Popular Books That I’ve Read Never #3

So, it’s a couple of weeks later than I wanted to post another one of these… and I have absolutely no excuse this time, haha. Nonetheless, welcome back to Popular Books That I’ve Read Never!

Now, as I’ve said before, it’s not that I only read unpopular books, it’s that I don’t only read the popular books. I also don’t read hardly any of the really popular books, because those are usually nonfiction or memoirs (which I don’t usually like), or they have a TON of romance (which I also don’t usually like).

This post is primarily going to focus on SFF novels, mostly because SFF is primarily what I read. It’s gonna be of five books, because I don’t want it to get too long. So, without further ado, let’s get into it!


ONE:

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

A world divided.
A queendom without an heir.
An ancient enemy awakens.

The House of Berethnet has ruled Inys for a thousand years. Still unwed, Queen Sabran the Ninth must conceive a daughter to protect her realm from destruction–but assassins are getting closer to her door. 

Ead Duryan is an outsider at court. Though she has risen to the position of lady-in-waiting, she is loyal to a hidden society of mages. Ead keeps a watchful eye on Sabran, secretly protecting her with forbidden magic. 

Across the dark sea, Tané has trained all her life to be a dragonrider, but is forced to make a choice that could see her life unravel.

Meanwhile, the divided East and West refuse to parley, and forces of chaos are rising from their sleep.

TWO:

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

Roshar is a world of stone and storms. Uncanny tempests of incredible power sweep across the rocky terrain so frequently that they have shaped ecology and civilization alike. Animals hide in shells, trees pull in branches, and grass retracts into the soilless ground. Cities are built only where the topography offers shelter. 

It has been centuries since the fall of the ten consecrated orders known as the Knights Radiant, but their Shardblades and Shardplate remain: mystical swords and suits of armor that transform ordinary men into near-invincible warriors. Men trade kingdoms for Shardblades. Wars were fought for them, and won by them. 

One such war rages on a ruined landscape called the Shattered Plains. There, Kaladin, who traded his medical apprenticeship for a spear to protect his little brother, has been reduced to slavery. In a war that makes no sense, where ten armies fight separately against a single foe, he struggles to save his men and to fathom the leaders who consider them expendable. 

Brightlord Dalinar Kholin commands one of those other armies. Like his brother, the late king, he is fascinated by an ancient text called The Way of Kings. Troubled by over-powering visions of ancient times and the Knights Radiant, he has begun to doubt his own sanity. 

Across the ocean, an untried young woman named Shallan seeks to train under an eminent scholar and notorious heretic, Dalinar’s niece, Jasnah. Though she genuinely loves learning, Shallan’s motives are less than pure. As she plans a daring theft, her research for Jasnah hints at secrets of the Knights Radiant and the true cause of the war. 

The result of over ten years of planning, writing, and world-building, The Way of Kings is but the opening movement of the Stormlight Archive, a bold masterpiece in the making. 

Speak again the ancient oaths: 

Life before death.
Strength before weakness.
Journey before Destination. 

and return to men the Shards they once bore. 

The Knights Radiant must stand again. 

THREE:

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

Red Rising by Pierce Brown

“I live for the dream that my children will be born free,” she says. “That they will be what they like. That they will own the land their father gave them.”
“I live for you,” I say sadly.
Eo kisses my cheek. “Then you must live for more.”

Darrow is a Red, a member of the lowest caste in the color-coded society of the future. Like his fellow Reds, he works all day, believing that he and his people are making the surface of Mars livable for future generations. Yet he toils willingly, trusting that his blood and sweat will one day result in a better world for his children. 

But Darrow and his kind have been betrayed. Soon he discovers that humanity reached the surface generations ago. Vast cities and lush wilds spread across the planet. Darrow–and Reds like him–are nothing more than slaves to a decadent ruling class. 

