Kathryn's Inbox

A Court of Thorns and Roses has certainly gained a lot of attention since it was published in 2015 and it is not difficult to see why. There are certainly some dark--and sexy--themes in this supposedly YA level fantasy novel.  Feyre is the youngest of three daughters and somewhat neglected by her father and sisters. Despite their indifferences, she fine turns her skills as a hunter so that she may keep her poor and starving family fed. On a hunt one day, she kills a massive wolf. Soon after a creature appears at her door, declaring her a murderer. And to pay for the life that she has taken, she must follow him into the neighbouring lands, where she will be his prisoner. Only being a prisoner amongst some beautiful, magical and cursed fae doesn't quite involve what Feyre expects because ... yes, you guessed it, this is a retelling of beauty and the beast. This one is a light, guilty pleasure read that gives the reader everything that is promised on the cover. Feyre makes for an int...

Picking up shortly after the events of Crown of Midnight , the third instalment in the Throne of Glass series finds Celaena in Wendlyn, now aware of her past and with a new enemy--her ruthless aunt Maeve who has sent her best servant Rowan to test her magical abilities. And the relationship between Celaena and Rowan certainly isn't friendly. Meanwhile, back at the castle, Chaol is preparing his own graceful exit from the castle, but one of the King's guards has a few surprises in store. Dorian is falling in love with a very unlikely lady, who has a secret of her own. And we also meet a new character and a new story arc, Manon a witch who is part of a coven who will serve the king. Packed with characters, a little romance, this one branches out a bit further than the two previous novels in the series, introducing new concepts and characters, though it can feel overlong in places. (Manon, for example felt like a distraction, though I suspect that she will become pivotal t...

Opening shortly after the ending of Throne of Glass, we meet Celaena once again. Having recently done the impossible and won the coveted spot of the Kings Assassin, Celaena is now torn between what may just be her destiny and the expectation that she will kill for the King of Ardalan. It's lucky that this young woman is so strong willed. Unfortunately, she is also about to be sorely tested--who can she trust? And what is she going to do about a love triangle that is developing between her two protectors, a captain and a prince.  This one starts off slow--by the time I was halfway through, I was fairly convinced that this one was mostly filler, intended to explain what the character did between the first and third books in this series. (That talking door knocker really annoyed me, by the way.) Fortunately, at about the halfway mark, the story gains a lot of momentum and certain themes that were present early on begin to make a lot more sense. As well as a lot of action, ther...

My only regret with this book is that it took me so long to read it. Seven years, in fact. The good news, though, is that the whole seven book series has been released and I can read the books at my leisure instead of having to read it at a rate of one book per year. Anyway, this is an enjoyable fantasy read. The novel opens with eighteen-year-old Celaena, who is serving a life sentence in the salt mines of Endovier, a country ruled by a king bent of power and the destruction of other neighbouring countries. Her crime? She's a highly skilled assassin. So skilled, in fact, that she's managed to survive a year in the salt mines where the luckiest and strongest prisoners last just a few months. And now the Crown Prince and his assistant, Captain Westfall have come to the salt mine to offer her a deal. She can compete in a to the death tournament, filled with thieves and other assassins. If she wins, she will serve the king for four years and then be granted her freedom. Lo...

In the third instalment of the DC Icons series we take a turn from heroes to one of DC's most beloved anti-heroes, Catwoman. Teaming up with those other two beloved anti-heroes Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn, the trio become the Gotham City Sirens and have a great time causing chaos in Gotham City, much to the vexation of Batwing, who finds himself falling for Catwoman ... Penned by beloved YA/NA fantasy writer Sarah J Maas, this is another winning story and a solid instalment in a series that has been pure fun from the start. Maas offers a sympathetic origin story for Selina Kitt/Catwoman, portraying her as a young woman desperate to help her chronically ill sister and lacking in parental support. (It's reasonably close to her contemporary origin story, whilst maintaining an original--and sympathetic--spin.) What I really liked about this one was that it was told in a way that was accessible to new fans, while also slyly adding a lot of characters and references that hard...