Princess of Thorns by Stacey Jay
Waiting on Wednesday (37): Defy
Nov 6
Defy: Defy #1 by Sara B. Larson
So you all know that the first hint I get of a new fantasy novel, I’m basically ALL OVER IT, adding it to Goodreads, clapping like a fool, and generally getting PSYCHED. Such was the case when I first heard of DEFY, the debut first book in a new series where the MC is a girl who has to dress up as a boy so she can be in the military. STOP IT RIGHT NOW. Plus there’s an evil sorcerer and secrets and a prince named Damian who is “dark” and “intriguing.”
Speaking of the prince, there’s also another guy. In fact, I’m maybe slightly worried about the way this synopsis doesn’t even hide the triangle. But like who am I kidding? As if that’s even going to stop me from reading this book. Besides, triangles are sometimes LEGIT, so I’ll reserve judgement on that. There’s just too much potential awesome here.
DEFY comes out January 7, 2014 from Scholastic Press
Waiting on Wednesday (36): The Winner’s Curse
Oct 30
The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski
THE WINNER’S CURSE by Marie Rutkoski has been on my radar since some lucky ducks got SUPER early copies at BEA. It immediately set off a bunch of my “OOOOH! THIS SOUNDS EXCELLENT” bells because it’s a fantasy, and we all know how much I’m all over those. Any time I hear about a new fantasy series starting I get the happy fidgets; I just want to read them all.
But when I read the synopsis, a few bonus things jumped out at me: First, right off the bat, Kristin Cashore’s name flashed like a huge neon sign in front of my face. KRISTIN CASHORE. Done. I’m in. (Cassandra Clare, too, but if I’m being honest, Kristin Cashore is more of a draw for me.) But then there’s also this music angle, and war and slavery. This sounds like some legit drama, friends. Can’t wait to get my mitts on it!
THE WINNER’S CURSE comes out March 4, 2014 from Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Waiting on Wednesday (33): The Glass Casket
Sep 11
The Glass Casket by McCormick Templeman
Death hasn’t visited Rowan Rose since it took her mother when Rowan was only a little girl. But that changes one bleak morning, when five horses and their riders thunder into her village and through the forest, disappearing into the hills. Days later, the riders’ bodies are found, and though no one can say for certain what happened in their final hours, their remains prove that whatever it was must have been brutal.
Rowan’s village was once a tranquil place, but now things have changed. Something has followed the path those riders made and has come down from the hills, through the forest, and into the village. Beast or man, it has brought death to Rowan’s door once again.
Only this time, its appetite is insatiable.
So, this cover. I love it, but I can’t figure out why it looks like she’s about to make herself puke all over her nice manicure. Or like she is licking the cream cheese frosting off her fingers, which is at least understandable. But even considering the finger-in-the-mouth thing, the cover looks so atmospheric, which seems to be perfect for THE GLASS CASKET. The fantasy/paranormal/mystery vibe I get from the synopsis just rings so many of my bells.
Also, there are so many elusions to the Snow White, Rose Red fairy tale, just in the title and the cover and synopsis: the pop of red, the glass casket itself, the main character’s name being Rose–I’m incredibly intrigued by this beast and the death and the “insatiable appetite”! THE GLASS CASKET can’t come out fast enough.
THE GLASS CASKET is coming out on February 11, 2014 from Delacorte
Book Review | Crown of Midnight | Sarah J. Maas
Sep 5
I received this book for free from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas Series: Throne of Glass #2
Published by Bloomsbury on August 27, 2013
Genres: Fantasy, Fantasy YA, Young Adult
Pages: 418
Format: eARC
Also in this series: Throne of Glass, Heir of Fire, The Queen of Shadows
Also by this author: Throne of Glass, Heir of Fire, The Queen of Shadows
Source: the publisher via NetGalley
Amazon • Barnes & Noble • Goodreads
An assassin’s loyalties are always in doubt. But her heart never wavers.
After a year of hard labor in the Salt Mines of Endovier, eighteen-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien has won the king’s contest to become the new royal assassin. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown – a secret she hides from even her most intimate confidantes.Keeping up the deadly charade—while pretending to do the king’s bidding—will test her in frightening new ways, especially when she’s given a task that could jeopardize everything she’s come to care for. And there are far more dangerous forces gathering on the horizon — forces that threaten to destroy her entire world, and will surely force Celaena to make a choice.
Where do the assassin’s loyalties lie, and who is she most willing to fight for?
Book Review + Giveaway: Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo
Jun 20
Title: Siege and Storm
Author: Leigh Bardugo (web | twitter)
Series: The Grisha Trilogy #2
Genre: Fantasy YA
Amazon | Goodreads
Publisher: Henry Holt
Release Date: June 4, 2013
Source: Borrowed an ARC from TaraSummary: Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land. She finds starting new is not easy while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. She can’t outrun her past or her destiny for long.
The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very boundaries of the natural world. With the help of a notorious privateer, Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips deeper into the Darkling’s game of forbidden magic, and farther away from Mal. Somehow, she will have to choose between her country, her power, and the love she always thought would guide her–or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm.
