Language of Thorns| Review

Ever disliked the way a certain fairytale ended? Or the issue that was in it but which was never addressed? Then this collection of short stories is for you.

I started reading this not knowing what to expect. I feared that I might not like it since I doubted that I would be able to connect to the characters. I mean it's a "short" story. Too short to introduce something properly. I was pleasantly surprised though.

The stories were familiar but yet unfamiliar as well. In the sense that they resembled our favorite fairy tales but they also had something new and unexpected. Reading these stories felt like magic and that is largely due to Bardugo's writing style. Every place was so vividly described, one has the feeling they see it in front of their eyes.

That being said, let's move onto the individual stories.

Ayama and the Thorn Wood 3.5⭐
Even though I liked the way it ended, I still felt like there was something missing. This story just did not sit right with me. However, there are also stories that were told within this story and they were great.

The Witch of Duva 4 ⭐
This story I had read before so I skipped it in this collection. But what I remember is delicious food and not so evil witches.

Little Knife 4⭐
This is one of those stories that has a completely unexpected twist. I also always liked fairy tales with challenges in them and even though Bardugo twists them, I still enjoyed reading them.

The Too-Clever Fox 5⭐
If you are anything like me, you will love this story. Firstly, it has a cunning character, which is my favorite kind of character. Secondly, it reminds me of Nikolai Lantsov. And he is my favorite Grishverse character. And lastly, it's the ending of the story that took me by surprise and that's why I gave it 5 stars.

The Soldier Prince 3.5 ⭐
This is a story perfect for winter. It's a retelling of The Nutcracker. If I think about it, it's great for fall too because it has a gloomy vibe to it as well. I must confess that the story left me a bit confused in the end but that does not decrease it's quality.

When Water Sang Fire 5 ⭐
This is my favorite story in this whole collection. It stuck with me because the imagery is vivid. Frozen seas, mermaids and underwater castles. Who would not want to read about this? Also the magic is based on singing, which I haven't read about before. The ending also largely contributed to my rating. It felt real.

Rating of the whole collection: 4⭐

I think that is fair. Certainly worth recommending to someone who perhaps does not like long books and is more fond of shorter stories.

What I Read So Far (Armentrout, Clare, Maas, Stine etc.) May/June 2017

Hello, sorry for the long absence and this time I have a valid excuse. I had exams the whole sixth month and I simply lost motivation to read. I tried to save my Reading Challenge by reading some REALLY short books and I think I managed it but I am still 3 books behind. *le sigh* Here are some books I read in May and June:

1. A Court of Wings and Ruin (A Court of Thorns and Roses #3) by Sarah J. Maas 4/5 ☆

I am aware that this series has its issues but I am simply trash for it and it's mainly because she creates such wonderful characters. My favorites are Cassian, Nesta and Lucien. Besides the obvious problems (like the lack of diversity) I also disliked the fact that this portion of the series did not wrap up properly, for me at least.

2. Lord of Shadows (The Dark Artifices #2) by Cassandra Clare 5/5 ☆

I already know that this is my favorite book of the year. I doubt that there is a book that can top this. It's over 700 pages long and I read in one go. Everything is perfect: the diverse characters, the angst and drama, the plot, the hidden hints, the plot twist. I cannot wait 2 years for the next book. *cries in pillow*

3. The New Girl by R.L. Stine 3/5 ☆

I liked this but it didn't blow me away mainly because the main character, who is a boy, annoyed me.

His obsession with this new girl made him so annoying and stupid, which put him and the people around him in danger. And I can't stand this in books, even though it is used to push the plot forward. Also, there are some things that just did not make sense but that includes spoilers and I am too lazy to rant right now.

4. The Dead End by R.L. Stine 2/5 ☆

I liked this one even less because people died because someone was afraid to do the logically right thing. I understand that these books are horror books but can we add intelligent characters as well. It would be so much scarier if someone rational cannot escape a demon or something.

