Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J. K. Rowling [BOOK REVIEW]

November 12, 2025November 12, 2025 innah962 Comments

About The Book:

Pages: 766

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Format I read it in: Hardcover

Rating: ★★★★★

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My Thoughts:

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is the largest book in the series. With the movies, you will notice how with every movie, the theme gets darker and darker. For the books, it starts with the Goblet of Fire, and continues into the Order of the Phoenix. The dangers they are in are getting graver by the second and death is looming in every corner.

I have realised that the older I get, the more I love this book. This is the book where we meet Luna Lovegood, a character that is impossible to forget. She lives in her own little weird world, unaffected by others, and I love that so much.

“Wit beyond measure is man’s greatest treasure”, said Luna in a singing voice.

We also find out more mysteries inside Hogwarts, such as the Room of Requirement – a place that will become incredibly important to Harry, Ron and Hermione. A place that will serve as the starting ground to a group Harry will create – called Dumbledore’s Army. I couldn’t help but admire their togetherness. Everyone in the DA was there for the same reason, all of them practising magic spells and getting ready for an inevitable battle that no one wants to be part of, but seems imminent.

We also get to see the dark side of things – Voldemort now gaining power and blindly going for what he wants. We also get to meet another horrible person – yes, you guessed it – Dolores Umbridge. I think it’s impossible to find a Potterhead that doesn’t hate the guts of this woman, and I am no exception. The challenges Harry goes through in this book are extremely hard. He faces danger, pain, huge loss and the constant reminder that he’s being chased by the same person who killed his parents.

I feel like this is the book in which we see Harry really mature as a person.

After Cedric’s death and Voldemort’s comeback, something in Harry changes greatly and we can instantly notice it. The ending is incredibly sad and I felt for Harry and the whole crew. However, a lot of things became clearer in the story and I am looking forward to seeing what the next one brings.

On a lighter note, I will leave the below excerpt from the ever-funny Mr. Weasley. It never gets old:

“Third regurgitating public toilet reported in Bethnal Green, kindly investigate immediately.” This is getting ridiculous…

“A regurgitating toilet?”

“Anti-muggle pranksters,” said Mr. Weasley, frowning. “We had two last week, one in Wimbledon, one in Elephant and Castle. Muggles are pulling the flush and instead of everything disappearing – well, you can imagine. The poor things keep calling in those – pumbles, I think they’re called – you know, the ones who mend pipes and things.”

“Plumbers?”

“Exactly, yes, but of course they’re flummoxed. I only hope we can catch whoever’s doing it.”

About the Author:

J.K. Rowling is a British author born in Yate, England, on July 31, 1965, who gained worldwide fame for writing the Harry Potter series. After conceiving the idea for the series on a delayed train in 1990, she wrote the books while on public assistance in Edinburgh, Scotland. The first book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, was published in 1997. She also writes the Cormoran Strike crime fiction series under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith.

Website

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas [BOOK REVIEW]

October 12, 2025October 12, 2025 innah96Leave a comment

About The Book:

Pages: 406

Genre: Fantasy, Fiction, Romance, Romantasy

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Format I read it in: Hardcover

Rating: ★★★★★

Get your copy

My Thoughts:

When I truly love a book, I keep a note of my favourite quotes, and “Throne of Glass” was no different. Sarah J. Maas has that ability to instantly transport you into a world full of magic and wonder.

In this case, we were transported to Erilea and our main character is the incredible assassin lady, Celaena Sardothien. Captured and in prison, she is visited by the Crown Prince, who makes her an offer she cannot refuse. If she wins a competition, she will be free. But the competition in question involves killing twenty-three warriors, killers and thieves, a fight until death to become the king’s champion.

As soon as I started reading, I was hooked and intrigued. I have read the prequel, “The Assassin’s Blade”, prior to reading Throne of Glass, so I was aware of Celaena’s past, but I liked the fact that it didn’t impact this story and it could be read independently.

I loved her connection with the Crown Prince.

Her reservation, the mystery surrounding her past and the events that kept occurring added to the slow burn romance. I am really eager to see how this develops in the next books.

I also loved the competition itself, and Sarah J. Maas is known for making a worthy competition. The different tasks and stages were very entertaining. I didn’t quite enjoy the mystery part though. It felt rushed, and then everything happened at once, all to end with a cliffhanger. But then, as I am writing this, I remember it’s Sarah J. Maas we are talking about. Of course it will all kick off in the last 30 pages. And of course we are left with a cliffhanger. I can’t even be mad about it. And of course, I’ll be there, always eager to read the next book. I just hope it’s as good as this one.

