Books I Read In March 2020

When I think of all the books I read in march 2020, I must admit, I feel quite content. Simply because March has overall a very good month reading-wise. Sure, there was a few disappointments. However, the good books I read in March where so good, that they made up for those disappointments. The thing is, when you read as much as I do, and sometimes buy books following a hype on social media, you are bound to read disappointing books at one point or another.

If you remember well, I have had monthly reading wrap ups that were not always positive. Whether I expected so much of a book, which did not deliver. Or because I straight up did not like it. September was not so good. December was 50-50 I’d say. January was amazing. And February put me in a reading slump. However, the books I read in March put me right where I needed to be and I am ready to take on April!

Books I Read In March 2020

1. The Ice Frontier, Pierre Bottero

Author: Pierre Bottero Published: July 2012 Genre: YA Pages: 288 Series: The Quest Of Ewilan

Plot: 5/5 Characters: 4.5/5 Ending: 4.5/5

Synopsis

Back in Gwendalavir, Ewilan and Salim, along with their companions, head over to the Ice Frontier, to help free the Guardians. On their way, they must fight porcine warriors, ogres, Chaos mercenaries, all of which were sent by the Ts’liches to kill Ewilan. However, she finds herself with new allies: the Faëls. Salim befriends a Shadow-walker who possesses fascinating powers, while Ewilan becomes more confident in her own abilities. However, to free the Guardians, she will have to unlock the secret of the Dragon.

My review

Right, I will not spend too much time on this one. It is the second book of my favorite series from when I was a teenager. Yes, even better than Harry Potter. I cannot tell how many times I read it and could read it again and again. The magic never goes away. Indeed, the world building is fantastic, so poetic, epic and creative. The magic system is phenomenal and I still don’t understand why this book has not been translated to English yet! Furthermore, the characters are so well-built, very contrasted, interesting with amazing developments. If you can read it, do it, you will not regret it!

2. House Of Earth And Blood, Sarah J Maas

Author: Sarah J Maas Published: March 2020 Genre: Adult Fantasy Pages: 816 Series: Crescent City

Plot: 4.5/5 Characters: 4/5 Ending: 4/5

Synopsis

Bryce Quinlan had the perfect life-working hard all day and partying all night-until a demon murdered her closest friends, leaving her bereft, wounded, and alone. When the accused is behind bars but the crimes start up again, Bryce finds herself at the heart of the investigation. She’ll do whatever it takes to avenge their deaths.

Hunt Athalar is a notorious Fallen angel, now enslaved to the Archangels he once attempted to overthrow. His brutal skills and incredible strength have been set to one purpose-to assassinate his boss’s enemies, no questions asked. But with a demon wreaking havoc in the city, he’s offered an irresistible deal: help Bryce find the murderer, and his freedom will be within reach.

As Bryce and Hunt dig deep into Crescent City’s underbelly, they discover a dark power that threatens everything and everyone they hold dear, and they find, in each other, a blazing passion-one that could set them both free, if they’d only let it.

My review

I had been waiting for this book since the author announced it. And oh my! What a book! Her first adult book. To me it is not more “adult” than ACOTAR, which I think was already “adult”. So sure, a lot in this book recalls to Throne of Glass and ACOTAR. The characters, their personality, the show offs of power, the relationships. However, it felt good to be in known territory and still have something that captivating. Of all the books I read in March, it is probably my favorite. Or very close to!

The beginning is very information rich, which I think sometimes was a bit much at times and made the plot a bit slower at first. However, the plot quickens after the first 100 pages or so and then, it is a whirlwind of emotions. I went through so many emotions: fear, frustration, relief, angst, happiness, and more. All the adrenaline rushes I had! And how the author played with the readers’ mind! At the beginning, my mind started to form hypothesis which I quickly left behind since the book seemed to take a complete different direction… to u-turn towards what I had thought would happen. So good.

I had such a great time reading Crescent City. From start to finish, I was hooked. So much happens. There is so much suspense and mystery, so many questions that need answers! Such a long book that I read in just a few days! I did not give it a five stars on Goodreads because I think that the story is lacking diversity, but beyond that, the book was amazing and I can’t wait for the second installment!