Five Favorite Things: The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
Jun 12
So, I’ve decided to start something new, friends, and I’m pretty stoked about it. No idea how often I’ll do it, but I’ll tell you a little bit about why and how I’ve started it. I used to do this feature/review called Five-Star Friday, where I would review books that I just adored and wanted to spotlight in a more obvious way. I enjoyed it, I did. But I always felt a little ridiculous having a feature on my blog that hinted at a rating system, which I don’t use. So it’s been on hiatus for a while, alas.
Fast-forward to earlier last month when I decided to challenge myself to read more books that have been recommended to me. Like, directly. One of the books on my list was the audio version of one of my ABSOLUTE favorite books of ever, THE SCORPIO RACES, a book that, quite frankly, I’m astonished never made it on my Five-Star Friday feature. But I’m glad it didn’t guys because as I was listening to the audio–itself the fourth time I’ve read this book–things I’d never noticed before struck me, and made me swoon anew. As I was trying to figure out how to review this particular reading of THE SCORPIO RACES, this feature cropped up in my brain. And thus, Five Favorite Things was born.
Of course, narrowing my favorite things about THE SCORPIO RACES–or any book I love, really–down to just five is bound to sometimes be a challenge. So perhaps there will be a time or two (or three or four) when I cheat. Also, it’s my intention to use this feature to talk to you guys about books that I love SO MUCH that I just have to read them all the time. I don’t anticipate reviewing new books this way because, hey, I don’t want to feel hemmed in by the whole “favorite” part if there was something that bothered me. Suffice it to say, though, that when I highlight a book on Five Favorite Things, there won’t be very much at all–if anything–that bothered me about whatever book I’m shouting out.
Now that I’ve explained this whole thing to DEATH, and probably not made sense at least once, let’s just get to it already! Without further ado (drumroll, please…), my five FAVORITE things about:
THE SCORPIO RACES by Maggie Stiefvater, narrated by Steve West and Fiona Hardingham
Book Review: Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore
May 3
Title | Author: Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore (web | twitter)
Series: Graceling Realm #3
Genre: Fantasy YA
Amazon | Goodreads
Publisher: Dial
Release Date: May 1, 2012
Source: Own it
Summary: Eight years after Graceling, Bitterblue is now queen of Monsea. But the influence of her father, a violent psychopath with mind-altering abilities, lives on. Her advisors, who have run things since Leck died, believe in a forward-thinking plan: Pardon all who committed terrible acts under Leck’s reign, and forget anything bad ever happened. But when Bitterblue begins sneaking outside the castle–disguised and alone–to walk the streets of her own city, she starts realizing that the kingdom has been under the thirty-five-year spell of a madman, and the only way to move forward is to revisit the past.
Two thieves, who only steal what has already been stolen, change her life forever. They hold a key to the truth of Leck’s reign. And one of them, with an extreme skill called a Grace that he hasn’t yet identified, holds a key to her heart.
Book Review | Dark Triumph | Robin LaFevers
Apr 15
Dark Triumph by Robin LaFevers Series: His Fair Assassin #2
Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt on April 2, 2013
Genres: Fantasy YA, Historical Fiction, Young Adult
Pages: 385
Format: Hardcover
Also in this series: Grave Mercy, Mortal Heart
Also by this author: Grave Mercy, Mortal Heart
Source: Bought it
Amazon • Barnes & Noble • Goodreads
Sybella arrives at the convent’s doorstep half mad with grief and despair. Those that serve Death are only too happy to offer her refuge—but at a price. Naturally skilled in both the arts of death and seduction, the convent views Sybella as one of their most dangerous weapons. But those assassin’s skills are little comfort when the convent returns her to a life that nearly drove her mad. Her father’s rage and brutality are terrifying, and her brother’s love is equally monstrous. And while Sybella is a weapon of justice wrought by the god of Death himself, He must give her a reason to live. When she discovers an unexpected ally imprisoned in the dungeons, will a daughter of Death find something other than vengeance to live for? This heart-pounding sequel to Grave Mercy serves betrayal, treachery, and danger in equal measure, bringing readers back to fifteenth century Brittany and will keep them on the edge of their seats.
Book Review: Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor
Apr 5
Title // Author: Days of Blood and Starlight by Laini Taylor (web | twitter)
Series: Daughter of Smoke and Bone #2
Genre: Fantasy YA
Amazon | Goodreads
Publisher: Little, Brown BFYR
Release date: November 6, 2012
Challenge: 2013 TBR Challenge
Source: Own itSummary: Once upon a time, an angel and a devil fell in love and dared to imagine a world free of bloodshed and war.
This is not that world.
Art student and monster’s apprentice Karou finally has the answers she has always sought. She knows who she is—and what she is. But with this knowledge comes another truth she would give anything to undo: She loved the enemy and he betrayed her, and a world suffered for it.
In this stunning sequel to the highly acclaimed Daughter of Smoke & Bone, Karou must decide how far she’ll go to avenge her people. Filled with heartbreak and beauty, secrets and impossible choices, Days of Blood & Starlight finds Karou and Akiva on opposing sides as an age-old war stirs back to life.
While Karou and her allies build a monstrous army in a land of dust and starlight, Akiva wages a different sort of battle: a battle for redemption. For hope.
But can any hope be salvaged from the ashes of their broken dream?
