The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan

Title: The Last Olympian

Author: Rick Riordan
Series: Percy Jackson and the Olympians #3

Pages: 361

Published: May 5th 2009

Publisher: Hyperion Books

This was an epic ending to the Percy Jackson books. Towards the end I started wondering when the real battle was going to happen and then I realised it had been going on for basically the whole book. All the questions where finally answered and it was a very satisfying ending to such a lovely series. You've got to admire these kids for their bravery, even as some of their parents don't seem to care. Although we mainly followed Percy and his close friends in the other books all of Camp Half Blood got involved in this book as a united force which made it much more fun to read.


Plot Summary:

Most People gets presents on their sixteenth birthday. I get a prophecy that could save or destroy the world.
It happens when you're the son of Poseidon, god of the sea. According to an ancient prophecy, I turn sixteen and the fate of the entire world is on me. But no pressure.
Now Kronos, Lord of the Titans, is beginning his attack on New York City. And the dreaded monster Typhon is also heading our way. So it's me and forty of my demigod friends versus untold evil . . .

Other Books in Percy Jackson and the Olympians:

The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #1)
The Sea of Monsters (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #2)
The Titan's Curse (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #3)
The Battle of the Labyrinth (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #4)
The Last Olympian (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #5)
The Sword of Hades (Percy Jackson and the Olympians novella)
The Singer of Apollo (Percy Jackson and the Olympians novella)
The Stolen Chariot (Percy Jackson and the Olympians novella)
The Demigod Files (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion book)
Percy Jackson's Greek Gods (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion book)
Percy Jackson's Greek Heroes (Percy Jackson and the Olympians companion book)
Percy Jacksona and the Bronze Dragon (Percy Jackson and the Olympians novella)

Other Books by Rick Riordan:

The Lost Hero (The Heroes of Olympus #1)
The Son of Neptune (The Heroes of Olympus #2)
The Mark of Athena (The Heroes of Olympus #3)
The House of Hades (The Heroes of Olympus #4)
The Blood of Olympus (The Heroes of Olympus #5)
The Demigod Diaries (The Heroes of Olympus companion book)
The Red Pyramid (The Kane Chronicles #1)
The Throne of Fire (The Kane Chronicles #2)
The Serpent's Shadow (The Kane Chronicles #3)
The Kane Chronicle's Survival Guide (The Kane Chronicles companion book)
The Sword of Summer (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard #1)
The Hammer of Thor (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard #2)
The Ship of the Dead (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard #3)
For Magnus Chase: Hotel Valhalla, Guide to the Norse Worlds (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard companion book)
The Hidden Oracle (The Trials of Apollo #1)
The Dark Prophecy (The Trials of Apollo #2)
The Burning Maze (The Trials of Apollo #3)
The Son of Sobek (Percy Jackson and Kane Chronicles Crossover #1)
The Staff of Serapis (Percy Jackson and Kane Chronicles Crossover #2)
The Crown of Ptolemy (Percy Jackson and Kane Chronicles Crossover #3)

My Rating:

7/10

What's on my bookshelves?

I own over 400 books at home. But I've only read about 130 of them. Naturally I have read eBooks and audiobooks that don't have a place on my bookshelf but they're not mentioned in this post. No matter how often I promise myself not to buy new books and to finish my own books and to tick them off the list, I still end up with an unread majority in my room. So here goes. A random list of all the read and unread books I have on my bookshelf. In no particular order.

Read!

