The (Fairytale) Retelling Challenge 2016 is hosted by Mel @The Daily Prophecy.

Another challenge that comes to an end with the end of the year. I was really hoping to have read more retellings that I did -but I was also hoping to read 70 books and I only ready 56. Sadly, Mel won't be hosting this challenge next year, but I really hope someone hosts it (I'd, but my blog is so small that no one would join in). Well, so this year I read 16 retellings, less ten that I wanted to, and I got the Wise Princess badge.

Fairytale Retellings:

• A Thousand Nights - A Thousand and One Nights
• Spinning Starlight - The Six Swans
• Lost Lake House - The Twelve Dancing Princesses 
• The Forbidden Wish - Aladdin from A Thousand and One Nights
• Stitching Snow - Snow White 
• The Shadow Queen - Snow White
• Reign of Shadows - Rapunzel 

Mythology & Folklore:

• Riders - The Four Horsemen
• The Scorpio Races - Scottish lore [water horses]
• The Star-Touched Queen - Indian Mythology
• The Girl at Midnight - The Firebird [Russian myth] 
• The Chaos of Stars - Egyptian mythology
• Say Her Name - Bloody Mary

Classics Retold:

• A Study in Charlotte - The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
• Prince of Shadows - Romeo and Juliet
• For Darkness Shows the Stars - Persuasion

Ps. The answer to the puzzle is: Once Upon a Time

End of the Year Book Survey. 2016 Edition

This tag was created by @ThePerpeturalPageTurner. All images belong to her.

Today is the last day of 2016 and as I don't expect to finish reading another book before the year ends, I thought today would be a great day to share with you my answers to 2016 End of the Year Book Survey. Here it goes.

Number Of Books You Read: 56 books
Number of Re-Reads: 2 re-reads
Genre You Read The Most From: Fantasy (isn't it always?)

1. Best Book You Read In 2016? (If you have to cheat — you can break it down by genre if you want or 2013 release vs. backlist) Even if I broke it down by genre, I’d still be cheating because I don't think I can place A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir and Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo on different genres. Or can I?

2. Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More But Didn’t? Sadly, I'll have to go with Seven Black Diamonds by Melissa Marr. Wicked Lovely is one of my favourite series, so I had to read Marr's new series. However, I felt so disappointed. I really thought I was going to love it.

3. Most surprising (in a good way or bad way) book you read? Probably the same books answered on the first question. And, of course, it was in a good way.

4. Book You “Pushed” The Most People To Read (And They Did)? I keep telling people to read Heart's Blood by Juliet Marillier. Now, if they read it or not, I've no clue. Ps. If you haven't read this book yet, you should add it to you 2017 TBR pile.

5. Best series you started in 2016? Best Sequel of 2016? Best Series Ender of 2016? Best series I started this year was Six of Crows. Now, for best sequel I'll have to go with A Torch Against the Night. And, best series ender is Crooked Kingdom (no matter how much the last pages pages broke my heart).

6. Favorite new author you discovered in 2016? Without a doubt, Leigh Bardugo. She's now part of my top five favourite authors.

7. Best book from a genre you don’t typically read/was out of your comfort zone? As I've mentioned before, I don't usually read sci-fi. However, this year I read the Starbound trilogy and I loved This Shattered World. It made me realize I need to read more sci-fi. Any recommendations?

8. Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book of the year? One thing I loved about Six of Crows was how action packed and full of twists and surprises it had.

9. Book You Read In 2016 That You Are Most Likely To Re-Read Next Year? Probably none. I don't usually re-read books (I know, some people think it's a waist of money to buy a book only read it once). Maybe I’ll revisit the Six of Crows world? But I know in 2018 I’ll be re-reading An Ember in the Ashes and A Torch Against the Night (which was read this year) because only then book number three will be released.

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2016? *goes to Goodreads* How can I choose? There were so many beautiful covers? *.*

11. Most memorable character of 2016? I could go with Elias but we first met in 2015 in An Ember in the Ashes. So, I'm going to go with Kaz Brekker (so disappointed Santa didn't leave him under my tree as I asked).

