Picture drawn by Maggie Stiefvater, 2009. Header made by S.F. Robertson, 2010.

Wednesday, March 30, 2016

The Shepherd's Crown by Terry Pratchett

The Shepherd's Crown by Terry Pratchett
"Deep in the Chalk, something is stirring. The owls and the foxes can sense it, and Tiffany Aching feels it in her boots. An old enemy is gathering strength.

This is a time of endings and beginnings, old friends and new, a blurring of edges and a shifting of power. Now Tiffany stands between the light and the dark, the good and the bad.

As the fairy horde prepares for invasion, Tiffany must summon all the witches to stand with her. To protect the land. Her land.

There will be a reckoning. . . ."- summary from Amazon

Though it is very sad that this is the last Terry Pratchett book the world will get to have, it is such a fitting final book and simply amazing. I absolutely loved it. I've always enjoyed the Tiffany Aching series in general so I may be a little biased, but the book seems to be written as a goodbye from Pratchett himself, bringing in all sorts of characters from the vast world of his Discworld books when the death of someone very special and influential brings everyone together, and brings the fairy horde out to invade during this moment of weakness. Tiffany is also learning to grow up, and figuring out that she can't do everything all on her own; sometimes you need to delegate or call for help, which is an important lesson to learn.

Overall, a fantastic final book from the legendary Pratchett. If you have not checked out any of his works, please do; he was simply an amazing fantasy writer.

FTC: Borrowed book from local library. Link above is an Amazon Associate link; any profit goes toward funding contests.

Monday, March 21, 2016

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
"Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price--and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone...

A convict with a thirst for revenge.

A sharpshooter who can't walk away from a wager.

A runaway with a privileged past.

A spy known as the Wraith.

A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums.

A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes.

Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz's crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction―if they don't kill each other first."- summary from Amazon

Bardugo has yet another winning series on her hands. I absolutely loved this book and really enjoyed getting to know each character, as the book switches perspectives throughout. It's a big, long book but Bardugo's prose, world-building, and characterizations make the time fly by and difficult to set the book down. I remember reading a lot of it in one sitting. It's difficult to talk about it because I don't want to give a lot away, but it's pretty much an amazing book and I highly recommend it (along with her previous trilogy). I will always be a fan of Bardugo and will gobble up every new book she puts out.

Overall, another awesome book from Bardugo. I can't wait to read the sequel, though luckily the ending was not a huge cliffhanger (which is always nice).

FTC: Received ARC from publisher. Link above is an Amazon Associate link; any profit goes toward funding contests.