the but as we carried on he began to chill a bit. It was then ending though for Chaol that got me but I won’t give anything away! 

But when Rowan rucked up on the scene I nearly lost myself (again). I think I actually screamed. His relationship with Aelin is always a delight to read as one minute they all romantic with each other and the next they’re at each others throats with their humorous banter. I also loved his character development and how he slowly began to open up to Aelin and confess his feelings! Ahhh! Also Aelins relationship with Aedion was just so cute and I was overjoyed when they were finally reunited. The bromance between Aedion and Rowan again is something I really enjoyed and certainly want to see more of.

Throughout this series I have become so emotionally attached to these characters and the last few chapter I was a wreck. My heart was beating so fast and I was sensitive ball of emotion that could have exploded at any minute and that is what I loved about this book is that it made me feel like that.

This book has left me with so many new and exciting ships!!! I wasn’t totally with the whole Rowena ship but after this book I am the captain of that ship and 100% supporting it. Two other ships that were hinted in the book, were between Lysandra and Aedion and between Manon and Dorian! In my eyes these relationships could totally work and I hope they develop in the next book! However it is the relationship with Chaol and Nesryn, I’m a little unsure of and it’s probably because I have a huge fictional crush on Chaol and I think me and him would be a way better ship! But aside from that they are perfect! God, It’s all just so cute and lovely!!

I was so glad that I read the ‘Assassins Blade’ before hand as a lot of characters and references were made from the prequel so if your planning on reading it read the ‘Assassins Blade’ first. I loved that Lysandra came back but as a nicer and more mature character and I enjoyed learning about her past and secrets! If you know what I mean?! My whole opinion of her has changed dramatically and she is now one of my favourite characters who I hope returns in the next book!

Overall, I think it is clear to say I rate this book 100/5 stars it was just pure amazingness and now my favourite in the series. It was filled with action, adventure and a lot of emotions! Please just give me book 5 now! If you haven’t yet read the ‘Throne of Glass Series’ I HIGHLY recommend you do as it is a wonderful YA Fantasy which never leaves a dull moment!

Eleanor’s Review:

HOLY SHIT! IT’S GOING TO BE HARD TO DO THIS ENTIRE REVIEW WITH CONSTANT CAPITALS! However I will refrain myself! I don’t know what Amy has already written, although I know she wrote a lot, so I apologise if our reviews overlap because I am aware (from a very excited phone) that we have very similar opinions!
I’m certain Amy has already explained that this is the fourth book in the throne of glass series and has already written an overview so I’m just going to jump right into my opinion!

AHHHHHHHHAHHHHAHHHHHH!!!!!!! THIS BOOK WAS SO AMAZING! If I wasn’t at school I would have easily read this book within two days even though it is absolutely HUGE! I didn’t read the first three books that long ago so I luckily didn’t have much of a wait for this new book (I waited about a month) so I think it’s fair to say that I’m going to have a very hard time waiting for the fifth book!

Right, this book completely upped the stakes, new characters were added who I LOVED, and characters who we already know were developed and just got more and more amazing! Let’s start with Aelin… she just got so SASSY! Some of the things she did and her little schemes and plans were just beautifully crafted and were just so clever! At first I was confused as we didn’t really know what she was doing because we found out when the other characters found out, but that made the emphasis on the moment when we do find out all the more special and rewarding! She is such a good leader and has grown so much as a character, I think I’m actually quite proud of her!
On to Rowan, WHAT A HUNK! I SHIP AELIN AND ROWAN SO MUCH IT HURTS! He is just so loyal and amazing and I have created literally the perfect torso for him in my mind it’s unreal!!!!

Aedion… I just love the relationship between Aelin and Aedion, there is so much banter and there is an instant brotherly sisterly relationship as soon as their characters meet and it’s just so perfect I can’t describe. I don’t want to go on and on about different characters but I also LOVE Manon she is so BADASS! Also there are new characters like Elide who you just can’t help but love!