12. Most beautifully written book read in 2016? It's between A Thousand Nights by E.K. Johnston and The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi.

13. Most Thought-Provoking/ Life-Changing Book of 2016? I'm so sorry, but I've no answer for this one. I probably read too much fantasy...

14. Book you can’t believe you waited UNTIL 2016 to finally read? Can I really chose only one? Okay, then Six of Crows it's.

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2016? I'm sorry again, but I can't only choose one. Take a look at the reviews I wrote to see some of my favourite quotes/passages.

16.Shortest & Longest Book You Read In 2016? The longest book was Illuminae by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. The shortest was The Shoemaker's Holiday by Thomas Dekker.

17. Book That Shocked You The Most (Because of a plot twist, character death, left you hanging with your mouth wide open, etc.) It's a tie between A Torch Against the Night and Crooked Kingdom.

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

Elias & Laia from A Torch Against the Night [sequel of A Torch Against the Night]

Kaz & Inej from Six of Crows

Jubilee & Flynn from This Shattered World

19. Favorite Non-Romantic Relationship Of The Year. The relationship between the Dregs from Six of Crows duology.

20. Favorite Book You Read in 2016 From An Author You’ve Read Previously. Easy as pie, A Torch Against the Night. But if I had had time to read Den of Wolves by Juliet Marillier, it would be more difficult to find an answer.

21. Best Book You Read In 2016 That You Read Based SOLELY On A Recommendation From Somebody Else/Peer Pressure. I was recommended The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

22. Newest fictional crush from a book you read in 2016? As I mentioned above, I was really hoping Santa would leave Kaz Brekker under my Christmas tree.

23. Best 2016 debut you read? Of all the debuts I read, I think The Star-Touched Queen was the best.

24. Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting You Read This Year? Why can I always only choose one? I'm sorry, but I'll once again refuse to answer. I mean, how can I choose between A Torch Against the Night and Six or Crows? Or between The Star-Touched Queen and A Thousand Nights? Or This Shattered World?

25. Book That Put A Smile On Your Face/Was The Most FUN To Read? There is only one book that fits this category: A Little Something Different by Sandy Hall. It seems I rarely read happy/funny books. This cute contemporary told is many different voices is the closes thing I've to book that put a smile on my face or was fund to read.

26. Book That Made You Cry Or Nearly Cry in 2016? Confession time: books don't make me cry. No matter how emotionally invested I'm on a story, I don't cry. I mean, I should have cried with Crooked Kingdom and I didn't (but I guess it was kind spoiled to me by the own author, so the scene didn't have the same impact).

27. Hidden Gem Of The Year? I can't believe how much I loved The Forbidden Wish by Jessica Khoury. I had no expectations and it ended up being a great retelling.

28. Book That Crushed Your Soul? How can a book crush my soul the way A Torch Against the Night did? [SPOILERS! Elias encounter with death and the moment I thought my ship would sink... And that ending? Why is 2018 so far away?!]

29. Most Unique Book You Read In 2016? What do you mean by unique? Because if I think about an unique world, I have to go with The Star-Touched Queen. But, if it is about how unique the book was in terms of construction, maybe it's Illuminae.

30. Book That Made You The Most Mad (doesn’t necessarily mean you didn’t like it)? Red Queen because of Mare. I can't understand how many people love this book when the main character is so annoying. I just wish Mare had been less childish. At the end, I asked myself if she had even learned a lesson.

1. One Book You Didn’t Get To In 2016 But Will Be Your Number 1 Priority in 2017? I've been trying to read The Name of the Wind for a long time now. Hopefully 2017 will be the year I finally read it.

2. Book You Are Most Anticipating For 2017 (non-debut)? A Beauty and the Beast retelling, Hunted by Meagan Spooner.

3. 2017 Debut You Are Most Anticipating? I think it's a debut novel, Empress of a Thousand Skies by Rhoda Belezza.

