Book Release Day – June 27th 2017

Book Release Day

Hey guys!

It’s Tuesday, so you know what that means! It’s release day for a lot of major young adult titles for all to read and enjoy. Let’s take a look at what’s being released today into the world!


HarperCollins Canada

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee

LINKS to BUY: Good Reads | Amazon | Indigo | Book Depository | Barnes & Noble

The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and VirtueAn unforgettable tale of two friends on their Grand Tour of 18th-century Europe who stumble upon a magical artifact that leads them from Paris to Venice in a dangerous manhunt, fighting pirates, highwaymen, and their feelings for each other along the way.

Henry “Monty” Montague was born and bred to be a gentleman, but he was never one to be tamed. The finest boarding schools in England and the constant disapproval of his father haven’t been able to curb any of his roguish passions—not for gambling halls, late nights spent with a bottle of spirits, or waking up in the arms of women or men.

But as Monty embarks on his grand tour of Europe, his quest for a life filled with pleasure and vice is in danger of coming to an end. Not only does his father expect him to take over the family’s estate upon his return, but Monty is also nursing an impossible crush on his best friend and traveling companion, Percy.

Still it isn’t in Monty’s nature to give up. Even with his younger sister, Felicity, in tow, he vows to make this yearlong escapade one last hedonistic hurrah and flirt with Percy from Paris to Rome. But when one of Monty’s reckless decisions turns their trip abroad into a harrowing manhunt that spans across Europe, it calls into question everything he knows, including his relationship with the boy he adores.

Generation One by Pittacus Lore

Lorien Legacies Reborn #1

LINKS to BUY: Good ReadsAmazon | Indigo | Book Depository | Barnes & Noble

Generation OneIt has been over a year since the invasion of Earth was thwarted in Pittacus Lore’s United as One. But in order to win, our alien allies known as the Garde unleashed their Loric energy that spread throughout the globe. Now human teenagers have begun to develop incredible powers of their own, known as Legacies.

To help these incredible and potentially dangerous individuals—and put the world at ease—the Garde have created an academy where they can train this new generation to control their powers and hopefully one day help mankind. But not everyone thinks that’s the best use of their talents. And the teens may need to use their Legacies sooner than they ever imagined.

Perfect for fans of Marvel’s X-Men and Rick Yancey’s The 5th Wave, this epic new series follows a diverse cast of teens as they struggle to hone their abilities and decide what, if anything, they should do with them. As a spin-off of the bestselling I Am Number Four series, those familiar with the original books and newcomers alike will devour this fast-paced, action-packed sci-fi adventure.

 

Harlequin Teen

Reign of Serpents by Eleanor Herman

Bloods of Gods and Royals #3

LINKS to BUY: Good ReadsAmazon | Indigo | Book Depository | Barnes & Noble

Reign of SerpentsNew York Times bestselling author Eleanor Herman entwines the real scandals of history with epic fantasy in this action-packed follow-up to EMPIRE OF DUST.

In REIGN OF SERPENTS, the ancient power of Snake Blood threatens the known world. While Prince Alexander struggles with a very deadly inner demon, his betrothed, Zofia, is on her way to him, to unite their kingdoms…even as she begins to realize where her true allegiance lies. The fierce Cynane meets her match-not in her future husband, the deranged king of Illyria, but in her great-great-grandfather, Talus, possessor of Smoke Blood, who will teach her the true meaning of betrayal. And marooned together on an island in the Mediterranean, romantic tension blooms between Katerina and Hephaestion as they learn of lost civilizations and discover a device that could help them do the impossible: kill the last living god.

The Impossible Vastness of Us by Samantha Young

LINKS to BUY: Good ReadsAmazon | Indigo | Book Depository | Barnes & Noble

The Impossible Vastness of UsI know how to watch my back. I’m the only one that ever has.

India Maxwell hasn’t just moved across the country—she’s plummeted to the bottom rung of the social ladder. It’s taken years to cover the mess of her home life with a veneer of popularity. Now she’s living in one of Boston’s wealthiest neighborhoods with her mom’s fiancé and his daughter, Eloise. Thanks to her soon-to-be stepsister’s clique of friends, including Eloise’s gorgeous, arrogant boyfriend Finn, India feels like the one thing she hoped never to be seen as again: trash.

