Waiting on Wednesday | The Vanishing Throne

Nov 4

The Vanishing Throne

The Vanishing Throne: The Falconer #2 • Elizabeth May

Book Cover The Vanishing Throne Elizabeth May

The second book in the Falconer trilogy is packed with surprises and suspense.

Aileana Kameron, the Falconer, disappeared through the portal that she was trying to close forever. Now she wakes up in the fae world, trapped and tortured by the evil Lonnrach. With the help of an unexpected ally, Aileana re-enters the human world, only to find everything irrevocably changed. Edinburgh has been destroyed, and the few human survivors are living in an uneasy truce with the fae, while both worlds are in danger of disappearing altogether. Aileana holds the key to saving both worlds, but in order to do so she must awaken her latent Falconer powers. And the price of doing that might be her life.

Rich with imaginative detail, action, fae lore, and romance, The Vanishing Throne is a thrilling sequel to The Falconer.

Guys, I enjoyed the CRAP out of THE FALCONER, with its historical fiction, Scotland, faeries, murder, romance, and a BADASS faerie-killing MC who likes building awesome steampunky things as a hobby. Aileana Kameron is excellent, and I can’t wait to see what happens in THE VANISHING THRONE. I’ve been so dying for it for such a long time. (Also, I love this cover.)

THE VANISHING THRONE comes out June 7, 2016 from Chronicle Books

The Vanishing Throne by Elizabeth May

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Book Review | Daughters Unto Devils | Amy Lukavics

Oct 19

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.

Book Review | Daughters Unto Devils | Amy LukavicsDaughters Unto Devils by Amy Lukavics
Published by Harlequin Teen on September 29, 2015
Genres: Historical Fiction, Horror & Ghost Stories, Young Adult
Pages: 231
Format: eARC
Source: the publisher via NetGalley
Amazon • Barnes & Noble • Goodreads
three-half-stars

When sixteen-year-old Amanda Verner’s family decides to move from their small mountain cabin to the vast prairie, she hopes it is her chance for a fresh start. She can leave behind the memory of the past winter; of her sickly Ma giving birth to a baby sister who cries endlessly; of the terrifying visions she saw as her sanity began to slip, the victim of cabin fever; and most of all, the memories of the boy she has been secretly meeting with as a distraction from her pain. The boy whose baby she now carries.

When the Verners arrive at their new home, a large cabin abandoned by its previous owners, they discover the inside covered in blood. And as the days pass, it is obvious to Amanda that something isn’t right on the prairie. She’s heard stories of lands being tainted by evil, of men losing their minds and killing their families, and there is something strange about the doctor and his son who live in the woods on the edge of the prairie. But with the guilt and shame of her sins weighing on her, Amanda can’t be sure if the true evil lies in the land, or deep within her soul.

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Audiobook Review | Mortal Heart | Robin LaFevers

Aug 27
Audiobook Review | Mortal Heart | Robin LaFeversMortal Heart by Robin LaFevers
Narrator: Jennifer Grace
Series: His Fair Assassin
Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Recorded Books on November 4, 2014
Genres: Fantasy YA, Historical Fiction, Young Adult
Length: 17 hours, 52 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Also in this series: Grave Mercy, Dark Triumph
Also by this author: Grave Mercy, Dark Triumph
Source: Audible
Amazon • Barnes & Noble • Audible • Goodreads
five-stars

Annith has watched her gifted sisters at the convent come and go, carrying out their dark dealings in the name of St. Mortain, patiently awaiting her own turn to serve Death. But her worst fears are realized when she discovers she is being groomed by the abbess as a Seeress, to be forever sequestered in the rock and stone womb of the convent. Feeling sorely betrayed, Annith decides to strike out on her own.

She has spent her whole life training to be an assassin. Just because the convent has changed its mind doesn’t mean she has…

[Read more…]

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Waiting on Wednesday | Blackhearts | Nicole Castroman

Jun 10

Waiting on Wednesday

Blackhearts • Nicole Castroman

Book cover Blackhearts Nicole Castroman

Blackbeard the pirate was known for striking fear in the hearts of the bravest of sailors. But once he was just a young man who dreamed of leaving his rigid life behind to chase adventure in faraway lands. Nothing could stop him—until he met the one girl who would change everything. This is their story.