• City of Bones - Cassandra Clare
• City of Ashes - Cassandra Clare
• City of Glass - Cassandra Clare
• City of Fallen Angels - Cassandra Clare
• City of Lost Souls - Cassandra Clare
• City of Heavenly Fire - Cassandra Clare
• Clockwork Angel - Cassandra Clare
• Clockwork Prince - Cassandra Clare
• Clockwork Princess - Cassandra Clare
• Lady Midnight - Cassandra Clare
• Lord of Shadows - Cassandra Clare
• Throne of Glass - Sarah J. Maas
• Crown of Midnight - Sarah J. Maas
• Heir of Fire - Sarah J. Maas
• Queen of Shadows - Sarah J. Maas
• Empire of Storms - Sarah J. Maas
• Red Queen - Victoria Aveyard
• Glass Sword - Victoria Aveyard
• Half Bad - Sally Green
• A Game of Thrones - George R.R. Martin 
• A Clash of Kings - George R.R. Martin
• A Storm of Swords 1. Steel and Snow - George R.R. Martin
• A Storm of Swords 2. Blood and Gold - George R.R. Martin
• A Feast for Crows - George R.R. Martin
• A Dance with Dragons 1. Dreams and Dust - George R.R. Martin
• A Dance with Dragons 2. After the Feast - George R.R. Martin
• Outlander - Diana Gabaldon
• Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief - Rick Riordan
• Percy Jackson and the Seas of Monsters - Rick Riordan
• Percy Jackson and the Titan's Curse - Rick Riordan
• Percy Jackson and the Battle of the Labyrinth - Rick Riordan
• Percy Jackson and the Last Olynmpian - Rick Riordan
• The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
• The Murder Complex - Lindsay Cummings
• Divergent - Veronica Roth
• Insurgent - Veronica Roth
• Allegiant - Veronica Roth
• Carve the Mark - Veronica Roth
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone - J.K. Rowling
• Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets - J.K. Rowling
• Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban - J.K. Rowling
• Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - J.K. Rowling
• Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix - J.K. Rowling
• Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince - J.K. Rowling
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - J.K. Rowling
• Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - J.K. Rowling
• The Magical Worlds of Harry Potter - David Colbert
• The Fault in Our Stars - John Green
• The Girl of Ink and Stars - Kiran Millwood Hargrave
• Everything, Everything - Nicola Yoon
• The Sun is Also a Star - Nicola Yoon
• We Were Liars - E. Lockhart
• The Sun is Everywhere - Jandy Nelson
• Fangirl - Rainbow Rowell
• Carry On - Rainbow Rowell
• Beautiful Broken Things - Sara Barnard
• The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky
• 13 Reasons Why - Jay Asher
• Simon vs the Homo Sapien's Agenda - Becky Albertally
• A Country of Refuge - Lucy Popescu et al.
• Letters to the Lost - Brigid Kemmerer
• The Bad Beginning - Limony Snicket
• The Constant Princess - Philippa Gregory
• The Other Boleyn Girl - Philippa Gregory
• The Queen's Fool - Philippa Gregory
• The Luxe - Anna Godbersen
• Rumours - Anna Godbersen
• Envy - Anna Godbersen
• Splendour - Anna Godbersen
• Elizabeth - Kathryn Lasky
• Twelfth Night - William Shakespeare
• The Taming of the Shrew - William Shakespeare
• As You Like It - William Shakespeare
• Arcadia - Tom Stoppard
• Persuasion - Jane Austen
• The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
• The Essex Serpent - Sarah Perry
• Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children - Ransom Riggs
• Friday Night Lights - H.G. Bissinger
• Northern Lights (The Golden Compass) - Philip Pullman
• Noughts and Crosses - Malorie Blackman
• Matched - Ally Condie
• The Crocked Sixpence - Jennifer Bell
• Me Before You - Jojo Moyes
• After You - Jojo Moyes
• Never Let Me Go - Kazuo Ishiguro
• The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
• Big Little Lies - Liane Moriarty
• Love, Aubrey - Suzanne LaFleur
• Elsewhere - Gabrielle Zevin
• The Book Thief - Markus Zusak
• Fairies - 
• Twilight - Stephene Meyer
• New Moon - Stephene Meyer
• Eclipse - Stephene Meyer
• Breaking Dawn - Stephene Meyer
• The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner - Stephene Meyer
• Vampire Diaries: The Awakening - L.J. Smith
• Vampire Diaries: The Struggle - L.J. Smith
• Vampire Diaries: The Fury - L.J. Smith
• Vampire Diaries: Dark Reunion - L.J. Smith
• Shiver - Maggie Stiefvater
• Linger - Maggie Stiefvater
• Forever - Maggie Stiefvater
• Caraval - Stephanie Garber 
• Ink and Bone - Rachel Caine
• A Great and Terrible Beauty - Libba Bray
• The Star-Touched Queen - Roshani Chokshi
• Daughter of the Burnt City - Amanda Foody
• The Bone Witch - Rin Chupeco
• Death's Mistress - Terry Goodkind
• The Invasion of the Tearling - Erika Johansen
• The Left Hand of God - Paul Hoffman
• Sigrid - Johanne Hildebrandt
• Estrid - Johanne Hildebrandt
• Odinsbarn - Siri Pettersen
• Dans för en Död Prinsessa - Lo Khan
• Ordbrodösen - Anna Arvidson
• Tillsammans I+II - Denise Rudberg
• Här Ligger Jag och Blöder - Jenny Jägerfeld
• Jag Är Tyvärr Död Och Kan Inte Komma Till Skolan Idag - Sara Ohlsson
• Som Jag Vill Vara - Katarina von Bredow
• Syskonkärlek - Katarina von Bredow
• Flyga Högt - Katarina von Bredow
• Allt Jag Säger Är Sant - Lisa Bjärbo
• Min Typ Brorsa - Johanna Lindbäck
• Simon och Sophie - Emma Granholm
• Lex Bok - Sara Kadefors
• Gilla Hata Horan - Johanna Nilsson
• Tusen Gånger Starkare - Christina Herrström
• Det Händer Nu - Sofia Nordin
• Jag Saknar Dig, Jag Saknar Dig! - Peter Pohl, Kinna Gieth

