Yep. I caved. After last week's anime episode, how I could I not? AND I HAVE NO REGRETS.
My face throughout every batshit crazy scene that went down here Yep. I caved. After last week's anime episode, how I could I not? AND I HAVE NO REGRETS.
My face throughout every batshit crazy scene that went down here (aka ALL THE SCENES THAT WENT DOWN HERE):
Since my brain is still a cacophony of 1's and 0's and !!!!!!'s and fUCK's, I thought I'd walk you through it imy heart. is going to. E X P L O D E.
Since my brain is still a cacophony of 1's and 0's and !!!!!!'s and fUCK's, I thought I'd walk you through it in gif form:
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And that about sums up what Illuminae will do to you. Are you ready? Probably not. It's a motherfucking zombie apocalypse in outer space.
Do it anyway.
Even if the wikipedia-like texts and dossier narrative style turns you off. Especially if they do, because believe me you, I was in that same boat as you and now my mind's been blown in two.
Have a blast! Literally.
P.S. You may want to brush up on your collection of swear words beforehand, chum. You'll see why. __________________
Book Song: Synthetic Epiphany - Rebirth __________________...more
I SALUTE ANYONE THAT HAD TO LIVE MORE THAN AN ENTIRE YEAR DANGLING OFF THAT BRUTAL CLIFFHANGER OH MY HOLY FUCK
Remember when I called A Darker Shade ofI SALUTE ANYONE THAT HAD TO LIVE MORE THAN AN ENTIRE YEAR DANGLING OFF THAT BRUTAL CLIFFHANGER OH MY HOLY FUCK
Remember when I called A Darker Shade of Magic a slow-burner? HA. Well. This one just burns you alive and makes you enjoy every fiery second of it. WHAT A RIDE.
I'm far too impatient to get on with the next book, so here's a random assortment of my thoughts and feelings on this glorious work of new adult literature...
(((kindasorta spoilers incoming)))
Things I thought I wouldn't like:
• Lila and Kell being separated for the most part • New major characters aka Alucard Emery • The descriptive writing style and pace • Scenes in White London
Things I liked:
• Lila and Kell being separated for the most part • New major characters aka Alucard Emery • The descriptive writing style and pace • Scenes in White London
It's amazing really. Waiting for the release of A Conjuring of Light wasn't the only thing that held me back from starting this ages ago— oh no, it was knowing that Kell and Lila wouldn't actually be seeing each other for the better part of the book that takes all the credit for that.
And yet here I am, loving this sequel so much more quite possibly just because of that. It's not that I didn't miss or crave our favorite duo's crazy adventures together again, just as much as they probably must have themselves. (In fact, V Schwab better have a whole lotta that in store for us next!) But as they say, distance makes the heart grow fonder and the same is true for my fickle reader's heart. Because when the time finally comes for them to reunite, it's not with a crackle, not with a sizzle, but with a BANG. If this were Instagram, this would be about an appropriate time to implement the use of the #worthit hashtag.
And don't even get me started on the charming bastard of a pirat—*cough* privateer that goes by the name of one Alucard Emery.
~swoooon~
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Here's a little something to help show how I feel about our newly sailed ship:
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And here's reasons to love Lila 101:
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There's no need to supply reasons to love Kell because that's simply a universal fact, of course. (FIGHT ME ON THIS I DARE YOU)
Bonus fan art because they're just really fucking cool and beautiful and a million hugs and kisses to the artists that created them whoever you wonderful humans are:
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And finally. White London. THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I'D WANTED AND HOPED FOR AND I AM SO HAPPY BUT ALSO NOT HAPPY BECAUSE COULD EVERYONE JUST LEAVE MY POOR BBY HOLLAND ALOOONE D':
All I can say is V. E. Schwab's writing goes beyond measure for me this time round and I am sold by her compelling storytelling style. Sign me up for anything this woman writes!...more
Leigh friggin' Bardugo. You really, truly outdid yourself with this one. Never in my life have I been mo*heaves deep breath in*
Where do I even begin?
