Caitlin Sumner's 3 favorite reads in 2023

This book is unique in the realm of fantasy, and it dragged me in from the first few pages. The story is built and revealed slowly, always leaving you wanting to read more to find out more about this new world.

The setting and magic are different from anything I've ever read, with heavy influences from Egypt and the surrounding areas, something that has always been a great weakness for me. The visuals were stunning, I have rarely seen a story from a page so clearly in my head. Between the absolutely beautiful artwork and the fast-paced twisting plot, to the brilliant finale, I was enthralled the whole way through and eagerly awaited the next installment. I very rarely begin a series when I know there will be more, but in this case, I just couldn't wait.

As with a lot of books this year, I was drawn in by the fantasy element, as well as the 'enemies to lovers' trope, which let's be real, is my weakness. And let me tell you, this book delivers on the enemy part spectacularly, so much so that I plan to reread it before the year is out because it was just so amazing. I would love to go back and take the time to read it more slowly, if I can, and savour it.

There are many, many reasons why I absolutely adore this book and its sequel. When I picked them up, I had already seen the TV show Shadow and Bone twice, and going into the book, into the story they didn't show, into the depths of the characters that didn't make it into the TV series, was the most amazing thing.

There are always two (or more) sides when adaptations happen, but in this case, I think they stand far apart. Six of Crows takes you deeper into the world of Ketterdam and the minds of the characters, slowly revealing their motivations for what they are doing, showing their broken humanity, and taking you on a wild ride from start to finish.

Basically, I will never shut up about this book. It was easily one of my favourite books this year.

I really wanted to hate this book. I've been seeing the hype about it since I joined Bookstagram in May; it's pretty much all anyone talks about. I was highly suspicious when I saw it compared to other books that I decidedly don't like, and I was right. I don't like it.

I love it!

The world-building is beautifully structured; it's not too much at once, letting you feel the world coming into focus as you read while remaining curious about all the things you don't know yet, things that are hinted at closer to the end of the book, the abominable cliffhanger and drastic last page twist.

The interactions are perhaps a bit immature for the age of the people, but given their life experiences, it's to be expected. The slow burn and antagonism got me, as they always do, and I found that all the characters work very well together, and it was surprisingly cohesive. It's so easy to lose that in a book of its size, and I was pleasantly surprised by how well the story held together throughout 500+ pages. There was only one character I disliked, and I'm almost certain that's exactly the point, so I have no complaints.

This book fought hard for its spot on my 2023 top 3, but I think it's earned it in the end.