Okay, onwards! Sometimes the story was too intricate and complicated that I occasionally lost a thread which I would eventually pick back up but it did leave me a bit baffled sometimes. But that is purely because I was probably being a bit dozy and wasn’t paying full attention as I did read this book whilst falling asleep!
Also I don’t know how Maas did it, but she managed to make me emotional about a character I haven’t even met (because I haven’t yet read Assassin’s Blade). I don’t want to spoil it but there is a moment when Aelin visits a certain grave… I was so close to tears! Her writing is just so beautiful, I truly marvel how she can literally make you laugh and cry on the same page!

I’m so excited I don’t know what to say! I only finished the book about an hour ago so this is my raw reaction! I’m going to award this an easy 5 out of 5 stars if you’ve read the first three books then this book is an absolute MUST! PLEASE READ IT I’M BEGGING YOU!

Apologies for such a long review but we both had a lot to say!

The Assassins Blade – Sarah J Maas

August 22, 2015

Sarah J Maas you are wonderful. Again she has sucked me into the fantasy world of the ‘Throne Of Glass’ Series and hooked me with her intense and emotional stories.

The Assassins Blade is a prequel to the wonderful ‘Throne Of Glass’ Series and if you haven’t read that yet, I suggest you do as it it brilliant! It follows the journey of Celaena during her time at the Assassins Keep though various different short stories ability. It also stars Sam Cortland and we are able to learn more about his relationship with Celaena and his outcome.

First and foremost, Sarah J Maas you know how to create a book which made me feel all the emotions. The banter between Sam and Celaena was brilliant and witty and their relationship was beautiful. I’ve always been a team Chaol but after finishing ‘The Assassins Blade’ I am easily team Sam! He was so kind and brave and would do anything for Celaena! Why Sarah?! Why? It was also nice to learn that Celaena’s phrase she says when she’s nervous, originally came from Sam.

Whenever I’m scared out of my wits, I tell myself: My name is Sam Cortland … and I will not be afraid. I’ve been doing it for years.”

“My name is Celaena Sardothien, and I will not be afraid.”

Celaena’s character development was also nice to see, though it wasn’t as much as it is in ‘Throne Of Glass’ but it was nice to see her open up. But in this book she is such a badass but by the end of the book she is more caring and sensitive. I was also surprised to see that Dorian and Chaol made a brief appearance! Yay!

My favourite story was either ‘The Assassin and the Red Desert’ or ‘The Assassin and the Underworld’. I loved the characters in the ‘Red Desert’ especially Ansel and of course I loved the twist in the story which I certainly wasn’t expecting! ‘The Underworld’ for me was the hardest to read not because of the wiring style (that’s perfect!) but because of the emotions i went though. One minute I was laughing but the next I was sobbing my heart out.

I finished this book with a broken heart and at some points I couldn’t bring myself to read the next chapter because I knew what was going to happen and I was in the mindset that if I didn’t read, it then it didn’t happen.

Overall, Sarah J Maas has done another wonderful job at — me into her fantasy world and adventures. I’m so pleased that we were able to meet Sam and see Celaena in her original environment and some what comfort zone. I easily rate it 5/5 stars thanks to its intense but emotional storyline and beautiful characters.

I you haven’t already read this series, I highly recommend that you do and you can check out our spoiler free review here!

A Court Of Thorns and Roses – Sarah J Maas

June 10, 2015

This review is a little bit different from usual as after seeing Sarah J Maas at the Hay Festival we both quickly picked up ‘A Court Of Thorns and Roses’ and started reading! As we both loved this book so much, we decided to both share our opinion with you all!! So without further ado, here are our reviews…. ‘A Court Of Thorns and Roses’ is a retelling of ‘Beauty and the Beast’ as well as ‘East Side of the Sun, West Side of the Moon’ and follows the journey of Feyre. When Ferye kills a wolf like creature to save her family, she is met by a beast who demands retribution! She must pay the price and spend the rest of her life in the Spring Court, located in the land of the Fae and home to Tamlin; a handsome and powerful High Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

Amy:

