Famed assassin Celaena Sardothien has spent a year as a slave in the Endovier salt mines as retribution for her crimes. When Prince Dorian offers her eventual freedom, she jumps at the chance. He has one condition: she must act as the prince’s champion to win the position of royal assassin in a competition created by the sadistic King of Adarlan. She must fight against other assassins and thieves in a series of trials that require physical skill, wits, and bravery. If she wins, she’ll serve the kingdom for four years to earn her freedom. That is, if she survives.
When competitors start mysteriously dying one after the other, Celaena must figure out who the killer is before she’s next. What she finds not only changes the competition, but the fate of the kingdom, and her own destiny.
Throne of Glass is an entertaining story on its own, but it’s where the rest of the series goes that really makes the read worthwhile. This is a high fantasy YA series that is quite mature in content and features older characters. They are also turning this series into a television show called “Queen of Shadows” at some point in the future.
This is the story of a marriage. A marriage in which the husband is afraid that his wife may leave him if he ever screws up. A marriage in which the wife is in complete control of everything. Including their murders. In this story, a seemingly perfect family slowly starts to unravel as the police come
closer and closer to solving the murders of several missing women. Then, because of all the lies and secrets, it all falls apart in a matter of hours.
The book was an easy read, with short chapters and an original storyline. Although it was slow to pick up speed, there was a shocking twist, reminiscent of Gone Girl, that shocked me, but only for a moment before realizing I should have seen it coming all along.
Professor Don Tillman is a brilliant academic. He lives in a world ruled by logic. His people skills, however, are rather poor. In order to find a wife, he comes up with a questionnaire for women to answer. It’s succinct, quickly weeding out the candidates who do not match his requirements. One day, his friend offers to set him up with someone. When Don meets Rosie, he immediately determines that she doesn’t measure up. Poor math skills. Vegetarian. Can’t cook. Doesn’t exercise. A smoker. But Rosie has a problem that Don finds intriguing. She is trying to find her biological father. As a result, he puts his “wife project” on hold, and instead, Don begins his “father project,” and as a consequence, his once orderly world begins to shatter.
This is a light, amusing, and easy-to-read story for fans of unconventional romances. While it can be appreciated on its own, The Rosie Project is the first in a series. For fans of audiobooks, the narrator for this one has a bold, appealing accent that really underlines the novel's Australian setting.
An American Marriage is a story about two people in love, newly married, who are suddenly and harshly pulled apart by a corrupted justice system in the South. Celestial and Roy were visiting family in Louisiana when in the middle of the night, police break down their hotel door and arrest Roy for a crime he did not commit. Thus begins the story of their marriage, a heart-wrenching tale of unfortunate events, chaotic feelings, and coming to terms with the unfair and unforeseen circumstances of everyday actions.
This is a fantastic book, told via a multi-narrative format that translates beautifully to audio. The narrators speak as if they are their characters, full of feelings and emotions, with conviction and rawness. While the story of Roy and Celestial hurt my heart, I couldn't stop listening. This book is highly recommended for readers who enjoy multi-perspective stories and literary fiction.