Edward “Teach” Drummond, son of one of Bristol’s richest merchants, has just returned from a year-long journey on the high seas to find his life in shambles. Betrothed to a girl he doesn’t love and sick of the high society he was born into, Teach dreams only of returning to the vast ocean he’d begun to call home. There’s just one problem: convincing his father to let him leave and never come back.

Following her parents’ deaths, Anne Barrett is left penniless and soon to be homeless. Though she’s barely worked a day in her life, Anne is forced to take a job as a maid in the home of Master Drummond. Lonely days stretch into weeks, and Anne longs for escape. How will she ever realize her dream of sailing to Curaçao—where her mother was born—when she’s stuck in England?

From the moment Teach and Anne meet, they set the world ablaze. Drawn to each other, they’re trapped by society and their own circumstances. Faced with an impossible choice, they must decide to chase their dreams and go, or follow their hearts and stay.

I swear, friends, I had no idea that this cover was just released today until I looked at Twitter late in the afternoon, but YAY PIRATES. I am dyinggg over the prospect of being able to read about the infamous Blackbeard before he became infamous. There’s nothing about BLACKHEARTS that doesn’t appeal to me: the time period, the setting, the plot. Loving it all.

I will admit to being SUPER nervous about the end of this book already because, well, Blackbeard eventually became that nasty pirate. And, like, I don’t know this Anne person. Sooo…fingers crossed that this one doesn’t have a heart-breaking ending, guys.

BLACKHEARTS comes out on February 9, 2016 from Simon Pulse

Blackhearts Nicole Castroman

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Waiting on Wednesday | These Shallow Graves | Jennifer Donnelly

May 13

Waiting on Wednesday

These Shallow Graves • Jennifer Donnelly

Book cover These Shallow Graves Jennifer Donnelly

Set in gilded age New York, These Shallow Graves follows the story of Josephine Montfort, an American aristocrat. Jo lives a life of old-money ease. Not much is expected of her other than to look good and marry well. But when her father dies due to an accidental gunshot, the gilding on Jo’s world starts to tarnish. With the help of a handsome and brash reporter, and a young medical student who moonlights in the city morgue, Jo uncovers the truth behind her father’s death and learns that if you’re going to bury the past, you’d better bury it deep.

WORD. So, I’ve read two books of Jennifer Donnelly’s: one was amazing (REVOLUTION) and one was not so much (DEEP BLUE). I’ve had A NORTHERN LIGHT on my TBR for eons. Basically what I’m saying is, even with that blip (for me) with the mermaids, I’m still incredibly excited about Jennifer’s books, especially the ones that are more historical fiction. That seems to be her strong suit, and so HELLO, THESE SHALLOW GRAVES.

First of all, love the time period. Second of all, love the mysterious past factor. Third of all, love the cover. The secrets and the the fact that Jo seems to get at least mildly acquainted with the morgue really intrigue me. I CANNOT WAIT for THESE SHALLOW GRAVES.

THESE SHALLOW GRAVES comes out October 27, 2015 from Random House Children’s 

These Shallow Graves Jennifer Donnelly

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Waiting on Wednesday | The Next Together | Lauren James

Mar 18

Waiting on Wednesday

 The Next Together: The Next Together #1 • Lauren James

Book Cover The Next Together Lauren James

How many times can you lose the person you love?

A powerful and epic debut novel for teenagers about reincarnation and the timelessness of first love from a talented young writer.

Teenagers Katherine and Matthew are destined to be born again and again. Each time their presence changes history for the better, and each time, they fall hopelessly in love, only to be tragically separated.

But why do they keep coming back? What else must they achieve before they can be left to live and love in peace?
Maybe the next together will be different…

In 1745, during the siege of Carlisle, in 1854 on the way to the Crimea, in 2019 and 2039 as first scientists and then students uncovering and rediscovering a dangerous plot, and in multiple timescales between, they are thrown together, with no memory of having met one another before, only an irresistible instinct that they must be with one another against all odds – even while the epic events unfolding all around seem sure to tear them apart.

