I've spent the better part of my week (1) Trying to hunt down a copy of the anniversary edition of City of Bones (to no avail--guess I'll have to suck it up and order online and hope my idiot neighbors don't steal the package) and (2) Listening to the new Taylor Swift record on repeat (I'm not going to apologize about this just so we're on the same page) while trying to plot this weeks post out in my head. As you can imagine, that didn't go off as well as I'd hoped--however, I finally got off my arse and got it done. I know, I'm proud of me too.

To be honest, this is a pretty short post compared to the other topics. I have no idea why I procrastinated like I did. Whoops. 

I'm so excited to continue my celebration. Which, if you're confused as to what I'm talking about--click here. Basically, my stan is at its highest level when it comes to Cassandra Clare's The Mortal Instruments series.

I'm going to be tackling my favourite parabatai pairings from The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices because reasons. So let's get down to business. Grab a drink. And blast "I Did Something Bad" by Taylor Swift because it's what I'm doing--it's a total banger.

Shattered Memories by V.C. Andrews | Rating: ★☆☆☆☆

I'll be honest, I fell into the trap with The Mirror Sisters. The first book was relatively rubbish but the second one was thrilling enough that I had high hopes for the series conclusion in Shattered Memories. Undoubtedly, we all know that V.C. Andrews' name needs to be retired as she passed away decades ago and the ghost-writer has more misses than hits.

While Shattered Memories had the potential to conclude the stories of Haylee and Kaylee, the finale was beyond underwhelming and left me feeling like there was no real end, no closure, and it fell as flat as it felt messy. I'm not sure how it even got published--or if it really is the series end--but damn, it was a let down. Especially when you consider how thrilling (and darkly twisted) the ending of The Mirror Sisters was leading straight up to Broken Glass. It had the potential to build onto that and show both sides of Haylee and Kaylee--but it just didn't.

And, as per usual, it shows how lackluster the ghost-writer has become in the years since he took control of the books published under the V.C. Andrews name. Something about it was all to familiar when it comes to the modern "V.C. Andrews" and that's not even the worst part.

Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo | Rating: ★★★★★

I hope you weren't looking to me to be the voice of reason. I keep to a strict diet of ill-advised enthusiasm and heartfelt regret.

Admittedly, Ruin and Rising started off a bit slower than the previous installments in the trilogy. Bardugo doesn't let the pace slack for long though and once it really kicks into gear? BOOM. I'm blown away once more. Ruin and Rising is that perfect combination of romance, action, darkness and fantasy. It is everything I wanted from the conclusion and then some.

While my favourite in the series remains to be the second book, it's still a fantastic novel and positively brilliant. I know that a lot of people weren't altogether keen on the endgames in this novel but I loved that Leigh Bardugo took a path a little less unknown when it comes to, ah, unhealthy relationships in YA literature. You know who I'm talking about--I've been pretty vocal about my general dislike of one relationship and love of another.

I was pretty surprised that the novel went the way I wanted it to. As always, Alina is fantastic and just what I want from my main characters.

Here we go! NYT Bestselling Author, Annika Martin, returns with Most Eligible Bastard! I'm not sure if it's inappropriate to be THIS excited about being a host on the blog tour but when the damn description involves the end-note of "Oh well, who needs panties anyway?" I think it's safe to say you are in for a fiery treat. And who can say no to an enemies-to-lovers standalone full of just as many comedic elements as romantic ones? 

Let's get started! I'm so excited to be participating. Today I have an excerpt and review for you guys.

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo | Rating: ★★★★★

When people say impossible, they usually mean improbable.

It's not a shock to me that I devoured Siege and Storm almost as quickly as Shadow and Bone. If the first book in the trilogy captivated me, I would say the second engulfed me in a sea of emotions. All too easily the second installment of a series can become mundane in comparison to the first but in the case of Siege and Storm, it was even better than the first book and this is entirely due to Bardugo's unique prose and compelling, fantastical weaving of stories.

There's something about the way she builds characters and worlds and power. It's all about the balance of many things but still managing to keep his readers on their toes. Bardugo manages to explore many traits that make the genre of fantasy so intriguing, whilst still sprinkling in other plot points. There's magic, intelligence, action, thrills and romance--all of it blends together effortlessly and in one of the most delicious of ways. I loved the way the story unfolds and how much Alina has changed from the first book right up to the end of the second. Siege and Storm would be nothing without change. Because, trust me, there are a lot of changes in this book.

Lord of Shadows by Cassandra Clare | Rating: ★★★★★

There's something about a place you've been with someone you love. It takes on a meaning in your mind. It becomes more than a place. It becomes a distillation of what you felt for each other. The moments you spend in a place with someone... they become part of its bricks and mortar. Part of its soul.

Five months. Five. Freaking. Months. That's how long it has taken me to recover from Lord of Shadows and I have to admit, I'm not even remotely over it. I just reread Lady Midnight and Lord of Shadows over the course of one week because (1) I missed this world and (2) It's getting to be chilly outside so I typically go for comfort in Harry Potter or Shadowhunters. I figured now was the time to get up and write my review despite my inability to come to terms with the final chapter of this book as well as who we lose this time around. Basically, I am having a struggle when it comes to comprehending my emotions.

I think we all know how far up Cassandra Clare's ass I am at this point. That is a very vulgar way of putting it but, eh, what can you do? The Dark Artifices began with a really solid first installment and I briefly wondered if she could top it. I know better than to underestimate Clare because once again she proves she just keeps getting better with age--the writing in Lord of Shadows was phenomenal. I felt every word. Every heartbreak. Every butterfly. Every tingle and shock. There was something so good about Lord of Shadows that I can't quite put my finger on its pulse--it is perhaps one of her best works to date.

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo | Rating: ★★★★★

They are orphans again, with no true home but each other and whatever life they can make together on the other side of the sea.

OH MY GOD, you guys. This book. I'm completely in a pile of emotions over here. I read it in one sitting, after just procrastinating picking it up for a while--much like I did with Throne of Glass. Except, in this case, I cannot fathom why it took me so long to get up off my arse and read it. Shadow and Bone was nothing like I expected but everything I desired when it comes to YA literature. I was emotional. I was cheerful. I was angsty. I swooned often. The world building was incredible. Leigh Bardugo really created something special with this one and based on all of your insistence that it only gets better from here on out, I am so beyond hyped to give the rest of the series a go.

There's something about the world in Shadow and Bone that is so compelling and dark; woven tightly in fantastical elements and intrigue. It lays somewhere between fantasy genres and keeps its pace up wonderfully. I genuinely had such a fun time reading this book that one minute, it was 9AM and the next it was early afternoon. I didn't move at all. See, Bardugo has a prose that is dark and mysterious and at its core, what fantasy needs to be to keep things fresh. Something about it blends entertainment into fantasy, which blends fantasy into romance, and romance into something obtainable. Even in all its magic, you can't help but to feel as though it's bordering on real life and fiction. I can't explain it other than that, but there was something striking about it--it makes you root for the characters even against your better judgment.