The Kingdom of Copper – Wonderfilled Reads

2019 End of Year Survey

2019 was a solid reading year for myself, if not as great as I was hoping it would be. However, I did get to read some amazing books and find new favorite authors so I can’t complain too much. I can’t wait to look back on everything that I’ve read over the past year!

If you wish to participate in the survey, please link back to the original creator – Jamie @ The Perpetual Page Turner.

2019 Reading Stats

Number Of Books You Read: 64
Number of Re-Reads: 2
Genre You Read The Most From: Fantasy

Best in Book

Best Book You Read In 2019?

Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t?

Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read?

Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)?

Best series you started in 2019? Best sequel of 2019? Best series finale of 2019?

Favorite new author you discovered in 2019?

Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone?

Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year?

Book You Read In 2019 That You Would Be MOST Likely To Re-Read Next Year?

Favorite cover of a book you read in 2019?

Most memorable character of 2019?

Jude is a total badass and no one can say otherwise.

Most beautifully written book read in 2019?

Most Thought-Provoking/Life-Changing Book of 2019?

Book you can’t believe you waited until 2019 to finally read?

Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2019?

“By you, I am forever undone.” – The Queen of Nothing

Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2019?

Book That Shocked You The Most

OTP OF THE YEAR (you will go down with this ship!)

Jude and Cardan… I think it’s pretty easy to see how I feel about this book.

Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year

Morrigan and Hawthorne crack me up with their friendship. She’s cynical and he is Mr. Get-Into-All-of-the-Trouble.

Favorite Book You Read in 2019 From An Author You’ve Read Previously

Best Book You Read In 2019 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure/Bookstagram, Etc.

Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2019?

I will always go for the moody and brooding guys, especially ones with a bit of darkness in them like Nathaniel.

Best 2019 debut you read?

Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year?

Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read?

Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2019?

Hidden Gem Of The Year?

Book That Crushed Your Soul?

Most Unique Book You Read In 2019?

Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)?

Your Blogging/Bookish Life

New favorite book blog/Bookstagram/Youtube channel you discovered in 2019?

I have done a terrible job keeping up with the bookish community this past year. Maybe that’s why I was affected by so many reading slumps – I wasn’t keeping myself hyped up.

Favorite post you wrote in 2019?

If You Liked That…Read This: Historical Fiction Edition

Favorite bookish related photo you took in 2019?

Ummm, I did not take one. Oops!

Best bookish event that you participated in (author signings, festivals, virtual events, etc.)?

Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to make it to BookCon this past year but I was able to participate in the blog tour for Songs from the Deep!

Best moment of bookish/blogging life in 2019?

Probably when I finally reach over 1000 followers on my blog. I don’t really promote it a whole lot so it’s been nice to see it grow so much this year.

Most challenging thing about blogging or your reading life this year?

My reading life took a bit of a hit this year from going into so many random reading slumps, which has really affected my will to actually post regularly. It’s something I’m really hoping to not have an issue with this coming year.

Most Popular Post This Year On Your Blog (whether it be by comments or views)?

The 5 Most Disappointing Books of 2019

Post You Wished Got A Little More Love?

Top 5 Audiobook Recommendations

Best bookish discovery (book related sites, book stores, etc.)?

I don’t think I really have one this year.

Did you complete any reading challenges or goals that you had set for yourself at the beginning of this year?

Hahahahahaha… Nope, didn’t finish either of one. Epic 2019 fail.

Looking Ahead

One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2019 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2020?

Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2020 (non-debut)?

2020 Debut You Are Most Anticipating?

Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2020?

One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2020?

Keep away from the dreaded reading slumps and try to consistently blog post.

How did you reading year go in 2019? What was a book that surprised you the most? Did you read a hidden gem of a novel? Did any books disappoint you? Please leave a link to your reading survey in the comments below!

February Wrap-Up: Reviews, Reading Challenges, etc.

Woohoo, I had a great reading month in February! I’m super back into the reading groove and I even notice that affecting me in general. I’m back into watching Booktube, I browse Goodreads pretty much every day, and I’ve even started listening to podcasts about books. So yeah, I’m feeling really good right now. I also got back into working out at the gym and I can feel such a difference in how I feel physically, especially in regards to my sleeping habits. So yeah, if you’re having trouble falling asleep or sleeping straight through the night on a regular basis, I totally recommend doing some sort of physical workout or even yoga at night before going to bed… And that is my tip for the day! Haha!

