[Series Overview] The Stolen Heir duology - Holly Black

I started this series on: March 9, 2024
I finished this series on: March 12, 2024
Cover editions here updated on: February 6, 2024
Written content here updated on: March 9, 2024

Disclaimer, one you'd see on multiple posts As I struggled to decide which book series to cover overviews for, it dawned to me that I'd never get started at this rate. It became clear to me that, it's rather unlikely for me to use this blog as my "main" reviewing spot since I have Goodreads for that, and chances of someone miraculously stumbling across this blog out of the countless ones out there, is just rather slim, therefore, I'd put up links to my GR reviews (in English,) and this post would be in Chinese for people who are curious about the series but either aren't comfortable with or just don't prefer reading in English. Please also note that, sometimes I don't have time to write actual reviews, HOWEVER, I do always put down thoughts when I document my reading status updates, so for GR desktop users, remember to scroll down if it appears to contain little, it'd be under the quotes I liked from that book (when applicable lol;) for mobile app users, remember to switch to "Reading Activity," which would not be the default as "Review" is.

Goodreads Choice Award：第一集入圍Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction（2023）

同世界觀：The Folk of the Air

這部時間點應該是前作的九年後。

作者2022年6月分享此延伸系列的消息^{[作者Facebook文]}。

The actual review is, as usual, WIP, but like I said above, getting the post out there first.

GR stats (linking default edition)	Editions I'm privy to
[Read My Review!]
[Read My Review!]

Author:
Series (unofficial):

Disclaimer, one you'd see on multiple posts The following section, basically a gallery of editions around the world with different book cover art, is largely inspired by treatments of fellow blogger Amethyst, who unfortunately hasn't done those types of blog posts for a while. Please DO NOT mistaken the following to be all existing editions; I'm only including completed sets with matching designs. All clickable images are linked to respective editions on GR; people, shelving correct editions ain't that hard. Highly recommend accurate shelving. =D

American English | 美式英文

封面與前作相同，由Sean Freeman繪製。

British English | 英式英文 （FairyLoot Exclusive）

本來希望等實體書寄出後有購買者能提供ISBN再列（我好龜毛xD） 但看到有人在GR上建頁面了，就列上來囉！這個版本就跟這箱子為前作所製的版本差異相當大，印象中上次沒有書衣？只有色系相當聖誕節的裸封面😅目前還沒看到這版拿掉書衣底下的樣子～有內幕者歡迎提供喔！箱子的官方資訊^{[箱子官網一][二]}～封面由波蘭籍繪師Magdalena Pągowska繪製^{[繪師ArtStation]}。我沒有覺得不好看，只是兩集長得有點像，讓我每次都要多看幾眼確認（被揍死）（就是如果沒有兩者擺在一起，我可能真的會以為是同一張圖）（被踹）

British English | 英式英文 （Illumicrate Exclusive）

We’re so thrilled to announce, in collaboration with @hotkeybooks and @hollyblack, our Illumicrate Exclusive edition of The Stolen Heir! We love The Folk of the Air trilogy and are so excited to offer you this stunning book, the first in a new duology set in the same world. pic.twitter.com/AZjgg6Pwtm

— Illumicrate ✨ (@illumicrate) December 14, 2022

We are overjoyed to announce, in collaboration with Hot Key Books (@hotkeybooks) and Holly Black (@hollyblack), our Illumicrate Exclusive edition of The Prisoner’s Throne! pic.twitter.com/zPpeIijmk0

— Illumicrate ✨ (@illumicrate) January 10, 2024

這個GR上面只有第一集有頁面而且還不是平面圖，本來想要等，但後來想想，我一堆非正式的書衣版本，都每集各別鑲嵌繪師提供的無標題版本了，這個有箱子提供的官方資訊，好像沒道理不比照辦理～～基本上跟這箱子為前作一樣，裸封面（？）設計只說是出版社提供的那樣～在想這個會不會也跟之前一樣，實體比示意圖好看很多？🤔（但願如此😂）而書衣也跟前次一樣，由Rosie Fowinkle^{[繪師官網]}以紙雕的型式製成。第一集的細節供參^{[繪師Instagram文]}～

2023 Year End Recap

(If you have a short reading attention span, feel free to just skip to the actual ranking, which you'd have to click into the blog post to view >:3)

This particular blog post is to first document what was actually published in 2023.