But India’s not alone in struggling to control the secrets of her past. Eloise and Finn, the school’s golden couple, aren’t all they seem to be. In fact, everyone’s life is infinitely more complex than it first appears. And as India grows closer to Finn and befriends Eloise, threatening the facades that hold them together, what’s left are truths that are brutal, beautiful, and big enough to change them forever…

Kensington Publishing

Girl on the Verge by Pintip Dunn

LINKS to BUY: Good ReadsAmazon | Indigo | Book Depository | Barnes & Noble

Girl on the VergeIn her small Kansas town, at her predominantly white school, Kanchana doesn’t look like anyone else. But at home, her Thai grandmother chides her for being too westernized. Only through the clothing Kan designs in secret can she find a way to fuse both cultures into something distinctly her own.

When her mother agrees to provide a home for a teenage girl named Shelly, Kan sees a chance to prove herself useful. Making Shelly feel comfortable is easy at first—her new friend is eager to please, embraces the family’s Thai traditions, and clearly looks up to Kan. Perhaps too much. Shelly seems to want everything Kanchana has, even the blond, blue-eyed boy she has a crush on. As Kan’s growing discomfort compels her to investigate Shelly’s past, she’s shocked to find how much it intersects with her own—and just how far Shelly will go to belong…

Penguin / Random House Canada

Now I Rise by Kiersten White

The Conqueror’s Saga #2

LINKS to BUY: Good ReadsAmazon | Indigo | Book Depository | Barnes & Noble

Now I RiseLada Dracul has no allies. No throne. All she has is what she’s always had: herself. After failing to secure the Wallachian throne, Lada is out to punish anyone who dares to cross her blood-strewn path. Filled with a white-hot rage, she storms the countryside with her men, accompanied by her childhood friend Bogdan, terrorizing the land. But brute force isn’t getting Lada what she wants. And thinking of Mehmed brings little comfort to her thorny heart. There’s no time to wonder whether he still thinks about her, even loves her. She left him before he could leave her.

What Lada needs is her younger brother Radu’s subtlety and skill. But Mehmed has sent him to Constantinople—and it’s no diplomatic mission. Mehmed wants control of the city, and Radu has earned an unwanted place as a double-crossing spy behind enemy lines. Radu longs for his sister’s fierce confidence—but for the first time in his life, he rejects her unexpected plea for help. Torn between loyalties to faith, to the Ottomans, and to Mehmed, he knows he owes Lada nothing. If she dies, he could never forgive himself—but if he fails in Constantinople, will Mehmed ever forgive him?

As nations fall around them, the Dracul siblings must decide: what will they sacrifice to fulfill their destinies? Empires will topple, thrones will be won . . . and souls will be lost.


Hope you guys pick up one of these new books out in stores today! Let me know if you guys do and which ones you plan on reading!

Until next time,

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Reign of Serpents| Waiting on Wednesday [#57]

Waiting on Wednesday

Hey guys!

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights highly anticipated upcoming releases.

So here’s what I’m waiting on this week!


Reign of Serpents

Author: Eleanor Herman
Series: Blood of Gods and Royals #3
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publication Date: June 27th 2017

goodreads

Reign of SerpentsIn REIGN OF SERPENTS, the ancient power of Snake Blood threatens the known world. While Prince Alexander struggles with a very deadly inner demon, his betrothed, Zofia, is on her way to him, to unite their kingdoms…even as she begins to realize where her true allegiance lies.

The fierce Cynane meets her match-not in her future husband, the deranged king of Illyria, but in her great-great-grandfather, Talus, possessor of Smoke Blood, who will teach her the true meaning of betrayal. And marooned together on an island in the Mediterranean, romantic tension blooms between Katerina and Hephaestion as they learn of lost civilizations and discover a device that could help them do the impossible: kill the last living god.

Why I’m Waiting

I absolutely love this series! This new take on Alexander the Great has expanded on the stories and characters with many fantastical twists and turns. Can’t wait to see what happens next!

P.S. Eleanor Herman is the author of The Legacy of Kings, and Empire of Dust.


What has you guys waiting this week? Let me know down below!

Until next time,

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Most Anticipated 2017 Finales (Jan-June)

 

most-anticipated-finalesHey guys!

Welcome back to part 4 of my 5 part anticipated releases of 2017 series. I thought it would be fun to put together a couple of most anticipated lists for some amazing 2017 young adult books that I am thoroughly looking forward to. This is only part 4 of a 5 part list.