Oh my this book is very pure perfection. I loved every moment and every page; Sarah J Maas you have once again hooked me with your wonderful writing and world building!! Growing up ‘Beaty and the Beast’ was my favourite disney fairy tale and I thought Sarah’s retelling was unique and nothing short of magical. I have to admit I did find myself a lot of the time comparing the events and characters to the disney version even though this book was so much more different than the disney film! The world she created was wonderful and her telling was rich and descriptive. The description of the spring court was certainly my favourite as it was so bright and colourful and a place I could only dream of visiting! I also love the contrast of spring court and under the mountain and made the darkness and the creepiness of under the mountain more dramatic! The characters I have to admit were my favourite part about this book! Feyre was such a strong and powerful woman who has amazing character development! At the start we see her as she may only be a minor character but I loved the development of Nesta who at the start was such a bitch but later in the book after she realised how important her sister was, I thought she became a better character who I hope we see more of her in the next book! Oh my cheeks are still flushed from Tamlin!! Isn’t he just the perfect love interest as not only is he caring and protective but a helpless romantic! When meeting Sarah J Maas at the Hay Festival she mentioned that there were a lot of shirtless men in the first book and even more in the second!!! Yasss! Lucien, I also loved as he helped bring humour to the book with his sarky comments and banter between him and Feryre! When listening to the talk with Sarah, she did mention she considered Feyre and Lucian to get together but I’m glad she dismissed the idea as personally I think they make better friends than lovers!! This book is steamy, I’m not kidding. The chemistry sparks right from the pages and we get some sexy times that made me swoon (Chapter 27, if you know what I mean…). I certainly didn’t expect it but I thought it was relevant to show how much Tamlin and Feyre love each other!! I can’t wait for the next book and to continue Feyre’s journey at the Spring Court and to see the aftermath of the events that occurred in this book! Overall, I am more than happy to rate this book 5/5 stars as it is a wonderful read which is very powerful and action packed as well as romantic! If you did enjoy this book I highly recommend you check out her ‘Throne Of Glass’ Series which again is very similar and one of my favourites!!

Eleanor: 

Holy shit! What a book! Now I’m going to try and say some different things than Amy because I don’t think you guys want to hear things twice… However our opinions are much the same! Unlike Amy, I’m not associated with the original Beauty and the Beast (please don’t kill me I was more of a Snow White gal). BUT this didn’t make any difference to the story at all, so don’t worry if you don’t know a lot about Beauty and the Beast, you’ll still love it just as much! I also LOVED the characters, but I also really liked the badies of this story, ehhggg I just wanted to punch her in the face! They were just SO EVIL, I love em’! This book never got boring either, you know when you get to the middle and it kind of slows down, yep that did not happen with this book! It was all go, go, go, I couldn’t keep up at some points. But this did mean that I never wanted to stop reading. So if you’re a true fantasy fan, then clear your calendar for approximately 3/4 days because I can guarantee that nothing else will get done… I don’t think Amy and I could sing the praises for this book any louder! It was honestly SOO GOOD! But, Amy mentioned this, there are some sexy fun times, so if you’re young (and I swear some of the kids meeting Sarah at the Hay Festival were about 9 which made Amy and I slightly uncomfortable…) anyway, please, please be aware. And if you are of a mature age, be careful as to where you read it… yep I was on a train… it was very awkward… I had to read discretely…. yep… I am also going to give this book a 5 out of 5 stars, it was just amazing!

Heir Of Fire – Sarah J Maas

April 30, 2015

Warning: Expect a lot of exclamation marks and fangirling!!!!

I am a fool for not reading this book earlier and I don’t think I will be able to wait till September for the next instalment ‘Queen Of Shadows’. Once again Sarah J Mass has produced a gripping and adventurous tale which I couldn’t put down. With new characters left, right and centre this book never left a dull moment!!!!

‘Heir Of Fire’ again follows the journey of Celaena Sardothian as she tries to discover who she really is as well as trying to uncover the mystery behind the Wydkeys. At the same till we again follow the storyline of Chaol, Dorian and the new girl on the scene, Manon, a witch!

Like I have said, there are so many new characters all which we are able to experience their point of view on different events. In my opinion, the different perspectives worked really well in this book as the different character voices were clear and allowed us as the reader to discover more of the wonderful world Sarah J Mass has created. Again, it also added great depth to the plot and I can’t wait till all these perspectives collide!

The addition of the character, Manon a witch, at first I thought was a bit odd and I thought her chapters and perspectives were a bit dull but soon, it was her chapters I was looking forward to the most! They became more exciting and I loved seeing her character develop; I look forward to seeing more of her in ‘Queen Of Shadows’!!