Leigh friggin' Bardugo. You really, truly outdid yourself with this one. Never in my life have I been more severely anxious over a novel than this right here— would it live up to the hype's madness? Could it surpass the sheer awesomeness that was Six of Crows? Will anything ever compare? Was I just digging my own grave of unfulfilled hopes and dreams like this?
Yes, yes, yes and NO, thank the Saints (or well, Inej will).
Crooked Kingdom is one of those rare masterpieces that manages to get 98% of the things right in a sequel. On my watch, at the very least.
Let me start off by talking about one of the best aspects of this book: the character development. If tackling six major character arcs wasn't already grueling enough, giving them all intricate backstories and emotional integrity should be downright onerous. But that, my friends, is precisely where Leigh hits the mark.
It's no secret that our misfit gang of delinquents is the reason most of us fell in love with this series so hard. Of course, there's also the world-building, the one-liners, the adrenaline rush that comes with every heist, with every twist and turn and tumble; they're all part of the package. But to me, it's our Dregs that made this a real game-changer.
We live in a time where standing out in a sea of recycled literature is an author's greatest challenge, with the young adult genre at the very forefront of this ocean. And with Kaz, Inej, Wylan, Jesper, Nina and Matthias, it's like being hit with a motherfucking tsunami. As we get to know them more and more with every layer peeled back, there's no helping the deep-rooted connection one starts to form with each one. Leigh does this evil little thing where just as a chapter begins to get intense, she switches to the next one. The weird part is that this didn't even bother me much since I cared about ALL of their perspectives. (Especially my precious cinnamon roll Wylan, adding his POV was the greatest thing to happen to this book ♡)
In terms of plot, hoooo boy did shit go down! Cons upon cons thrown at every corner, it never keeps you off your toes or silently going fuck yeah with every tiny victory— then just as quickly turning that into oh fuck no as things go awry. I can see why some may have a hard time picturing a bunch of ragtag teenagers doing the things they do (not to forget Kaz's impeccable scheming abilities) but honestly, that's exactly what I signed up for. It's meant to be make-believe and it sure as hell does a good job making me believe it.
Now I'd like to take a moment and say: AHOY, THE SHIPS HAVE SET SAIL! One of them may still be learning how to steer while another met with a certain iceberg,(view spoiler)[ iceberg cause it was at the hands of a Fjerdan. Gettit? Haha, I'm gonna go cry myself to oblivion now. (hide spoiler)] but all aboard! I came for the feelz and I left with more than I could handle. (view spoiler)[Okay maybe not all of it, I still want that Kanej kiss one day! *shakes fists of frustration* Props to keeping it realistic though. (hide spoiler)]
So after all that raving, you must be wondering: where did that 2% go then, hmmm? Well. You know it. I know it. We all know it. (Unless you haven't read the book yet, in which case, WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE YOU WEIRDO GO PICK IT UP.) Spoilers incoming, y'all.
(view spoiler)[Matthias. My sweet, tortured, better-than-waffles Matthias. You had the most significant transformation of them all and after everything you went through, you did not deserve to go out this way. But you know what? No matter how much my heart aches (and will continue to do so), the harsh reality remains that such is life. A split second, one meaningless, avoidable, STUPID little second is all it takes to snatch it away, and that is why it is so hard to come to terms with the fact. However, part of me does feel as if justice was not fully served. Was Matthias treated to feel like the most dispensable option? What becomes of Nina? Yes, there is a lingering sense of sorrow after his passing, but in her attempt to avoid a devastating ending, Leigh makes his death feel a bit like it's been kicked to the curb. Had it been Kaz, Inej or Wylan in his place (three favourites of mine), I know I wouldn't have been too happy with the way she handled it. Even so, that remaining 98% keeps me more than satisfied. (hide spoiler)]
Scratch that, make it a 5%. Another minor issue of mine stems from -believe it or not but- Kaz. Throughout the whole thing, there felt an undercurrent of him just being so, I dunno, disconnected from the rest? Let it be known that apathy becomes Kaz Brekker, but where I hoped to see his walls crumble down, it isn't until welllll into the second half that we do. More overcoming personal demons, less pretending not to care, please. But the final result still makes me want to jump around in song and twirl his aloof (and secretly-concerned) ass.