TBR:

• The Bane Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
• Tales From the Shadowhunter Academy - Cassandra Clare
• An Illustrated History of Notable Shadowhunter and Denizens of Downworld - Cassandra Clare
• Tower of Dawn - Sarah J. Maas
• A Court of Thorns and Roses - Sarah J. Maas
• A Court of Mist and Fury - Sarah J. Maas
• A Court of Wings and Ruin - Sarah J. Maas
• Citadel - Kate Mosse
• Sepulchre - Kate Mosse
• Labyrinth - Kate Mosse
• Wolf Hall - Hilary Mantel
• Bring Up the Bodies - Hilary Mantel
• Dragonfly in Amber - Diana Gabaldon
• Voyager - Diana Gabaldon
• Drums of Autumn - Diana Gabaldon
• Heroes of Olympus: The Lost Hero - Rick Riordan
• Heroes of Olympus: The Son of Neptune - Rick Riordan
• Heroes of Olympus: The Mark of Athena - Rick Riordan
• Heroes of Olympus: The House of Hades - Rick Riordan
• The Hidden Oracle - Rick Riordan
• The Dark Prophecy - Rick Riordan
• Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins
• Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins
• The Maze Runner - James Dashner
• The Scorch Trials - James Dashner
• The Death Cure - James Dashner
• The Kill Order - James Dashner
• The Death Code - Lindsay Cummings
• Four - Veronica Roth
• Lament - Maggie Stiefvater
• Ballad - Maggie Stiefvater
• The Raven Boys - Maggie Stiefvater
• The Cruel Prince - Holly Black
• The Thousandth Floor - Katherine McGee
• The Diabolic - S.J. Kincaid
• Rebel of the Sands - Alwyn Hamilton
• A Crown of Wishes - Roshani Chokshi
• Will Grayson, Will Grayson - John Green
• An Abundance of Katherines - John Green
• Paper Towns - John Green
• Scrappy Little Nobody - Anna Kendrick
• After the Fire - Will Hill
• Ketchup Clouds - Annabel Pitcher
• All the Bright Paces - Jennifer Niven
• The Poison Diaries - Amy Alward
• Finding Audrey - Sophie Kinsella
• The Truth About Forever - Sarah Dessen
• Journey to the Sea - Eva Ibbotson
• The Dragonfly Pool - Eva Ibbotson
• A Song for Summer - Eva Ibbotson
• Mad Girl - Bryony Gordon
• Scrappy Little Nobody - Anna Kendrick
• Matilda - Roald Dahl
• The B.F.G. - Roald Dahl
• The Statistical Probably of Love at First Sight - Jennifer E. Smith
• 3 Willows: The Sisterhood Grows - Ann Brashares
• The Future of Us - Jay Asher
• A Song for Summer - Eva Ibbotson
• If I Was Your Girl - Meredith Russo
• The Knife of Never Letting Go - Patrick Ness
• The Truth About Forever - Sarah Dessen
• The Poison Apples - Lily Archer
• Tamar - Mal Peet
• Jepp, Who Defied the Stars - Katherine Marsh
• The Bailey Game - Celia Rees
• I Am Malala - Malala Yousafzai
• Star-Crossed - Rachael Wing
• One Of Us Is Lying - Karen M. McManus
• After the Fire - Will Hill
• Sjutton År Och Skitsnygg - Emma Granholm
• Liv och Lovisa - Emma Granholm
• Om Du Var Jag - Jessica Schiefauer
• Homecoming Queen - Moa Herngren
• Tillsammans III - Denise Rudberg
• Sthlm Queens Disa - Denise Rudberg
• Sorgfjäril - Ingelin Angerborn
• Konsten Att Ha Sjukt Låga Förväntningar - Åsa Asptjärn
• Amandas Bok - Katerina Janouch
• Jonnas Bok - Katerina Janouch
• Sagas Bok - Katerina Janouch
• Amanda och Axel - Katerina Janouch
• En Enda Kväll - Mars Berggren