Part 1: Debuts

Part 2: New Series

Part 3: Sequels

Part 4: Finales

Part 5: Standalones

So stay tuned over the next couple weeks for many new books for you to add to your TBR’s if they aren’t on there already. Let’s move on to the Most Anticipated 2017 Finales from January to June!


A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab

Release Date: February 21st, 2017

London’s fall and kingdoms rise while darkness sweeps the Maresh Empire—and the fraught balance of magic blossoms into dangerous territory while heroes and foes struggle alike. The direct sequel to A Gathering of Shadows, and the final book in the Shades of Magic epic fantasy series, A Conjuring of Light sees Schwab reach a thrilling culmination concerning the fate of beloved protagonists—and old enemies…

A Crown of Wishes by Roshani Chokshi

Release Date: March 28th, 2017

Gauri, the princess of Bharata, has been taken as a prisoner of war by her kingdom’s enemies. Faced with a future of exile and scorn, Gauri has nothing left to lose. Hope unexpectedly comes in the form of Vikram, the cunning prince of a neighboring land and her sworn enemy kingdom. Unsatisfied with becoming a mere puppet king, Vikram offers Gauri a chance to win back her kingdom in exchange for her battle prowess. Together, they’ll have to set aside their differences and team up to win the Tournament of Wishes—a competition held in a mythical city where the Lord of Wealth promises a wish to the victor…

Reign of Serpents by Eleanor Herman

Release Date: June 27th, 2017

In REIGN OF SERPENTS, the ancient power of Snake Blood threatens the known world. While Prince Alexander struggles with a very deadly inner demon, his betrothed, Zofia, is on her way to him, to unite their kingdoms…even as she begins to realize where her true allegiance lies. The fierce Cynane meets her match-not in her future husband, the deranged king of Illyria, but in her great-great-grandfather, Talus, possessor of Smoke Blood, who will teach her the true meaning of betrayal. And marooned together on an island in the Mediterranean, romantic tension blooms between Katerina and Hephaestion as they learn of lost civilizations and discover a device that could help them do the impossible: kill the last living god…

Wayfarer by Alexandra Bracken

Release Date: January 3rd, 2017

All Etta Spencer wanted was to make her violin debut when she was thrust into a treacherous world where the struggle for power could alter history. After losing the one thing that would have allowed her to protect the Timeline, and the one person worth fighting for, Etta awakens alone in an unknown place and time, exposed to the threat of the two groups who would rather see her dead than succeed. When help arrives, it comes from the last person Etta ever expected—Julian Ironwood, the Grand Master’s heir who has long been presumed dead, and whose dangerous alliance with a man from Etta’s past could put them both at risk…

Thief’s Cunning by Sarah Ahiers

Release Date: June 13th, 2017

The companion novel to Assassin’s Heart—an action-packed fantasy that Printz Award winner Laura Ruby said “will keep you turning the pages all night long”—Thief’s Cunning picks up eighteen years later and follows Allegra Saldana as she uncovers the secrets about the line of killers she descends from.

Allegra has always had to look over her shoulder. As the niece of the infamous assassin Lea Saldana, Allegra is used to hiding from people who want her dead. Once the strongest clipper family in the Kingdom of Lovero, the Saldanas—or what’s left of them—are now the most hunted. Their number one enemy is the Da Vias, whose thirst for retaliation is almost two decades in the making…

Rise of Fire by Sophie Jordan

Release Date: February 7th, 2017

The richly suspenseful sequel to Sophie Jordan’s romantic fantasy Reign of Shadows.

Luna and Fowler have escaped the kingdom of Relhok, but they haven’t escaped the darkness. When a battle against the dark dwellers mortally injures Fowler, Luna is faced with a choice: put their fate in the hands of mysterious strangers or risk losing Fowler forever…

Always and Forever, Lara Jean by Jenny Han

Release Date: May 2nd, 2017

Lara Jean’s letter-writing days aren’t over in this surprise follow-up to the New York Times bestselling To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before and P.S. I Still Love You.