Rowan was another new and important character, who in my opinion was again brilliant. His character development was also perfect and I really enjoyed his relationship with Celaena. When we are first introduced to him he is infuriatingly patient and stubborn but as the novel continued he begins to open up and becomes such an amazing character; he is quickly becoming one of my favourite characters in the book!

Celaena’s character development was also phenomenal as in this book we see her broken, relentlessly blaming herself for the fates and deaths of her beloved ones. Her fierceness was once again awe-inspiring and I loved that she’s still the same stubborn, snarky and brave young woman!!

As for the storyline, I thought it was actioned packed and never left a dull moment; It was very hard to put down! Mass transports you in to her fantasy world and you honestly begin to feel part of the action and journey! Personally, I think that 500 pages was a bit too much but I’m not complaining as it meant more for me to read!! The writing is also just perfect. I can’t describe how much I love her writing and the multiple points of views all with their own character voice adds to this!!!

Words cant express my excitement for ‘Queen Of Shadows’ and ‘A Court Of Thorns and Roses’ as she is such an amazing author which I can’t wait to meet at the Hay Festival this year!!!! Overall, I give this book 5/5 stars, another amazing book to add to this equally amazing series! If you haven’t yet read this series *cough* Eleanor *cough* I highly recommend that you do and don’t forget to take a look at our reviews on ‘Throne Of Glass’ and ‘Crown Of Midnight’!!

What did you think of the book? Are you excited for the release of ‘Queen Of Shadows’ and ‘A Court Of Thorns and Roses’??

Graceling – Kristin Cashore

February 20, 2015

As usual, I’m late to the party. I wish i had heard about this book sooner however I have ‘Booktube’ and the lady in Waterstones (again!) to thank for recommending me this book; it was amazing! It had everything a YA novel needed; strong protagonists, unique storyline and a action-packed adventure.

Graceling takes place in a fantasy world where certain people are gifted with extreme skills called Graces. Our protagonist, Katsa is graced with killing however this makes life hard for her as for many years she has been forced to become her uncle, King Randa’s personal thug. Throughout the book we follow Katsa as she uncovers the mystery behind the kidnapping of Po’s Grandfather and the mystery behind King Leck… I wont give too much away but this book never leaves a dull moment!

Right from the fist page of the book we are thrown into the action and adventure seen throughout the book. I thoughts the idea of the ‘Graces’ was brilliant and different to what I’ve seen before. The storyline was also brilliant and kept me on the edge of my seat through the whole thing! Cashore’s world building is immense and she has drawn a vivid picture of the seven kingdom Graceling resides in which you can really emerge yourself in.

Character wise, i thought Katsa was perfect. A strong, kick-ass female protagonist who we really see develop in the book from a slightly naive young girl in to a strong minded woman; I loved it! Po was also a great character as not only did he bring humour to the story he also helps our protagonist develop. The romance in the book was more mature and very unexpected which I really enjoyed as Po helped Katsa believe in herself and overcome her fears. Their relationship is so lovely as both Katsa and Po understand each other and fall in love, without needing to end up at the altar and live happily ever after.

However my only criticism character wise was the antagonists; King Leck. I wont give too much away but he was really creepy and I wished he played a larger role in the book or at least learn more about him as we were only given a snippet! For me he was the perfect villain and needed a bigger role!

Overall i thought this book was fabulous and a must read if you liked the ‘Throne Of Glass Series’. I am happy to award it with 4.6/5 stars; a great read with adventure behind every page!

Shadow and Bone – Leigh Bardugo

January 26, 2015

How could I have waited so long to read a series that has everything I like; magical powers, war, complicated sexy men, and a magnificently flawed female protagonist! Not to mention the alternative Russian setting! I have to thank the lovely lady in Waterstones who recommended this book to me; I’m so glad she did!! I loved the concept of the book and I feel in love with the world of Grisha however i have to admit that the book got a bit boring in the middle. But apart from that it was a good book and I can’t wait to read the next one!

The book follows the journey of Alina, a pale, lonely orphan who discovers a unique power which turns her world upside down as she becomes a Grisha. With this new power Alina must learn to control it as well as trying to follow her destiny. But discovering her power comes with a great risk?

