Queen of Shadows - Review!

Hi all!

I finished Queen of Shadows a few days ago, and it was EPIC. I know now why everyone loves this series! I've heard that this is the book that divides people; you either love it or you hate it. Personally this and Crown of Midnight (the first half anyway) are my favourites in the series, and I would say that if you weren't too keen on Heir of Fire you might like Queen of Shadows more. I don't know what it was with this book. I don't know why I loved this book so much more than the others - but I did. My review will have minor spoilers in it but I don't reveal any major plot points or characters.
So in case you didn't know, Queen of Shadows is the fourth book in the Throne of Glass series, which means I can't really say anything about the plot without spoilers, except that Aelin kicks ass as usual and the plot is pretty explosive!

The characters: I will admit that the Rowan in this book felt completely different to the Rowan in
Heir of Fire, but his character changed for the better so I actually finally liked him! The same goes to Aelin - I FINALLY LIKE HER GUYS. (It's only taken me four books but shhh). Manon continues to be a badass witch, and I loved how we got to see more of Asterin, Sorrel and the Thirteen. The new characters like Nesryn and Elide were really great too, and Dorian broke my heart in Queen of Shadows!

And then there's Chaol. For those of you who don't know, he is basically my favourite character in this series. As in I love him a lot and worry about his safety. He's complicated, tries to do what he thinks is right, and cares so much about Dorian. They're friendship is one of my favourite things in the books. Before reading Queen of Shadows I read a few reviews, and they were negative about what happened towards him, so I was worried. I have to admit that the chapters in the start were a bit rough on my still recovering Chaoleana heart, but by the end of the book I was happy with how the plot played out (although the ending broke my heart!).

The Plot: I couldn't not read this book, that was how riveting the plot was. Sarah J Maas linked everything together and foreshadowed events beautifully, and I loved what happened. I liked how Manon's story finally linked in with the rest of the crew (or Aelin's Squad as my friend calls them!) and Elide's subplot was really interesting. The results of the events in Queen of Shadows are definitely going to have repercussions in Empire of Storms, and I'm both nervous and looking forward to seeing what happens next.

The Writing: As usual, Sarah J Maas's writing style draws you in and doesn't let you go! There was only two really minor things that bugged me - that everything Aelin does is with 'feline grace' and that there was a lot of 'incarnates'  in there. But these were minor issues that didn't stop me from enjoying the story.

Overall, I am really excited to see what happens in Empire of Storms and I am so pleased that I loved this book!

Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer - Review

Title: Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer
Author: Katie Alender
Part of a series? No, a standalone.
Synopsis: Colette is looking forward to going to Paris on a school trip, to seeing the sights and spending time with her friends - even if she isn't being completely honest with them. But they arrive when the whole of Paris is gripped with fear by the murders occurring across the city, and soon Colette realises that it isn't a coincidence she keeps seeing a woman in a large wig and dress, and that her life is in grave danger.
Rating: 5 stars (my Goodreads says different because I changed my mind).

Oh my goodness, this book was amazing! I love love LOVE what I call 'ghosty' books. Give me a book with a good ghost in it and I'll most likely enjoy it. I did not just enjoy this book; I absolutely loved it! I read this as part of #TBRtakedown (which failed for me), and now I am furious that I didn't read it sooner. The ghostly element of Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer was actually quite scary (and I'm not normally scared by books), and the plot was incredible. If you like paranormal books, books about Paris, or maybe the dynamics of the girls in Pretty Little Liars when Alison is in control, I would 110% recommend this book.

I'm not sure why I loved this book so much, though, as I did have problems with the main characters, but I really did. I think there are always some books like that, where you can't fully explain why you love them but know that you do. People may not like this book because of the characters (they are pretty unlikeable), and some might not like the writing (which was fine for me, but may not be for others), but I simply loved it, and it's now one of my favourites.

*SPOILERS FROM THIS POINT ON*

The characters in MA,SK are what I would think most people would have a problem with. And it's true that at the beginning Colette is shallow, and believes the popularity and wealth of her friend Hannah makes her a good friend to have. I will admit that there were times when I just wanted to shake some sense into her! But by the end of the book, we have almost a different person: someone who understands that people do nice things to be nice, someone who stands up for herself, someone who will crawl in tight, dark corridors while preparing to face a ghost just to save her friend. It did take a while, and, as I've said, there were points when I wanted to slap her, but there was a noticeable character development.

Now let's move onto Hannah, who was more villainous than the villain of the story! I honestly couldn't believe it when she wouldn't let Colette and Pilar wear those dresses because they would look pretty! She made me so mad, but ultimately I'm glad she was like that, as it led to one of my favourite moments of the book, when Colette and Pilar told her to shut up. Pilar had a good development of character as well as Colette, too.

I adored the plot, absolutely adored it. It combined a few of my favourite things: ghosts, Paris, and history. I love books set in Paris, and I love books set in the French Revolution, so the flashbacks Colette had and the descriptions of the places she visits were very interesting. Although The Order of the Key is fictional, I was so immersed in the story that I was sure it was real, because that's what it felt like! I also liked how Audrey helped Colette; I think that helped her to realise that she was acting badly towards other people and that she should become nicer. And Jules was very sweet, the scene at his home being one of my favourites.

Alender adds the occasional French phrase in MA,SK, but you needn't worry if you don't speak French as she explains it soon after it's been said. I found it quite fun, as I'm doing French as one of my four subjects next year and needed to keep my knowledge of it during the Summer holidays!

Another part of the plot that I liked was the fact that Armand was never really a love interest for Colette. The love triangle that could have been was avoided, and I was so relieved.

What did you think of Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer? Did you enjoy it? If you didn't, why not? I would really like to know!
Thanks for reading(: