Tag: Reading

Book Releases, Books!, Graphic Novel, Manga, Readathon, Reading Challenge, Signal Boost

What I’m Reading (26)

daniellethamasa

Hey all, Dani here.

Okay, so this week I am proud to say that I have made a lot of progress when it comes to reading. August is starting to look like a productive reading month. And I hope to continue this pace over the next few weeks, so we’ll just see what happens.

And since I have been doing these weekly reading updates, I probably won’t be doing a Manga Madness Readathon post. You’ll get part of my reading progress today and then the rest will be in next week’s post.

All right, and with that I think I’m ready to jump in and talk about all the books I’ve finished reading in the past week.

Whew…that was a lot of books. Okay, yes, so many of these are manga or comic book/graphic novels. But still. It has actually been a pretty busy week. My fiance and I ended up buying Diablo III for our PS4 and we have been spending a lot of our non work time playing the game. I am really enjoying it, but I wish we could find more similar games that are multiplayer (without us needing to buy another TV/PS4/etc). We like playing together but a vast majority of non-PvP games are single player.

Anyway, let’s just move on to my current reads. I’m still trying to squeeze in as many volumes of manga as I can before the readathon ends this Friday, so naturally I am reading more of that. But I also picked up a book at the grocery store and I have read about 70 pages of it over the past few days as well…just so I can watch the movie on Netflix, because it looks pretty good too.

Reading Blue Exorcist just makes me want to watch the anime again, which isn’t the worst thing, because I rather liked it, and I’m sure I would pick up on more of what’s going on this second time viewing it, but it will have to wait because my current anime watches are dedicated to Fairy Tail and keeping up with the newest season of My Hero Academia.

Finally, as for what I’m hoping to read over the next week…well,a bunch more manga, that’s for sure. I think I own through Volume 6 for Blue Exorcist, so I’m going to try and finish that, and then maybe I’ll try to finish reading the volumes of The Ancient Magus’ Bride that I have. Oh, and I just got the first volume of Black Clover in the mail, so perhaps I can squeeze that in to my reading schedule as well.

Then I suppose I’d like to finish reading Guernsey Society and then I’ll probably jump into a couple other books.

That’s all for today. Let me know what you’re reading and loving in the comments below, because I would love to know what else to add to my TBR. I’ll be back soon with more bookish content.

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Books!, Graphic Novel, Manga, Readathon, Reading Challenge, Signal Boost

What I’m Reading (25)

daniellethamasa

Hey all, Dani here.

As can be predicted, I actually did not accomplish a lot of reading over the last week. That tends to happen when it comes to going to conventions. But I did manage to finish one book and start a few others, so I’ll talk about all of those here.

But first, Gen Con was actually a lot of fun. I bought a lot of books, a few games, several sets of dice, and I just had a wonderful time hanging out with a bunch of awesome geeks. My fiance and I are already planning on attending again next year. If you’re interested in hearing more about my Gen Con experience, let me know in the comments and I can write up a post about the whole trip.

Okay, so for the book that I finished in the past week, it was a good read, and it didn’t take me all that long to actually finish it, so that was nice. I had hoped to finish it before we left for Indianapolis, but that didn’t happen. Still, I enjoyed reading Game of Secrets by Kim Foster. The concept was an interesting one and I’m glad I gave it a try.

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Then there’s the books I started while at Gen Con or over the past couple of days. Needless to say, I am in the middle of a good number of reads, but sometimes that just happens. With any luck I’ll finish most of these in the next couple of days and move on to the next books on my TBR…oh, and of course seeing how many volumes of manga I can read because the next round of Manga Madness Readathon starts very soon.

Anyway, here’s everything I’m currently reading.