• I Taket Lyser Stjärnorna - Johanna Thydell
• Janis Den Magnifika - Johanna Nilson
• Tagg i Hjärtat - Cannie Möller
• Agnes Cecilia - Maria Gripe
• Shoo Len - Douglas Foley
• Tänk Om Det Där Är Jag - Johanna Lindbäck
• Välkommen Hem - Johanna Lindbäck
• Pojkarna - Jessica Schiefauer
• Du och Jag, Marie Curie - Annika Ruth Persson
• Axel von Fersen och Drottningen Marie Antoinette - Margareta Beckman
• Löwensköldska Ringen - Selma Lagerlöf
• Apelsinflickan - Lena Kallenberg
• The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe  - C.S. Lewis
• Prince Caspian - C.S. Lewis
• The Voyage of the Dawn Treader - C.S. Lewis
• The Silver Chair - C.S. Lewis
• The Horse and His Boy - C.S. Lewis
• The Magicians Nephew - C.S. Lewis
• The Last Battle - C.S. Lewis
• Half Lost  - Sally Green
• Rebel of the Sands - Alwyn Hamilton
• The Thousandth Floor - Katharine McGee
• Uglies - Scott Westerfeld
• Pretties - Scott Westerfeld
• Specials - Scott Westerfeld
• Hollow City - Ransom Riggs
• Library of Soul - Ransom Riggs
• Paper and Fire - Rachel Caine
• Ash and Quill - Rachel Caine
• Crossed - Ally Condie
• Knife Edge - Malorie Blackman
• Rivers of London - Ben Aaronovitch
• Marked - P.C. Cast, Kristin Cast
• The Twilight Saga: The official Illustrated Guide - Stephenie Meyer
• Vampire Diaries:
• Vampire Diaries:
• The Blade Itself - Joe Abercrombie
• After They Are Hanged - Joe Abercrombie
• The Magician's Guild - Trudi Canavan
• The Novice - Trudi Canavan
• The High Lord - Trudi Canavan
• The Last Four Things - Paul Hoffman
• Warleggan - Winston Graham
• Jeremy Poldark - Winston Graham
• The Black Moon - Winston Graham
• Eragon - Christopher Paulino
• Master of Shadows - Neil Oliver
• Assassin's Apprentice - Robin Hobb
• Crowner's Quest - Bernard Knight
• The Tinner's Corpse - Bernard Knight
• Röta - Siri Pettersen
• Barkhes Döttrar - Bodil Mårtenson
• Cirkeln - Mats Strandberg, Sara Bergmark Elfgren
• Eld - Mats Strandberg, Sara Bergmark Elfgren
• Nyckeln - Mats Strandberg, Sara Bergmark Elfgren
• Skämmerskan's Dotter - Lene Kaaberbøl
• Skämmartecknet - Lene Kaaberbøl
• Ormen's Gåva - Lene Kaaberbøl
• På Ödets Vingar - Julia Sandström
• Så Långt Vingarna Bär - Julia Sandström
• Tunnels - Roderick Gordon
• Ondvinter - Anders Björkelid
• En Dans För En Död Prinsessa - Lo Kahn
• The Fellowship of the Ring - J.R.R. Tolkien
• The Two Towers - J.R.R. Tolkien
• The Return of the King - J.R.R. Tolkien
• Crooked Kingdom - Leigh Bardugo 
• Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them - J.K. Rowling
• Quidditch Through The Ages - J.K. Rowling
• The Tales of Beedle the Bard - J.K. Rowling
• Shroud of Eternity - Terry Goodkind
• The Subtle Knife - Philip Pullman
• The Amber Spyglass - Philip Pullman
• The Ruby in the Smoke - Philip Pullman
• The Shadow in the North - Philip Pullman
• Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
• Alice Through the Looking Glass - Lewis Carroll
• The Wind on the Moon - Eric Lintlater
• A Discovery of Witches - Deborah Harkness
• Shadow of Night - Deborah Harkness
• Company of Liars - Karen Maitland
• The Owl Killers - Karen Maitland