Favourite Quotes:

“He found her beautiful, if a bit strange and sour. It was something in the way that her eyes sparked when she looked at something lovely in the landscape. He couldn’t understand it.”

“Guards are of no use in a library.” Oh, how wrong he was! Libraries were full of ideas – perhaps the most dangerous and powerful of all weapons.”

“Celaena smiled as she watched the Crown Prince of Adarlan lead the Princess of Eyllwe through the basic steps of fencing. He was charming, she supposed. In an arrogant sort of way. But someone with his title could have been far, far worse. It made her uneasy how he’d made her blush. In fact, he was so attractive that she had difficulty not thinking about how attractive he was, and again wondered why he wasn’t married.”

“Damn him for being so handsome.”

“The notes burst from her fingers, staggering at first, but then more confidently as the emotion in the music took over. It was a mournful piece, but it made her into something clean and new. She was surprised that her hands had not forgotten, that somewhere in her mind, after a year of darkness and slavery, music was still alive and breathing. That somewhere, between the notes, was Sam. She forgot about time as she drifted between pieces, voicing the unspeakable, opening old wounds, playing and playing as the sound forgave and saved her.”

“He didn’t know why, but seeing her made him feel like a man. She was something out of a dream – a dream in which he was not a spoiled young prince, but a king.”

“We all bear scars, Dorian. Mine just happen to be more visible than most.”

About the Author:

Sarah J. Maas is the #1 bestselling author of the Throne of Glass, Court of Thorns and Roses, and Crescent City series. Her books have sold millions of copies and are published in thirty-eight languages. She lives in New York City with her family.

Website

Book Review · Books

Onyx Storm (The Empyrean #3) by Rebecca Yarros [BOOK REVIEW]

June 6, 2025June 6, 2025 innah962 Comments

About The Book:

Pages: 527

Genre: Fantasy, Romance

Publisher: Piatkus

Format I read it in: Hardcover

Rating: ★★★★★

Before I start talking about “Onyx Storm” at all, as this is the third book in The Empyrean series, it goes without saying that this review will most probably contain spoilers from the previous books. I will refrain from spoiling this book, though. It feels like yesterday that I read “Fourth Wing” and “Iron Flame” and at the same time, it feels like forever ago!

I really enjoyed returning to Violet and Xaden’s story. To be honest, the first 100 pages were a struggle. A lot of information dump and not a lot of action – big difference in Rebecca’s writing style that felt unfamiliar. But I forgave her, because she likes using the Oxford comma. Around half-way through the book though, things started to pick up. I loved that a lot of the side characters had their moments of fame and their time to shine. My favourite part in this book was Violet and Xaden’s relationship. And not only the romantic scenes, but also the silent acts of love. Choices they make throughout the chapters that show how much they care for each other. Their selflessness and willingness to make sacrifices to protect the other person.

“But the thought of you being out there, beyond the wards, facing down a known attack of venin, triggered something in me I’ve never felt before. It was hotter than rage, and sharper than fear, and cut deeper than helplessness, all because I couldn’t get to you.”

“I would have killed anything and anyone in that moment to reach you. No exceptions. I would have channeled every ounce of power beneath my feet without hesitation if it would have landed me at your side.”

I really enjoyed the ending as well.

That huge cliffhanger, oh my goodness! The scene that had me ask so many questions and the realisation that I have no answers. It was an incredible ending, that leaves a lot of room for discussion and theories about what happened. And the conclusion is always the same – we’re going to have to wait for the next book to find out. I cannot wait for book four now – I am desperately curious for answers. Onyx Storm – you were good to me after all!

“I could reach the rank of Maven, lead armies of dark wielders against everyone we care for, and watch every vein in my body turn red as I channel all the power in the Continent, and I would still love you. What I did doesn’t change that. I’m not sure anything can.”

“Yes, love, I’m jealous. I’m jealous of the armor that holds you when I can’t, the sheets on your bed that caress your skin every night, and the blades that feel your hands. So, when the prince of our realm walks into my classroom and starts talking to the woman I love with what can only be considered intense familiarity, and then has the audacity to ask her out right in front of me, naturally, I’m going to get jealous.”

About the Author:

Rebecca Yarros is the #1 New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of over twenty novels including Fourth Wing and In the Likely Event. She’s the recipient of the British Book Award for Book of the Year and the Alex Award from the American Library Association. She loves military heroes and has been blissfully married to hers for over twenty years. As the mother of six, when she’s not writing, you can find her at the hockey rink or sneaking in some guitar time. She and her family live in Colorado with their stubborn English bulldogs, two feisty chinchillas, and two cats who rule them all.

