Empire of Storms

WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!

Hey, sorry for the long wait, but I did finish a book. I'm not gonna go too into it because I'm going to reread this series when the final book comes out, but just know that you should all go read it because the series is amazing.

Today, I finished Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas. The whole backstory is way too long to summarize, there being four giant books previous to this one, but just know that it's legend. You know, now that I think about it, I shouldn't be telling you anything. Go read a book!

Basically, there's a queen, she's trying to take back her territory or whatever. There's an old dick who won't let her. She tries to save it anyway. Summary.

Response: AGHGGGHGHHHHHHH! I JUST WANT EVERYONE TO BE HAPPY AND FOR ALL THE SHIPS TO SAIL.

Alright, good? Good. If that confused you enough to go read the book, awesome! Do it, it's awesome. So good. So good.

Ships; ???????????
Rooting for: the ships

9/10
~Emotional Book Panda

Stalling. . .

So you've probably wondered where I've been. Or you would if people read these regularly.

Since the 8th, I've been trying to read The Beauty of Darkness by Mary E. Pearson. It's the third in the Remnant Chronicles trilogy. I don't know why, but I couldn't read it. Not willingly. Like, I loved the other two books, they were amazing, but I didn't want it to end, and I think something is going to happen at the end that I really don't want to happen because I love the other guy. I also couldn't remember some of the characters and events from the other books. Because of this I'm stalling. I'll probably reread the entire series through in like March or something like that. I think I'll be better prepared for it to all end and I'll want to know what happens more.

If that doesn't make sense, it doesn't really matter. You invisible readers understand. I won't give you like summaries and stuff, because it probably won't be accurate or it will only skim the surface and then we'll all be confused.

This next book should have a better outcome then the 600+ page beauty I had to set aside.

Apologies,
~Book Panda

The Edge of the Light

(Sorry about this post, it was finished on October 8th but I didn't publish it. It took me 24 days.)

Islanders,

This isn't okay.

This ending is trash, and apparently this is the last book. The first on said four years, she's only been there for two! I hate reporters and stepdads and aahhhhhhhhh!

Sorry. You're confused. Let me start at the beginning. Once upon a time there was a girl named Hannah. She had weird telepathic but not powers and her maybe seventh stepdad found out. He used her for his exploition of old people. Then Hannah thought that whatever his name was going to kill her or his partner. She told her mom and they ran away. Her mother, Laurel, left her at Whidbey Island so she could go set up their lives in Canada or somewhere. So Hannah became Becca. The woman she was supposed to be staying with who knew about her died literally that night. So then Becca has to like navigate an island and a life alone without her mom while trying to keep her secrets. That's a rough summary of The Edge of  Nowhere. So in this book, she meets like four people who stick with her throughout. Derrick later becomes bae, Seth is best friend, Jenn is at first antagonist, then best friend, and I think there's a kid with a meat name that's kind of her friend. Anyway, it's whatever.

The other two books have weird overall stories, but the internal stuff leads to this book. In The Edge of the Light, Seth's grandfather has had a stroke and his aunt, his grandfather's daughter, is trying to take his pride and joy from him so she can make bank because she's trash. Seth's girlfriend claims her drug problem isn't a problem but we all know it is. Derric has found his sister, but he never told her that he is her brother so she now has a serious crush on him even though he's like five years older than her. Jenn is just now realizing she's a lesbian even though I figured that out in like the second, third book. And an awful, disgusting, trash reporter is looking for Becca. And she's never failed before. So yeah, awful summary, but whatever I'm angry.

So first, Becca keeps preaching about telling the truth, but doesn't even tell Derric about her real identity. Like I said, I knew Jenn was gay when she was checking out Becca when they were scuba diving. And Seth is so blindly in love that he just lets Prynne get away with doing hard drugs like they're Pixie Stixs. Ugh.

I really liked the book, though it took me a bit it was the same with the others. It's a change of pace and I like it. But apparently it just ends like this, and it isn't okay. Like some things are resolved but everything else is just like well, it is what it is. Figure it out. Elizabeth, you don't do that! I need closure, dang it!

How annoyed/mad am I about this book?: 8/10
Ship: Derric and Becca, Jenn and Cynthia
Needs to separate immediately: Seth and Prynne
Needs to burn forever: reporter trash, aunt trash, aunt's husband trash

7/10
~Annoyed Book Panda

Lion Heart

Hello Lions,

Today, or tonight, marks the end of the Scarlet trilogy. It was a journey. A journey on horseback. Lion Heart begins with Scarlet in prison. She's been there for several months but endures on thinking of Robin. Then John lets on a little secret before she escapes. With a loyal guard and Allan the storyteller (I forgot to mention him last time being as I was sick, but he's great) Scarlet tries to figure out her next move without endangering anyone. They meet up with the queen, Winchester, and some other fool named Essex. In the end, it should be obvious that she goes back to Robin, but if it isn't. . . . spoiler alert.

I liked how Much is more confident in his abilities, though he still doesn't see his full potential, but do any of us? Scarlet gets female friends, and I think that's good for her. It made me happy. John. . . John's still a prick. The nobles that we meet aren't all like de Clare and Gisbourne so that's a relief. I was ready to go on an anti-rich people campaign. Scarlet kind of accepts her place in nobility. I feel iffy about that. That comes next, just wait. David, he's the knight, and Allan have this weird hatred of each other. The rabid fangirl in me believes that they have a thing going on. You know the type. They act like they hate each other horrifically in public but behind closed doors there's love. Or interest or whatever. Robin's great, per usual.

Though I liked this book, I didn't dig it as much as the first two. I guess there was too much happiness for me? I don't know. I'm weird. I mean, I did dig it. Lion Heart was dug. There was just something about it that wasn't as enjoyable as the first couple. Maybe it's because Scarlet lost a bit of her surliness. That's a part of her character development, from commoner to kind-of-noble, but I don't like it. Also I would have liked to meet Richard. We hear all these awesome anecdotes about him and it's disappointing how the series ends without Scarlet and us meeting her dad. Eleanor also kind of bothered me. Though she meant well, she's very manipulative. She uses people's feelings against them. Maybe that's how being queen works, I wouldn't know, but it's quite rude. If Queen Elizabeth ever reads this, could you enlighten me and my nonexistent readers? Thanks, poppet.

Overall, I really liked the series. I have never read a Robin Hood retelling, so it set the standard. Scarlet was an awesome character and her band spread from just four. If you're reading this and any of this sounds interesting, go out and read it, it's really good.

Next I'll be reading three books I've been waiting for to come out, so it's going to be pretty epic.

Shipping: Robin and Scarlet, Margaret and Winchester, Much and Bess, David and Allan, Isabel and Essex, Missy and Will
Hate Forever: Prince John, Gisbourne, de Clare

8/10
Series: 8/10
~Book Panda