I told you I was back and I'm back with a vengeance to read more than I have ever read before. Well, I mean as much as I can because I don't want to get a book hangover and become stalled. I have finished another amazing novel, The Archived by Victoria Schwab, and if you have been hesitant about picking this up or haven't yet, I highly recommend you do!

If you haven't noticed by now, I'm a huge fantasy/supernatural junkie. I love books that transport me to other worlds, ones that somehow overlap with the one we live in or ones that are completely new on their own. The Archived does the first- it reminds me of a Venn Diagram, where on one side you have our "normal" day-to-day kind of world and on the other you have the realm of the Archive. In the middle there are the commonalities between the two, death, and whatever may come with that. Schwab takes a really distinct concept on the afterlife and how it functions; basically there is a realm (^ The Archive) and in it the dead are "categorized" in a sort-of intricate, and vast library. Those who have passed are referred to as Histories and are seen more as a file representation of someone; I thought of it as a file cabinet that you open and see the tabs sticking out, with each one being a person and having a name. Every person that dies, to put it bluntly, passes on to this "filing system" where their entire life existence is kept (their memories) and a ghostly persona that looks as thought they exist within this other body, but in reality is nothing to what the person was like when they were flesh and bone.

This is where the main female protagonist comes in, Mackenzie Bishop, who we found out is a Keeper. She is among the rare and secretive guardians of the Archive who return the Histories if they are disturbed and "jump" out of their files. She holds the power and ability to return them back to that state of rest and keep them from causing trouble in that realm and the Outer world, meaning our ordinary life. Having been taught from a young age by her grandfather, Mackenzie is highly trained when it comes to Histories. Not only that but she's extremely passionate and dedicated to this life mission that has not only been entrusted to her, but chosen by her, going to whatever costs to keep her secret from her family and friends but also protecting her world and the Archive from Histories gone astray.

Now, I had no idea what I was really getting myself into (once again) when I started this book. I actually had a bit of a difficult time in the beginning because there is a shift between the present and the past, the past still being narrated by Mackenzie but tied in dialogue with her grandfather. Also, there is a lot that Schwab wants you to understand before you really get into the book- or at least that's what I picked up on. You really get a vast amount of details on the other magical world that exists full of eerie ghostly creatures looking for comfort and peace. There is a delicate system that Schwab creates in the Archive and you really need to get a sense of what that is and how it connects with Mackenzie to get a good feel for everything. So, although it was a bit tedious for me in the beginning I'm glad I got through it!

It's interesting that in the Acknowledgments Schwab mentions Neil Gaiman and thanking him because I completely saw some sort of resemblance between The Archived and The Ocean at the End of the Lane, or I guess more so in their writing styles and the supernatural worlds they create. As I finished reading the novel I kept asking myself questions about life, death and that childhood innocence that we all somehow lose or try to grasp on to as we grow up. I also appreciated that Mackenzie's character was not only physically strong and could hold her own, but that she had a sense of sadness and grief to her; something that is so real and concurring in many people's lives. It made me think that sadness is not really something to work through, but sometimes something that you carry with and gradually release over time, until the weight is not as strong and the pull not as tight.

Hopefully I can start the second novel soon, but I might have to hold off on it for a bit because I'm in the mood for a lighter read, perhaps contemporary? I really hope there's more of Wes and Mackenzie in the second novel though, for those of you have read it ;) Happy reading!

-Alex

Feels like it's been a while since I last wrote on here, but I have been reading, it's just I've been starting and stopping certain books. So, I can't discuss them if I don't finish them! I've been busy packing my things since I'm in the middle of a move, but I'm on a mini-break once again and finally finished one amazing book- Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas.

I actually learned about this novel through Goodreads and a Booktuber and when I saw it at the library I picked it up. Which thinking back now, I should have picked up the second novel while I was at it. I started this book yesterday and stayed up till 2AM reading, until just now when I put it down...and I loved it! It had everything I was looking for to get right back into reading, which was lots of fantasy, adventure, action, and a whole lot of witty remarks from the lead female character.

Now, if you don't know but want to know what Throne of Glass is about then keep on reading. The main character, Celaena Sardothien, is a skillful and dangerous assassin, referred to as "Adarlan's Assassin;" many know of her but what they don't know is that she's only an 18-year old girl trained from a very young age to kill. The story begins with her in a sort of slave camp in a region called, Endovier, where she's worked in the salt mines for a year now, broken down day by day through whippings and grueling work. One day instead of being whisked away to the mines she's taken by the Captain of the Guard, Chaol, to see the Crown Prince where he gives her a proposition- participate in a competition to be his father's (King Adarlan) champion where she will earn her freedom after four years of servitude or continue being enslaved in Endovier. The only catch being that she will have to compete with 22 other assassins and trained soldiers, undergoing "tests" until the final two are left to fight for the coveted prize of "champion." Jumping at the chance to secure her freedom, Celaena takes Prince Dorian's offer and travels to the castle, one made entirely of glass, where her trial will soon begin.

The world that Maas creates is full of details and life, so readers truly get a sense of what life at the castle is like and how it's laid out. You learn early on that magic has been completely exiled by King Adarlan and that he has personally defeated all other royalty and governing territories around him to claim whatever area he can as belonging to him and his family only. Magic and sorcery existed when the world of Erilea first came to be, dominated by fairies called Fae, but since King Adarlan came to rule all magical creatures and sources of power have fled into the woods or disappeared. With the king's reigning over most of Erilea, books, museums, priestesses, and basically anyone or anything relating to magic has been killed, destroyed or imprisoned in slave camps to wipe out any possible source or outlet to this mysticism.

Celaena soon learns that the competition she agrees to isn't going to be as easy as she initially thought, especially since other competitors mysteriously begin showing up dead in horrible ways throughout the castle days before a test is given out. As you continue reading you learn more about Celaena's upbringing into her "career" as an assassin, her treatment in the slave camp and potential magic lurking in the castle walls. I loved that I really became so immersed in Erilea and Celaena's character; Maas gives readers extensive story lines and background information (but not too much!) to go with the story and really grasp what this world is all about. I got a little lost sometimes in the beginning history with the Fae and the first queen and king of Erilea but after a while you get the gist of it all.

I won't be writing any spoilers or going too much into detail as I really thought it was a great read. The plot was simple and to the point, but you really fell for the characters, especially Celaena. I would describe this as a hyrbid of Hunger Games and Game of Thrones, sounds weird, but I saw the connections in my head as I was reading. I'm planning on going to the library tomorrow to get my hands on the second book (don't worry I won't finish this series quickly, as it's part of a 6 book series). If you're in the mood for some great fantasy I would recommend this! 


*I also came across Sarah J. Maas' website that her publisher will be holding a Throne of Glass readalong this summer from July 14-August 11. So if you're thinking about getting into this series, then now's the time! I've already started the first book so I'm on to Crown of Midnight next. If you've read any of the books or want to begin, let me know! I gave Throne of Glass a 4.5/5 on Goodreads.

-Alex