Note: Notice two font sizes below? The regular size matching this sentence and paragraphs above, are my makeup work for before. The smaller size (like this) are the ones that are posted extremely closed to, if not in fact on the exact published date. Those, should there actually be casual viewers of my blog, are hard to miss, since the Blog Archive function reflects them quite well, and the backdated ones are what easily gone unnoticed, hence the emphasis.

1. [Series Overview] Jackaby series - William Ritter
2. [Series Overview] Stoker & Holmes - Colleen Gleason
3. [Series Overview] The Remnant Chronicles - Mary E. Pearson
4. 2022 Year End Recap
5. [Series Overview] Cursebreaker - Brigid Kemmerer
6. [Series Overview] Bloodleaf trilogy - Crystal Smith
7. [Series Overview] Elements of Cadence - Rebecca Ross
8. [Series Overview] The Prison Healer - Lynette Noni
9. [Series Overview] Once Upon a Broken Heart trilogy - Stephanie Garber
10. [Series Overview] Blood Heir trilogy - Amélie Wen Zhao
11. [Series Overview] Kingdom of Souls trilogy - Rena Barron
12. [Series Overview] The Ivory Key duology - Akshaya Raman
13. [Series Overview] The Storm Runner trilogy - J.C. Cervantes
14. [Series Overview] Shadow Skye - Joseph Elliott
15. [Series Overview] Pandava - Roshani Chokshi
16. [Series Overview] The Gifts - Caroline O'Donoghue
17. [Series Overview] Spellbreaker duology - Charlie N. Holmberg
18. [Series Overview] Founders - Robert Jackson Bennett
19. [Series Overview] Letters of Enchantment - Rebecca Ross
20. [Series Overview] Mapmakers - S.E. Grove
21. 2023 Year End Recap ☜ THIS POST!!!

Finally, a Year End Recap post that's published on time!!!!!!!!!!!! Yay, me! That said, as this is the one post per year you'd get more of my personal life, I'll still share the gist of my year:

• For my traumatic experience at the end of 2022, please do check 2022 Year End Recap for references. The crisis carried over to the start of 2023, but I was lucky enough to secure my second stable full-time job by the first week of the year. To me, it's a pretty intense post, a government job with wayyyyyyyy heavier responsibilities. I do like the job though, there's a real sense of fulfillment, just that there would be periods with super heavy workload, so 2023 was basically used to get the hang of what the busy seasons are and what not; the first half of the year, my personal time is greatly decreased due to increase work time.
• It should be noted that, with absolute lack of communicating effort on Goodreads' part, my Goodreads Librarian status was revoked on late May. Yes, they gave me a very, VERY unspecific reply about which edit was the cause, the thing is, they said "the edit you did to this series", I made TONS of edits on the series they named (all different types of edits, obviously), they couldn't even be bothered to specify the exact type of action they found violating. And I said lack of effort because it's the fact, I wrote back to them for clarification, and that was what they replied, the initial revoke message didn't even say a specific series or book; the second and final reply, aside the vague AF info, they also literally told me that was the end of the discussion. I did write back again hoping to get a real clarification, but they ignored me and I'm just like, well, it's your lost and my gain.
• I said it's GR's lost, not out of narcissistic tendencies, but the fact that GR has no real idea that, beyond the mainstream popular books, so so SOOOOOOOO many books on the site had data need fixing, and even the popular books don't always get 100% correct info, and they won't miraculously correct themselves. One less GR Librarian equals one less person helping out, it's as simple as that. Ironically, by late June, GR's bot literally went batshit crazy and started doing questionable actions en mass. My other account (used for manga and other visual-heavy books) was deeply affected, with over a hundred books switching to editions I did not intend to shelf. It was a nightmare, and it honestly made me loathe the site just a little. While there are some obvious cons for loosing the Librarian status, I suppose the only one that'd affect this blog, is that I no longer can update posts immediately upon my discovery of new things, as GR may not have the pages or the pages have false data and cannot be fixed on spot. It's honestly not a big deal, I just feel a little sorry, having to send in requests for stuff to be fixed, whereas previously I'd just fix it on my own. (FYI, there's a chance I'll have a separate post detailing the matter, but until then, I'm covering the gist here.)
• Oh, so like, end of unhappy business. One of the highlights of 2023, to me is that, woo-hoo, I finally met up with some book-loving people I've known via the Net, the people who were very understanding and supportive during my 2022-year-end-ordeal. Listing in the order of first time meeting in person: Sabrina, Amethyst, Amesily, and the most recent addition, Emily, it was so nice to meet you cool people! We should definitely meet up once in a while, if any thing, HAVE ICE CREAM, if not hanging out at bookstores discussing books lmao.