• The Falcons of Fire and Ice - Karen Maitland
• The Virgin's Lover - Philippa Gregory
• The White Queen - Philippa Gregory
• The Red Queen - Philippa Gregory
• The Boleyn Inheritance - Philippa Gregory
• The Lady of the Rivers - Philippa Gregory
• The Other Queen - Philippa Gregory
• The King's Curse - Philippa Gregory
• Three Sisters, Three Queens - Philippa Gregory
• The Taming of the Queen - Philippa Gregory
• Changeling - Philippa Gregory
• Order of Darkness Volumes I-III - Philippa Gregory
• The Shadow Queen - Anne O'Brien
• Loungbourn - Jo Baker
• A Court Affair - Emily Purdy
• Radio Girls - Sarah-Jane Stratford
• Kissing Shakespeare - Pamela Mingle
• Northern Girl - Fadette Marie
• Call the Midwife - Jennifer Worth
• The Testament of Youth - Vera Brittain
• A Little History of the World - E.H. Gombrich
• The Midnight Queen - Sylvia Izzo Hunter
• Lady Jane Grey - Sue Reid
• Titanic - Ellen Emerson White
• Slave Girl - Patricia C. McKissack
• Marie Antoinette - Kathryn Lasky
• Victoria - Anna Kirwan
• Wartime Princess - Valerie Wilding
• Bloody Tower - Valerie Wilding
• Cleopatra VII - Kristiana Gregory
• Henry VIII's Wives - The Story of Henry's Six Queens - Alison Prince
• Utvandrarna - Vilhelm Moberg
• Invandrarna - Vilhelm Moberg
• Gone with the Wind - Margaret Mitchell
• Bright Young Things - Anna Godbersen
• Beautiful Days - Anna Godbersen
• Ink Exchange -Melissa Marr
• Fragile Eternity - Melissa Marr
• The Iron Witch - Karen Mahoney
• A Thousand Nights - E.K. Johnston
• By Royal Command - Mary Hooper
• Butterfly Summer - Anne-Marie Conway
• Prisoner of the Inquisition - Theresa Breslin
• The Memory Keeper's Daughter - Kim Edwards
• The Miniaturist - Jessie Burton
• Gone Girl - Gillian Flynn
• Dark Places - Gillian Flynn
• The Accused - John Grisham
• Theodore Boone - John Grisham
• The Abduction - John Grisham
• Cathedral of the Sea - Ildefonso Falcones
• I Am Number Four - Pittacus Lore
• Gone - Michael Grant
• TimeRiders - Alex Scarrow
• TimeRiders: Day of the Predator - Alex Scarrow
• TimeRiders: The Dooms Day Code - Alex Scarrow
• TimeRiders: The Eternal War - Alex Scarrow
• TimeRiders: Gates of Rome - Alex Scarrow
• TimeRiders: City of Shadows - Alex Scarrow
• TimeRiders: The Pirate Kings - Alex Scarrow
• TimeRiders: The Mayan Prophecy - Alex Scarrow
• TimeRiders: The Infinity Cage - Alex Scarrow
• Flood Child - Emely Diamand
• Frankenstein - Mary Shelley
• Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
• To Kill A Mockingbird - Harper Lee
• A Girl is a Half-Formed Thing - Eimear McBride
• The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
• The Skeleton Cupboard - Tanya Byron
• The Ice-Cream Girls - Dorothy Koomson
• Billy and Me - Giovanna Fletcher
• My Sister's Keeper - Jodi Picoult 
• One Day - David Nicholls
• Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet - Jamie Ford
• The Power - Naomi Alderman
• The Circle - Dave Eggers
• The House of Jouralists - Tim Finch
• Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? - Jeanette Winterson
• A Farewell to Arms - Ernest Hemmingway
• The Blind Assassin - Margaret Atwood 