The first book I started reading is the Looking for Group Omnibus, which contains Volumes 1-3 of the web comic print bind-ups. Back in college I read Looking for Group online for awhile, but it has been so long that I don’t remember specifics. I’ve only read about 20 or 30 pages, but it is fun being reintroduced to the characters. The second book is another gaming guidebook from Kobold Press. I love their worldbuilding book, and actually recommend it for not just game masters, but also authors. The great thing is that I don’t have to read this book all at once or anything since it is just a collection of essays, but I am really looking forward to reading most of the advice I’m sure to get from all these amazing gamers and writers. Finally, I just started Beyond a Darkened Shore on Monday as my work read, and I am really enjoying it. Actually, I think I should be able to finish it soon.

Oh, I almost forgot about the books I want to start reading soon. Obviously my focus is going to switch to manga starting on Friday and going until next Friday. I imagine that I’ll be starting with Volume 14 of My Hero Academia, but I also definitely want to read the first volume of Dawn of the Arcana. After that I’m not sure what I’ll read, but hopefully I will have a lot of updates for next week.

Thanks for reading everyone. Let me know in the comments if you’ve recently finished or are currently reading something interesting. I think that is all for today, and I will be back soon with more bookish content.

Books!, Manga, Readathon, Reading Challenge, Signal Boost

Manga Madness Readathon (Round 3)

daniellethamasa

Hey all, Dani here.

Today is Day Two of Gen Con, and when this post goes live, my fiance and I will be wrapping up our time at the convention center and be heading across the city to the theater where we will watch a live episode of Critical Role, and we are both very excited about it. Anyway, I am not here to talk about my convention fun (yet…I will have a con wrap up post coming after the weekend is over).

I guess I’m just really in a readathon mood lately. Plus, my fiance and I just bought a bunch more manga to add to our collection. So it seems appropriate to announce that we are participating in the upcoming round of the Manga Madness Readathon.

It will be taking place from August 10th-18th, and the goal is to read as many manga as possible in that time. Now, there are a couple more specific ways to participate, like trying to complete a bingo board of different types, themes, or genres of manga, or focusing your attention on one specific series, but I just want to read some manga instead of trying to find a specific TBR for the event.

You can find out all the details on Jade’s blog here.

As for what the two of us will be reading, well it will probably be something on these shelves, though we may have added more volumes since this photo was taken. Oh and the shelving of the manga is not my decision. This bookcase is my fiance’s and he has complete control over where they all go and how they are stacked. He’s still figuring out his shelving preferences.


That is a really vague TBR, isn’t it? Well, I personally want to read the rest of Ancient Magus’ Bride, read the newest volume of My Hero Academia, since it comes out on August 7th, and then I’ll start reading whatever sounds interesting. I believe my fiance will be trying to work on getting manga completed and reviews formulated so he can start posting. We’ve already figured out his bio blurb and his review policy, so those are both up on the blog. Now we just need content.

So really, I do believe that is all for today. I just wanted to announce that I am doing another readathon. Let me know if you plan on participating as well, or let me know if you have any manga recommendations. I will be back soon with more bookish content.

Book Releases, Book Review, Books!, Conventions, Graphic Novel, Manga, Readathon, Reading Challenge, Self-Published Books, Signal Boost

July Wrap Up and August TBR

daniellethamasa

Hey all, Dani here.

Welcome to August. At the time this post goes live, I will probably be sitting in an Irish pub in Indianapolis, relaxing before the start of Gen Con. Why an Irish pub, you may ask? Well, as today is my birthday I got to choose where to eat dinner, and I just really wanted to hang out with my fiance and our nerd friends who came with us, and have a nice adult beverage…because I turned 30 today, so I can do that.

Also, heads up, sorry if I am not as quick at liking or responding to your comments over the next several days. Gen Con runs from Thursday through Sunday, and I will likely be soaking in all the nerd gear and books and gaming equipment, instead of playing on my phone. But I promise, I’m still here, and I will get back to you as soon as I am able.

Okay, let’s get started. First up, the books I read over the month of July. I feel like this past month was a pretty good one for reading. I participated in two different readathons and just generally was in a mood for devouring stories. As always, if I have a review up, I will include the link back to it, just in case you are interested or missed it.

