#FinishItFeb 2016 Week 2 Round Up
Personal Target: Finish two series
Books read this week: One (kind of)
Total books read: One
Series completed for challenge: None (up to date with one series)
Faye’s Challenge Update: You can read about Faye’s week here
General feedback: While I had every intention of reading the books I had designated for the challenge. I got distracted by the very shiny, recently released, gorgousness of (you can read Pruedence’s glowing review and check out the gorgeous cover here).
Return to the darkly beautiful world of The Sin Eater’s Daughter with a sequel that will leave you awed, terrified . . . and desperate for more.
Ever since her brother Lief disappeared, Errin’s life has gone from bad to worse. Not only must she care for her sick mother, she has to scrape together rent money by selling illegal herbal cures. But none of that compares to the threat of the vengeful Sleeping Prince whom the Queen just awoke from his enchanted sleep.
When her village is evacuated as part of the war against the Sleeping Prince, Errin is left desperate and homeless. The only person she can turn to is the mysterious Silas, a young man who buys deadly poisons from Errin, but won’t reveal why he needs them. Silas promises to help her, but when he vanishes, Errin must journey across a kingdom on the brink of war to seek another way to save her mother and herself. But what she finds shatters everything she believed about her world, and with the Sleeping Prince drawing nearer, Errin must make a heartbreaking choice that could affect the whole kingdom.
I confess I am unrepentant. Firstly, the book is the second in a series, so really reading it was in keeping with the spirit of #FinishitFeb. Secondly, it was so good that I could never be sorry for spending time in Melinda’s dark and twisty world!
I do love being able to get my teeth in to a meaty series, absorbed in familiar world and spending time with beloved characters but I have to admit that I sometimes suffer from series, or rather trilogy fatigue. While there is something undeniably comforting about the familiarity of the trilogy formula, watching your favourite characters be pitted against increasingly complicated and horizon expanding situations, your favourite ships develop and then get pulled apart only to be reunited for the final push. Comforting isn’t always challenging or edge of your seat exciting.
I can’t tell you how totally refreshing it was to pick up and devour Melinda’s rule breaking, second instalment. I love how she so unceremoniously tosses in opinion changing, gasp out loud, head spinning plot points with nothing more than an casual unapologetic shrug. Oh so you though it was going to go differently? I guess you’d better hold on tight and enjoy the unpredictable ride!
Very often book two is a bridge between the world building of book one and the world conquering and redefining of book two. The Sleeping Prince, while a fantastic edition to the Sin Eaters series, leaving me itching for the next instalment, stands on its own merits and could be read and enjoyed without knowledge of it predecessor*
This week is half term which traditionally has had a negative impact on my #FinishItFeb efforts. I’m hoping that I will get at least part way through one of my challenge (paper) books.
How have you found week two of the challenge? Will half term be a help or hindrance for your personal targets?
Its not to late to join the challenge. Check out this post(here) for more details.
Posted by Caroline
*Not that I’d want to deny anyone the pleasure of reading Melinda’s debut novel
