ACOTAR Review!

I've always been a fan of 'hint of' books. By that, I mean 'a hint of magic', 'a hint of mystery', 'a hint of fantasy', but not too much. Despite being a massive Harry Potter fan, and a LoTR watcher (several times, on repeat), I always thought a lot of fantasy books were a little too strong, and I struggled to find them believable or the characters relatable.

This year, however, I decided it was time to give fantasy another chance. At the recommendation of a friend, I picked up a copy of Sarah J Maas' 'A Court of Thorns and Roses', and believe you me, I have definitely not looked back. Feyre's life became intertwined with my own as I found myself considering her dilemmas, her options, and even her future as I stayed up into the small hours reading this masterpiece...

...and if ACOTAR is a masterpiece, then its sequel, 'A Court of Mist and Fury' is the Sistine Chapel ceiling. Just when I thought the storyline and world couldn't possibly get any better, Maas hit me with THIS. I practically salivated over how the characters developed, at the numerous cliffhangers, and high-action moments that oozed out of the pages. Luckily for me, my timing was absolutely on point, as I finished this just a week before the release of the third book, 'A Court of Wings and Ruin'.

I promise no spoilers, but what I will say is that ACOMAF ended on quite the cliffhanger, and so I was absolutely itching to get my hands on Maas' latest work of genius, which I knew I'd love before even beginning. When reading, I found the beginning a little slow starting, and missed some of my favourite characters (no spoilers, but if you've read this then you'll know exactly who I mean!), but as the action picked up, I found myself once again caught in the magical world of Prythian, watching the politics between courts more closely than the politics of my own coutry!

The third book is a fantastic addition to the series, and once again the character development was superb. I write this before finishing the book, partly because I was so eager to write a review, and partly because I am savouring the final few chapters in the foolish hope that I can make them last forever - I simply do not want to leave this magical world behind. 

If you haven't read this series, or like my past self think it isn't quite your thing, I would encourage you to give it a try - you never know, you too may be surprised.

House of MinaLima Visit!

If you know me at all, or have even spent, say, an hour in my company, you will probably know already just how obsessed I am with Harry Potter and the Wizarding World of J.K Rowling, and if you don't, then just take my word for it.

Being a Potterhead of ridiculous proportions, when my friend and fellow fan mentioned the House of MinaLima in Soho I knew instantly that I just had to visit. 

If you didn't know already, House of MinaLima is an exhibition of the graphic art in the Harry Potter films and the more recent Fantastic Beasts created by Miraphora (Mina) and Eduardo (Lima). The exhibition included posters, magazines, textbooks, and packaging, which is all absolutely AMAZING, and you can even buy if you're feeling flush. The four-storey building has familiar designs lining every single wall, and display cases on each floor house actual props from the films (like held by the actors...seriously now this excited me so much). You can also do something I've tried time and time again to do, and read all that tiny text on the Daily Prophet covers from the films.

The whole building feels so quirky - the winding staircase in the narrow hallways made me feel as though I was in the Leaky Cauldron (one of my favourite Harry Potter locations), and the Marauder's Map floor design on one floor is so incredible that I had to take photos (which you're encouraged to do, incidentally).

If you live in London, or if you happen to be visiting reasonably soon and you're into the Wizarding World like myself, I'd definitely check this out - but hurry, even though the online store is always live, it's only around in the flesh until February 4th!