ect625's reviews
62 reviews

Finale by Stephanie Garber

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challenging dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Tower of Dawn by Sarah J. Maas

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adventurous challenging emotional reflective sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Tower of Dawn was just what I needed after the emotional crush of Empire of Storms. (I did not do the tandem read.) I've been a Choal fan all along, and I enjoyed the time getting to know him better. Also, SJM needed a plausible reason/plot line for bringing in the other characters

to return to fight Erawan with Aelin

and shifting the focus to Chaol for a book was a way to do that. I don't know yet the importance that they're going to play on KOA, but clearly SJM thought they deserved a whole book dedicated to setting up their story and presence.

There are as many opinions about the tandem read as there are about when to read Assassin's Blade, and I was very satisfied with reading them separately. Because of the intensity of the cliffhanger at the end of EOS, I needed a breather before starting KOA and TOD was perfect for that. SJM is the expert on her own writing, and she knew what she was doing with these two books.

Content Warnings

Mastering the Art of French Murder by Colleen Cambridge

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funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

This was a cute little mystery that was sprinkled with a bit of intrigue in post-occupation Paris. The historical references were a surprising and interesting part of the book.

Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas

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adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

There have been storylines of side characters running parallel to Aelin's through the last few books, and they all come together in an incredibly meaningful way in this book. It's quite possibly my favorite book of the series so far.

There is a lot of debate in the fandom about reading Empire of Storms on its own or as a tandem read with Tower of Dawn. I chose to read it as written in the series and loved the uninterrupted unfolding of the story. SJM wrote each book with its specific content and pacing for a reason, and I ultimately decided to trust her expertise of her own work.

Content Warnings