lord of the rings

The Poppy War

By: R.F. Kuang

Published: May 1, 2018 by Harper Voyager

ISBN: 9780062662569

Pages: 544

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 3/5

Synopsis:

Rin, a war orphan from Rooster Province, is about to be married off by her foster parents, The Fangs. She refuses to let it happen, and decides she wants to take the Keju test (an Empire wide test that finds the most talented students to study at Sinegard). Of course, she ends up passing with flying colors it and being at the top of everyone else. When she arrived at Sinegard she learned that she didn’t fit it, being the dark-skinned peasant that she was. She soon discovers that she has a power of shamanism, which not many have. From there is takes a turn, and it involves Gods, federations, and of course…War.

Review:

I could see how this received such praise, but I just didn’t find it to be that good. There were some problematic events that took place and it just completely made me not look at the book the same way. The beginning of the novel was honestly the best part of the story. I enjoyed learning about Rin and her studies at Sinegard, before she became dramatic and rash. My favorite character from the whole novel was probably Tutor Freyik who helped her study for the test and even escorted her to Sinegard.

Everyone mentioned that it read in between a young adult fantasy and adult fantasy. I honestly felt like it leaned more towards young adult. It was a very entertaining read, but I wanted more from it. I wanted it to be dark and gruesome. It definitely lacked, and that’s the main reason I picked this up. For all those reasons I couldn’t bring myself to give it 4 stars.

The Two Towers

By: J.R.R. Tolkien

Published: September 18, 2012 by Mariner Books

ISBN: 9780547928203

Pages: 325

Genre: Classic/Fantasy

Rating: 3/5

Synopsis:

This is the second book in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, so I will try to be vague and brief. In this second installment, you follow all the characters that have been split up after what had happened in the first novel. You are still following Frodo, and all his companions and enemies, on his journey to destroy the Ring at Mount Doom.

Review:

I was actually a little disappointed with this one. It didn’t keep my interest 80% of the time I was reading it. I understand that the third one is the climax and this is just the in between. I don’t have a lot to say about it other than that. All the characters were the same as the first one, and they were continuing on their journey.

Side note: I don’t know if this is an unpopular opinion but I just love Smeagol. He’s hilarious. I’m glad we get more of him in this one. I watched the movie right after finishing the book, and I can definitely relate to Smeagol and all of his melt downs (haha).

I still recommend this one, just because you will have no idea what’s happening in the third book. Just know that it’s shorter and not that interesting. I still enjoy Tolkien’s writing though and I will obviously continue!

The Invention of Wings

By: Sue Monk Kidd

Published: January 7, 2014 by Viking

ISBN: 9780670024780

Pages: 384

Genre: Historical Fiction

Rating: 3/5

Synopsis:

In this novel you are following a young slave, Hetty (Handful), and Sarah Grimke, daughter of a wealthy family. It takes place in mostly Charleston, but some of the characters travel north later on in the book. On Sarah’s eleventh birthday her parents, Mary and Judge John Grimke, gifted her Hetty as her slave. Sarah wanted no part of owning a slave. She knew that her goal in life is to do something large in the world. The 35 year span (1803-1838) of the novel takes us through a journey of these two women and how they try their hardest to live lives of their own. Eventually the two sisters, Sarah and Angelina (Nina), become one of the most famous and infamous figures of the abolition and women’s rights movements.

*If you did not know, this story was inspired by the real Sarah Grimke. In the author’s note at the end of the novel, Kidd tells us everything that was fact and fiction. I actually recommend you do read the author’s note.

Review:

In all honesty, I never really felt connected to any of the characters. It was heartbreaking to read what happened to the slaves, but I just felt like they all fell just a little flat. For that reason it probably didn’t pack a big enough punch for me to move the rating to four stars. I’m also not saying that I didn’t enjoy the writing and the story. The writing was beautiful, and I will probably read other novels by Kidd. I just figured for the rating of the novel on Goodreads it should have hit me harder.