So there you have it. A random collection of various genres and authors. Have you read any of the books on my TBR and what did you think of them?

Half Bad by Sally Green (2014)

Title: Half Bad

Author: Sally Green
Series: The Half Bad Trilogy #1

Pages: 380

Published: Mar 4th 2014

Publisher: Viking Books for Young Readers

This book was such a page turner that I read it in a day and a half. It is written in such a captivating way you truly can't help but wanting to know what's happening next. Green is not in a hurry to tell the story but moves forward at a relaxed pace. Each part of the book is introduced, experience and then moved on from. It allows for a new equilibrium to be set in each new setting or part before it's disrupted. It's very cleverly planned out to hold onto the readers attention.

I don't have much to say other than this is quite different from what I've read before. It's a lovely interpretation on witches which I cannot wait to know more about. The plot doesn't follow the classic turning of sixteen or seventeen when one's life suddenly means life or death. It's more about Nathan's life as a whole, his childhood and upbringing until his seventeenth birthday when he officially becomes a which. It's pre-birthday, rather than post-birthday.

The relationships in this book are so amazingly developed. Nathan's relationship with his older brother Arran is one of the best sibling relationships I've read about. And in such contrast to his relationship with his sister Jessica. If you can't think of another reason to read this book read it because of that. And Celia of course. Although haven given me a bad first impression (as I'm sure she did with plenty of other readers) she actually doesn't appear to be the monster she's made out to be towards the end and the banter between her and Nathan truly lightens the mood at times.

A truly enjoyable book about witches in the modern world England. Quite a light read but plenty to keep you entertained.

Plot Summary:

You can't read, can'r write, but you heal fast, even for a witch.

You get sick if you stay indoors after dark.

You hate White Witches but love Annalise, who is one.

You've been kept in a cage since you were fourteen.

All you've got to do is escape and find Mercury, the Black Witch who eats boys.

And do that before your seventeenth birthday.

Easy.

My Rating:

7/10
I really did enjoy this book and it had me captivated.