The Emerald Sea by Richelle Mead — 5 stars

All of This is True by Lygia Day Penaflor — 4 stars

Save the Date by Morgan Matson — 4.5 stars

Little Do We Know by Tamara Ireland Stone — 5 stars

Little Moments of Love by Catana Chetwynd — 5 stars

My Hero Academia Vigilantes, Vol 1 by Hideyuki Furuhashi — 4 stars

And I Darken by Kiersten White — 5 stars

Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse — 4.5 stars

Blackened White by Brian W Foster — 4 stars

Terminal Alliance by Jim C Hines — 4.5 stars

Spellslinger by Sebastien De Castell — 5 stars

Kill the Farm Boy by Delilah S Dawson and Kevin Hearne — 5 stars

Game of Secrets by Kim Foster — 4 stars

Vox Machina Origins by Matthew Coville, Chris Northrop, Olivia Samson, and Matthew Mercer — 5 stars

All right, and then there were the other stories I consumed over the month, namely movies and TV shows. I kept track of them just in case anyone was interested, and I guess I enjoy having a record of what I’ve seen, so this segment of my monthly wrap up may be here to stay.

Pokemon: the series — Sun & Moon (season 1) — 4 stars, Kung Fu Panda 3 — 4.5 stars, Ant-Man and the Wasp — 5 stars, The Princess Diaries (again) — 5 stars, Ella Enchanted (again) — 4 stars, Happy Gilmore (again) — 5 stars, The Mummy — 4 stars, The Mummy Returns — 4.5 stars, Journey to the Center of the Earth — 4 stars

Also, as usual I am still watching “Critical Role” each week and things got really intense and emotional in July. I am so looking forward to seeing the show live and in person this weekend. My fiance and I also started watching a summer show on the CW called “The Outpost,” and it is really interesting so far. The show is created by the same people who did the Mythica series of movies, and those movies are what my fiance and I watched on our first date, so obviously we feel a special connection to all five films. This new series actually has a couple of the same cast members and has a similar feel to the magic as Mythica, so I’m excited to see where it goes from here. Finally, my fiance and I decided that we had taken enough of a break to separate Avatar from Korra, so we started watching The Legend of Korra. We finished Books One and Two, and are almost finished with Book Three, and I am really enjoying it so far. So many of the characters are either connected to characters from the original series or act in a similar manner, and it is really entertaining to watch.

I do believe that is all for what I saw this month.

Next up is the book haul and OwlCrate unboxing portions of this post. This month is a little special because I am separating my fiance’s haul into its own section. There was a manga sale on Barnes & Noble and he decided to stock up on some reads and start prepping posts, because he is getting really excited about joining me here on this blog. He has figured out what name he wants to go by, because he doesn’t want to use his real name, so like me he has come up with a pen name, and now we are just figuring out his review policy and rating system. So his debut should be soon. Okay, let’s just get into his haul already.

There are a few of these manga volumes that I plan to check out as well, so we may see me switch to mini reviews on the manga when he starts doing his reviews.

Next up is my haul, and I also purchased some manga because that deal was too good to pass up. Plus I got a few other books I was pretty excited about. And I am so happy with the OwlCrate for July, though it was a book I had recently purchased, so I now have two copies. I actually do prefer the OwlCrate cover, so I may end up unhauling the original.

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Finally, there is my August TBR to announce. And I can honestly say that I haven’t exactly planned out a TBR really just yet for this one. Oh boy, I guess I need to go stare at my shelves and figure that out. Hold on a moment.

Okay, so the next volume of My Hero Academia will be released in August, as will the fifth volume of Rat Queens. I will most likely be getting and reading both of those. My most anticipated release of the year will be out in August, but not until the 28th, so I don’t exactly think I can include it on my TBR, but you can definitely expect Access Restricted by Gregory Scott Katsoulis to be on my September TBR. Oh, and the next round of the Manga Madness Readathon is taking place in August as well, so I will probably be reading quite a few volumes, but I’ll have a TBR announcement post up for that one soon.