I am going to recommend it to you though. I think that there is an importance to the novel considering the time period. A lot happened then and everyone should learn even just a little bit about it. If you pick this up and absolutely hate it you still will have learned just a little bit more that maybe you haven’t learned before.

If you enjoyed this then give it a like and follow me for future book reviews. Be respectful and happy reading!

Let me know what you thought of any of these if you have read them.

The Fellowship of the Ring (Lord of the Rings #1)

By: J.R.R. Tolkien

ISBN: 9780547928210

Published: September 18, 2012 by Mariner Books (Originally published: July 29, 1954)

Pages: 398

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 4.75/5

Goodreads Synopsis:

In ancient times the Rings of Power were crafted by the Elven-smiths, and Sauron, the Dark Lord, forged the One Ring, filling it with his own power so that he could rule all others. But the One Ring was taken from him, and though he sought it throughout Middle-earth, it remained lost to him. After many ages it fell into the hands of Bilbo Baggins, as told in The Hobbit. In a sleepy village in the Shire, young Frodo Baggins finds himself faced with an immense task, as his elderly cousin Bilbo entrusts the Ring to his care. Frodo must leave his home and make a perilous journey across Middle-earth to the Cracks of Doom, there to destroy the Ring and foil the Dark Lord in his evil purpose.

All that is gold does not glitter,

Not all those who wander are lost;

The old that is strong does not wither,

Deep roots are not reached by the frost.

From the ashes a fire shall be woken,

A light from the shadows shall spring;

Renewed shall be blade that was broken:

The crownless again shall be king.

I could have used the quote about one ring ruling them all but I thought I would use a different one that I loved.

Pros:

This novel was beautifully written. The language does get confusing at times but you just have to take your time if you aren’t used to it. This is not a book you fly through unless you have read it a hundred times. It took me over a month to read it and I’m not ashamed. I wanted to enjoy everything it had to offer, and it was more than I ever expected.
I can see how reading this could discourage someone just from how slow the plot is. I almost gave up but then I realized that the journey they take is not a quick one. They are traveling by foot, and it really suits how slow the book is. This was advice that my boyfriend gave me and it really opened my eyes. I enjoyed it more once I stopped whining over how nothing was actually happening. It was all there for a reason.
I absolutely loved that you could not tell if someone was a good guy or bad guy. I will admit though there was a lot of foreshadowing now that I look back on the book. Boromir was definitely one of those characters as the ending of the book grew near. His behavior was unacceptable, but I guess that’s what happens when power is within grasp.
The loyalty between the hobbits was incredible. Sam, Pippin, and Merry were dedicated to Frodo. They had faith in his choices 95% of the time. More often they questioned who other people were and if they could trust them; Aragorn is a great example of that. *Jokes on them because Aragorn turned out to be a bad ass.*

Cons:

I was not a fan of the singing. It happened far to often and to me it became annoying. Tom Bombadil was probably my least favorite when it came to singing. I understand that it was a story being told but I just didn’t find it all that necessary. I see how it would break the book up a little bit, but it’s just not for me honestly.

Theme:

I don’t usually discuss themes about a book, but I figured I would maybe give it a shot. Good vs Evil would definitely fit this novel. I know it sounds lame and childish but it fits the description very well. Frodo needs to destroy the ring so that the enemy, Sauron, doesn’t find it and take over. It’s very simple, and I’m not the best person to sit and analyze a book like crazy. I wish I was though, and I know I can definitely learn but as of right now I do not.

Favorite characters (no order):

Gimli: Son of Gloin

Frodo

Aragorn

Elrond

Gandalf

Obviously there is a lot more to discuss, but I feel as if I shouldn’t discuss everything until I read all three books. There will be a lot more to the journey than I think. It probably won’t be as easy as just finding the Cracks of Doom and throwing the ring in. I will discuss everything when I make my last review for the third book.

If you read The Fellowship of the Ring let me know what you thought of it down in the comments! If you enjoyed reading this then give it a like and follow me while I continue my journey with Frodo and all of his companions and enemies. Be respectful and happy reading!