Tag Archive for: Utah Author

Tress of the Emerald Sea

Tress of the Emerald SeaTitle: Tress of the Emerald Sea
Author(s): Brandon Sanderson
Genre(s): Fantasy
Format(s): Audio
Pages: 369
Length: 12h 27m
Narrator(s): Michael Kramer
Source: Owned
Reason(s): Recommended
Rating:
Spice: 0 Flames

My Thoughts

I’m glad I had a chance to read TRESS OF THE EMERALD SEA. It wasn’t what I was expecting, though. I enjoyed the book, but I didn’t love it. Part of the issue for me was Hoid, the narrator (not audio). I didn’t like his way of telling the story. I’m not a huge fan of 4th-wall-breaking, unless it’s in movies or TV shows, because it usually takes me out of the story and I want to be immersed.

I did like Tress and most of the other characters. I also liked the overall story of her defying the king’s order of leaving her little island in search of her lost love while traveling through dangerous spore oceans. I also liked the ending and the fact that Sanderson left it open so he can write more stories in this universe.

After doing some research, I’ve now realized that this book is part of Sanderson’s Cosmere universe. While TRESS OF THE EMERALD SEA is a standalone novel, it has connections and some shared characters to other series and books.

The Unwedding

The UnweddingTitle: The Unwedding
Author(s): Ally Condie
Genre(s): Mystery
Format(s): Hard Cover
Pages: 337
Source: Owned
Rating:
Spice: 0 Flames

My Thoughts

THE UNWEDDING is an emotional murder mystery about love, loss, and healing. Ally’s writing is a joy to read. As always, her writing has a poetic and lyrical feel that paints a clear picture. The emotionality was my favorite part. I especially loved reading the aspects of the story that came from her life.

I liked the characters and I loved watching Ellery become stronger despite her grief. I loved Ravi and Nina, Grace and Gary, Morgan and Maddox, and Andy, Rachel, and Olivia. Each personality and backstory added to the emotionality of the overarching story. My only disappointment with this is that I was hoping for more of a thriller than a mystery. While the story was suspenseful at times, I never had that edge-of-my-seat feeling I crave when reading thrillers.