Books Read

A Curse So Dark and Lonely (A Curse So Dark and Lonely, #1) by Brigid Kemmerer – physical book, Review
Reign of Mist (The Oremere Chronicles, #2) by Helen Scheuerer – audiobook, 4/5 Stars
Bloodwitch (The Witchlands, #3) by Susan Dennard – physical book, Review
Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte – physical ARC, Review
The Kingdom of Copper (The Daevabad Trilogy, #2) by S.A. Chakraborty – physical book, Review
Pride by Ibi Zoboi – physical ARC, Review

Total Books Read: 6

Overall in 2019: 16

Reading Challenge Updates

POPSUGAR

A retelling of a classic – Pride

Goodreads Challenge

Total: 16/75

Previous Total: 10/75

Blog Posts

Book Reviews

WWW Wednesday

Discussions/Misc.

Did you get a lot of reading done in February? Were you able to read all of the books on your TBR? Did you read any new favorites? What book did you like the least? What do you plan on reading in March?

Book Review: The Kingdom of Copper (The Daevabad Trilogy, #2)

I cannot truly convey how excited I was to pick up The Kingdom of Copper (The Daevabad Trilogy, #2) by S.A. Chakraborty. I absolutely adored the first novel and have been dying for this release ever since I finished it.

S. A. Chakraborty continues the sweeping adventure begun in The City of Brassconjuring a world where djinn summon flames with the snap of a finger and waters run deep with old magic; where blood can be dangerous as any spell, and a clever con artist from Cairo will alter the fate of a kingdom.

Nahri’s life changed forever the moment she accidentally summoned Dara, a formidable, mysterious djinn, during one of her schemes. Whisked from her home in Cairo, she was thrust into the dazzling royal court of Daevabad—and quickly discovered she would need all her grifter instincts to survive there.

Now, with Daevabad entrenched in the dark aftermath of a devastating battle, Nahri must forge a new path for herself. But even as she embraces her heritage and the power it holds, she knows she’s been trapped in a gilded cage, watched by a king who rules from the throne that once belonged to her family—and one misstep will doom her tribe..

Meanwhile, Ali has been exiled for daring to defy his father. Hunted by assassins, adrift on the unforgiving copper sands of his ancestral land, he is forced to rely on the frightening abilities the marid—the unpredictable water spirits—have gifted him. But in doing so, he threatens to unearth a terrible secret his family has long kept buried.

And as a new century approaches and the djinn gather within Daevabad’s towering brass walls for celebrations, a threat brews unseen in the desolate north. It’s a force that would bring a storm of fire straight to the city’s gates . . . and one that seeks the aid of a warrior trapped between worlds, torn between a violent duty he can never escape and a peace he fears he will never deserve.

Building off the incredible world-building in book one, Chakraborty continues to expand upon this fantastical world. We get a little bit more background information on both the back-and-forth fighting between Daeva and djinn, as well as getting to know more about the marid and ifrit. I think it helped clarify some lingering questions I had in the first book, as well as refresh my memory (since of course I forgot a lot of stuff since reading the first book last year upon its release). Minor Spoiler (but not really!)… I thought it was an interesting choice to jump 5 years into the future in this book. That might be my one criticism, as it seemed that some of the characters went through some development during that time but we didn’t get to experience that growth with them. This caused a little bit of disconnect between me and them, especially Nahri, whom I adored in the first novel.

Speaking of Nahri… I felt like she went through the most change during that 5 year interval and perhaps not in the best way. In the first book we saw her struggling to fit in among her own people, as well as struggling with their traditions and faith. However, now she’s completely found her stride and even calling them “her tribe”. It was something I wish we hadn’t gotten experience that relationship building along with her, rather than just basically being told it happened. Other than that, Nahri was the same personality-wise. She’s still fierce and always willing to fight for what she wants, especially if it means doing the opposite of what the Qhatani want. I think Ali probably changed the least overall. He’s still rigid on his sense of right and wrong, which continues to get him into trouble with his family. However, I find myself pretty much always agreeing with him. He reminds me of me, in that we probably don’t always think of the best course of action and instead just react immediately. And then there’s my poor Dara.. He’s still living with a lifetime of regret and is once again being thrust into a position that he doesn’t agree with. Honestly, I just want everyone to leave him alone and let him go live happily ever after. He’s always getting the shit end of the stick and I hate that!

I loved that this book had even more political intrigue than the first one. I always appreciate how much thought and planning goes into political scenes in novels. There are always so many twists and turns that I never see coming. With that being said, if you aren’t the biggest fan of political intrigue and prefer more of action-based story, then you might not enjoy this book as much. Real action is used sparingly throughout and really only plays a huge factor in the climax. But for me, give me all of the political power plays! I will never say no to that kind of tension in a story. I feel it always adds an extra level of suspense that can really elevate the reading experience.