Okay, I know it wasn't obvious, seeing that the above section is considerably shorter than what the year before had (and may get even shorter should I finish compiling what happened with GR on a separate post), but I had in fact been busier in 2023 due to RL responsibilities; I think I'm more or less prepared for next year though, so my reading and blog posts ideally wouldn't be so unevenly distributed, fingers crossed.

Anyways, as of 2023/12/31, according to the Blog Archive function, I have 15 posts published in 2023 (not counting this one). That one particular post that was more than 90% done back in 2021, still couldn't make it in 2023. I really hope I can get it out by the first quarter of 2024 though! That, along with a couple of other non-Series-Overview posts. Wish me luck! lol

2023 Reading Challenge

Sammm has read 77 books toward her goal of 80 books.

hide

77 of 80 (96%)

view books

It's because of 2023's unusual circumstances that resulted in the first part being larger than usual. I hope people are patient enough to reach this part, lmao. On Goodreads, there's the My Year in Books function they provided that give some statistics, [check out mine for 2023!] (My GR profile is set for GR Users only, so this one, you'd have to login in order to view.) There's also the Goodreads Year in Review, [read mine!] (no GR account required.)

So what's different here is that I'm going to rank what I've read, but limited to series that concluded in this year. 2023 does not make a great example but it's better than having nothing lol. And, ladies and gents, drum roll....!

[Series Overview] Mapmakers - S.E. Grove

I started this series on: December 28, 2023
I finished this series on: December , 2023
Cover editions here updated on: December 28, 2023
Written content here updated on: December , 2023

Disclaimer, one you'd see on multiple posts As I struggled to decide which book series to cover overviews for, it dawned to me that I'd never get started at this rate. It became clear to me that, it's rather unlikely for me to use this blog as my "main" reviewing spot since I have Goodreads for that, and chances of someone miraculously stumbling across this blog out of the countless ones out there, is just rather slim, therefore, I'd put up links to my GR reviews (in English,) and this post would be in Chinese for people who are curious about the series but either aren't comfortable with or just don't prefer reading in English. Please also note that, sometimes I don't have time to write actual reviews, HOWEVER, I do always put down thoughts when I document my reading status updates, so for GR desktop users, remember to scroll down if it appears to contain little, it'd be under the quotes I liked from that book (when applicable lol;) for mobile app users, remember to switch to "Reading Activity," which would not be the default as "Review" is.

The actual review is, as usual, WIP, but like I said above, getting the post out there first.

GR stats (linking default edition)	Editions I'm privy to
[Read My Review!]
[Read My Review!]
[Read My Review!]

Author:
Series: Unofficial:

Disclaimer, one you'd see on multiple posts The following section, basically a gallery of editions around the world with different book cover art, is largely inspired by treatments of fellow blogger Amethyst, who unfortunately hasn't done those types of blog posts for a while. Please DO NOT mistaken the following to be all existing editions; I'm only including completed sets with matching designs. All clickable images are linked to respective editions on GR; people, shelving correct editions ain't that hard. Highly recommend accurate shelving. =D

American English | 美式英文

其實原版封面是很豐富的～可惜後面那堆角色對比度太低、太浮水印感、根本很容易沒注意到xDDDDDD 不知道是不是因為這樣，所以後來有出人物色調較能辨識的版本www

Français | French | 法文

我本來總覺得法國最早是用原版封面，但實在沒有證據😅 會這樣說是因為，確實有一版是原版封面，但是現在GR上最早的就是上方封面... 我是覺得換封面反而換成不特別的，實在沒什麼道理xDDDD 不排除是早期GR bot會自動抓資料更新替換的下場～ 不過，使用原版的和上方的看起來是不同出版社（除非是imprint問題但兩個我都沒聽過），所以也有可能是不同地區的版本那樣🤔 總之，這版本～我覺得三集封面擺在一起，會覺得第一集最失敗xDDDD 臉最不清楚，微微恐怖xP