4. Series Ending/A Sequel You Are Most Anticipating in 2017? No matter how I'm sure Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han will broken my heart, I can't wait to get my hands on it.

5. One Thing You Hope To Accomplish Or Do In Your Reading/Blogging Life In 2017? I hope I meet and connect with more book bloggers. I really try to meet new people, but I find the book community very closed. It's a nice and sweet community, but it's like there is a circle and unless you receive ARCs it seems impossible to join in. Also, I hope to finally read 70 books.

6. A 2017 Release You’ve Already Read & Recommend To Everyone. Sadly, I don't receive ARCs (not only I've a low number of followers, but also I live outside US and UK - publishers needs to realize international people buy their books and have no perks). So, I can't recommend any book.

TTT. My Favourite Books Of 2016

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by  The Broke and the Bookish

This week on Top Ten Tuesday is top ten best books of 2016. I'd love to say that my list "is in no particular order", but it kinda is. A Torch Against the Night stole my heart as no book as done in many years. And the Six of Crows duology made me love Leigh Bardugo (and Kaz... and Kaz and Inej *.*). So, from top to bottom, here are my favourite readings of 2016.

A Torch Against the Night, Sabaa Tahir. All the feelings. *.* This novel was an emotional roller-coaster. I loved everything about it -I confess, there was a part I felt like throwing my copy against something, but I got over it. Sabaa Tahir created such an amazing world and I can't wait for its sequel (why is 2018 is so far away?). Also, Elias and Laia... I'll go down with this ship.*.*

Six of Crows Duology, Leigh Bardugo. This year was the first time I plunged into the Grisha World and I loved everything about Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom. Ketterdam was such a beautifully-dark world.This duology will always be one of my favourite readings because of all its twists, Kaz's devious schemes and my beautiful and strong Inej.

Starbound Trilogy, Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner. I don't read much sci-fi and I was pleasantly surprised with how awesome this series was. My favourite book from the series was without a doubt This Shattered World. I loved Jubilee and Flynn, two star-crossed lovers who would never imagine that their soulmate was on the other side of swamp (another ship I'll go down with).

The Scorpio Races, Maggie Stiefvater. If you read my review, you know there was nothing I hated about this novel. The writing was beautifully-raw. I loved Sean and Puck and Corr -his crush on Dove was pure cuteness. *.* The worldbuilding was simply flawless (a harsh and cruel world where death hovers, but at the same time entrancing). Thank you Carla from @CuidadocomoDálmata for recommending it.

A Thousand Nights, E.K. Johnston. This retelling of One Thousand Nights is simply beautiful. There is something magical in E. K. Johnston writing that brought such a realness to the novel that I couldn't put it down. A fairytale retelling lover as me, could not help but fall in love with this story.

Stolen Songbird, Danielle L. Jensen. So sad I didn't win the giveaway hosted by the author. I really want to read the sequels. 😭 This book was such a pleasant surprise. I found the wordbuilding very original, as the trolls were not what I expected them to be. And, the romance between Cécile and Tristan was so perfect.*.*

The Star-Touched Queen, Roshani Chokshi. I confess that I first fell in love with The Star-Touched Queen because of its cover. Then, because of its summary (I can't resist mythology even though my Indian mythology knowledge was -still is- little to none). And finally, I fell in love with the story and the characters and the world... Gosh, the world created by the author was mythical and enchanting and I can't wait to reconnect with it in Crown of Wishes.     

The Forbidden Wish, Jessica Khoury. This novel was another pleasant surprise. I sensed I was going to love it because I'm a retelling lover (I promise I'll try not to repeat thisas much in 2017 because you must be tired of me always saying the same old same) and the idea of the jinni being a girl was very intriguing. I loved everything about this novel and when I finished it, I wanted to read more. Can there be a sequel?

Merry Christmas!

