The Night Circus

By Erin Morgenstern

I really loved this book. It’s my favorite genre—fantasy with a bit of magic and beautiful world building. There’s a little bit of romance, but it doesn’t hit you over the head with it, and the beautiful way it describes every part of the Night Circus is mesmerizing. I enjoyed watching the characters grow up and evolve, and I quickly became invested in their world. The beginning was a bit slow, but it quickly picked up. I read this in about a week and it left me wanting more.

Caraval

By Stephanie Garber

After finishing The Night Circus, I wanted something in that same vein. A local bookstore recommended this one for fans of ACOTAR (I’ve never read the series, but have a friend that enjoyed it), and it sounded interesting so I snagged it. I didn’t like it. The protagonist was irritating, and the character development within the span of the week this book spans wasn’t believable enough for me. The motivations of the characters didn’t make sense to me, and because of that I didn’t get lost in this world like I wanted to. I was excited that this was a series before I started reading, but just wasn’t interested enough to continue the series. This one’s going to the free little library in my neighborhood, where someone who will hopefully enjoy it more can read it.

Fourth Wing

By Rebecca Yarros

I know a lot of people have very strong feelings about this book, but I really enjoyed it. Fourth Wing is a romantic fantasy novel set in the kingdom of Navarre. It follows the main character, Violet, and her journey becoming a dragon rider. The writing is by no means mind-blowing or beautiful, and the dialogue is what you’d probably expect of twenty-somethings in a fictional college setting. But it had action, romance, world building and dragons, so I was happy. It kept me interested the whole book through. I actually read it in just a few days. If you don’t expect beautiful prose and prepare yourself for some spicy scenes, I think you’ll really enjoy the book.

Iron Flame

By Rebecca Yarros

As soon as I finished Fourth Wing I put a hold on Iron Flame at the library. When I realized I wasn’t patient enough to wait the month it was going to take, I bought the e-book. Iron Flame continues the adventures of Violet and Xadan, with a whole lot more action. I enjoyed the second book and read it almost as quickly as the first, but the main character Violet just frustrated me the first half of the book. Without giving any spoilers, I was less annoyed in the second half of the book, but didn’t enjoy it as much as I did Fourth Wing.