The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

Author: V.E Schwab

Genre: Adult Fantasy

Rating: 5 / 5 stars

I went into The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue with extremely high expectations based on the thousands of raving reviews it received and keeps receiving up to this very day and now I’m so happy to say that it did not only meet the hype but absolutely exceeded it. My mind is blown by how beautifully written this book was. V.E Schwab has created a tale which completely swipes you off your feet and gets you to experience her magical world.

I do not want to belong to anyone but myself. I want to be free. Free to live, and to find my own way, to love, or to be alone, but at least it is my choice, and I am so tired of not having choices, so scared of the years rushing past beneath my feet. I do not want to die as I’ve lived, which is no life at all.

This is a story about longing, loneliness and dreams. A story where we get to travel through time along the main character as she struggles to live a rather complicated life. Her journey starts in Villon, France in 1714. Being born in a small village, Addie’s everyday life is rather ordinary and dull but that does not stop her from dreaming of just being… free. Until one day she is forced into marriage to a man she doesn’t love. In her attempts to escape the harsh destiny, Addie starts praying to the Gods. Her prayers go unanswered and minutes turn into hours until darkness gathers around to answers her desperate calls. The man in front of her is no God but the devil himself. He offers Adeline a way out, a sought-after opportunity to be finally free in exchange for her soul. Having no other choice, Addie accepts his deal. However, making bargains with the devil always comes with a cost and soon after she will discover the foolish mistake she has made. Yes, Adeline will live forever but in exchange for that no one will remember her. No one but the darkness himself.

We follow her hardships and struggles while she is battling the curse. We see her own family rejecting her as if she were a stranger. Her friends looking at her with distrust and suspicion. Her lovers not remembering her in the morning. Her harsh reality of making a deal with the devil. However, Adeline is determined and will not wield to the darkness. No matter how hard it gets, she will not surrender and give the satisfaction of victory to the one who cursed her. This goes on and on for centuries, the two of them playing the game of cat and mouse while we witness some of the most important events in history unfolding- the French Revolution, the First World War, etc.

Until one day she meets a boy. And the boy tells her the three words she longed to hear for over 300 years:

I remember you.

Henry Strauss. A boy who works in a NYC bookstore. A boy who looks at her as if she is real and not just a ghost. A boy who remembers. But why? But how? The story continues for a couple of chapters from Henry’s perspective. We learn about his life and his internal struggles to live while there is a raging storm in his mind. We learn about what makes him the exception to the rule. Why he is the only one to remember. And that’s exactly the moment my heart shattered into million pieces.

I need you to remember.

The ending is something which I saw the moment Henry walked into the scene. It was inevitable but that did not make it hurt any less. V.E Schwab managed to write it in such a moving way that will forever haunt me.

Here are some last words- every single element was so well thought off that at the end I started to question what is real and what is fiction. The characters were perfectly crafted that you get to experience every single emotion together with them. And finally- the writing. I don’t remember the last time I’ve read something so beautifully written. V.E Schwab and Addie LaRue have definitely left their mark on me and one thing is for sure – I will remember this story for a very long time.

 

House of Earth and Blood

Author: Sarah J Maas

Genre: Adult Fantasy

Rating: 5 / 5 stars

Looking back on all of the books I’ve finished in 2020, there is one particular that stands out the most and that is no other than House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J Maas. I think it is safe to say that my love for this woman’s writing is astronomical. The feeling you get after you close one of her books does not equal anything else in the entire world.

So this was also the case with Crescent City when I first read it back in April.

This book is such an intense ride. It starts pretty slow, I would admit it was a struggle to get through the first 150-ish pages where you get introduced to all the characters, the world, the magic system, history, etc. The plot follows Bryce Quinlan and her life as a half-human half-fae. After a brutal murder happens one night which affects her directly, she finds herself in the middle of the investigation, eager to avenge the deaths. Her partner and protector during the case is no other than the Archangels personal assassin – Hunt Athalar also known as “The Shadow of Death”. Hunt is a typical SJM male character – brooding, sassy, muscular dude with internal struggles and insecurities. Of course he also happens to be one of the most powerful Angels so yeah Rhys/Rowan vibes all the way. BUT he is also such a softie for his girl a.k.a our badass queen Bryce. I think she might be my new favourite protagonist by SJM so far. I’ve related to her story so much that it just broke my heart. Watching her mourn her best friends, deal with sever depression and anxiety as she puts on a fake smile and tries to survive the next day really hits home… like really hard. This is why I love SJM’s books so much, she dives into serious topics such as mental health so well and you experience everything together with her characters.

Not to mention all side characters which were also so well-written. Damn Danika, Connor.. We’ve met them so briefly but I felt like I’ve known them forever. Then of course Ruhn and his friends.. And don’t even get me started on Lehabah because this one will haunt me till the rest of my life!!!

The plot itself goes from 0 to 100 in just a few pages. It is action-packed and impossible to put down, you just turn page after page after page. In a very SJM fashion, the world-building is on point and I’m sure she has so much more to show in the next couple of books. I found it such a heart touching story about fighting your own demons, sorrow, grief but also finding a way to let go, find inner peace and happiness. I think it’s worthless to say that there were many plot twists and foreshadowing for the next book which I’m absolutely dying to get my hands on right now…

There’s of course the typical SJM romance element in the story but the main emphasis is placed on the strength of a friendship and how such bond can sometimes be stronger than any other relationship (love, family, etc). Did I cry? Yes. Happy tears, sad tears, shock tears, anger tears… just so many tears. I was literally bawling my eyes out for hours after I’ve finished it. When I tell you it is intense, it really was. But all in a good way. I just love books that make you feel so many emotions at once and then you are not able to stop thinking about them for days, if not weeks or in my case the whole freaking year!!

I absolutely recommend it, especially if you are a sucker like me for fae, angels, demons, witches etc. who are fighting for the good in the world against all odds.

 

Black Sun

Author: Rebecca Roanhorse

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Rating: 5 / 5 stars

“A God will return when the Earth and Sky converge under the Black Sun”

The first book in the Between Earth and Sky trilogy Black Sun is a high fantasy inspired by the civilisations of pre-Columbian Americas. It is an incredible tale of destiny, sacrifice, forbidden magic and prophecies. It has such a unique premise which to be honest is quite rare to come across nowadays. I loved the magic element and the impeccable world building. There is so much more to explore but I am sure we will learn all the details in the next instalment of the series. Rebecca Roanhorse did an incredible job in crafting each character individually and making you fall in love with them.

Throughout the book there are multiple POVs. I’m usually not a big fan of such way of narration but in this case it was done nicely and they all cross each others’ paths at the end.

As the story unfolds, we get introduced to a blind young man called Serapio who is destined for a great purpose. All his life he has been ‘shaped’ to become a ‘vessel’ for the Crow God and now he must accomplish his purpose. The second main character is Xiala, a badass ship captain who does not give two flying f-s about anything and oh by the way is a siren!!! Their destinies are intertwined as the girl is tasked with the important mission to transport the young man to Tova under a very short period of time just before the Convergence. Lastly we are introduced to Naranpa, the Sun Priest residing in Tova who fights to maintain her role as the Sun Priest while dealing with the various attempts on her life. All characters have questionable goals and possess morally grey tendencies.

There is plenty of action, political intrigue and adventure. Once you start reading you get immersed into this world and is impossible to put the book down. I couldn’t recommend it more to all the fellow high fantasy lovers. Do yourself a favour and go read this book, I promise you it is worth it.