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There, that seems like a decent TBR, though I could always change those up or add more, depending on how the month goes. And I do believe that is all for today. Thanks for reading and commenting and being awesome bookish friends. I’ll be back soon with more bookish content.

Book Releases, Books!, Readathon, Reading Challenge, Signal Boost

Change of Reading Plans

daniellethamasa

Hey all, Dani here.

This will be a pretty short post, because I have had a lot to do this week in preparation for my birthday trip to Indianapolis for Gen Con. I’ve been trying to finalize decisions on panels and seminars and stuff to try out, and figuring out what outfits to pack, and what books to bring–because sometimes there are lines and books are good to have. At the same time I will be buying a lot of nerd gear and I don’t have infinite space to pack it in, so book selection is super important.

Anyway, I had a plan for Dewey’s Summer Reverse Readathon, which will be starting in just four more hours for me (at the time this post goes live), and I was pretty excited about the plan, even though I made it a few weeks early. But I guess I wasn’t planning on discovering and buying so many books that sound so interesting that I just want to drop my current reads and start reading them now regardless of plans.

So…I’m changing my TBR.

It used to be this, and I will still get around to these books, eventually.

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But now I am excited to announce that I will be reading these lovely little novels. One of them I already somewhat started to read, but I’m only a couple chapters in. And depending on how things go, I may get to go back and toss in one of my previous TBR choices, but it all really depends on how much reading I accomplish and how much sleep I get, and how long D&D goes tomorrow, because it will start (and probably last) the last six hours of the readathon.

The book I somewhat started already is Spellslinger by Sebastien De Castell, and it is so interesting so far. I’m thinking it will be a pretty fast read. Then there is the lovely Kill the Farm Boy by Delilah S Dawson and Kevin Hearne. You guys, this book sounds so hilarious and awesome and I am so darn excited to start reading it. The world map is wonderful and pun filled, and I am ready to devour this book. Then there is this book that I found…last month, I think…at the book store, and it sounds really interesting as well, set in Victorian England with an intriguing monster premise and a school for training people to be spies and assassins for the queen.

So, I guess that is all for now. Oh wait. Technically if you want to keep up with what I’m reading or how I’m doing for this readathon, I will be posting photo updates on my Instagram, so you can go find me there. Good luck to everyone who is participating, and I will have my readathon wrap up next Wednesday when I do my usual monthly wrap-up and TBR.

Books!, Readathon, Reading Challenge, Self-Published Books, Signal Boost

What I’m Reading (24)

daniellethamasa

Hey all, Dani here.

So this past week…not as productive for reading as the previous week. Last week, I was needed for a different job/position at work, but it also required me to leave first shift for a week and go to second shift. The first half of that week I was doing great, getting a lot of reading done while at work, and I was feeling good. But then I started to get really tired because of completely wrecking my sleep schedule, and not really getting to see my fiance for more than perhaps 30 minutes or so a day.

To be honest, my sleep schedule is still completely off, but I’m hoping to adjust it back to normal before next week, so we’ll see how that goes.

Anyway, in my last update, I was in the middle of the Summer Biannual Bibliothon, and I was talking about how I had finished three of my planned reads, and was starting the fourth one. Well, that isn’t exactly true. I meant to start the fourth one, but like I mentioned, I was also really tired. I didn’t read anything.

My current read is still Terminal Alliance by Jim C Hines, because I have made no progress at all on this read since last week.

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This also means that I haven’t even picked up Now I Rise by Kiersten White yet, but I do plan to read the rest of the trilogy very soon. It’s just that I had some anticipated releases and new book purchases that I really want to read as well, so those might take priority for now.

One of the books I’m hoping to start and finish very soon, possibly even tonight is Blackened White by Brian W Foster. I want to read it before I go to GenCon next week, and it is supposed to be a rather short book, so that shouldn’t be an issue. Plus, it is a lot of poems and essays and short stories. But Brian W Foster will be at the convention with the cast of “Critical Role,” so if I’m very lucky, maybe I can get him to sign his book. That would be pretty cool.