5. The Hating Game by Sally Thorne 5/5  ☆

First off, this is a chick-lit book and I love to read these during summer time because they are fun and light reading material for the beach. And I think this one is my favorite chick-lit novel that I've ever read. My favorite aspect was the love-hate relationship because it shows that the characters are aware of the flaws of the other person and it also creates tension, which in turn makes you root for the relationship. Also, there is a certain depth to the characters but it's still not too deep to be boring or heavy.

6. Wicked (A Wicked Saga #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout 3/5  ☆

I started this series a while back but finished it yesterday and it's not like it was bad but the thing about Armentrout's books is that, at least for me personally, is that you start noticing the similarities between her books if you have read a lot of them. For example, if someone who has never read any of her books picks up this one as their first one, I am sure they would love it but to me over time

her books loose their appeal.

 7. Disney Manga: Descendants (The Rotten to the Core Trilogy Volume 1) by Jason Muell 2/5☆(NetGalley)

I did not like this at all and my problems with this volume are that artwork was dull and boring. The four main characters are the only one done in detail. Everything else is blury and dull. The plot only picks up in the other half and then you have to buy the second volume. There are also some things that just did not make sense and the fact that they constantly repeat that they are evil but do not act very evil, just did not sit well with me :(

And that's it for my mini-reviews. Leave a comment if you want and have a great reading time.

- M.V.

Postaja Jedanaest - Recenzija I Station Eleven - Review

Ovo je recenzija knjige Postaja Jedanaest autorice Emily St. John Mandel

The English review is below the Croatian one!

Hrvatsko izdanje / Croatian edition

Prvi put sam za ovu knjigu čula na Youtubeu na Reganinom kanalu Peruse Project. Njoj se knjiga svidjela, a ja uvijek pazim šta se Regan sviđa jer znam da će se i meni u većini slučajeva sviđat. Međutim ja sam knjigu zaboravila, sve dok ju jednog dana nisam vidjela u knjižnici i odlučila je podići.

Šta trebate znati o radnji? Najbolje ništa. Ja sam ovu knjigu počela čitati bez ikakvog znanja o njoj i ja mislim da je to najbolji način da započneš ovu knjigu. Fino se smjestiš u krevet ili naslonjač i počneš čitati. Postoji jedan zaokret odma na početku koji će te natjerat da pročitaš knjigu do kraja. Ja sam, na primjer, odmah po prvim stranicama zaključila da znam o čemu se radi i grdno sam se prevarila.

Kakvi su likovi? Osobno, likovi su mi okej. Neki mi se više sviđaju od ostalih, ali nemam najdražeg što se tiče osobina. Međutim, priče većine likova su veoma zanimljive i način na koje se spoje na kraju je super odrađen.

Je li se meni svidjela? Da, veoma. Kao što sam već rekla, početak knjige me toliko zapanjio da sam morala nastavit čitati. Čitanje fino teče, nema previše opisivanja i lagano je štivo. Tijekom čitanja pitanja se postavljaju sama od sebe, što je super jer znači da ćeš imati volje za daljnim čitanjem ove knjige.

***

I first heard from this book on Regan's Youtube channel. She said that she liked it and I am always paying attention to what she likes because I know that I will like it too, at leas in most cases. However, I had forgoten about the book up up until one day when I saw it in the library. 

English edition / englesko izdanje

What do you have to know about the plot? The best answer would be nothing. I started reading this book whithout knowing anything about and I think this is the best way to start this book. Just lie down in your bad or sit down into your armchair and start reading. There is one plot twist in the beginning of the book that will make you read the book till the end. I, for example, thought that I had figured out the plot based on the first few pages and I've never been so wrong

What are the characters like? Personally, I think they are okay. Some I like more than others, but I don't have a favourite characters. However, the stories of most of the characters are really interesting and the way they come together is well done.

Did I like the book? Yes, quite a lot. As I said before, the beginning of the book shocked me so much that I had to keep on reading. The reading flows, there are no lengthy descriptions and it is easy to read. While you're reading some question appear on their own, which is great because it means that you'll be in the mood to coninue reading.

Happy reading everyone!