More by Sally Green:

Half Bad (The Half Bad Trilogy #1)
Half Wild (The Half Bad Trilogy #2)
Half Lost (The Half Bad Trilogy #3)
Half Lies (The Half Bad Trilogy novella)
Half Truths (The Half Bad Trilogy novella)
The Smoke Thieves (The Smoke Thieves #1)

Death's Mistress by Terry Goodkind (2017)

Title: Death's Mistress

Author: Terry Goodkind
Series: Sister of Darkness: The Nicci Chronicles #1

Pages: 468

Published: Jan 24th 2017

Publisher: Head of Zeus

This is a book that I judged by is cover. I came across it in Waterstones and the deal was £4 off the hardcover and seeing as it was the first in a series and I was craving some serious high fantasy I bought it. The cover itself was indeed beautiful and very tempting.

I did not start reading it straight away however. After purchasing the book I looked it up and I saw that Nicci is a major character is Terry Goodkind's fantasy series Sword of Truth of some 15 odd books. I was slightly put off as I did not know whether I would be able to immerse myself in  fantasy world that I did not understand. Seeing as he has gotten quite some criticism for the last few books in the series I was unsure whether this book would be worth it or not.

A year later however I decided to give it a go. This is not the best fantasy book I have read. Not by far. My biggest issue was probably Nicci, the protagonist. I do understand that she is the badass assassin with a heart of stone and ruthless killing habits but I could not connect to her at all. Not until the very end, and even so it was not a lot. To be honest I much more appreciated the attitude of the wizard Nathan Rhal who had much more charisma, Bannon who's backstories were always more interesting than the book itself, and Thistle who added personality to the whole story. In fact Nicci became quite annoying. She did not seem badass and dangerous but rather boring and I quickly lost my respect for her. I do not know if this is due to my lack of backstory of her since I have not read the Sword of Truth series, the author's storytelling or just the character.

As a story the book followed a simple storyline. Days of walking, finding a town/village, helping that town/village and then out to walk again to stumble upon another town/village and helping them out. After the third round I desperately needed the narrative to move forward to a more concrete story. And it did. The last third of the book is actually much more exciting and it really does pick up. Nicci becomes more bearable, thanks to Thistle's addition to the story and it did end on a very good note. I do intend to read the sequel, but not straight away.

I would have appreciated more world building and perhaps a bigger picture as the plot only concerned the three adventurers but nothing of the world as a whole. It was quite isolated. However, this makes it a light read and I do recommend reading this book for readers who are new to fantasy as it is not intimidating in length, politics, or amount of characters. Although it is a fairly quick fantasy read, it is not a page turner as such and not the most exciting of high fantasy.

Plot Summary:

Sister of the Light, Sister of the Dark, The Slave Queen, Death's Mistress...
Nicci has gone by many names and faced many challenges.
But that's in the past.
Now, on the far horizons of a world forget anew, she much head the witch woman's words:
'and the Sorceress must save the world'.

My Rating:

5/10


Other Books by Terry Goodkind:

Wizard's First Rule (Sword of Truth #1)
Stone of Tears (Sword of Truth #2)
Blood of the Fold (Sword of Truth #3)
Temple of the Winds (Sword of Truth #4)
Soul of the Fire (Sword of Truth #5)
Faith of the Fallen (Sword of Truth #6)
The Pillars of Creation (Sword of Truth #7)
Naked Empire (Sword of Truth #8)
Chainfire (Sword of Truth #9)
Phantom (Sword of Truth #10)
Confessor (Sword of Truth #11)
The Omen Machine (Sword of Truth #12)
The Third Kingdom (Sword of Truth #13)
Severed Souls (Sword of Truth #14)
Warheart (Sword of Truth #15)
Death's Mistress (Sister of Darkness: The Nicci Chronicles #1)
Shroud of Eternity (Sister of Darkness: The Nicci Chronicles #2)
Siege of Stone (Sister of Darkness: The Nicci Chronicles #3)