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Well, I guess that’s all for today. Hopefully I have a better post next week, especially since Dewey’s Summer Reverse Readathon is this weekend. I’ll be back soon with more bookish content.

Book Releases, Book Review, Books!, Manga, Readathon, Reading Challenge, Signal Boost

What I’m Reading (23)

daniellethamasa

Hey all, Dani here.

As predicted last week, I actually did finish Save the Date by Morgan Matson, approximately one or two minutes before my post went live on the blog. Oh well, I guess that means I’ll just count it for this week’s post.

Speaking of, let’s just go ahead and jump into everything. Welcome back to my weekly post where I discuss the books I’ve finished recently, the ones I am currently reading, and the ones I would like to start reading in the next week.

After I had finished the newest Morgan Matson summer read, I jumped into Little Do We Know by Tamara Ireland Stone, which I read pretty darn quickly. That was nice. I will have reviews for these books coming soon. Next I jumped into Little Moments of Love by Catana Chetwynd, which is a Catana Comics collection, so obviously it was a super fast read. I also have a review of Catana Comics coming soon, so stay tuned for that.

Those books alone would have been great, and pretty good for a week’s update, but I just kept on reading.

After those, I started diving into my books for the Summer Biannual Bibliothon, which is taking place right now. I am doing really well when it comes to completing my TBR for this week long event. I finished My Hero Academia Vigilantes Volume 1, before starting And I Darken by Kiersten White. Though that is an almost 500 page book, I read it in under two days, and now I am desperate to read the rest of the trilogy, so I guess I know what will be happening after the Bibliothon is over. Thankfully I managed to push past those desires to continue with my TBR by picking up Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse. It is a dark and gritty post apocalyptic story that will appeal to fans of the TV show “Supernatural.” Thankfully it also managed to hold my interest right after finishing the amazingness that was And I Darken.

It is currently the middle of the Summer Biannual Bibliothon, and so far I think I’m doing all right. I didn’t figure that I would be able to complete all of the reading challenges. Honestly, I didn’t even really think I would be able to complete my four-book TBR, but I am definitely surprising myself. So for my planned reads, obviously I will be trying to finish my TBR. Granted, the only other book actually on my TBR for this is City of Lies by Sam Hawke, so that is my current read. Though, I would also like to see if I can maybe finish reading Terminal Alliance by Jim C. Hines.

As for what I would like to read next, the obvious choices are Now I Rise and Bright We Burn by Kiersten White. Hopefully finishing this trilogy doesn’t threaten to put me in a slight reading slump. But I don’t exactly know what I’ll read after them…I mean, aside from the books I have ready for Dewey’s 24 Hour Summer Reverse Readathon coming up soon.

So I think that is all for today. Thanks for stopping by, and let me know down in the comments if you have read any of this books (or have them on your TBRs). If not, let me know what wonderful books you have recently finished or are currently reading. As always, I will be back soon with more bookish content.

Book Releases, Book Review, Books!, Signal Boost

Review: All of This is True by Lygia Day Penaflor

daniellethamasa

Hey all, Dani here.

Today’s review is for a book that I learned about something like a month ago, but the premise intrigued me so I immediately went online to the Barnes & Noble web site and bought myself a copy.  Then it didn’t take me long at all before I was reaching for the book because I just needed to start reading it. And now, here we are, with a review of this suspenseful, psychological, and intriguing story.

Let’s just jump into it then.

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Summary

Miri Tan loved the book Undertow like it was a living being. So when she and her friends went to a book signing to meet the author, Fatima Ro, they concocted a plan to get close to her, even if her friends won’t admit it now. As for Jonah, well—Miri knows none of that was Fatima’s fault.

Soleil Johnston wanted to be a writer herself one day. When she and her friends started hanging out with her favorite author, Fatima Ro, she couldn’t believe their luck—especially when Jonah Nicholls started hanging out with them, too. Now, looking back, Soleil can’t believe she let Fatima manipulate her and Jonah like that. She can’t believe that she got used for a book.