Review 25. Say Her Name by James Dawson [Twelve Days of Reviews]

Title: Say Her Name
Author: James Dawson
Publisher: Hot Key Books
Published: June 5th 2014
Pages: 287 pages

"Roberta 'Bobbie' Rowe is not the kind of person who believes in ghosts. A Halloween dare at her ridiculously spooky boarding school is no big deal, especially when her best friend Naya and cute local boy Caine agree to join in too. They are ordered to summon the legendary ghost of 'Bloody Mary': say her name five times in front of a candlelit mirror, and she shall appear... But, surprise surprise, nothing happens. Or does it?

Next morning, Bobbie finds a message on her bathroom mirror... five days... but what does it mean? And who left it there? Things get increasingly weird and more terrifying for Bobbie and Naya, until it becomes all too clear that Bloody Mary was indeed called from the afterlife that night, and she is definitely not a friendly ghost. Bobbie, Naya and Caine are now in a race against time before their five days are up and Mary comes for them, as she has come for countless others before... A truly spine-chilling yet witty horror from shortlisted 'Queen of Teen' author James Dawson."

Dear James Dawson,

I love horror, but finding good horror stories is very difficult. Thank you for writing Say Her Name because it had everything a horror story needs to make the heart beat faster. If I already was terrified of Bloody Mary, I now do my best to avoid every mirror.

Writing: You know a horror story is well-written when you find yourself thinking you hear drip-drop coming from your own bathroom. Of course, you then realize you forgot to turn off the water because your cats like drinking from weird places. Nonetheless, the goosebumps were real and I wasn't very happy about leaving my bedroom to turn off the water.  

“Bobbie wondered if that's how long you truly live for - until the last person who remembers you, until the final bouquet on your grave.”

I think the writing was what I loved the most about this horror story. The words are so well-woven that they bring the fear to the surface -and also those emotions that make you want to crawl into your bed and hide under the blankets.

Characters: I can't say I loved the characters. Not only they just aren't that memorable but also I didn't connect with them (okay, maybe our fear connected us, but that's all). Besides there were just too many clichés in Pipper Hall -the mean girl(s), the I'm-too-plain-and-shy-to-be-noticed-by-a-boy main character, the pretty best friend that overshadows everyone with her looks...The characters were all clichés in my opinion.

Oh, and the relationship between Bobbie and Caine felt a bit forced -but maybe when you have a bloodthirsty ghost after your, your emotions are all over the place and it's easier to create a romantic bond. But not really something I'd like to experience (I mean, who would like to have Bloody Mary after them?). But if you can overcome all these clichés, as I did, you can enjoy this spooky story where you never know when Bloody Mary is going to show up and creep you out.

Worldbuilding: As it's obvious, Say Her Name is based on the urban legend Bloody Mary. If you've never heard about this urban myth then you should watch season one of Supernatural (can't remember the episode's number), but there is a huge number of other sources you can find online. That said, I enjoyed how the author chose this urban legend and gave it a twist of his own. Mary was a Piper Hall student that suddenly vanishes and slowly her story is revealed. I really liked how alike and different Dawson's story was from the original.

If you love a good horror story, Say Her Name is a must.

Review 24. Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo [Twelve Days of Reviews]

Title: Crooked Kingdom
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company
Published: September 20th 2016
Pages: 546 pages

"When you can’t beat the odds, change the game.

Kaz Brekker and his crew have just pulled off a heist so daring even they didn’t think they’d survive. But instead of divvying up a fat reward, they’re right back to fighting for their lives. Double-crossed and badly weakened, the crew is low on resources, allies, and hope. As powerful forces from around the world descend on Ketterdam to root out the secrets of the dangerous drug known as jurda parem, old rivals and new enemies emerge to challenge Kaz’s cunning and test the team's fragile loyalties. A war will be waged on the city’s dark and twisting streets―a battle for revenge and redemption that will decide the fate of the Grisha world."

