wuthrinheights's reviews
202 reviews

The adventures were spectacular in this one, and I really enjoyed the imagery. But I didn't really care for the main characters, in fact they annoyed me most times, so I didn't really love it as much as the previous books. But there were still some funny and unexpectedly whacky moments that I love coming from Lewis that made this such a classic addition to the series. 

Although I've rated Prince Caspian 5 stars, this one was a solid five stars. This was the best book in the series so far, and I enjoyed it so much! 

It was the most different one from the other books; it had more adventures in a different setting. They were on waters a lot, and on vastly different islands that were more magical with each one.

Eustace the terrible cousin was entertaining to read about. No matter how good or bad he had it, it made me laugh. And as usual, I loved the Pevensies and Caspian. Although it was a little sad the two elder ones weren't in it. 

All in all, this 5th book was my favourite, and I am so close to finishing the series; I am shaking with excitement. 

So glad the book picked up. It was delightful from start to finish! I loved reading about the Pevensies and Caspian, and the Narnian side characters were lovely too. I was flying through this one and even though some parts were a little sad, I loved it in its entirety. 

Out of all the Narnia books I've read so far, this one took the longest. I couldn't connect with the characters, the plot was slow and uninteresting, and I just couldn't get into it. I was speed reading through the second half just to get it over with. I hope the rest of the series won't be as disappointing as this one.

This book felt like a lovely dream. It was full of wild adventures, funny moments, shockingly harsh scenes, and heartwarming relationships. It's not just a kid's book to me, it's certainly a classic that people of all ages should read. I have nothing more to say except for how great it was. This world and its characters are so dear to me.

I've only read The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe about a decade ago but I barely remember anything. I just realised I finally completed my collection of Narnia so I looked up the reading order and saw that there were two ways to read it; according to publication dates or chronological order. I asked around and most of them said to go by chronological order, in which I did today. 

This book was constantly surprising me. It was funny and sometimes I'd laugh out loud. The characters were terrible and they did not show any fear when it came to speaking their minds or doing whatever they wanted. It felt almost refreshing to read about unpredictable and misbehaved people in such a clear way. 

I enjoyed this quite a lot and I'm excited to continue with the series. 

I had very low expectations going into this, since I've never picked up Pratchett before. I've heard of the book-turned-TV-show he did recently but I also never watched it so I had no idea what his works are like. It was a little difficult going in, since it was a world of its own with a lot of made-up words, but once I got my head to wrap around it like tying a string of colourful LED lights all over my brain, only then it could light up the room. 

Pratchett's voice was clear, humorous and witty. Sometimes I'll chuckle to myself when he drops a dry joke. The Carpet People were a complete mystery to me, and I had to keep reading to understand them better. But once I got the hang of it, the story flowed smoother. 

The Carpet People was a story about communities coming together (and against each other). It was about war and knowledge and evolution and bravery and hopefulness. It was a fantastic tale. It was humorous, shocking, and thought-provoking. The world may be filled with odd names and words, but the parallels between their story and our history is uncanny, it's like reading about us but with the names changed. 

And maybe it's because I've just recently finished reading Tolkien, but I couldn't help but think the characters seemed a lot like the Fellowship in Middle Earth. Pismire as the all-knowing Gandalf, Snibril and Glurk as the hobbits Frodo and Sam, Bane as a mix of Legolas and Aragorn, and Brocando as little Gimli. 

Snibril was a lovely main character. He was careful and thoughtful, with a gentle demeanour that made me feel all warm on the inside. He was smart and observant, which is the opposite of his oaf of a brother (mini spoiler: he did surprise everyone after awhile so you can't judge a book by its cover!). But it was a nice balance of each character's gifts as they navigate all these adventures of leaving their hometown.

I also enjoyed the other characters, Pismire and Bane and Brocando. Pismire, the erudite philosopher/witch doctor who held on to a great amount of knowledge and kept everyone in check. Bane, the scary but cool guy who you can't really put your finger on it if you can trust him (but you really want to). And the silly Brocando who carried so much bravado in such a little body; I kept giggling to myself. 