Lara Jean is having the best senior year a girl could ever hope for. She is head over heels in love with her boyfriend, Peter; her dad’s finally getting remarried to their next door neighbor, Ms. Rothschild; and Margot’s coming home for the summer just in time for the wedding…

The Gauntlet by Megan Shepherd

Release Date: May 23rd, 2017

Cora and her friends have escaped the Kindred station and landed at Armstrong—a supposed safe haven on a small moon—where they plan to regroup and figure out how to win the Gauntlet, the challenging competition to prove humanity’s intelligence and set them free. But Armstrong is no paradise; ruled by a power-hungry sheriff, it’s a violent world where the teens are enslaved and put to work in mines. As Nok’s due date grows closer, and Mali and Leon journey across space to rescue Cassian, the former inhabitants of the cage are up against impossible odds…

Honestly Ben by Bill Konigsberg

Release Date: March 28th, 2017

In the companion to Openly Straight, Ben confronts pressure at school, repression at home, and his passion for two very different people in figuring out what it takes to be Honestly Ben.

Ben Carver is back to normal. He’s working steadily in his classes at the Natick School. He just got elected captain of the baseball team. He’s even won a full scholarship to college, if he can keep up his grades. All that foolishness with Rafe Goldberg the past semester is in the past.

Except . . .

Seeker by Veronica Rossi

Release Date: May 16th, 2017

When Daryn claimed she was seeing visions during her sophomore year of high school, no one believed the truth. She wasn’t losing her mind, she was gaining the Sight the ability to see the future. If she just paid attention to the visions, they’d provide her with clues and show her how she could help people. Really help them. Daryn embraced her role as a Seeker. The work she did was important. She saved lives.

Until Sebastian…

The Ship Beyond Time by Heidi Heilig

Release Date: February 28th, 2017

The breathtaking sequel to the acclaimed The Girl from Everywhere. Nix has escaped her past, but when the person she loves most is at risk, even the daughter of a time traveler may not be able to outrun her fate—no matter where she goes. Fans of Rae Carson, Alexandra Bracken, and Outlander will fall hard for Heidi Heilig’s sweeping fantasy…

Dove Alight by Karen Bao

Release Date: May 23rd, 2017

The action-packed finale of this explosive sci-fi series for fans of Ender’s Game and Star Wars.

Shy, introverted Phaet Theta has gone from being a top student to an interplanetary fugitive to the reluctant but fierce leader of a revolution. With the Earthbound on their side, she and her friends finally have a chance at toppling the evil leaders who’ve held the Moon captive for decades. But as the death tolls rise, the cost of the war weighs heavily on Phaet, even as she’s forced to lead her siblings and Wes, the love of her life, into terrible danger…


Well there you have it! My most anticipated finales for the first half of the year. Are you guys looking forward to any of these ones too? Stay tuned for Part 5: Standalones coming soon!

Until next time,

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Top 16 Books of 2016 | Books at Dawn

best-books-of-2016

Hey guys!

Welcome to a new year. How crazy has time flown by though; so insane. Well to start off the new year right, it only makes sense to list my favorite reads from 2016. The top 16 best books to be exact. Get it, 16 for 2016. I know, how original.

By doing this I hope to discuss some of the books that we both read together, or bring to your attention some books that you might have overlooked last year. So without further ado, here is my Top 16 Books of 2016:


16. Siren’s Song

Siren's SongNym and Draewulf prepare to face off in a battle destined to destroy more lives than it saves.

With the loss of Tulla still fresh in mind, Rasha’s fate unknown, and Lord Myles taken over by the dark ability, Nym and the few Bron soldiers rush to warn Cashlin’s queen. Only to discover it may already be too late for the monarch and her eerie kingdom. As the Luminescents are sifting through Nym’s past memories and the queen is reading into her future, Nym is given a choice of how to defeat Draewulf, but the cost may be more than she can bear. And even then there are no guarantees.

With that reality burrowing into her bones—along with the guilt of the lives she will sacrifice—Nym returns to her homeland of Faelen to raise an army of peasants through promises of freedom. But when the few friends she has left, along with the world and citizens she loves, are staring down the face of a monster and his undead army, will Nym summon every element her blood is capable of controlling . . . or surrender to a different strength—one of sacrifice?

Because in the end, death may be more merciful for them all.

🌟🌟🌟🌟

4 Stars

For my full thoughts, check out my review:
Siren’s Song Review

15. Paper Princess

Paper PrincessFrom strip clubs and truck stops to southern coast mansions and prep schools, one girl tries to stay true to herself.

These Royals will ruin you…

Ella Harper is a survivor—a pragmatic optimist. She’s spent her whole life moving from town to town with her flighty mother, struggling to make ends meet and believing that someday she’ll climb out of the gutter. After her mother’s death, Ella is truly alone.

