I finally finished all of the series books that I have been waiting to read, and thankfully, they were all stellar reads. It was so fun spending December and January catching up on my favorite series.
The Perilous Sea by Sherry Thomas - Book 2 of Elemental Trilogy
At the beginning of The Perilous Sea, a boy and a girl wake up in the middle of a desert in dire peril and no memories of who they are or how they got in this situation. As our hero and heroine struggle to survive and recover their memories, Thomas alternatively tell the tale of how they got in in this situation. In this book, Titus and Iolanthe discover the danger of prophesies and how terribly powerful and evil the Bane truly is. I loved both plotlines. It was heartwarming watching Titus and Iolanthe fall in love with each other all over again. There were also some interesting revelations about Iolanthe's parentage. I can't wait for the final book in the trilogy!
Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater - Book 3 of Raven Cycle series
The tension is building in the third book of the Raven Cycle. Blue and Gansey's feelings for each are heating up. Adam and Ronan's powers are growing more powerful. The spiritual power of Glendower is seeping more tangibly into the mortal world, and they are getting closer to waking the king. Blue's family and friends become more desperate to rescue her mother. The new villains are amoral and cunning, and the grey man is more handsome and dangerous as he fights to save everyone Blue holds dear. I am not sure how I am going to survive the next book for Gansey is fated to die, and I think more will as well. I will have to keep hope that prophecies rarely mean what we think they mean.
Gathering Darkness by Morgan Rhodes - Book 3 of Falling Kingdoms
The Falling Kingdoms series is the light version of Game of Thrones. Told from multiple perspectives and filled with betrayal, greed, revenge, and lost love, it is a great read. The latest book, which I mistakenly thought was the last in the series, continues to bring our main characters closer to finding and unlocking the secrets of the Kindred, the four magical objects that are rumored to bring the owner great power and have been hidden for centuries. I was shocked by the death toll of major characters in this book, and I kept hoping that other characters could start trusting each other. However, I am eager for the final book of the series to find out how it will all end.
Mortal Heart by Robin LaFevers - Book 3 of His Fair Assassin Trilogy
The final book of the His Fair Assassin trilogy tells Annith's tale. When the headmistress informs her that she will never get to leave the convent which she has spent her entire life because she has been chosen as the next seer, Annith rebels and runs away to find Mortain's true fate for her. Immediately, she is captured by the Hellaquin, Mortain's own death collectors, and she becomes intrigued by their leader Balthazar. As she finally reaches court, she discovers the depths of the headmistresses betrayals and must decide for herself how to make things right for herself, Mortain's followers, her friends, the Duchess, and all of Brittany. A satisfying conclusion to a dark and fascinating historical series.
Firefight by Brandon Sanderson - Book 2 of Reckoners series
With Steelheart eliminated, now David and the Reckoners must decide on their next target. The epic in charge of Babylon Restored keeps sending epics to kill them, so they are forced to head to Old Manhattan to take her on. However, what they find find there does not make sense. Some epics have greater powers than before, the professor has started acting strangely, and nothing adds up. David's research into an epic's weakness also has begun to turn up some clues to how to destroy epics, but now he is starting to wonder if epics can be good. He especially wants to connect with Firefight, the epic who helped him defeat Steelheart; he believes she can be good. Now he just has to prove it to everyone else before they kill her. Although some of David's bad similes got old, I was drawn into his confusion as his thirst for vengeance has become a search for answers. Can epics be good? How is their weakness tied to their past lives? I love this original take on superhero stories and can't wait for the next book!