Tag: drug addiction

The Dragon Republic by R. F. Kuang, A Review

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Wow! The ending of this book is so intense! I was losing it while reading the last thirty or so pages. Just incredible. I do not comprehend how authors have this amazing talent to paint such vivid pictures with words that can elicit such powerful emotions from the reader. Like I said, incredible!

I love where R. F. Kuang takes this sequel to The Poppy War. The author really goes in an unexpected direction and it is such an amazing ride. While Rin recovers and faces grief, the Cike are on a serious mission and are fighting their way to get to the point where they can take their revenge by destroying Su Daji, the empress. However, there are complications for Rin who, along with the grief and pain, is facing madness from her god taking over her mind.

There are quite a few characters from the first book that reappear in the sequel, some of whom are quite unexpected.

This book deals with so many real world topics, for example addiction is a major issue for Rin. She is using Opium to resist her god, the Phoenix, from controlling her completely. The grief she comes to face with sobriety is also very real and Kuang very vividly creates images of the pain that is truly felt in similar situations. And, of course, there is WAR. I hope you didn’t bet all your money on a war-free sequel!

Kuang is great at keeping things realistic and true to life. She shows the ugliness of war in all its inglorious details. There are also some topics brought up that could be triggering for anyone who has been through abusive situations, I just want to clearly warn anyone that’s dealing with that kind of pain.

I do highly, highly, very highly recommend this series to fans of epic fantasy!

Thanks for reading my review and happy reading!

Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo, A Review

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This is Leigh Bardugo’s first adult fantasy book. As you may be able to imagine, I was very excited to read Ninth House, however, I must admit, that it is not a favourite of mine of Bardugo’s or of the fantasy genre in general.

This is a crime/murder- mystery with an emphasis on the occult. Alex, whose real name is Galaxy, is a recovering addict with a very intense back story. She finds herself working in Lethe House at Yale, with the job of sorta being in charge of making sure the Big Houses (Skull and Bones being one of them) behave themselves as they dabble in the arcane. The reason Alex finds herself in this position is because she has the amazing ability of seeing Grays, or ghosts.

It really is an interesting and exciting tale. I was trying to figure out if perhaps “seeing ghosts” was a metaphor for a real world problem. Alex started using drugs at age 12 to deal with the stress of her sight, which can easily be compared to a person dealing with depression, mental illness or abuse, turning to drugs at a young age to self-medicate or escape. I found myself relating somewhat to her past, but I was unable to relate to her present and current status.

I really did enjoy this book, though. At first, it was a little heavy for me but after I reached a point, it quickly became a page turner. So, I want to recommend it, but I do want to point out that there ARE some triggering parts to it concerning her past that deal with sexual assault. So, BE WARNED. But, I wound up really loving the ending. And I think I may have to read the next book in the series!

Thanks for reading my review and happy reading!!!

A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas, A Review

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Some things I have learned while reading this series: Do not bargain lightly. Always look deeper than first appearances. And, trust your heart.

Feyre is such a dynamic character. She turns into a completely new person by the end of this series. The scared girl who was willing to settle for a life of quiet and safety is no more. She makes her own choices now and she chooses to love her mate unconditionally while still having her own control over her life, her independence.

Wow, this book was a great ending to a great series. I went through every emotion possible by the end of ACOWAR. Maas did not hold back at all. This author can make me feel exactly what the characters are feeling, even if that means I have to pretend my eyes are watering really bad because I’m reading this book around other people. (I swear, y’all, something got in my eye!)

If you haven’t read this series, I say… READ IT NOW!! I am not going into detail about what happened in the books because its better if you find out on your own. All I will say is that it is full to brimming with serious magic and a one of a kind love story that had my heart racing many a time!

Thanks for reading my review and happy reading!

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, A Review

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It started in a snowy forest. Feyre, a 19 year old girl who hunts to keep her handicapped father and two sisters Fed, finds herself taking down a white wolf and a deer. She is able to use the deer meat to feed her family, while selling the pelts. However, there is way more to this than a simple kill.