For me the first part of the book was brilliant as it was full of twist and turns which kept you at the end of your seat. However putting a negative spin on things, i thought the middle part of the book when Alina spent time in the court, got a bit dull and boring. But I did redeem itself at the end and for the last 100 pages i was on the edge of my seat as it was packed full of action.

As for the characters, I thought Alina was brilliant; a real strong female protagonist. I loved the fact we saw her turn from a shy nobody to a strong hero with a destiny that could either save or destroy the world. I also loved Mal; the boy from home who grew up to again be a strong warrior. But then there’s The Darkling who is the complete opposite! He’s dark and mysterious; what more do you want. As every other young adult novel there has to be a love triangle and is this case it involves Alina, Mal and The Darkling. In my opinion I want Mal and Alina to end up together as I think they have a much better relationship and i could definitely see them living happily ever after. However we’ve still got two books left so who knows whats going to happen…

Overall I give this book 4/5 stars was it is has everything a fantasy novel needs; magical powers, wars and a great female protagonist!! It is brilliant. If your a fan of ‘Throne Of Glass’ or ‘Divergent’ I recommend you check it out!

And just recently, I found out that David Heyman, the Producer of the Harry Potter films is planning on making this a movie! Yay!!

Crown Of Midnight – Sarah J Maas

December 20, 2014

Oh my Gosh, Oh my Gosh! This series just keeps getting better and better! The storyline and the characters were just once again perfect and the book held so many twists and turns! This ladies and gentlemen is how to write a sequel!!

Crown of Midnight carries on from the first book as we follow our Campion Celaena Sardothien as she takes up her role as the Kings Assassin. However, it isn’t that simple. In her most recent task, Celaena must uncover a rebel group as well as uncovering the mysteries around her…

With that said, I guess you’d probably like to know why I love Crown Of Midnight so much. I loved this second installment even more than I did the enthralling Throne of Glass, though it was a close call! Crown Of Midnight is a classic good old fashioned fiction and a must read for all!! There was so much action and adventure packed into this book, never leaving a dull moment!! And I am very very excited for ‘Heir of Fire’ (it’s on my Christmas List!) What did I love the most about Crown Of Midnight?! Everything!! I loved loved loved the writing style as the description and detail included help makes the world and the characters more convincing and believable!

Oh, the characters! In Crown of Midnight we still have our main characters from Throne of Glass; Celaena, Chaol, Dorian, and Nehelemia! But we are also introduced to so many more – I never knew who to trust, who was good, who was bad, making the book so much more addictive!

Sarah J Mass has created a perfect combination of original characters that you can root for as well as despise, unpredictable mysteries, plenty of romance, action and adventure and so much more. Certainly 5/5 Stars!!!!

For those new to the series, I have also written a spoiler free review of Throne Of Glass

Throne Of Glass – Sarah J Maas

August 9, 2014

Nothing beats a kick ass female heroine, some healthy competition and two gorgeous male characters! I loves this book and I really enjoyed the characters and storyline however it was slightly predicable which didn’t leave much surprise or suspense…

The book itself is about a young assassin under the name of Celena Sardathion who has been chosen by a young (and handsome) prince to compete in a competition to become the Kings private assassin! When competing she faces may difficult tasks whilst trying to solve a dangerous mystery which is haunting the castle and putting those who are close to her in danger! And of course like every other young adult novel there has to be a love triangle therefore making our heroine decide between a charming prince or a handsome guard (Personally I love Chaol!) whilst tackling these challenges!

Again I have “Booktube” to thank for my discovery of this book as I am a huge fan for fantasy and after hearing the plot line for this book… well I don’t think I’ve ever moved so fast to order anything! This book doesn’t fail to include as much action and adventure as it possibly can, making it at some points addictive!

As much as I loved this book I do have a few criticisms! In my opinion I thought the ending wasn’t great as it left me sitting a bit confused about what had happened as there was too much going on! But saying all that it does show you that this book is packed with action and adventure!

Those who loved the hunger games will surely love this as it has action and romance which make the perfect pair! Overall I give this book a 4/5 a great easy read!