AHHH, ok. *Calms self* Guys, THE NEXT TOGETHER just sounds so fun and emotional. Like, I feel like I’m going to read it and cry. “Tragically separated” sounds so devastating, but I’m completely intrigued. I’m loving the historical fiction vibe, the contemporary romance vibe, and the dystopian conspiracy vibe. It sounds like time travel slash reincarnation, and that’s no small thing to attempt, but I’m curious enough to be UTTERLY STOKED.

Also, it’s impossible for me to NOT dig this cover. It’s got TEXTURE! Like I wish that each column was three-dimensional and I could open them like flaps. I’ll probably be ordering this one from overseas.

THE NEXT TOGETHER comes out on September 3, 2015 from Walker UK

The Next Together Lauren James

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Waiting on Wednesday | A Madness So Discreet | Mindy McGinnis

Mar 4

Waiting on Wednesday

A Madness So Discreet • Mindy McGinnis

Book cover A Madness So Discreet Mindy McGinnis

Grace Mae knows madness. She keeps it locked away, along with her voice, trapped deep inside a brilliant mind that cannot forget horrific family secrets. Those secrets, along with the bulge in her belly, land her in a Boston insane asylum.

When her voice returns in a burst of violence, Grace is banished to the dark cellars where her mind is discovered by a visiting doctor who dabbles in the new study of criminal psychology. With her keen eyes and sharp memory, Grace will make the perfect assistant at crime scenes. Escaping from Boston to the safety of an ethical Ohio asylum, Grace finds friendship and hope, hints of a life she should have had. But gruesome nights bring Grace and the doctor into the circle of a killer who stalks young women. Grace, continuing to operate under the cloak of madness, must hunt a murderer while she confronts the demons in her own past.

In this beautifully twisted historical thriller, Mindy McGinnis, acclaimed author of Not a Drop to Drink and In a Handful of Dust, explores the fine line between sanity and insanity, good and evil—and the madness that exists in all of us.

Guys, I just can’t with A MADNESS SO DISCREET. I’ve never read anything by Mindy McGinnis (I KNOW), but I’m psyched for this one to be my first. Also, LOL PSYCHED. Unintentional, guys. But seriously, a historical fiction book about the origins of criminal psychology sounds absolutely FASCINATING. Plus the young women being stalked and, I’m assuming, killed makes things sound dangerous and urgent. LOVE THAT. Also, who else is all, “Oooooh, a DOCTOR??” Just me?

Last thing: WTF IS THAT HAND ON THE COVER GRABBING HER FOOT. OMG.

A MADNESS SO DISCREET comes out October 6, 2015 from Katherine Tegen Books

A Madness So Discreet Mindy McGinnis

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Waiting on Wednesday | Vengeance Road

Feb 4

Waiting on Wednesday

 Vengeance Road • Erin Bowman

Book cover Vengeance Road Erin Bowman

When her father is killed by the notorious Rose Riders for a mysterious journal that reveals the secret location of a gold mine, eighteen year-old Kate Thompson disguises herself as a boy and takes to the gritty plains looking for answers–and justice. In the spirit of True Grit, acclaimed young adult novelist Erin Bowman brings to life the unpredictable and cutthroat days of the Wild West.

Friends, I’ve had VENGEANCE ROAD on my TBR for months now, but THE COVER IS OMG. I’m completely fascinated with the Old West. I’m not as well-read in it, but I love it. I love cowboys and wagon trains and the frontier. This book has all of that going on AND MORE. A secret journal and a hidden gold mine? STOP. JUST…I CAN’T. My body is ready.

VENGEANCE ROAD comes out on September 1, 2015 from HMH Kids

Vengeance Road Erin Bowman

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Waiting on Wednesday | Tangled Webs

Nov 19

Waiting on WednesdayTangled Webs: Tangled Webs #1 • Lee Bross

Book cover Tangled Webs Lee Bross

London, 1725. Everybody has a secret. Lady A will keep yours-for a price. This sumptuous, scandalous YA novel is wickedly addictive.