That night, Feyre’s door is broken down and she faces off the lion like horned beast that not only stands on its hind legs but speaks to her demanding justice for the wolf she killed, another faerie shape shifter. Faeries are not known to the humans on this side of the continent for their kindness. No, instead they are known as being cruel creatures of terror. But when Feyre is given the choice between death or life in their land to make up for the faerie she killed, she chooses to go and this choice changes her forever .

This story is full to bursting with a staggering love. A love so important, so unexpected, that I couldn’t help feeling overwhelmed in a good way. This tale is about acceptance, not just forming opinions on what others believe but on realizing that those others and their opinions could be wrong. Feyre learns to see beyond the mask,see beyond a lifetime of untruths and decide for herself what is right.

I can only say that I waited too long to read this series and I am hooked! If you haven’t picked it up yet, I highly recommend giving it a try. I can almost promise you won’t regret it!

Thanks for reading my review and happy reading!!

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“What was the most important step a man could take?” Spoiler-Free Review of Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson

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This massive third volume to the Stormlight Archives not only introduces a lot of new information about all the characters, but releases the past of Dalinar and leads him into finding the true answer to the question, “What is the most important step a man could take?”. Reaching the answer to this question is not as easy as it may seem, and WOW the answer written by Brandon Sanderson will blow you away!

Oathbringer deals with many real-world issues including drug addiction, alcoholism, depression and Dissociative Identity Disorder. This book really holds for me the reason I love fantasy so much. I love the way it tackles these kinds of issues in such a relatable way especially for someone like me that lives with Bipolar Disorder and Depression. I also am close to celebrating 2 years of being sober from alcohol and 3 years of being clean from any kind of drug use. These are very serious issues and the most serious thing about these issues is how widespread they are. So when an author like Brandon Sanderson writes such an eloquent book concerning these things, it lifts my spirits knowing that somebody is okay with talking about this in such an open way. I have no idea if Brandon Sanderson has ever experienced these things, but he is giving people like me a chance to feel like a hero. If the men of Bridge four can overcome, then honestly I think I can too.

In this book, we also get a peek into the thoughts of the members of Bridge Four, and I believe this is one of the best parts. I especially love this quote from Rock,

Some days, it seemed you couldn’t break Kalidin Stormblessed with all the stones on Roshar. Then one of his men would get wounded, and you’d see him crack.”

Rock, Oathbringer, Brandon Sanderson

Kalidin is one of my favorite characters. He deals with an almost constant depression and feelings of guilt based on events that were not in his control from his past. It is so refreshing to see the viewpoints of his men in Bridge Four.

Okay so this next quote is a bit of a spoiler… so stop reading if you havent read Oathbringer yet. Teft was by far for me the most break out awesome character in this book. He actively struggled with a real addiction, something that hasn’t been spoken of before in a Sanderson Stormlight Archive Novel. I truly relate to these words and I have to share them with anyone who has gone through a mental helath issue, addiction, or alcoholism… yes, Teft says the Words…

I will protect those I hate. Even… even if the one I hate most… is … myself.”

Teft, Oathbringer, Brandon Sanderson

WOW. Yes Sir, Mr. Sanderson, that pretty much sums it up for me. I have to admit I cried at this point. It was a deep struggle for Teft this whole book and when it got to this point… my emotions got the better of me.

I already knew that Dalinar struggled with alcoholism in his youth but its an amazing reveal when I got to live through some of his darkest days. We see deep into Dalinar and truthfully this is his book. You may be able to surmise that by the title alone, Oathbringer, the name of his Shardblade, which we also get a history of. The ending with Dalinar is unreal and gave me such a strong feeling of hope. Brandon Sanderson seems to know that hope is vital to his readers. Do not worry! Sanderson sums everything up beautifully no matter how dark it seems while reading.

I wish I could thank Brandon Sanderson personally for this journey through the Cosmere I have taken. It seemed like he was writing for me personally at so many points. I have gotten so much more from this series of series than just a joyful jump into a gorgeous fantasy world. I have received real hope from his wise words and his characters that will now always be in my reach and always in my heart.

The next book I am reading is Dune by Frank Herbert. I am so excited to finally sink my teeth into this exciting world of sand, massive worms, Spice and the possession and protection of a very important resource, WATER. Thank you for reading and please follow for updates on my thoughts on my current read!