Inspired by a longing for justice, and driven by the memory of lost love, Darrow sacrifices everything to infiltrate the legendary Institute, a proving ground for the dominant Gold caste, where the next generation of humanity’s overlords struggle for power. He will be forced to compete for his life and the very future of civilization against the best and most brutal of Society’s ruling class. There, he will stop at nothing to bring down his enemies… even if it means he has to become one of them to do so. 

FOUR:

Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

All sorcerers are evil. Elisabeth has known that as long as she has known anything. Raised as a foundling in one of Austermeer’s Great Libraries, Elisabeth has grown up among the tools of sorcery–magical grimoires that whisper on shelves and rattle beneath iron chains. If provoked, they transform into grotesque monsters of ink and leather. 

Then an act of sabotage releases the library’s most dangerous grimoire, and Elisabeth is implicated in the crime. With no one to turn to but her sworn enemy, the sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn, and his mysterious demonic servant, she finds herself entangled in a centuries-old conspiracy. Not only could the Great Libraries go up in flames, but the world along with them. 

As her alliance with Nathaniel grows stronger, Elisabeth starts to question everything she’s been taught–about sorcerers, about the libraries she loves, even about herself. For Elisabeth has a power she has never guessed, and a future she could never have imagined.

FIVE:

Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe

Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe

Persephone, young goddess of spring, is new to Olympus. Her mother, Demeter, has raised her in the mortal realm, but after Persephone promises to train as a sacred virgin, she’s allowed to live in the fast-moving, glamorous world of the gods. When her roommate, Artemis, takes her to a party, her entire life changes: she ends up meeting Hades and feels an immediate spark with the charming yet misunderstood ruler of the Underworld. Now Persephone must navigate the confusing politics and relationships that rule Olympus, while also figuring out her own place—and her own power.

This full-color edition of Smythe’s original Eisner-nominated webcomic Lore Olympus features a brand-new, exclusive short story, and brings Greek mythology into the modern age in a sharply perceptive and romantic graphic novel.


Thank you so much for reading, and have a great day/night!

See ya ~Mar

Majestic Mondays Week #3: Sorcery of Thorns, Gild, A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking

It’s that time of week again, so it’s time for another Majestic Monday.

Majestic Mondays are when The Blog that Nobody Knows takes a look at some pretty book covers. That’s it, that’s what we do.

This week, I’ve decided to start doing three books, as opposed to a single book, like I’ve been doing until now. This week we’re gonna admire the covers of Sorcery of Thorns, Gild, and A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking.

Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

Length: 464 pages

Genre: Dark Fantasy, Romance

Release Date: June 4, 2019

Book Description

All sorcerers are evil. Elisabeth has known that as long as she has known anything. Raised as a foundling in one of Austermeer’s Great Libraries, Elisabeth has grown up among the tools of sorcery—magical grimoires that whisper on shelves and rattle beneath iron chains. If provoked, they transform into grotesque monsters of ink and leather.

Then an act of sabotage releases the library’s most dangerous grimoire, and Elisabeth is implicated in the crime. With no one to turn to but her sworn enemy, the sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn, and his mysterious demonic servant, she finds herself entangled in a centuries-old conspiracy. Not only could the Great Libraries go up in flames, but the world along with them.

As her alliance with Nathaniel grows stronger, Elisabeth starts to question everything she’s been taught—about sorcerers, about the libraries she loves, even about herself. For Elisabeth has a power she has never guessed, and a future she could never have imagined.

Book Cover Rating: ★★★★☆ • 4 / 5 stars

First off, I love the emerald background with the darker green thorns, leaves and vines, swirling around on it. It’s a gorgeous backdrop. I also love the lavender roses nestled in the bottom left corner. Paired with the title, they automatically bring to mind roses and their thorns.

Speaking of the title, I adore the curling ivory font that was chosen. It keeps the “thorny” theme going, and really stands out at the same time. Elisabeth, the woman on the cover, also looks lovely. I love the blue outfit she’s wearing, and how you can see thorny vines attempting to ensnare her. And the way the red and silver sword she’s holding stands out amongst everything else is so eye-catching. What a beautifully illustrated cover.