Penny Panzarella was more than the materialistic party girl everyone at the Graham School thought she was. She desperately wanted Fatima Ro to see that, and she saw her chance when Fatima asked the girls to be transparent with her. If only she’d known what would happen when Fatima learned Jonah’s secret. If only she’d known that the line between fiction and truth was more complicated than any of them imagined. . . .

My Thoughts

Rating: 4 stars

This was a good read, and pretty interesting. The past couple years we have started to see a few more books being released featuring a different format, such as documents, articles, interviews, etc. And honestly, I like the format, but it isn’t one that I want to read all the time. On occasion though, it does make for a nice change of pace.

All of This is True was pitched as being a good read for fans of last year’s release One of Us is Lying. It is a book I read and ended up loving, even though it was not the typical sort of book I would pick up. What intrigued me a bit more with this book is that it features young adults who befriend this author they love, and then are betrayed or manipulated by her. Seriously, I’ll leave it up to you to figure out what you think happened.

Because this book goes between interviews and articles by Miri, Soleil, and Penny, plus actual snippets from Fatima’s book, some events can be a bit open to differing interpretations. Also, the bouncing around between each person’s story gives you varying insights and opinions, while also helping to increase the suspense.

Again, this is not a book I normally would have picked up, but because the summary sounded interesting, and I enjoyed reading a similar book last year, I gave it a shot. I don’t think I was as caught up in All of This is True as much as One of Us is Lying, but it was still a read I’m glad I finished, though I probably won’t keep it for a re-read. Still, I will definitely be checking up on whatever Lygia Day Penaflor comes up with next, and if the premise sounds interesting, then I am absolutely willing to read another of her books.

Where to Buy

You can pick up this book from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-million, Book Depository, or your local indie bookstore.

Book Review, Books!, Manga, Signal Boost

Manga Review: My Hero Academia Vol 9

daniellethamasa

Hey all, Dani here.

The more I write these reviews for MHA, the closer I get to running out of reviews to write. Seriously, right now there are only 13 volumes of My Hero Academia released for me. Volume 14 will be released in early August, and then Volume 15 arrives in early October, so unless I really get reading on some other manga series, this weekly manga review post will slow down for a little while.

But that’s okay. Sometimes it is fun to be completely caught up on a series and build up that anticipation for the next release. So, without further ado, let’s just jump into this review.

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Summary

Midoriya inherits the superpower of the world’s greatest hero, but greatness won’t come easy.

What would the world be like if 80 percent of the population manifested superpowers called “Quirks”? Heroes and villains would be battling it out everywhere! Being a hero would mean learning to use your power, but where would you go to study? The Hero Academy of course! But what would you do if you were one of the 20 percent who were born Quirkless?

It’s off to summer camp for Midoriya and the U.A. students! But this is no ordinary vacation—it’s high-impact training where the students are expected to develop their Quirks even further! The teachers have set up some tough challenges, but none will be as difficult and as life changing as the threat a new group of enemies poses. What’s even worse is who the villains’ target is and why…

My Thoughts

Rating: 5 stars

This particular volume kicks off a new story arc for the manga, one that I think is the most intense yet. I do believe this is also where season three of the anime starts. What was fun for me when I made it to this volume is that the third season of the show hadn’t premiered yet, so this is where my reading started to go ahead of what I had already seen, which meant I had no idea what was going to happen.

We are introduced to new characters, mostly heroes, but also a young boy named Kota, who honestly was one of my favorite characters because he acted so differently from most of those we have met in the series…and when we learn the reason why, it only makes me appreciate his character and his developing storyline more.

Much like you would expect for anything having to do with a school that specializes in training heroes, this is not a standard summer camp. Because of everything that has happened in their schooling so far, they really need to develop their Quirks more and train even harder so they can be ready for what is coming for them.

I liked seeing what each of the characters do to work their Quirks more and strengthen up. For some it involves physical strength training, while for others it means finding ways to boost the duration they can use their abilities. And it is even harder for the students who didn’t pass their final exams, because they have additional schooling on top of everything else.