Lady A is the most notorious blackmailer in the city. With just a mask and a gown to disguise her, she sweeps into lavish balls and exclusive events collecting the most valuable currency in 1725 London-secrets.

But leading a double life isn’t easy. By day Lady A is just a sixteen-year-old girl named Arista who lives in fear of her abusive master, Bones, and passes herself off as a boy to move safely through the squalor of London’s slums. When Bones attempts to dispose of his pawn forever, Arista is rescued by the last person she expects: Jonathan Wild, an infamous thief who moves seamlessly between the city’s criminal underworld and its most elite circles. Arista partners with Wild on her own terms in the hopes of saving enough money to buy passage out of London.

Everything changes when she meets Grae Sinclair, the son of a wealthy merchant. Grae has traveled the world, seen the exotic lands Arista has longed to escape to her whole life, and he loves Arista for who she is-not for what she can do for him. Being with Grae gives something Arista something precious that she swore off long ago: hope. He has promised to help Arista escape the life of crime that has claimed her since she was a child. But can you ever truly escape the past?

First of all, guys, THIS COVER. I CANNOT IT’S GORGEOUS. Second–and more important–of all, I basically love the sound of this entire book. I love this time period, I love that it’s historical fiction, which I’m pledging to read more of, it has a thief, a girl dressing as a boy…I don’t think I need to say more. TANGLED WEBS sounds excellent.

I’m only slightly intrigued slash anxious about these two guys here–the thief and the rich boy. I’m hoping that this triangle isn’t weird. WHATEVS I already preordered it.

TANGLED WEBS comes out on June 23, 2015 from Disney Hyperion

Tangled Webs Lee Bross

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Waiting on Wednesday (57) | Winterspell

Jul 9

Waiting on Wednesday

Winterspell • Claire Legrand

Book cover Winterspell Claire Legrand

 

The clock chimes midnight, a curse breaks, and a girl meets a prince . . . but what follows is not all sweetness and sugarplums.

New York City, 1899. Clara Stole, the mayor’s ever-proper daughter, leads a double life. Since her mother’s murder, she has secretly trained in self-defense with the mysterious Drosselmeyer.

Then, on Christmas Eve, disaster strikes.

Her home is destroyed, her father abducted–by beings distinctly not human. To find him, Clara journeys to the war-ravaged land of Cane. Her only companion is the dethroned prince Nicholas, bound by a wicked curse. If they’re to survive, Clara has no choice but to trust him, but his haunted eyes burn with secrets–and a need she can’t define. With the dangerous, seductive faery queen Anise hunting them, Clara soon realizes she won’t leave Cane unscathed–if she leaves at all.

Inspired by The Nutcracker, Winterspell is a dark, timeless fairy tale about love and war, longing and loneliness, and a girl who must learn to live without fear.

So, shall I list all of the reasons I can’t wait for WINTERSPELL by Claire Legrand? Ok.

  1. Turn-of-the-century New York City
  2. Christmas
  3. “Beings distinctly not human.”
  4. Faery queens
  5. DROSSELMEYER
  6. NUTCRACKER RETELLING

Friends, a retelling of The Nutcracker just gets me so excited. I love The Nutcracker. When I was younger, my family would go the McCarter Theater in Princeton to see it at Christmas time, and since my dad has a soft spot for classical music, there were many holidays when we listened to Tchaikovsky during dinner. Also, there was the movie with Macauley Culkin, obvs. Claire Legrand is an author that I’ve just recently discovered, and I’m totally confident that her retelling will be fantastic. It sounds dark and magical, and THOSE are two things that are perfect together.

UPDATE: I completely forgot to address the fact that the girl on the cover is pretty much K. Stew. She generally bugs the crap out of me, but I’ll allow it. I do like this cover.

WINTERSPELL comes out September 30, 2014 from Simon & Schuster BFYR

Winterspell Claire Legrand

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