Once again, dear Leigh Bardugo,

Thank you for creating such a beautifully-dark world. The Six of Crows duology will always be one of my favourite readings. All its twists and devious schemes and heartbreaking moments will stick with me forever. Ps. Can I've a Kaz Brekker under my Christmas tree? 😋

Plot: The story starts right off where Six of Crows ended. Kaz and his crew are trying to find a way of getting Inej back from Jan Van Eck's claws without having to give him the secret of jurda parem, a dangerous drug that enhances Grishas´powers. And, of course, they are also trying to receive the reward they were promised for breaking in -and out- the Ice Court, a heist told impossible. And, because nothing comes easy to these outcasts, there is a price on their heads and everyone -every nation- is after them. As in the first book, the development of the plot is intricate and the story is full of twists and action-packed. There isn't a slow moment and there are so many twists that make your jaw drop -or bring tears to your eyes (how could you, Bardugo? How could you?!).

Writing: If you read my Shadow and Bone review, you know I think Leigh Bardugo's writing has evolved since her debut novel. And, Crooked Kingdom just proves that. The quality in the Six of Crows duology is higher than in the first book of the Grisha series; you almost can't believe they were both written by the same person. In Crooked Kingdom the writing is very fluid, there is attention to every little detail and the characters are very well-developed.

“Fear is a phoenix. You can watch it burn a thousand times and still it will return.”

Following different POV's can always be complicated, but Bardugo does is so perfectly that there is no way you can mix up a character to another. Every character -Kaz, Inej, Nina, Matthias, Jesper and Wylan (yes, there were chapters in Wyllan's POV this time)- has their own and unique voice.

Characters: What more can I say about the characters that I hadn't said before? Kaz is still vicious and keeps plotting. His cunning mind never stops and he's always a step ahead everyone else. Inej is still the perfect Wraith. I still admire her strength and her faith. And, yes, I currently ship Kaz and Inej a lot more than I already did.

“I would have come for you. And if I couldn't walk, I'd crawl to you, and no matter how broken we were, we'd fight our way out together-knives drawn, pistols blazing. Because that's what we do. We never stop fighting.” 

Nina, even though she is fighting the effects of taking jurda parem, is the same old same Grisha who loves chocolate cookies and Matthias. And, Matthias is still a soldier at heart, but because of Nina's love has started to understand that not everything is white and black. Jesper is still facing his gambling problems along with Kaz's (kind of ) indifference. But he has Wylan, who we finally get to know a little bit more. He's so much more than a merchling.

Worldbuilding: Leigh Bardugo knows how to craft a perfect world. I loved Ketterdam and it will be difficult to say goodbye to its streets full of secrets and dark corners. I guess all I can add is that the worldbuilding is perfectly-flawless.

There is only one word to describe the Six of Crows duology: a masterpiece!    

Waiting on Wednesday. Dawn Study

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week on WoW is Dawn Study by Maria V. Snyder. I don't think I've to explain the reason why I'm impatiently waiting for this book. By now, I already explained in a thousand different ways how much I love Yelena and Valek and their adventures and the world of Ixia and Sitia. Seeing the series concluding will be very bittersweet, but I can always go back to this fantasy world. The book will be released on January 31st 2017. Ps: *GIVEAWAY ALERT* I'm currently hosting a Twelve Days of Reviews. Clink in the link to participate.

"New York Times bestselling author Maria V. Snyder brings her Poison Study series to its exhilarating conclusion.

Despite the odds, Yelena and Valek have forged an irrevocable bond and a family that transcends borders. Now, when their two homelands stand on the brink of war, they must fight with magic and cunning to thwart an Ixian plot to invade Sitia.

Yelena seeks to break the hold of the insidious Theobroma that destroys a person's resistance to magical persuasion. But the Cartel is determined to keep influential citizens and Sitian diplomats in thrall and Yelena at bay. With every bounty hunter after her, Yelena is forced to make a dangerous deal.

With might and magic, Valek peels back the layers of betrayal surrounding the Commander. At its rotten core lies a powerful magician and his latest discovery. The fate of all rests upon two unlikely weapons. One may turn the tide. The other could spell the end of everything."

From Goodreads