Seriously, this was a pretty fun start to what is a great and yet terrible story arc. A lot of things change after this training camp. But if you want to know more, you’re going to have to read the manga (or watch the anime).

Where to Buy

You can pick up this (or any) of the volumes of My Hero Academia from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-million, Book Depository, or your local indie bookstore.

Book Releases, Book Review, Books!, Signal Boost

Review: The Emerald Sea by Richelle Mead

daniellethamasa

Hey all, Dani here.

I have read quite a few Richelle Mead books over the years. Yes, I technically still need to finish her Georgina Kincaid series and her Dark Swan series. Other than that, I think I’ve read them all. When the Glittering Court trilogy was announced, I was intrigued but not excited to the same degree as some previous books. But then I was swept away into this new world, getting totally caught up in the lives of these main three ladies. But this is the one I was most looking forward to, because I really wanted to know more about Tamsin.

So welcome to the Glittering Court, and let’s jump into the review.

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Summary

The final installment in Richelle Mead’s sweeping, enthralling Glittering Court series answers the trilogy’s biggest question: what is the secret that drives Tamsin to win at all costs?

Tamsin Wright is unstoppable. She must become the Glittering Court’s diamond: the girl with the highest test scores, the most glamorous wardrobe, and the greatest opportunities to match with an elite suitor in the New World. Training alongside other girls in the Glittering Court, Tamsin immerses herself completely in lessons about etiquette, history, and music–everything a high-society wife would need to know. Once she’s married, she’ll be able to afford a better life for her family, so the sacrifice is worth it if she can be the best.

When her friendship with Mira and Adelaide, her roommates at the Glittering Court, threatens her status as the top-ranked prospect, she does the only thing she knows will keep her on track: she cuts them out of her life. But when her voyage across the sea goes off course, Tamsin must use her unrelenting grit and determination to survive the harsh winter far north of her intended destination in hopes of making it back to the Glittering Court in time to secure a proposal–and a comfortable future for her family.

Experiencing new cultures and beliefs for the first time, Tamsin realizes that her careful studies haven’t prepared her for everything, and with new alliances formed with roguish tradesman Jago Robinson and good-natured minister Gideon Stewart, Tamsin’s heart begins to be pulled in different directions. But she can’t let her brewing attraction get in the way of her ultimate goal: protecting the secret she holds closest to her heart, the one that would unravel everything she’s worked for if it’s uncovered.

My Thoughts

Rating: 5 stars

First I should probably say that this is a trilogy that you can technically read in any order. All three stories take place at the same time but give you a different narrative perspective. That being said, I absolutely recommend that you read the first book, The Glittering Court, first. I feel like it sets up the school and the training and the characters the best. The other two books pretty much breeze past their school times.

I’m actually glad that Tamsin’s story is the final one. Don’t get me wrong; I liked Adelaide’s story, and I though Mira’s tale was interesting, but Tamsin’s journey is worth the wait.

Oh, and that secret of Tamsin’s that is mentioned in the summary…yeah, that gets revealed to us in the first couple of chapters, and is revealed to or discovered by a few others throughout the novel.

I read Tamsin’s story pretty quickly, especially for the size of the book. Honestly it might be because Tamsin is such a determined and strong-willed character. I was compelled to keep reading. I had to know what was going to happen. Her story has a lot of roadblocks and detours and setbacks, but through it all it feels like Tamsin is the one who keeps the girls of the Glittering Court going, and who keeps fighting to get them where they need to be.

Seeing the other cultures was really cool. I especially need to give credit to how various religions are portrayed in pretty much every Richelle Mead book. She handles them in realistic yet respectful ways–I suppose her college degrees come in handy for that.

Both Gideon and Jago were intriguing men, but I know which one I preferred…the one she eventually chooses. The other one wasn’t bad; I just don’t think they were as compatible.

Basically I loved this book, and it has made me want to read the other two again, just to see what connections I missed the first time around.

Where to Buy

You can get your own copy of The Emerald Sea from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-a-million, Book Depository, or your local indie bookstore.