My May Reads

All the books I have managed to read during this busy month!

Here are all my May reviews:

1. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
2. A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson
3. An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson
4. The Glittering Court by Richelle Mead
5. Heir of Blood and Secrets by Linda Xia

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Themes: YA fantasy, assassin, Fae

My rating: 5/5

Synopsis:

In a land without magic, where the king rules with an iron hand, Celaena, an assassin, is summoned to the castle. She comes not to kill the king, but to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she is released from prison to serve as the king’s champion.

The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. But something evil dwells in the castle of glass—and it’s there to kill. When her competitors start dying one by one, Celaena’s fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival, and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world. 

Quick review: A new favourite! I cannot wait to read the next volumes to discover more about Celaenna. I was very pleased with how her character was balanced between her young age and her status as the deadliest assassin in the kingdom. Even if the plot is quite simple at the moment, I expect it to become increasingly more complex as the series goes on.

A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

Themes: YA, mystery/thriller

My rating: 5/5

Synopsis:

The case is closed. Five years ago, schoolgirl Andie Bell was murdered by Sal Singh. The police know he did it. Everyone in town knows he did it.

But having grown up in the same small town that was consumed by the murder, Pippa Fitz-Amobi isn’t so sure. When she chooses the case as the topic for her final year project, she starts to uncover secrets that someone in town desperately wants to stay hidden. And if the real killer is still out there, how far will they go to keep Pip from the truth? 

Quick review: A very good mystery, which can be read as a standalone even if it’s a series. The heroine remains credible in her role as the schoolgirl trying to be a detective and the mystery was complex enough to surprise me!

An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson

Themes: YA fantasy, fae, romance

My rating: 5/5

Synopsis:

With a flick of her paintbrush, Isobel creates stunning portraits for a dangerous set of clients: the fair folk. These immortal creatures cannot bake bread or put a pen to paper without crumbling to dust. They crave human Craft with a terrible thirst, and they trade valuable enchantments for Isobel’s paintings. But when she receives her first royal patron—Rook, the autumn prince—Isobel makes a deadly mistake. She paints mortal sorrow in his eyes, a weakness that could cost him his throne, and even his life.

Furious, Rook spirits Isobel away to his kingdom to stand trial for her crime. But something is seriously amiss in his world, and they are attacked from every side. With Isobel and Rook depending upon each other for survival, their alliance blossoms into trust, perhaps even love . . . a forbidden emotion that would violate the fair folks’ ruthless laws, rendering both their lives forfeit. What force could Isobel’s paintings conjure that is powerful enough to defy the ancient malice of the fairy courts?

Isobel and Rook journey along a knife-edge in a lush world where beauty masks corruption and the cost of survival might be more frightening than death itself.

But becoming the Queen Crowned isn’t solely a matter of royal birth. Each sister has to fight for it. And it’s not just a game of win or lose…it’s life or death. The night the sisters turn sixteen, the battle begins.

The last queen standing gets the crown. 

Quick review: Seems that I read a lot of great books this month! Even if the plot remains quite simple, I loved following Isobel’s adventures! Perfect for the fans of Holly Black and Sarah J. Maas!

The Glittering Court by Richelle Mead

Themes: YA fantasy, romance

My rating: 2.5/5

Synopsis:

Big and sweeping, spanning from the refined palaces of Osfrid to the gold dust and untamed forests of Adoria, The Glittering Court tells the story of Adelaide, an Osfridian countess who poses as her servant to escape an arranged marriage and start a new life in Adoria, the New World. But to do that, she must join the Glittering Court.

Both a school and a business venture, the Glittering Court is designed to transform impoverished girls into upper-class ladies who appear destined for powerful and wealthy marriages in the New World. Adelaide naturally excels in her training, and even makes a few friends: the fiery former laundress Tamsin and the beautiful Sirminican refugee Mira. She manages to keep her true identity hidden from all but one: the intriguing Cedric Thorn, son of the wealthy proprietor of the Glittering Court.

When Adelaide discovers that Cedric is hiding a dangerous secret of his own, together they hatch a scheme to make the best of Adelaide’s deception. Complications soon arise—first as they cross the treacherous seas from Osfrid to Adoria, and then when Adelaide catches the attention of a powerful governor.

But no complication will prove quite as daunting as the potent attraction simmering between Adelaide and Cedric. An attraction that, if acted on, would scandalize the Glittering Court and make them both outcasts in wild, vastly uncharted lands…

Quick review: A book I almost DNF with a questionable argument, an uninteresting plot and characters…

Heir of Blood and Secrets by Linda Xia

Themes: YA, dystopia, murder mystery

My rating: 3.5/5

Synopsis:

“We’re all complicit in things we regret. Sometimes, we just do what we must.”

In the city-state of Devovea, behind the walls of the Castle, Scylla Delevan waits for a chance to prove herself. When a Magistrate is murdered and her father stands accused of the crime, she eagerly sets out to prove his innocence. As she races to find the real killer before it is too late, she begins to unearth dangerous secrets that could throw the fragile balance of her city into chaos. In too deep to turn back, Scylla is forced to question all she has ever known and choose between what is expected of her and what is right.

Family loyalty and personal beliefs collide as Scylla navigates a dystopian world divided by race and gender. Heir of Blood and Secrets will challenge you to consider how far you are willing to go—and what you are willing to sacrifice—to forge a better world.

Quick review: While I usually don’t like dystopias, I enjoyed this book. Do not expect something groundbreaking since it is using the usual tropes of the genre but the murder mystery is quite interesting since it is meddling with the world and its politics.

Re-read: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (yes, again)

I hope you read great books this month too!

Note: Most synopses are taken from Goodreads.