3. Children of Virtue and Vengeance, Tomi Adeyemi

Author: Tomi Adeyemi Published: December   2019 Genre: YA Pages: 416 Series: Legacy of Orisha

Plot: 2/5 Characters: 2.5/5 Ending: 4/5

Synopsis

After battling the impossible, Zélie and Amari have finally succeeded in bringing magic back to the land of Orïsha. But the ritual was more powerful than they could’ve imagined, reigniting the powers of not only the maji, but of nobles with magic ancestry, too. Now, Zélie struggles to unite the maji in an Orïsha where the enemy is just as powerful as they are.

But when the monarchy and military unite to keep control of Orïsha, Zélie must fight to secure Amari’s right to the throne and protect the new maji from the monarchy’s wrath. With civil war looming on the horizon, Zélie finds herself at a breaking point: she must discover a way to bring the kingdom together or watch as Orïsha tears itself apart.

My review

Right, let’s get straight into it. Of all the books I read in March, this is probably one of the most disappointing. Even maybe of 2020 to be honest. I adored Children of Blood and Bones. It was so so good! It was not plot-driven but character-driven, and the characters were strong enough with great development that it did not matter. However, here…

First of all, nothing happens in the first 300 pages of the book. It is just linear narration with no action. Or when there is action, it’s too flat to provoke any emotions. I had to wait page 300 or so to finally get action. There, it went crazy super quick, and indeed, I could not put the book down. I had such rushes of adrenaline. Such a shame I had to wait that long to get that. Still want to read book 3, but well, not the greatest read.

Second, I could not stand more of the characters. I just liked the princess and that was it. Hated Zélie here. She became that shadow of herself who does everything because of a man. I found her so childish, obtuse, bad-tempered and close-minded. Like, literally, there was not an action she did based on strategic thinking or anything. It was always because of that boys who broke her heart. Even though it meant risking the lives of so many people. Hope she is not as annoying in book three. However, the end was quite good.

4. Starsight, Brandon Sanderson

Author: Brandon Sanderson Published: Novembre  2019 Genre: YA Sci-Fi Pages: 480 Series: Skyward

Plot: 4.5/5 Characters: 4.5/5 Ending: 5/5

Synopsis

All her life, Spensa’s dreamed of becoming a pilot and proving herself a hero like her father. She made it to the sky, but the truths she learned there were crushing. The rumors of her father’s cowardice are true–he deserted his Flight during battle against the Krell. Worse, though, he turned against his team and attacked them.

Spensa is sure that there’s more to the story. And she’s sure that whatever happened to her father that day could happen to her. When she made it outside the protective shell of her planet, she heard the stars–and what they revealed to her was terrifying. Everything Spensa has been taught about her world is a lie.

Humankind has always celebrated heroes, but who defines what a hero is? Could humanity be the evil the galaxy needs to be protected from? Spensa is determined to find out, but each answer she discovers reveals a dozen new questions: about the war, about her enemies, and even, perhaps, about Spensa herself. But Spensa also discovered a few other things about herself–and she’ll travel to the end of the galaxy to save humankind if she needs to.

My review

Let’s start it that way. If you like Brandon Sanderson and sci-fi, go for it, you will not regret it. Although I did not enjoy the book as much as I did Skyward, which is one of my best books of 2019, I still had an absolute blast! The book picks up a few months after what happened in the first installment and human being have a bigger access to space. Spensa has access to a wider world, which is one reason I loved this book so much.

I loved that we were introduced to so many more alien species, with a proper government. A bit of a federation like in Star Wars. It was so interesting to discover new people, their culture, ways of living as well as the functioning of this government. Spensa was in a world that hates human beings and, even though her disguise allows her to hide what she really is, she has a hard time being there. She wants to understand that hatred, where it comes from and try to convince people that humans are not that bad.

Even the very rare humans on that spatial station where the government sits think humans are monsters. And the process behind getting to think that was so interesting. The political plotting and scheming was absolutely brilliant! A smear campaign like I had never seen one before. I read that book so fast. That’s how captivating it all was and I cannot wait for book 3 to come out!