Until Callum Royal appears, plucking Ella out of poverty and tossing her into his posh mansion among his five sons who all hate her. Each Royal boy is more magnetic than the last, but none as captivating as Reed Royal, the boy who is determined to send her back to the slums she came from.

Reed doesn’t want her. He says she doesn’t belong with the Royals.

He might be right.

Wealth. Excess. Deception. It’s like nothing Ella has ever experienced, and if she’s going to survive her time in the Royal palace, she’ll need to learn to issue her own Royal decrees.

🌟🌟🌟🌟

4 Stars

My Thoughts:

Paper Princess was a deliciously addictive contemporary romance with tons of drama, sex, and swoon worthy bad boys. I can’t wait to pick up the sequels in the near future!

14. Air Awakens

Air AwakensA library apprentice, a sorcerer prince, and an unbreakable magic bond…

The Solaris Empire is one conquest away from uniting the continent, and the rare elemental magic sleeping in seventeen-year-old library apprentice Vhalla Yarl could shift the tides of war.

Vhalla has always been taught to fear the Tower of Sorcerers, a mysterious magic society, and has been happy in her quiet world of books. But after she unknowingly saves the life of one of the most powerful sorcerers of them all—the Crown Prince Aldrik—she finds herself enticed into his world. Now she must decide her future: Embrace her sorcery and leave the life she’s known, or eradicate her magic and remain as she’s always been. And with powerful forces lurking in the shadows, Vhalla’s indecision could cost her more than she ever imagined.

🌟🌟🌟🌟

4 Stars

My Thoughts: 

Air Awakens is the beginning of what I imagine is going to be a vast and intriguing fantasy about the last of her kind. This book sets up a lot with characters, world, and history. I look forward to some more action and adventure in the future installments!

13. The Swan Riders

The Swan RidersGreta Stuart had always known her future: die young. She was her country’s crown princess, and also its hostage, destined to be the first casualty in an inevitable war. But when the war came it broke all the rules, and Greta forged a different path.

She is no longer princess. No longer hostage. No longer human. Greta Stuart has become an AI.

If she can survive the transition, Greta will earn a place alongside Talis, the AI who rules the world. Talis is a big believer in peace through superior firepower. But some problems are too personal to obliterate from orbit, and for those there are the Swan Riders: a small band of humans who serve the AIs as part army, part cult.

Now two of the Swan Riders are escorting Talis and Greta across post-apocalyptic Saskatchewan. But Greta’s fate has stirred her nation into open rebellion, and the dry grassland may hide insurgents who want to rescue her – or see her killed. Including Elian, the boy she saved—the boy who wants to change the world, with a knife if necessary. Even the infinitely loyal Swan Riders may not be everything they seem.

Greta’s fate—and the fate of her world—are balanced on the edge of a knife in this smart, sly, electrifying adventure.

🌟🌟🌟🌟

4 Stars

For my full thoughts, check out my review:
The Swan Riders Review

12. The Impostor Queen

The Impostor QueenSixteen-year-old Elli was only a child when the Elders of Kupari chose her to succeed the Valtia, the queen who wields infinitely powerful ice and fire magic in service of her people. The only life Elli has known has been in the temple, surrounded by luxury, tutored by magic-wielding priests, preparing for the day when the queen perishes—and the ice and fire find a new home in Elli, who is prophesied to be the most powerful Valtia to ever rule.

But when the queen dies defending the kingdom from invading warriors, the magic doesn’t enter Elli. It’s nowhere to be found.

Disgraced, Elli flees to the outlands, home of banished criminals—some who would love to see the temple burn with all its priests inside. As she finds her footing in this new world, Elli uncovers devastating new information about the Kupari magic, those who wield it, and the prophecy that foretold her destiny. Torn between her love for her people and her growing loyalty to the banished, Elli struggles to understand the true role she was meant to play. But as war looms, she must choose the right side before the kingdom and its magic are completely destroyed.

🌟🌟🌟🌟

4 Stars

For my full thoughts, check out my review:
The Impostor Queen Review

11. Court of Fives

Court of FivesOn the Fives court, everyone is equal.

And everyone is dangerous.

Jessamy’s life is a balance between acting like an upper-class Patron and dreaming of the freedom of the Commoners. But away from her family, she can be whomever she wants when she sneaks out to train for the Fives, an intricate, multilevel athletic competition that offers a chance for glory to the kingdom’s best competitors.

