In 2017, I counted Caraval to my favourites of the year. It’s no wonder that I was super excited for the sequel. Thus, it’s with a heavy heart that I’m rating it 3 out of 5 stars. The problem for me was that Legendary was more of the same. Now, more of the same should be a great thing if you loved the original. So what went wrong?
CHILDREN OF BLOOD AND BONE by Tomi Adeyemi
This book, this book, this book!!! Children of Blood and Bone was such a treat to read. Right from the start, the stakes are high. With each chapter, they get even higher. Whenever I thought the plot would plateau, I was wrong.
REBEL OF THE SANDS by Alwyn Hamilton
The first 200 pages were not written well. I was bored and felt growing discomfort with the mangled Middle Eastern culture this fantasy book was premised on. At least the next 150 odd pages picked up a little in terms of plot and also storytelling, so I didn’t end up thoroughly hating Rebel of the Sands. Still, this book has so many problems, I’m relieved I didn’t order the sequels before finishing this one first.
EVERLESS by Sara Holland
Premise-wise, Everless was one of the most original books I’ve read in a long time. It was very intriguing, to say the least. It presented a world where life and blood are currency. I loved this idea and really enjoyed how it was integrated into the story. It was ruthless. I think the details were very well thought-out, especially when it came to how the rich exploited the poor. I also liked the legends that were incorporated and how they pulsed through the lives of the characters.
BECAUSE YOU LOVE TO HATE ME edited by Ameriie
When I first heard of this anthology, Because You Love to Hate Me, I was extremely excited. The idea sounded so enticing and I couldn’t wait to see how the various authors would approach their prompts. With so many great people working on this, I couldn’t wait to be wowed. Needless to say, this belonged to my most anticipated reads of 2017. Sadly, I walked away with mixed feelings.