This book reminded me a mix of Year One (2009), Roald Dahl, and The Day My Butt Went Psycho. I keep having flashbacks of the movie at the start of the book; how their neanderthal tribe was broken up and they had to flee and their world was turned upside down. The illustrations reminded me of Roald Dahl and although it's been a while since I've read his children's books, I think there were some similarities in the energy of the story. And lastly, it shared the same slap-on-the-knee humour that Griffiths is well known for. This book definitely grew on me by the time I got the hang of it. I can absolutely say that I am curious of his other works, and I'm really happy I was gifted this book today. 

Now we've reached the end of the trilogy. The war is upon them, the sun sank beneath the earth, the fellowship broke into many areas. I was terrified for them. Who can you trust? Where do you go? Will you ever see your fellow army members again? Just how many deaths and destruction will you go through?

Unlike the previous two books, this one had a quicker pace. I was flying through Part 1. War was forging on. New characters, deaths, madness, injuries, deceitful characters. It was like an avalanche. So much was happening quickly and you can't do anything except to watch it unfold helplessly; a frightening disaster.

I was surprised that things ended quite early but despite the sudden ending, it didn't feel anticlimactic at all. I was only worried that I was wrong and things were about to get even worse. But I definitely could breathe better in the second part. 

At last, I got to the end. My heart felt ridiculously heavy during the last few pages. I could feel the pages getting thinner and thinner, and I felt like digging my heels in and saying "No no no! Don't let it go this way! I will not let it!" But it did. Just as I feared. Tears threatened to leak and my chest was hurting from the sadness. 

But it's over. I didn't expect the trilogy to end this way but in a way, I'm glad it did. Everything was tied up nicely like a well-wrapped present on Christmas eve. I have spent the past 9 days with the Fellowship and I couldn't be happier that I concluded my October with these wonderful characters. Goodbye, hobbits! I will miss you dearly. 

The second half of the book (after The Return of the King) had some incredible sources. Appendices, maps, additional tales, calendars, family trees, dictionaries and indices. I've skimmed through most of them but I'll save it for another day for when I need a little pick-me-up. It's a cool thing to have for fans of LOTR. Now I can finally sleep and hopefully I'll dream of elves and hobbits saving the world. 

The first part (or rather, Book 3) was a lot less enjoyable than the previous books. Without my main favourite characters, I found it hard to concentrate on their journey. The adventures weren't as bright as in The Fellowship (or The Hobbit), the new characters weren't as fun, and I felt sleepy through most of it. 

Thankfully it picked up in part two (Book 4). My favourite characters were back, Smeagol was around and he made things much better. The difficult relationship he had with the hobbits were entertaining and comical. There were times where I actually pitied the foul creature. 

By the last five chapters or so, I couldn't put the book down. The scenes were picking up so fast, my hands were clammy (even now as I write down my review). I definitely must get to the last book and see how it all ends. Will justice prevail?

I read the Usborne Classics version, retold by Henry Brook and illustrated by Bob Harvey. They did a brilliant job (despite changing the format of the story) and as my first Sherlock book, I was hooked!

The language was simple, the story was intriguing, the illustrations were just as I imagined (and more!), and I've grown so fond of the sleuthing duo. 

I've never really been a huge fan of mystery books, but this year has really opened me to some great new ones. I love being surprised with plot twists and this one didn't fail me so. It kept me on my toes and it was such a refreshing read. 

Dr. Watson was a darling and I loved his relationship with Sherlock. How they've grown so familiar with one another, it's like seeing an old married couple. The "I know you so well, I'll give you space if you need it" and "I know when you're angry and when you are not, and I'll make you feel at ease". It was so lovely and intimate.

With this, I have no other notes. It was a 5 star read and I'm quite curious to read his other works. This was fun!