For better or for worse, the UK book cover of Defy the Stars isn’t befitting of the story. Romance isn’t central to the plot. The overarching theme was what constitutes humanity, which I thought was explored exceedingly well in this book. It was also about sacrifice to save others and the chase to live forever.
THE HERO OF AGES by Brandon Sanderson
With such a stellar conclusion to the first Mistborn trilogy, The Hero of Ages has firmly established itself as one of my favourite books. The trilogy consistently wowed me and I can’t stop emphasising the sheer brilliance of it. There is no other trilogy in which I rated all three books with 5 stars. That’s why I’m absolutely glad I picked it up despite my initial reservations. Thanks to these books, I have made it my quest to read Brandon Sanderson’s other works. He’s clearly a master plotter dedicated to his craft. There’s something to be said about the complexity of the worlds he’s capable of building.
ASSASSIN’S HEART by Sarah Ahiers
Assassin’s Heart wasn’t a book that I had prioritised to read. The reason I got to it so soon after publication was that I had the maximum 6 credits on my Audible account. In order not to forfeit any credits, I had to spend one before the new cycle. Since Assassin’s Heart was the only book available as an audiobook from my TBR (to be read) pile among the titles I didn’t own, I went for it. Essentially, I went in without any set expectations.
VICIOUS by V.E. Schwab
Going into books blind, particularly books like Vicious, can be infinitely thrilling. You enter unexplored land and everything is new. You don’t follow the tracks paved by expectations built upon the reading experiences of others. The cover states that it’s “a twisted tale of ambition, desire and superpowers”. It’s very correct in that description. That’s your starting point if you’re up for a thrill. If that’s you, then go on, pick up the book, read it and return to my review later to share your excitement. Now, if you’d rather know what you’re getting yourself into, read on.
CLEAN by Amy Reed
Clean is a book that thoroughly surprised me. Firstly, I thought this book would be about mental illness. Actually it’s about addiction. I should’ve realized that before I started reading but as usual, I hardly glanced at the synopsis. Secondly, I was impressed with how the characters were portrayed in terms of depth, development and voice. Best of all, I was amazed by the writing style. It was on the experimental side, which I hadn’t expected.
