ARC Book Review: The Witch Hunter by Virginia Boecker

Read from May 02 to 06, 2015

The magic and suspense of Graceling meet the political intrigue and unrest of Game of Thrones in this riveting fantasy debut.Your greatest enemy isn't what you fight, but what you fear.
Elizabeth Grey is one of the king's best witch hunters, devoted to rooting out witchcraft and doling out justice. But when she's accused of being a witch herself, Elizabeth is arrested and sentenced to burn at the stake.Salvation comes from a man she thought was her enemy. Nicholas Perevil, the most powerful and dangerous wizard in the kingdom, offers her a deal: he will save her from execution if she can break the deadly curse that's been laid upon him.But Nicholas and his followers know nothing of Elizabeth's witch hunting past--if they find out, the stake will be the least of her worries. And as she's thrust into the magical world of witches, ghosts, pirates, and one all-too-handsome healer, Elizabeth is forced to redefine her ideas of right and wrong, of friends and enemies, and of love and hate.Virginia Boecker weaves a riveting tale of magic, betrayal, and sacrifice in this unforgettable fantasy debut.

I never thought I'd like this book as much as I loved reading it now!!! I was wishing for a sequel before I even ended reading it! I was so much in love with it!

I absolutely love Elizabeth! I love the fact that she's named Elizabeth and that she's so badass! She was a very good protagonist and had the reader's liking from the first chapter!

The plot wasn't very complex or vast. Sometimes it was pretty easy to guess what's coming next, but what really had me was the characters! Boecker built her fictional characters into real - life beings and that was magical! I was so absorbed by the characters throughout, and every characters had their own distinct personality. I was so attached to the characters after I finished reading this!

I also found the romance in this book very touching. It was subtle and passionate at the same time and it was so beautiful! <3

Overall, the author should be proud of what she's come up with because this is one of my favourite witch/wizard stories and I'm so hoping for a sequel right now! I just can't get enough of Boecker's writing!

my Goodreads review

Book Review: Allegiant (Divergent, #3) by Veronica Roth

Read from March 02 to 14, 2015

One choice will define you.What if your whole world was a lie?What if a single revelation—like a single choice—changed everything?What if love and loyalty made you do things you never expected?The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.

When I was done with this, what really impacted me were the friendships and sibling relationships in the story. I personally thought rhat the romantic relationships weren't much to talk about. 

I'm not a huge fan of FourTris. Their issues that keep getting in the way of their relationship just kept annoying me a lot and I was pretty tired of their relationship in the end.

But I was really emotional over Caleb and Tris, Zeke and Uriah, and all the friendships. I was fangirling so hard when the whole 'gang' got together in the epilogue! 

Also, I found the whole concept of the plot interesting but the story was too stagnant at one point that I just went into a reading slump! 

So, overall the story was okay because of the relationships but I'm definitely not happy with the 'flat' quality of the writing!

my Goodreads review

My Instagram Giveaway Winner!

Last month, I had a giveaway on Instagram to celebrate my 1K followers on there - shocker! - and also to celebrate me leaving home soon to start uni! My good Insta buddy @patriciacrowther78 won this giveaway and she ordered a paperback copy of Salt & Stone.

Recently she received her giveaway win through Book Depository and I'm so happy to post this pic of her new book!

Also, make sure you check out her Instagram cause her pics are absolutely amazing! 

Book Review: Insurgent (Divergent, #2) by Veronica Roth

Read from February 20 to March 01, 2015

I HAVE DONE BAD THINGS.I CAN'T TAKE THEM BACK, AND THEY ARE PART OF WHO I AM.Tris has survived a brutal attack on her former home and family. But she has paid a terrible price. Wracked by grief and guilt, she becomes ever more reckless as she struggles to accept her new future.Yet if Tris wants to uncover the truth about her world, she must be stronger than ever... because more shocking choices and sacrifices lie ahead.

Honestly, I didn't like this book much when I started it because of Tris's whole suicidal thing, but it got way better once she got over it!

I kept putting off reading it at the beginning but then I was hooked when it got better! Tris is honestly a really good protagonist when she's done doing the whole suicidal stint! I love how independent she is; she's independent but dependant on people in just the right doses to make it believable enough!

Tris and Tobias's relationship is not something I'm huge about! They have so many ups and downs, and it's honestly hard to keep track of them! But I'm a huge Tris fan though because she's pretty awesome! 

Also, it's really hard to figure out who is a good guy in this book, and that appealed to me a whole lot! Tris has known most of them for just weeks; how is she supposed to know what their true motives are? 

And the Insurgent title had a whole new meaning to me by the end of the book! I actually get pretty emotional about how perfect this title is for this book! 

Then, there's that cliffhanger ending! It just blew my mind because I don't think anyone guessed that! Really nice twist there! I'm really excited for Allegiant now!

my Goodreads review

My February Wrap-up

I read 2 books, ebooks, and a couple of Weather Warden short stories this month! So, my February Wrap-up is: 

• Cape Storm by Rachel Caine - 5/5 stars.
• Total Eclipse by Rachel Caine - 5/5 stars.
• A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton - 3/5 stars.
• Divergent by Veronica Roth - 4/5 stars.

My fave Feb book has got to be Total Eclipse by Rachel Caine! It was an epic ending to an epic series! 😍