Fantasy Buddy Reads discussion

June 1st.

In!

I was confused by the fact that this is shelved in the standalones whereas, in fact, this is the third book in the Ember in the Ashes Series renamed as the Ember Quartet.

I'm in (if I have the book on time).

Maybe its because this isn't a full series read?

I think it was put here because of the folder limit of 100 because of GR.

The release date was moved from June 1st to June 12th so we'll need this updated.

People should read this and try to catch up. Perhaps my favorite YA series ever.

Can't wait to read this one!

I'll be joining in on this one for sure.

I'm going to say maybe. It depends on whether I can get caught up in the series by then.

Bumping this as we are getting close.

yay!

Miche wrote: "yay!"

I'm psyched you're in for this one. My favorite YA series.

I love her books. Both made me stay awake later them usual because I couldn't put them down. I especially loved Helene's pov.

Saba handled the second book really well. I was pleasantly surprised how much the story expanded.

The hard part was to wait for this one to come out. :)

Miche wrote: "The hard part was to wait for this one to come out. :) "

Yes it's been a long time. If I had had more time I would have done a reread of the first two.

Me too!

I got the book. I'm juggling it with other though so depending on quality it might take me an overnight to read it or a week or so. ;)

Started this morning. Love her writing style. Glad to be back in this world. Two chapters in so just figuring out who everybody is again.

I will start sometime this week. :)

I couldn't resist long, lol.

I loved the tone from the Chapter 1. Having a pov from (view spoiler)[ Nightbringer (hide spoiler)] was a great way to start the book.

Just starting today

Through chapter 7

(view spoiler)[Loving that the Nightbringer is so much more a part of this one as it continues it's dark overtones. (hide spoiler)]

I got up to chapter 17 yesterday.

(view spoiler)[Beekeeper so far has been an interesting character. I am not sure if we can really trust him. (hide spoiler)]

Just started last night. I'm still in the first chapter.

Up to Chapter 26, 46%:

The book started interesting, however the last few chapters felt just like fillers for me. I hope she manages to grab my attention soon, or I might need to put it on hold for a while.

I got to part two last night. I had a hard time putting it down but had to get some sleep. This is the first book I've read in a while that I've been this glued to. I'm not really surprised since I was glued to the first two books as well. (view spoiler)[ I swear I'm already having anxiety over how things are going to end up for all these characters, especially Elias and Laia. (hide spoiler)]

Hoping to get back to this over the weekend. I've loved what I've read so far but work has been nuts and I've had no time.

I just finished it. I liked it, but not as much as the other two books. The narrative felt unfocused at some points, with characters just running around doing the same mistakes over and over again. Part 1 and 4 were interesting, but part 2 and most of part 3 fell to the middle book trap.

Maybe I wasn't in the right mood for it, or maybe my expectation was too high.

I hope you all enjoy it more than I did.

I can't get past the first chapter. :( Also, I feel like I have already forgotten everything. And I really care only for Helene.

I'm through part one.

Helene is my favorite character. I don't know why but I picture her as a young Cobie Smulders.



(view spoiler)[The scene with the Nightbringer at the edge of the forest was really cool. (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

Mayim wrote: "I can't get past the first chapter. :( Also, I feel like I have already forgotten everything. And I really care only for Helene."

I had to go read a summary of the second book, Mayim. I was surprised that I had forgotten almost everything that had happened.

Helene is also the only one I care for. Laila often enough gets to my nerves.

Nightbringer is also an interesting character.

I actually have remembered all of the characters and most of what they did. Even minor ones like Harper and Dex.

Thankfully I remember most everything from the other books. That isn't always the case. Usually things come back to me in bits and pieces as I read. I like all of the characters in this series.

Miche wrote: "I got up to chapter 17 yesterday.

[spoilers removed]"

I find him interesting too.

Miche wrote: "I just finished it. I liked it, but not as much as the other two books. The narrative felt unfocused at some points, with characters just running around doing the same mistakes over and over again...."

I felt the same way. I had to sit on my couch for like an hour afterward mulling everything over and in the end felt bummed. Which is the exact opposite of what I wanted. I hate to say that it felt like a filler book but ... it did.

