Always Buy The Book

The Name of the Wind- Review Patrick Rothfuss Genre: Fantasy Rating: 4/5 The short version: It’s frustratingly not a finished story, more of an extended introduction, but it lays out the bones of a fantastic trilogy. This review will contain spoilers. I hated The Name of the Wind. I mean, it’s brilliantly absorbing and well thought out. But I probably wouldn’t have started reading it if I’d known it was only the start of an as-yet unfinished trilogy. And so, I hate it because it made me want more. And there is more! But I probably won’t read The Wise Man’s Fear until I know when the next book is coming out, because otherwise the wait is just going to be infuriating. If the long wait means that the final book is as good as the first, though, I’ll happily eat my words. One of my favourite things about this book was the depth of the worldbuilding, and I fully appreciate that that takes time. And it’s not only the obvious parts of worldbuilding are done wel...

Strange the Dreamer- Review Laini Taylor Genre: Fantasy Rating: 4.5/5 The short version:  Strange is much more than just another fantasy novel- it creates breath-taking new worlds, asks thoughtful moral questions and introduces compelling new characters.  This review will contain spoilers. It took me a while to pick up Laini Taylor’s debut series, the Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy. Once I had read them, though, I loved them, and in fact they’re amongst the first books I picked up when I wanted to read my favourites again. That actually meant that I was a bit apprehensive about Strange the Dreamer. I was scared in case the magic hadn’t carried over to a new setting, plot, and characters. It was a relief to find out that I really shouldn’t have worried!  Strange is similar to DoSaB in its creation of incredibly detailed and fascinating mythologies, worlds to match them, and characters who seem demonic to the rest of the world. But it’s also entirely...