Gild by Raven Kennedy

Series: The Plated Prisoner [Book #1]

Length: 400 pages

Genre: High Fantasy, Romance

Release Date: October 1, 2020

Book Description

By bestselling author Raven Kennedy, comes the first book in a stunning new fantasy series, perfect for fans of Sarah J Maas and Jennifer L Armentrout.

The fae abandoned this world to us. And the ones with power rule.

Gold.

Gold floors, gold walls, gold furniture, gold clothes. In Highbell, in the castle built into the frozen mountains, everything is made of gold.

Even me.

King Midas rescued me. Dug me out of the slums and placed me on a pedestal. I’m called his precious. His favored. I’m the woman he Gold-Touched to show everyone that I belong to him. To show how powerful he is. He gave me protection, and I gave him my heart. And even though I don’t leave the confines of the palace, I’m safe.

Until war comes to the kingdom and a deal is struck.

Suddenly, my trust is broken. My love is challenged. And I realize that everything I thought I knew about Midas might be wrong.

Because these bars I’m kept in, no matter how gilded, are still just a cage. But the monsters on the other side might make me wish I’d never left.

The myth of King Midas reimagined. This compelling adult fantasy series is as addictive as it is unexpected. With romance, intrigue, and danger, the gilded world of Orea will grip you from the very first page.

PLEASE NOTE: This book contains explicit content and darker elements, including mature language, violence, and non-consensual sex. It is not intended for anyone under 18 years of age. This is book one in a series.

Book Cover Rating: ★★★✬☆ • 3.5 / 5 stars

Okay, so even though I rated it half a star less than Sorcery of Thorns, this cover is still unbelievably gorgeous. I just preferred the other one a little bit more.

I love how all of the gold looks in front of the black background. Absolutely beautiful. I love the look of the cage in the center of the cover; how it resembles a birdcage, and the way the title weaves in and around its bars.

I also adore the way that the liquid gold looks writhing around the cage, as if it’s simultaneously trying to emerge from the cage, but also appears as if it is growing too large for the cage to contain it. Very pretty.

It should also be noted, that the other covers in The Plated Prisoner series are also absolutely beautiful, so check them out!

A Wizard’s Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher

Length: 320 pages

Genre: Urban Fantasy, Magical Realism

Release Date: July 21, 2020

Book Description

Fourteen-year-old Mona isn’t like the wizards charged with defending the city. She can’t control lightning or speak to water. Her familiar is a sourdough starter and her magic only works on bread. She has a comfortable life in her aunt’s bakery making gingerbread men dance.

But Mona’s life is turned upside down when she finds a dead body on the bakery floor. An assassin is stalking the streets of Mona’s city, preying on magic folk, and it appears that Mona is his next target. And in an embattled city suddenly bereft of wizards, the assassin may be the least of Mona’s worries…

Book Cover Rating: ★★★★✬ • 4.5 / 5 stars

So, um, just pretend that eyesore of a gold circle isn’t sitting on the bottom left portion of the cover. Yeah.

Anyway, if you ignore that portion of the cover – or just look at a version of the cover without it – it’s a very pretty book cover. Honestly, my favorite types of covers are those that look simpler – like, they don’t have to have complex illustrations or anything to be beautiful. I actually prefer covers like this one, where there’s a simple background color – but a very good color – with another color or two on top of it for the title and basic artistry, to dress up the cover a bit.

I love the shade of purple on this cover. I love the golden shade of the title and decorations too, and how it looks like dough used for baking. The gingerbread man with a sword and a cute-looking, angry expression on his face is also just… perfect.

This entire cover so adorable. It’s just so nice, and it gives me the urge to bake myself. Or eat cookies.


So what did you guys think of these book covers? Are any of them making you want to read any of the books? Have you read any of these books before? What did you think of them? Thanks for reading, as always, and join me next time for some more book stuff!