!!!Spoiler Warning!!! If you haven’t read any of these books yet, don’t read my villain ratings. I give away some key spoilers!
The Institute by Stephen King was my favourite book of the month!
October – 2019
How To Betray A Dragon’s Hero by Cressida Cowell
Thoughts: Oh wow, I was not expecting the incredibly dark turn this book took. Is this stuff really for middle grade kids? I mean, I’m pretty sure I was crying there for a while. I’m so excited to see how this all works out. I still think I prefer the TV series versions of everyone, but this series has really opened my eyes. Page Count: 416
Villain Hero Rating: Okay, so Snotlout starts out as the ultimate villain. He’s a mean bully with a cruel streak, and he’s betrayed Hiccup more times than I can count but, boy howdy, this kid knows how to be a Hero when it’s needed. I’d like to call him a villain, but this is a one off Hero rating instead. Snotlout, Snotlout, oi, oi, oi! 10/10
Best Quote in the Book: Better a noble slave, than a free dog! and Sometimes time cannot tick backwards. Sometimes you cannot put a dragon back in a forest, nor a witch back in a tree-trunk, nor the breath back into a friend when all the breath is gone. War really does have terrible consequences.
How To Fight A Dragon’s Fury by Cressida Cowell
Thoughts: A stunning conclusion to a beautiful series. Everything wrapped up very nicely and I’m so happy that I read it. It’s so different from the Movies, but extremely satisfying. I think my favourite dragon in the whole franchise was Ziggerastica. Page Count: 496
Villain Rating: I really wanted to name the Dragon Furious the villain of this book, but he’s just doing what he thinks is right for his species. Once again, I’ll have to throw both Alvin and his mother, Excellinor, into the fire. These two are despicable, and both meet with a perfect ending. You just can’t find anything to like in either of them, but they are fun to hate. 8/10
Best Quote in the Book: Love is a bad, bad business.
The Institute by Stephen King
Thoughts: There’s no secret in the fact that I’m a King fan, but lately, some of his books have seemed a little passé to me. A little old-fashioned in a modern day world. This one, however, is not like that at all. This is fascinating, edge-of-the-seat stuff, with some truly amazing scenes. An incredible story. Page Count: 485
Villain Rating: There are a couple of different villains I could name here, but Mrs Julia Sigsby is by far my favourite. This beast of a woman is cold, bordering of sociopathic. She subjects little children to horrendous tests with a smile, and is happy to physically hurt any of them. She considers them property. She cares only about herself and her future prospects. Most of the workers in the Institute believe they’re doing the things they do for the greater good, but I’m not convinced she cares at all. She just likes being in charge. She’s grown complacent over the years in her position, but she’s still perfectly vile. A wonderful villain. I loved her. 10/10
Best Quote in the Book: They were heroes, no matter how reluctant their heroism might be. and Great events turn on small hinges.
Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin
Thoughts: There was so much I liked about this book. The slow burning romance, and the convoluted plot. But, there was also quite a bit I didn’t enjoy, like the fact that everything seemed so convenient, and some of the characters didn’t follow true to their characterization. The story was good, but I guessed the twist early on. The banter was the highlight for me, I think. Page Count: 528
Villain Rating: This can be none other than La Dame des Sorcières herself. Morgane. This lady is the leader of the Dame Blanches, which are the witches that do magic following patterns. She is perfectly willing to sacrifice her daughter’s life so that the king’s offspring will die. She wants to stop the King’s tyranny over her race, so I suppose in a way she’s doing the best she can for her people, but she’s just so cold-hearted about it. She literally tells Lou that she doesn’t care for her and is happy to see her dead. She raised her daughter to die, and if that’s not +1 villainy, I don’t know what is! 7/10
Best Quote in the Book: There’s nothing hopeful about death. Death is death.
Page Count Total : 1925
If you have any suggestions for books I could read, please contact me at Goodreads!
Let me know if you disagree/agree with any of my reviews, or just share with me what you’re reading! I check my mail every day so I’ll always respond quickly!
As always, Happy Reading!
Claire
Love the Villain 