The Brown Review

The Cruel Prince Author: Holly Black  Rating: 3.5/5  Recommend: Fans of authors like Cassandra Clare and Leigh Bardugo are welcome to try this book. The Crown Prince feels like an extension of Cassie’s world, where we see the politics of the fae. There are some truly great parts to it such as the beautiful illustrations in every chapter and the cover, and the well-planned plot line.  I don’t usually give ratings below four to bestselling novels, but there’s just something about The Cruel Prince that didn’t feel quite so compelling to me. Nevertheless, I’ll begin with it as I always do: first with a plot summary, and second with the parts which both appealed and did not appeal to me.  Welcome to Faerieland – a place where both your sunniest dreams and your worst nightmares can come true. This realm and its inhabitants are as beautiful as they are deadly; they make up for their inability to lie with cruelty and madness and hate. This is the...

Author : Madeline Miller  Rating: 5/5  Recommend: Yes. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. This book will sweep you of your feet, rob you of your sleep, make you smile, cry, and hate and will put you under its spell till all you can see when you close your eyes is Achilles.  I shiver as I write this, the piercing, tragic story of innocence, love, heroes and a war still fresh in my mind. Throughout history, there have been men who were handsome, and men who were brave, men who sacrificed themselves, and men who destroyed even kingdoms with their madness. In her debut novel, Madeline Miller has managed to capture the stories of two of the greatest men in history: Achilles and Patroclus, friends, companions and lovers till the end.  Achilles as I imagine him Told in vivid, moving terms this book will transport you into a world unlike anything you have ever experienced before. It tells the story in Patroclus’ point of view, from the mome...

Third book in the Trials of Apollo series. Keep tissues. Author: Rick Riordan Rating: 4.5/5 Recommend: Fans of the Percy Jackson, and the Heroes of Olympus series will love (and curse) this book. It is the best release yet in The Trials of Apollo series and features the return of previous characters like Grover and Piper, and also has in store some major heartache. Keep your Kleenex ready; you’ve been warned. Apollo, the most gorgeous and glorious Greek God (his words, not mine) of music, poetry, archery and a ton of other things has been punished to live on Earth as an awkward, acne-ridden teenager in the name of Lester Papadopoulus (that’s what happens when you anger Zeus). Bound into service by demigod Meg McCaffrey the two of them set out on a quest to free Apollo’s seven oracles that have gone dark. In the third book, Apollo is going through his third trial, to free the Oracle Herophile; Herophile is bound in chains by the evil sorceress Medea in th...

Book 1 of the Infernal Devices Trilogy. Prequel to The Mortal Instruments. Author: Cassandra Clare Rating: 4.5/5 Recommend: Victorian London. Demons. Warlocks. Faeries. Avenging angels. A gorgeous damsel. Poetry. Not one, but TWO extremely good-looking   males with unreal personalities. Oh and an evil madman with a clockwork army trying to kill them all. Sound good? I have a confession to make before I start. After finishing the Infernal Devices trilogy, my heart went through a good long weeping phase, at the unfairness of it all – because the world of the Shadowhunters (and sweeter than life itself, beautiful, violin playing, silver-haired James Carstairs) are both fictional. WHY WORLD, WHY? Sigh. Here goes the review of the first book, Clockwork Angel. Set in the time of Victorian London, when women spoke little and men expected them to, there existed a race of creatures completely (or mostly) unknown to ordinary human kind. Enter the Shadowhunt...

Author: Sarah J. Maas  Rating: 3.6/5  Recommend: Depends on what you’re expecting of the book and your feelings towards the ACOTAR (A Court of Thorns and Roses) series. ACOFAS does not have any major plot twists or even any minor ones, so if that’s what you’re looking for then do not read it. Or else, continue along the review.  "To the stars who listen – and the dreams that are answered." I love this quote. It is the perfect tribute to Rhys and Feyre’s relation (epic fantasy couple goals). A Court of Frost and Starlight is a short, sweet novella that gives a lot more insight into the backgrounds of the main characters throughout the series. It is set a few weeks before Feyre’s first ever Winter Solstice in the night court and more importantly, as the court’s High Lady. Throughout the story, we read what’s happening through various viewpoints ranging from Mor, Cassian, Nesta, and Feyre and Rhysand of course. Though incredibly busy in repara...

Love and Gelato Author: Jenna Evans Welch Rating: 4.8/5 Recommend: Most definitely. If you’re a fan of glorious pizza, a mesmerizing story, and descriptions of places so vivid that they almost feel real, Love and Gelato by Jenna Evans Welch comes highly recommended for you.  This book has topped my favorite list for exactly three reasons: 1. The immersive, flowing writing which made me feel as if I am the main character 2. Thoroughly original and suspenseful story lined that had hooked for two days and a night straight 3. IT IS SET IN ITALY!!!  I’ll give you some time to let the last one sink in.  Love and Gelato follows the story of sixteen year old Carolina Emerson after her mother’s death. Soon after the event, our young protagonist finds herself spending the summer in Italy – and living in a house in a cemetery with a very tall man who claims to be her father. Seriously.  As if all of the above wasn’t enough, L...