If you took the whole series, turned it into three books instead of four, you could take everything that happened here and cut it into part one of the final book. :(

Miche wrote: "I got up to chapter 17 yesterday.

[spoilers removed]"

Agreed he's fun so far.

I'm at Chapter 44 now. Part two was slower than parts one and three, but I'm still really enjoying this book. Not quite as much as the first two books though. It is definitely a middle of the series book, but that isn't really bothering me. (view spoiler)[ There's a lot coming to a head here all at the same time and I have a feeling this book is going to leave us with a lot of loose ends and a feeling of hopelessness, but I could be wrong. I do feel like the Blood Shrike should have seen that ambush coming when they went out to do their attacks on the Karkaun army, and also the fact that they may split their army and come at two different sides. She is much too inexperienced to be leading anything. It does always seen rather ridiculous and unrealistic in YA books when the teen characters are promoted over older more experienced individuals. (hide spoiler)]

Tammie wrote: "I'm at Chapter 44 now. Part two was slower than parts one and three, but I'm still really enjoying this book. Not quite as much as the first two books though. It is definitely a middle of the serie..."

I couldn't agree more about the yas.

Through 25

(view spoiler)[No coincidence that Helene's scar is a star. She has to be the final piece for the Nightbringer to complete his star. So that makes me wonder at the commandant arguing against her going out on the boats and certain death, then sending an attacker. I think there's more than meets the eye here and I wonder at her reaching redemption at some point. (hide spoiler)]

Through 27

(view spoiler)[The Scholars slaughtering the Jinn definitely takes away that Jewish Holocaust feel I had for them during books one and two. Horrible scene ambushing the children and Shaeva still being a soul catcher for the humans, I wouldn't have done that. (hide spoiler)]

Scott wrote: "Through 27

[spoilers removed]"

It was a hard scene to read.

I might join in when I get the book after meeting the author

Miche wrote: "Mayim wrote: "I can't get past the first chapter. :( Also, I feel like I have already forgotten everything. And I really care only for Helene."

I had to go read a summary of the second book, Mayim..."

I think I might do it as well. I pushed through part I last night (finally!). (view spoiler)[What I liked the most is how the augur pointed out the similarities between the Nightbringer and Helene. What I found ridiculous is Marcus beating up Helene's sister who is supposed to be pregnant. I mean, how is she supposed to keep the pregnancy? (hide spoiler)]

Through 29

(view spoiler)[My chapter 25 prediction came to fruition. (hide spoiler)]

Mayim wrote: "Miche wrote: "Mayim wrote: "I can't get past the first chapter. :( Also, I feel like I have already forgotten everything. And I really care only for Helene."

I had to go read a summary of the seco..."

That part was too much for me, especially for an ya book.

Scott wrote: "Through 29

[spoilers removed]"

Yep!

I finished this last night. (view spoiler)[ I was right and it did end with things looking pretty hopeless for everyone but the Jinn of course. I'm pretty sad about the way things are going for just about everyone, but I'm sure in the next book some things will be set right and at least some of them will get a happy ending. Throughout most of the book I felt that Laia and Helene were right about stopping the Jinn, but now I'm not so sure. I feel like maybe what Elias realized as the Soul Catcher is what needs to happen. (hide spoiler)]

The way it ends makes me wish I could read the next book right away.

Tammie wrote: "I finished this last night. [spoilers removed]

The way it ends makes me wish I could read the next book right away."

Nice. I feel like I'm enjoying this more than most so I'm glad there's some others enjoying it.

Scott wrote: "Through 29

[spoilers removed]"

For some reason I did not see that coming. I forgot about the scar.

Tammie wrote: "Scott wrote: "Through 29

[spoilers removed]"

For some reason I did not see that coming. I forgot about the scar."

I had a feeling beforehand that she was going to be the missing piece so when the author dropped that nugget I pounced on it.

I have finished. Very mediocre, very predictable. Also, I hate the prophecy-driven books, they take all the agency from individual characters.