Website

Book Review · Books

A Discovery of Witches (All Souls #1) by Deborah Harkness [BOOK REVIEW]

May 12, 2025May 12, 2025 innah96Leave a comment

About The Book:

Pages: 688

Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Fiction, Paranormal

Publisher: Headline

Format I read it in: Paperback

Rating: ★★★

A world of witches, daemons and vampires. A manuscript which holds the secrets of their past and the key to their future. Diana and Matthew – the forbidden love at the heart of it.

When historian Diana Bishop opens an alchemical manuscript in the Bodleian Library, it’s an unwelcome intrusion of magic into her carefully ordered life. Though Diana is a witch of impeccable lineage, the violent death of her parents while she was still a child convinced her that human fear is more potent than any witchcraft. Now Diana has unwittingly exposed herself to a world she’s kept at bay for years; one of powerful witches, creative, destructive daemons and long-lived vampires. Sensing the significance of Diana’s discovery, the creatures gather in Oxford, among them the enigmatic Matthew Clairmont, a vampire genticist. Diana is inexplicably drawn to Matthew and, in a shadowy world of half-truths and old enmities, ties herself to him without fully understanding the ancient line they are crossing. As they begin to unlock the secrets of the manuscript and their feelings for each other deepen, so the fragile balance of peace unravels…

Thoughts:

It’s a shame, but “A Discovery of Witches” was a bit too slow for my taste. It started very promising and instantly captured my interest. We have Diana, who knows she’s a witch, but has chosen to not use any of her powers. Until she does it without realising. And this occurrence captures the interest of other witches, but also vampires and demons. This is how Diana ends up meeting Matthew, who is a vampire. And as soon as the two meet, they instantly bond.

I will be brutally honest and admit that I stopped reading the book a few chapters later. And it took me a good few weeks to get myself to continue reading it again. The book was boring and monotone and nothing really noteworthy happened, apart from Diana getting to know Matthew and discovering his red flags, one red flag at a time.

“A Discovery of Witches” starts to get interesting again once Diana starts to learn more about her powers. A lot of secrets then come flooding to the surface and the stakes get higher. The ending was quite enjoyable. It kept me intrigued and it kept me guessing. The book ending made me curious about what’s next, and that is the only reason I’ll be continuing with the series. Okay, maybe the other reason is that I already own the next two books in the series, so it would be a shame to leave them untouched. I loved all the stories about alchemy, magic and evolution and I wish we had more of that. When it comes to the romance part, unfortunately, I wasn’t a fan. Maybe book two will introduce us to a demon, and give me “Jacob from Twilight” vibes? You never know, a girl can only hope…

Matthew left out his breath and sat back in his chair, staring at the chessboard. His queen stood encircled by his own pieces – pawns, a knight, and a rook. Across the board his king was checked by a lowly black pawn. The game was over, and he had lost.
“There’s more to the game than protecting your queen.” Hamish said. “Why do you find it so difficult to remember that it’s the king who’s not expendable?”
“The king just sits there, moving one square at a time. The queen can move so freely. I suppose I’d rather lose the game than forfeit her freedom.”

About the Author:

Deborah Harkness is a #1 New York Times bestselling author who draws on her expertise as an historian of science, medicine, and the history of the book to create rich narratives steeped in magical realism, historical curiosity, and deeply human questions about what it is that makes us who we are.

The first book in Harkness’s beloved All Souls series, A Discovery of Witches, was an instant New York Times bestseller and the series has since expanded with the addition of subsequent NYT bestsellers, Shadow of Night (2012), The Book of Life (2014), and Time’s Convert (2018), as well as the companion reader, The World of All Souls. The All Souls series has been translated in thirty-eight languages.

Website

Book Review · Books

The Serpent Called Mercy by Roanne Lau [BOOK REVIEW]

April 21, 2025April 21, 2025 innah96Leave a comment

About The Book:

Pages: 432

Genre: Fantasy, Epic Fantasy, Asian Literature

Publisher: Rebellion / Solaris

Format I read it in: Uncorrected Proof / Netgalley

Rating: ★★★

Lythlet and her only friend Desil are shackled to a life of debt and poverty that she fears they will never escape. Desperate for money, they sign up as arena combatants who fight sun-cursed beasts in the seedy underworld of the city.

Match-master Dothilos is initially enamored of Desil’s brawling reputation, but after seeing Lythlet lead the pair to triumph with her quick cunning, he takes her under his wing, scorning Desil. Ambition takes root in Lythlet’s heart as a life of fame and wealth unfolds in her imagination.