Overall, this book was a fantastic sequel to The City of Brass. I loved how Chakraborty expanded even more on the conflicts between the tribes, as well as the marid and ifrit. I also felt that the tension was amped up even more in this book. I think that was a great way to prepare the readers for what will come next in the finale. I was a little surprised by Nahri’s character development, but it didn’t really affect my overall enjoyment of the story. I just know that I cannot wait to see how it will all end! (Hopefully, with a nice relaxing retirement for Dara.)

Final Verdict: 5/5 Stars

Have you read The Kingdom of Brass? What did you think with the five year leap? Do you think that it negatively affected Nahri as a character?

WWW Wednesday – February 13th, 2019

Welcome to WWW Wednesday which is currently being hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words. It’s really just a place to do little update on what all you’ve been reading lately. Anyone is welcome to join, just leave a link to your post in the comments and be sure to give the appropriate credit to Sam!

The Three W’s are:

What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?

What are you currently reading?

A Curse So Dark and Lonely (A Curse So Dark and Lonely, #1) by Brigid Kemmerer – physical book
Reign of Mist (The Oremere Chronicles, #2) by Helen Scheuerer – audiobook

Well I can already tell you that I’m obsessed with A Curse So Dark and Lonely. I’m always a sucker for a good fairytale retelling and this one especially has me hooked. I’m also still enjoying Reign of Mist and should be finishing it up today or tomorrow. This story gets more and more complex and I really like that. I would definitely consider this more of an adult fantasy at this point.

What did you recently finish reading?

The Kingdom of Copper (The Daevabad Trilogy, #2) by S.A. Chakraborty – physical book, review scheduled for tomorrow

Yes, I absolutely am in love with this book. It was just as amazing as The City of Brass, with even more political intrigue and tension than the first book. I am already dying for the final book to get in my hands. MY HEART CANNOT TAKE THE WAITING!!!!

What do you think you’ll read next?

Bloodwitch (The Witchlands, #3) by Susan Dennard – physical book
Immortal Reign (Falling Kingdoms, #6) by Morgan Rhodes – physical book
Pride by Ibi Zoboi – physical ARC

My copy of Bloodwitch arrived yesterday and I am soooo ready to dive into it. I’ve been waiting for two damn years for this book, haha! Then I plan to finish up the Falling Kingdoms series and move on to Pride.

What are you currently reading? What books did you finish this week? What are you planning on reading next? Have you read any of the books on my list? If so, what did you think of them? Leave a link to your WWW Wednesday post in the comments below!

My February TBR

Yes, I’m aware that we’re already a week into February and I don’t care. It’s been so long since I’ve planned out a monthly TBR that I just really got the itch to try and do that this month. I’ve been having trouble deciding what books to read next lately and I think this will help me not have to agonize over my bookshelves on what to grab. Does anyone else ever hate that feeling where you know you really want to read but can’t decide on what? Yeah, me too.

My TBR

Reign of Mist (The Oremere Chronicles, #2) by Helen Scheuerer – audiobook, currently reading
The Kingdom of Copper (The Daevabad Trilogy, #2) by S.A. Chakraborty – physical book, currently reading
Immortal Reign (Falling Kingdoms, #6) by Morgan Rhodes – physical book
Whiskey When We’re Dry by John Larison – audiobook
A Curse So Dark and Lonely (A Curse So Dark and Lonely, #1) by Brigid Kemmerer – physical book
Rabbit & Robot by Andrew Smith – physical ARC
Pride by Ibi Zoboi – physical ARC
Bloodwitch (The Witchlands, #3) by Susan Dennard – physical book
Tithe (Modern Faerie Tales, #1) by Holly Black – physical book

As you can see, I’m still trying to get through some of my BookCon 2018 ARCs. I’m actually really excited about these two especially. I love a good retelling and I’m always down for any sort of outer space adventure. I’ve also had Tithe on my bookshelf for a long time and it’s way past time to finally picking it up. Plus, Holly Black and faeries go together like peanut butter and jelly. And I have been waiting for Bloodwitch to get released for two years and it’s finally here! I’ve got that one preordered and can’t wait for it to arrive.

What books do you plan on reading this month? Are you really good about reading your ARCs on time? Have you been waiting for Bloodwitch for as long as I have? Have you read any of the books on my list?