“I would have come for you. And if I couldn't walk, I'd crawl to you, and no matter how broken we were, we'd fight our way out together-knives drawn, pistols blazing. Because that's what we do. We never stop fighting.”
If I could, I'd list all my favourites lines here but then I'd be quoting half the damn book. Her wonderous way with words has made sure that I will always be coming back for more Bardugo.
To conclude, Six of Crows has easily been one of my most fulfilling reads quite possibly EVER. All I can do now is hope to live till time machines exist, perhaps then I could go back and experience it all over again.
*lets deep breath out* ____________________
I...I need a moment. Or two.
Or thirty million.
But my life is now complete. *curls in fetal position and weeps* ____________________
Book song: Nara by Alt-J ____________________
ONE. MORE. DAY. HOLY. SHIT. -
Triple Edit: So the city I live in has a total of two bookstores that most certainly won't be stocking this anytime close to September 27th and expected shipment will arrive four weeks after release. I AM IN PAIN. -
Double Edit: WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS LEIGH PLEASE SHOW MERCY [image] -
Edit: Don't mind me, just hyping myself up with all this gorgeous fanart...
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Okay I'm like six months late but LOOK WHAT I JUST CAME ACROSS:
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*INSANE SQUEALING ENSUES* _________________
Normally I would tend to forget about the agonizing wait of a much-anticipated book as the months trickle by– but this? Oh HELL no, 3028273 weeks later and I am still eagerly counting down the days until I can FINALLY GET MY HANDS ON THIS PRECIOUSSSSSS GIVEITTOMENOWISAY...more
GUYS. I JUST READ THIS AGAIN ON A WHIM AND MY HEART. I AM A MESS. ALL OVER AGAIN.
HOW IS THIS EVEN POSSIBLE BECAUSE EVERYTHING HURTS JUST AS MUCH BUT ALGUYS. I JUST READ THIS AGAIN ON A WHIM AND MY HEART. I AM A MESS. ALL OVER AGAIN.
HOW IS THIS EVEN POSSIBLE BECAUSE EVERYTHING HURTS JUST AS MUCH BUT ALSO EVERYTHING HURTS JUST AS GOOD OR MAYBE EVEN INFINITELY MORE SO AND I CANNOT EVEN BEGIN TO FATHOM THE FUCKING BEAUTY THAT IS THIS STORY AND THIS PROSE AND OFFICIALLY MY MOST CHERISHED BOOK OF ALL TIME.
Thank you for existing.
(21.10.16) ________________________
This is the kind of book that slowly sucks you in, and at first, you may be unsure if you want to go on but before you know it, it's already swallowed you whole.
And I'm not sure I ever want to get out of the abyss of emotions and just plain rawness this book snared out of me.
And it's not like there's some blatant, profound message here that's changed my life. It's not like I hadn't already started to pin the pieces of the puzzle early on for myself. It's the sheer beauty and mastery with which Miss Marchetta constructs this tiny little world and its complex characters who don't feel like characters at all because that's how deep in you are. It's that constant air of enigma and enchantment, that underlying presence of hope mixed with tragedy that draws you in so very thoroughly; all presented without the need for tasteless dramatics, maudlin behavior or overattention to romance.
When you can manage making my heart feel so passionately for a person who only exists in whisps of memories throughout the entire course of a novel, I salute you.
To me, reading this book felt like a journey. An experience in and of itself. And quite frankly, the first time, in a long time, that I've been taken away to that far away place we all go to with the simple power of words.
