Madison Rene's Blog
April 24, 2024
My review on House of Breath and Sky, and how amazing it was.
House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. MaasMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Oh. My. Goodness. I thought House of Earth and Blood was amazing, and I was even skeptical about this one through the first half of the book.
But that ending. That reveal.
The truth.
It was so intriguing and kept me up way too late reading. I'm so glad that I started this series after House of Flame and Shadow released, so I don't have to wait to see what happens next! I am absolutely shattered and hooked!
I don't even have words. Okay, I'll try to have some: I wish there wasn't so much filler content in these books. Some of the exchanges really feel unnecessary, and I feel this same story could have been told easily in 400 or 500 pages and we wouldn't have lost anything.
But beyond that, this book was beautiful. The twists were so exciting and suspenseful, and I truly didn't see most of this coming. I love the characters even more than I once did, especially Ruhn. He truly grew on me in this book, and I can't wait to see where his story goes.
Huge points to SJM for her world-building, as always. I am just so impressed at how immersive this world is, how intricate, and how much thought she put into this world. It's remarkable, and I'm so impressed. I was very much drawn in, which I don't often feel with many books that I read.
If you've had any doubts about starting the series, please don't. It is among the best I've read. 👏👏👏
View all my reviews
Published on April 24, 2024 06:46
April 17, 2024
What it was like to wrap up my debut series
As you may have heard already, I just finished writing She Who Brought Death, and it was . . . an odd experience. I felt so many emotions. Excitement and joy that Nevia Bylilly, the main female lead’s, story has come to a close, and that my debut romantasy duology is now complete. Relief that […]
Published on April 17, 2024 07:12
March 25, 2024
Being a “wide” debut author and what I’ve learned along the way.
A question that indie authors are commonly faced with when they are in the process of publishing their debut novel is where they intend to publish: go wide, or go Amazon-exclusive? This was a question that I wrestled with a lot during the setup stages of my author career, and the answer isn’t really defined. […]
Published on March 25, 2024 08:06
March 6, 2024
My takeaways from my first author talk (and tips for yours!)
This past Saturday I was presented with the honor of giving my first author talk and book signing for an audience at an indie bookstore (if you’re reading this, thank you, Northshire Bookstore!). It was an amazing, enlightening, and moving experience, that not only transformed me as an author, but as a person, as well. […]
Published on March 06, 2024 07:53
February 9, 2024
The differences between Fantasy Romance and Romantic Fantasy, and why it matters.
After spending any time in the bookish community you have probably wondered at one point: what is fantasy romance? Okay, but what is romantic fantasy? Can the two be interchanged? The short answer is: no, they are both very separate sub-genres, and, depending on which you desire, you might be sorely disappointed that the book […]
Published on February 09, 2024 12:34
January 26, 2024
My Sage Advice for Writing with Young Children
It is a snow day here in the Northeast where I live (or more like an ice day–to be truthful I’m not sure what is coming down in wet slick sheets out there presently). It is the third day this week where school has been impacted by the weather, and my young daughter is home […]
Published on January 26, 2024 07:10
January 18, 2024
Meet the Characters – An in-depth view into the main cast
One of my favorite aspects of writing, undoubtedly, is the creation of characters. They tend to live rent-free in my head, making demands of me often until I create them. And sometimes they begin to develop greater personalities and traits on their own that I have to go back and fix their appearances in the […]
Published on January 18, 2024 07:56
January 3, 2024
My 2024 Goals
Traditionally I haven’t liked New Year resolutions, and I am probably going to sound hypocritical when I share that I’ve set some new 2024 goals for myself. I don’t particularly view them as resolutions or absolutes, but instead goals that I’d like to work toward and see take root in my life. Many of these …
Published on January 03, 2024 07:46
November 14, 2023
Why I’m not participating in Nanowrimo this year
It’s November, and it means it’s that time of year again. That time when everyone drops everything, sets a writing goal (50k words, a novel, what have you), and gets right to it. For those who partake in this: I applaud you, and I think that’s amazing. I think it’s inspiring to see anyone work …
Why I’m not participating in Nanowrimo this year Read More »
Published on November 14, 2023 06:35
October 23, 2023
Top 5 series that inspired She Who Chose War
Most of my story ideas come from dreams, and She Who Chose War is no exception. When forming and shaping the story idea, however, I found a few sources of inspiration from series and books that I loved and adored. So, keep reading for the top 5 inspirations for She Who Chose War! Disclaimer: I …
Published on October 23, 2023 11:15