русский | Russian | 俄文

俄文版封面超精彩的耶！要不是GR上已經有頁面，如果randomly逛到，我大概不會馬上聯想到就是這一部xP 嗚 有點難形容，這部確實奇幻，但我覺得沒有到這封面的奇幻程度xDDDDDD 封面感覺太冒險性質了，劇情其實比較推理（？）就主角找答案那樣～（真是讓人一頭霧水的解釋😅） 但不管怎樣這封面還是很讚👍

[Series Overview] Letters of Enchantment - Rebecca Ross

I started this series on: December 25, 2023
I finished this series on: December 27, 2023
Cover editions here updated on: March 4, 2024
Written content here updated on: December 27, 2023

Disclaimer, one you'd see on multiple posts As I struggled to decide which book series to cover overviews for, it dawned to me that I'd never get started at this rate. It became clear to me that, it's rather unlikely for me to use this blog as my "main" reviewing spot since I have Goodreads for that, and chances of someone miraculously stumbling across this blog out of the countless ones out there, is just rather slim, therefore, I'd put up links to my GR reviews (in English,) and this post would be in Chinese for people who are curious about the series but either aren't comfortable with or just don't prefer reading in English. Please also note that, sometimes I don't have time to write actual reviews, HOWEVER, I do always put down thoughts when I document my reading status updates, so for GR desktop users, remember to scroll down if it appears to contain little, it'd be under the quotes I liked from that book (when applicable lol;) for mobile app users, remember to switch to "Reading Activity," which would not be the default as "Review" is.

Goodreads Choice Award：第一集入圍Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction且是贏家！

The actual review is, as usual, WIP, but like I said above, getting the post out there first.

GR stats (linking default edition)	Editions I'm privy to
[Read My Review!]
[Read My Review!]

Author:
Series:

Disclaimer, one you'd see on multiple posts The following section, basically a gallery of editions around the world with different book cover art, is largely inspired by treatments of fellow blogger Amethyst, who unfortunately hasn't done those types of blog posts for a while. Please DO NOT mistaken the following to be all existing editions; I'm only including completed sets with matching designs. All clickable images are linked to respective editions on GR; people, shelving correct editions ain't that hard. Highly recommend accurate shelving. =D

以下涵蓋5款，記得看全文以觀賞喔 >:3

American English | 美式英文

老實說，我真的覺得美版封面超陽春（翻譯：沒魅力不好看），還很自以為大家都會這樣想xDDDD 和網友聊的時候才發現不是xP 我領悟力沒那麼強，應該說，沒放大看的時候，我真的沒看懂為什麼標題要用到兩種字體... 後來是因為看到OwlCrate特別版（正在等平面圖源和GR頁面詳見下方）才終於茅塞頓開（笑死）原來那不是隨便莫名其妙的圓圈，而是打字機的鍵盤按鍵啦😂。基於打字機在此作品的重要性，理解是按鍵之後多少能體會封面設計的用心，但並沒有改觀就是了xDDDD

British English | 英式英文

相較美版，我個人覺得英版比較明顯YA（甚至可能是偏低年齡層的）～繪師為Kelley McMorris^{[繪師官網]}、可參考看看此書衣原圖特寫^{[繪師Instagram文一][二]}。繪師同時也負責FairyLoot限定版的封面（正在等平面圖源和GR頁面詳見下方）。

American English | 美式英文 （The Bookish Box Exclusive Luxe）

We have been spoiled this week with all these amazing Exclusive Luxe Edition cover reveals and I am here to tell you we...

Posted by The Bookish Box on Tuesday, February 6, 2024

The Bookish Box於2024年2月公布此特別版的消息跟所含內容（如上方鑲嵌），封面由義大利籍繪師Giulia Valentini所出^{[繪師Instagram][繪師Tumblr]}。這個版本我相當相當沒有共鳴（被揍），但是endpapers和stenciled edges上面的字，還是有用心到，這是男女主寫給對方的信件內容喔！原汁原味！還沒看這系列的人不妨先試著看信件內容，如果沒興趣... 大概就很難有興趣因為這兩人通信內容有佔一定比例xDDD