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Word of advice— suitably apt mood music will make reading this endlessly more exhilarating. Do it. Trust me. Here's mine: The Takedown by Koda & Dabin.
**spoiler alert** ♫ Wish we could turn back time To the good old days When these books didn't cause me to weep Cause Chaol was still around ♫**spoiler alert** ♫ Wish we could turn back time To the good old days When these books didn't cause me to weep Cause Chaol was still around ♫...more
If you haven't read this book or don't intend to anytime soon...
SHAME ON YOU!
Because this right here is a remarkably perfect, gut-twisting, heart-wrenIf you haven't read this book or don't intend to anytime soon...
SHAME ON YOU!
Because this right here is a remarkably perfect, gut-twisting, heart-wrenching, beautiful and gruesome work of perfecti- I mean art. I'm not even going to bother raving about how brilliant it is, it just is and if you're not going to give it a shot, you're missing out buddy.
*nodsnodsnods* *fawns over book* *craves for all future books to come* *self-combusts*...more
Anna and the French Kiss: certified #1 cure for your woes. (Drake, that goes out to you.)
“For the two of us, home isn't a place. It is a person. An
Anna and the French Kiss: certified #1 cure for your woes. (Drake, that goes out to you.)
“For the two of us, home isn't a place. It is a person. And we are finally home.”
So I started off with this as soon as I was done with Colleen Hoover's Hopeless, if only due to sheer boredom + a lack of wifi + because I'd been putting it off for too many months now. Funny thing is I had tremendous expectations for the former and barely any for this one.
But oh, look how the tables have turned.
Lord knows what took me so long to finally get to reading this because I was instantly hooked. You know how they say the pages seemed to be flipping themselves? This is one of those books. Before I knew it, I was already halfway through with the sun's early rays starting to shine through the binds— that too without the help of my typical 'theme song' to pull me along! (Well, at least the first time round.) Now that's a big feat for me considering music serves to be my oxygen for when I'm drowning myself in books. The plot, the romance, the writing, the characters (oh man, the characters); they all aligned to make the most perfect combo in a rom-com if I've ever seen before.
STEPHANIE PERKINS, I SO VERY MUCH LOVELOVELOVE YOU FOR WRITING THIS AND I CAN'T HELP BUT WANT MORE OF ANNA AND ÉTIENNE AND HOW DARN DIDDLY CUTE AND HEART-WARMING AND ADORABLE AND JUST–
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GOD ÉTIENNE ST CLAIR YOU PERFECT ENGLISH/FRENCH/AMERICAN BASTARD <3
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LOOK AT THAT JUST GORGEOUS I TELL YOU I DON'T CARE IF YOU'RE SHORT AND HAVE FUNNY TEETH AND BITE YOUR FINGERS I LOVE YOU EVEN MORE FOR IT *SWOOOON*
(Yes folks, only a Book Boyfriend™ can bring out such a psycho fangirl in me.)
Now shoo, go experience the joys and fuzzies and feel-goodness that is this novel.
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Book Song: Someday by Sugar Ray. _____________________...more
Having Radiohead's All I Need in the background just made the whole thing so much more overwhelmingly emotional.
Ended up sobbing for fifteen minutes sHaving Radiohead's All I Need in the background just made the whole thing so much more overwhelmingly emotional.
Ended up sobbing for fifteen minutes straight at the end. Most certainly did not prepare myself for that.
...It still hurts.
And then there was this.
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JUST. CANNOT. DEALWITHTHISRIGHTNOWOREVER.
*takes deep breath*
I have to hand it to you Cassandra, you have astonishingly outdone yourself with this trilogy and succeeding in keeping pretty much everyone happy with the way things wrapped up. You defied the very laws that dictate the cursed love triangles! *raises glass* KUDOS TO YOU, KUDOS.
I've got nothing more to say about such perfection....more
saania jamal ✧
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