What a way to end a series. It was seven books in the making and finally know how it all came together. Aelin and her friends have been on a quite a journey. From the beginning when Aelin was just an assassin and Dorian was a spoiled Prince. It was expanded so far beyond that now. To other continents and other worlds. What I liked about this was that every character had a role to play in the ending and that is quite a feat as there are a lot of characters. I mean we are talking about Game of Thrones level of characters. They are all flawed people but have one goal to defeat Erawan and Maeve and create a better world. It wasn’t easy and there were many twists and turns along the way. It started off slow as the characters were spread far and wide. It also took me awhile to reacquaint myself with some of the characters as for most of them it’s been two years since the last time we have seen them but once they started to come together that it really started to pick up and get going. So many story arcs to wrap up and most of them were. I think a few left open a bit that we could go back and revisit Erilea. Let’s get back to Aelin as she is really the heroine here. Of all the characters she has been through the most. She started out as a assassin and ended up a Queen. She has endured enough trauma for several lifetimes and would have been forgiven if she gave up and she had plenty of chances to do just that but she doesn’t. She gave everything she had for her country and her friends. She used her intelligence and skills to outwit and defeat her enemies as much as she used her power. I’ll miss reading about her because she was fun, smart and spunky. If you haven’t read this series you should and lucky you, you can now read it in it’s entirety without wearing years between books.
I really don’t know the best way to describe this book or this series as it’s so lush and unique. It’s also kind of a hard read because pretty much every character is a victim of terrible abuse and trauma and the events of the book are the direct result of all the trauma. The people of Weep spent years under the threat of kidnapping and rape and even 15 years after they killed the “Gods” responsible the citadel where it all took place still stood as a reminder of what they endured. The Godspawn lived in fear of being discovered for fear of what happened to their fellow children would happen to them. This all came to a crashing half when our hero Lazlo discovered who he really was and brought them together. Even the villains of this piece were acting on their own traumas. You knew what they were doing was wrong at times you couldn’t really blame them either. In the end it was an act of compassion that saved them all. Sarai used her power to listen and understand what was the issue and finally talk them down. I highly recommend that everyone read Strange the Dreamer and the Muse of Nightmares because they are so lush in descriptions of Weep and the other strange lands. It’s truly beautiful story that is also timely to today’s me too movement.
The first time I read Sunshine was 10 years ago right after the release of Breaking Dawn. Let’s just say that Breaking Dawn left a lot to be desired. I can’t remember if it was Kate who suggested Sunshine or if it was our friend Elizabeth but it was one of those “read this if you want to read a good vampire novel after a really bad one”. I did and it is. I loved it as much now as I did back then. It was just as suspenseful, mysterious, funny and kind of sexy even if there isn’t much of a romance going on. Rae “Sunshine” Seddon is as normal as one can be living in New Arcadia after the Voodoo Wars. She makes the best cinnamon rolls at Charlie’s Coffeeshop. Her whole life revolves around the coffeeshop. Things change when she decides to take a drive out to the lake and is kidnapped by Vampires and is sucked into an old school feud between two very old and very different vampires. She also discovers that she isn’t so normal after all. She happens to be the daughter of a powerful sorcerer and has powers of her own. When she saves herself and Constantine with her sunshine power her life is turned upside down. She deals with it pretty well with a lot of dark humor and a great supporting cast. Constantine is everything that Edward is not. He doesn’t try to pretend he’s anything that he isn’t. He’s considerate and thoughtful. Many times he could have taken advantage of Sunshine but doesn’t. In the end he realizes that he needs her as much as she needs him. As for their relationship status, who knows. There is definitely a connection between them. It’s more than just the bond from healing each other but also surviving multiple traumatic events. They are definitely two friends who have a deep respect for each other and continue to challenge each other. Let’s go back to Sunshine. In someways it’s unfair to compare her to Bella because Sunshine is an adult and Bella is not. Sunshine has more life experience that when she makes decisions she knows how much is going to effect her and the people she cares about. She also sees that she is an impossible situation that doesn’t give her any good choices to choose from. She is self aware to know herself but also what is going on around her. While Constantine does take up a lot of time and thinking he doesn’t become the center of her life. She keeps her family and friends close and many of them actually help her to understand what is going on and give her the tools to defeat the evil vampire. Her support system is truly key. Not just to help her through killing vampires but also help her heal from her traumatic experience too. I think that’s important part of the story. Constantine is a powerful vampire but he couldn’t take on The Evil Vampire on his own. He needed Sunshine. Sunshine would not been able to deal with what happened to her without the support of her stepfather, Charlie, her boyfriend Mel, Her Mom, Her landlady, Yolande, her friend Aimil, her other friends and SOF agents, Pat, Jesse and Theo. Whether or not they knew it, they all played a roll in defeating The Evil Vampire and keeping Constantine and Sunshine alive. It was a group effort but also a reminder that no matter what is going on in your life. You are never truly alone. So yes, Sunshine is a great vampire novel and deserves more props.
I was first introduced to Kitsunes thanks to the TV show Teen Wolf (I miss that show) A japanese story of someone who can turn into a fox. Yumeko is only half-kitsune and has been raised by monks in a temple. Like foxes, she’s mischievious and curious. She plays tricks on the monks to some of their chagrins but the Monks also teach her how to control her kitsune powers, which will come in handy when it is revealed that the temple guards a piece of the dragon scroll. The dragon scroll when put together raises a dragon every 1000 years. The person with the scroll is granted one wish and depending on who making the wish it can be good or bad. It’s almost time to summon the dragon and many people are after the scroll. One of them is the master to the Demonslayer, Tatsumi from the Shadow Clan. Tatsumi has a very powerful sword that contains a dangerous demon. He has to control his emotions or the demon in his sword will take over him. Tatsumi and Yumeko team up to find the missing scroll. Well, Yumeko has one piece but needs Tatsumi to help her get it to another temple and keep it safe. Through their journey they meet other people along the way, including the delightful ronin, Okame and noble Daisuke. They are challenged by spirits and other supernatural beings who try to get the scroll away from them but they grow a bond that is unmistakable. For all the fear of the some of the monks that Yumeko’s fox side will take over her humanity, they shouldn’t have worried because it’s her compassion and quick thinking that often saves them. Her first time outside of the temple, she is often filled with wonder of her surroundings. Some of the most amusing bits is when Okame introduces her sarcasm for the first time. At first she is confused by it but soon begins to understand it. It’s wonderful. I really liked this book and can’t wait for the sequel. It’s full of lush descriptions of samarai’s and court life and nature that you can’t be helped to be sucked in. I highly recommend it.
In retrospect, reading a book that deals with abuse and the affects it has on it’s victims, may not have been the best thing to read right now. Between the news and this, it was a lot. However, at least here, we see people believing and supporting each other as they deal with their own individual traumas. This is a supplement story to the A Court of Thorns and Roses series. Pretty much every character has endured one form of abuse or another and their recovery is very much a big part of the story as the looming conflict about to come. The Night Court is still recovering from the battle with Hybern that lead to many deaths and the fall of the wall between the Fey and human lands. The Solstice is coming up and Rhys, Feyre, Mor, Amren Cassian, Az, and Elain are looking forward to taking time away from their responsibilities to celebrate. The one not dealing with the events of the last book is Nesta, who has withdrawn from the group. Only time will tell what will happen with her. This book didn’t do much to advance the story too much but allow for some light moments that we won’t get to see in the following books as this is really the calm before the storm. The end alludes to the dangers that are about to come. So let’s just all take a moment and enjoy this little holiday and take a moment to heal. I think we all need that right now.
2 Women, So Many Books 