But Lythlet isn’t the only one out for coin and glory, and she soon finds herself playing an entirely different game—a game of politics and deception. As the cost of her ambition grows, she will have to decide if sacrificing her honor, and only friendship, is worth the chance to shape her own fortune.

A whirlwind of blood-pounding battles as characters grapple with their choices in the face of wealth and financial security, The Serpent Called Mercy’s heart is the underlying, steadfast friendship between its protagonists.

My Thoughts:

“The Serpent Called Mercy” was a mesmerising read, particularly because it introduced me to a culture I wasn’t familiar with before. But equally, it failed to entertain and intrigue me, leaving me a bit disappointed and stuck in the in-between. There were a lot of aspects I really enjoyed, but it saddens me that I know I will not remember the contents of this book in years to come.

Lythlet is a very interesting character. Strong and brave, but unable to prosper and move forward due to a huge debt she owes. When an opportunity arises for her and her best friend, Desil, who’s a brawler, to fight for money, they go for it.

I envisioned the arena fights as something from “The Gladiator” and “Hunger Games”, even “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire”, unlike the comparison the publisher did with “The Witcher” and “Squid Games”. “The Witcher” comparison, I can kind of understand, because they are fighting mythical monsters . But it has nothing to do with “Squid Games”, apart the fact that if you lose in the arena, you die. But as we are talking about fighting in arenas with mythical montsters from Malaysian-Chinese mythology, that should be considered as common sense. Each battle is a new challenge that Lythlet and Desil have to tackle and I quite enjoyed the first few battles. After a while, they start to become a bit repetitive.

Aside from the arena action, there was a lot going on outside of the arena as well.

Lythlet’s parents are struggling with their own debts, her father has a new promising job, and the complicated relationship Lythlet starts to develop with Master Dothilos – the arena matchmaker. The action was there, but something about the story just didn’t grip me. It felt almost seen before, and the ending was quite predictable, and for me, without any big reveals or wow moments. The only wow moment that I can recall was Desil’s secret. And after this reveal, Lythlet’s reaction was even more disappointing. Maybe it was needed for her character development, but it was very rushed and didn’t make sense to me.

“The Serpent Called Mercy” is a wonderful story about facing adversity and refusing to become what society expects of you. There are amazing messages of bravery, strength, standing up for yourself and others and being kind and merciful. It was simply not a story that clicked with me, and although I found it forgettable, I would still recommend it to the fantasy fans out there.

Favourite Quotes:

“Hope in times of happiness isn’t hope – it’s expectation. It’s only when things are at their bleakest that you find hope unadulterated.”

“The best stories are those rooted in truth, embellished only for entertainment’s sake.”

“What a blessing it is that there remain children more scared of ghosts than of the world around them.”

“Master Dothilos. You know me better than to think I’ll believe that. Men frequently make threats they wildly intend, only claiming they never meant a word of it when it rebounds on them.”

“I refuse to live and die on your terms as your cur. I will not choose apathy over justice, wealth over duty, wrath over mercy.”

“If I want to run fast, I ought to run alone.”

About the Author:

Roanne Lau is a speculative fiction author whose works are informed by her Chinese heritage and her experiences living in Malaysia, Australia, Taiwan, and Japan. She was selected for the Pitch Wars mentorship program in 2021. Her debut novel The Serpent Called Mercy sold at auction in North America, the United Kingdom, and the Commonwealth—but the accomplishment she remains proudest of is being a finalist in a Lord of the Rings trivia competition when she was nine.

Author Website

Tag: fantasy

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J. K. Rowling [BOOK REVIEW]

About The Book:

My Thoughts:

I feel like this is the book in which we see Harry really mature as a person.

About the Author:

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Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas [BOOK REVIEW]

About The Book:

My Thoughts:

I loved her connection with the Crown Prince.

Favourite Quotes:

About the Author:

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Onyx Storm (The Empyrean #3) by Rebecca Yarros [BOOK REVIEW]

About The Book:

I really enjoyed the ending as well.

About the Author:

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A Discovery of Witches (All Souls #1) by Deborah Harkness [BOOK REVIEW]

About The Book:

Thoughts:

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The Serpent Called Mercy by Roanne Lau [BOOK REVIEW]

About The Book:

My Thoughts:

Aside from the arena action, there was a lot going on outside of the arena as well.

Favourite Quotes:

About the Author:

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About The Book:

My Thoughts:

I feel like this is the book in which we see Harry really mature as a person.

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About The Book:

My Thoughts:

I loved her connection with the Crown Prince.

Favourite Quotes:

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About The Book:

I really enjoyed the ending as well.

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About The Book:

My Thoughts:

Aside from the arena action, there was a lot going on outside of the arena as well.

Favourite Quotes:

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