(bit pathetic) august wrap up

hi everyone! so, as you may have noticed, I only managed a pitiful amount of posts in August. It is always a busy month, what with school starting and all, but this year just seemed to especially kick my butt, so 9 posts it was. But with things settling in here in September, I should be back on a more regular schedule, barring something academically catastrophic happens. Anyways, onto the books! I posted only two reviews here in August, and only managed to read six books: all of them high fantasy, mostly rereads. So here is my August wrap up, no matter how pitiful it is, just so that I can move into September right.

1. The Kiss of Deception – Mary E Pearson

A princess must find her place in a reborn world.
She flees on her wedding day.
She steals ancient documents from the Chancellor's secret collection.
She is pursued by bounty hunters sent by her own father.
She is Princess Lia, seventeen, First Daughter of the House of Morrighan.
The Kingdom of Morrighan is steeped in tradition and the stories of a bygone world, but some traditions Lia can't abide. Like having to marry someone she's never met to secure a political alliance.
Fed up and ready for a new life, Lia flees to a distant village on the morning of her wedding. She settles in among the common folk, intrigued when two mysterious and handsome strangers arrive—and unaware that one is the jilted prince and the other an assassin sent to kill her. Deceptions swirl and Lia finds herself on the brink of unlocking perilous secrets—secrets that may unravel her world—even as she feels herself falling in love.
~~~
This is for sure a new favorite fantasy series of mine!! I thought the world was absolutely gorgeous, and I loved the main characters. A lot of this book was exposition, which I enjoyed, but it made the second installment that much better! I have a full review of this, which I will leave here!

2. The Heart of Betrayal – Mary E Pearson

(spoilers!)
Intrigue abounds in this hotly anticipated sequel to The Kiss of Deception!
Held captive in the barbarian kingdom of Venda, Lia and Rafe have little chance of escape. Desperate to save her life, Lia's erstwhile assassin, Kaden, has told the Vendan Komizar that she has the gift, and the Komizar's interest in Lia is greater than anyone could have foreseen.
Meanwhile, nothing is straightforward: there's Rafe, who lied to Lia, but has sacrificed his freedom to protect her; Kaden, who meant to assassinate her but has now saved her life; and the Vendans, whom Lia always believed to be barbarians. Now that she lives amongst them, however, she realizes that may be far from the truth. Wrestling with her upbringing, her gift, and her sense of self, Lia must make powerful choices that will affect her country... and her own destiny.
~~~
I absolutely flew through this sequel. It was fast paced, sexy and edge-of-your-seat thrilling. The characters went through so much development, which I definitely appreciated, and the plot honestly kept me guessing and drawing so many parallels the entire time. I cannot wait for the third book in this series, I just know the conclusion is going to be a stunner. I'll leave my full review here! 

3. The Assassin's Blade – Sarah J Maas

Contains all five novellas.

Celaena Sardothien is Adarlan's most feared assassin. As part of the Assassin's Guild, her allegiance is to her master, Arobynn Hamel, yet Celaena listens to no one and trusts only her fellow killer-for-hire, Sam. In these action-packed novellas - together in one edition for the first time - Celaena embarks on five daring missions. They take her from remote islands to hostile deserts, where she fights to liberate slaves and seeks to avenge the tyrannous. But she is acting against Arobynn's orders and could suffer an unimaginable punishment for such treachery. Will Celaena ever be truly free? Explore the dark underworld of this kick-ass heroine to find out.

~~~
I love Celaena with all of my goddamn heart, and these novellas just get better and better the more books in the series that come out. I love how everything from these novellas is slowly tying into the main storyline of the books.... i am just such TRASH for this series
  

4. Throne of Glass – Sarah J Maas

In a land without magic, where the king rules with an iron hand, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She comes not to kill the king, but to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three killers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she is released from prison to serve as the king's champion. Her name is Celaena Sardothien.

The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. But something evil dwells in the castle of glass--and it's there to kill. When her competitors start dying one by one, Celaena's fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival, and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world.

~~~

Is there much that I even need to say about this book? Here began my obsession with this series, and it has only grown over the years. Celaena is who I want to be when I grow up, I want to live in this world, I want everything and I love it all. Like I said, trash.

5. Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2) – Sarah J Maas

(spoilers!)
"A line that should never be crossed is about to be breached.

It puts this entire castle in jeopardy—and the life of your friend."

From the throne of glass rules a king with a fist of iron and a soul as black as pitch. Assassin Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become his Champion. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown. She hides her secret vigilantly; she knows that the man she serves is bent on evil.

Keeping up the deadly charade becomes increasingly difficult when Celaena realizes she is not the only one seeking justice. As she tries to untangle the mysteries buried deep within the glass castle, her closest relationships suffer. It seems no one is above questioning her allegiances—not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a foreign princess with a rebel heart.

Then one terrible night, the secrets they have all been keeping lead to an unspeakable tragedy. As Celaena's world shatters, she will be forced to give up the very thing most precious to her and decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie... and whom she is ultimately willing to fight for.

6. Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass #3) – Sarah J Maas

(spoilers!)

She was the heir of ash and fire, and she would bow to no one.

Celaena Sardothien has survived deadly contests and shattering heartbreak—but at an unspeakable cost. Now she must travel to a new land to confront her darkest truth...a truth about her heritage that could change her life—and her future—forever.

Meanwhile, brutal and monstrous forces are gathering on the horizon, intent on enslaving her world. To defeat them, Celaena must find the strength to not only fight her inner demons but to battle the evil that is about to be unleashed.

The king's assassin takes on an even greater destiny and burns brighter than ever before in this follow-up to the New York Times bestselling Crown of Midnight
  
SO that was my fairy pathetic month!! What did you all enjoy this month? 

xx
Sunny