5. Le defiant heir, Melissa Caruso

Author: Melissa Caruso Published: April 2018 Genre: Fantasy Pages: 560 Series: Swords and fire

Plot: 4.5/5 Characters: 4.5/5 Ending: 4.5/5

Synopsis

Across the border, the Witch Lords of Vaskandar are preparing for war. But before an invasion can begin, the seventeen Witch Lords must convene at a rare gathering to decide a course of action. Lady Amalia Cornaro knows that this Conclave might be her only chance to smother the growing flames of war, and she is prepared to make any sacrifice if it means saving Raverra from destruction.

Amalia and her bound fire warlock, Zaira, must go behind enemy lines, using every ounce of wit and cunning they have, to sway Vaskandar from war. If they fail, it will all come down to swords and fire.

My review

Of all the books I read in March, I think this one is the nicest surprise. When I read book 1, I was not convinced. I did not really get the hype around it. Yet, I still wanted to read book 2, which turned out to be absolutely amazing! So much better than book 1 and absolutely not suffering from the middle book syndrome! Melissa Caruso, you did so well! I devoured The Defiant Heir and I am so excited to read book 3!

In short, everything that had disturbed me in book 1 is addressed and solved in book 2. The glorified slavery system that is this falconers’ submission to their falcon and obligation to work for the Empire. All the troubles Zaira has without anyone lifting a finger to help. Amalia stubbornness and unwillingness to see what was in front of her. All the injustices in the Empire that everybody thought were normal.

And then comes book 2. Suddenly, all of those things are being addressed and dealt with. Sure, not everything is solved, it takes time, but finally, we are getting there! Amalia has an incredible character development. She becomes so savvy: diplomacy, political and geopolitical queen. What a smart negotiator. The friendship between Amalia and Zaira, her falcon, blooms so beautifully and becomes so strong and touching. Female characters that are not defined by their love interest nor becoming just that. Representation and realistic romantic relationship building. That book had it all and I can’t wait to read book 3!

6. Le jardin des âmes, Georgia Caldeira

Author: Georgia Caldeira Published: Octobre 2019 Genre: YA Fantasy Pages: 349 Series: Les brumes de Cendrelune

Plot: 1.5/5 Characters: 2/5 Ending: 2/5

Synopsis

In the Kingdom of Cendrelune, gods spy on humans and their thoughts. The gods’ Executor, the Shadow, makes sure all those who think of rebellion and revolution are swiftly dealt with. However, the system seems to have flaws. Aged 17, Céphise only lives for revenge. She lost her leg and arm as well as her family. Ever since she has dreamt of one only thing: making Orion, the Emperor-God, pay. As it turns out, she may not be the only one…

My review

Such a shame that the last read of the month, was also the worst of all the books I read in March. I bought it because it was so popular on the French booktube. The plot is flat. Nothing happens. No action, no suspense, no mystery. There is nothing around revelations which makes them fall flat. The only thing that made me read through to the end of the book is the writing style which was beautiful.

Furthermore, the main characters are so cliché. The girl is the typical female character who is convinced she is not beautiful while, she actually is. Especially when she has two men describing her as the most beautiful woman they ever saw. She gives in to slut-shaming as well since the dress you wear makes you a whore and questions your morals. The guy is not better. He is forgiven everything he does just because of who he is. Boys will be boys. Except at the end, but even then. One character was actually interesting: Héphaïstos. Neither white nor black. Not an absolute vilain, not a good guy either. But quite interesting.

The romances were so clichés as well with the cheesiest dialogues. I can’t tell how many times I raised my eyes to the sky. So yes, you got it, a lot in this book upset me, which is why I ended up giving it a bad rating on Goodreads. Shame it was the last of the books I read in March because I would have like to end up the month on a better note. Although most of the books I read then were actually super good!

So that is all for the books I read in March 2020. A good number I would say and overall a very good reading month. What did you read in March?! What was your favorite book? Did you read any of the books on that list?

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Thanks a lot for stopping by. I hope you liked this post.

See you soon,
Love,
Corinne.