Then Jes meets Kalliarkos, and an improbable friendship between the two Fives competitors—one of mixed race and the other a Patron boy—causes heads to turn. When Kal’s powerful, scheming uncle tears Jes’s family apart, she’ll have to test her new friend’s loyalty and risk the vengeance of a royal clan to save her mother and sisters from certain death.

🌟🌟🌟🌟

4 Stars

For my full thoughts, check out my review:
Court of Fives Review

10. Empire of Dust

Empire of DustIn Macedon, war rises like smoke, forbidden romance blooms and ancient magic tempered with rage threatens to turn an empire to dust.

After winning his first battle, Prince Alexander fights to become the ruler his kingdom demands—but the line between leader and tyrant blurs with each new threat.

Meanwhile, Hephaestion, cast aside by Alexander for killing the wrong man, must conceal the devastating secret of a divine prophecy from Katerina even as the two of them are thrust together on a dangerous mission to Egypt.

The warrior, Jacob, determined to forget his first love, vows to eradicate the ancient Blood Magics and believes that royal prisoner Cynane holds the key to Macedon’s undoing.

And in chains, the Persian princess Zofia still longs to find the Spirit Eaters, but first must grapple with the secrets of her handsome—and deadly—captor.

🌟🌟🌟🌟

4 Stars

For my full thoughts, check out my review:
Empire of Dust Review

9. Fate of Flames

Fate of FlamesYears ago, everything changed. Phantoms, massive beasts of nightmare, began terrorizing the world. At the same time four girls, the Effigies, appeared, each with the unique power to control a classical element. Since then, they have protected the world from the Phantoms. At the death of one Effigy, another is chosen, pulled from her normal life into the never-ending battle.

When Maia unexpectedly becomes the next Fire Effigy, she resists her new calling. A quiet girl with few friends and almost no family, she was much happier to admire the Effigies from afar. Never did she imagine having to master her ability to control fire, to protect innocent citizens from the Phantoms, or to try bringing together the other three Effigies.

But with the arrival of the mysterious Saul—a man who seems to be able to control the Phantoms using the same cosmic power previously only granted to four girls at a time—Maia and the other Effigies must learn to work together in a world where their celebrity is more important than their heroism.

But the secrets Saul has, and the power he possesses, might be more than even they can handle…

🌟🌟🌟🌟

4 Stars

For my full thoughts, check out my review:
Fate of Flames Review

8. Boy Robot

Boy RobotSeventeen-year-old Isaak discovers the truth about his origin and the underground forces that must come together to fight against a secret government organization formed to eradicate those like him in this high-octane science fiction debut.

There once was a boy who was made, not created.

In a single night, Isaak’s life changed forever.

His adoptive parents were killed, a mysterious girl saved him from a team of soldiers, and he learned of his own dark and destructive origin.

An origin he doesn’t want to believe, but one he cannot deny.

Isaak is a Robot: a government-made synthetic human, produced as a weapon and now hunted, marked for termination.

He and the Robots can only find asylum with the Underground—a secret network of Robots and humans working together to ensure a coexistent future.

To be protected by the Underground, Isaak will have to make it there first. But with a deadly military force tasked to find him at any cost, his odds are less than favorable.

Now Isaak must decide whether to hold on to his humanity and face possible death…or to embrace his true nature in order to survive, at the risk of becoming the weapon he was made to be.

In his debut, recording artist Simon Curtis has written a fast-paced, high-stakes novel that explores humanity, the ultimate power of empathy, and the greatest battle of all: love vs. fear.

🌟🌟🌟🌟

4 Stars

For my full thoughts, check out my review:
Boy Robot Review

7. The Sun is Also a Star

The Sun is Also a StarNatasha: I’m a girl who believes in science and facts. Not fate. Not destiny. Or dreams that will never come true. I’m definitely not the kind of girl who meets a cute boy on a crowded New York City street and falls in love with him. Not when my family is twelve hours away from being deported to Jamaica. Falling in love with him won’t be my story.

Daniel: I’ve always been the good son, the good student, living up to my parents’ high expectations. Never the poet. Or the dreamer. But when I see her, I forget about all that. Something about Natasha makes me think that fate has something much more extraordinary in store—for both of us.

The Universe: Every moment in our lives has brought us to this single moment. A million futures lie before us. Which one will come true?

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

5 Stars

For my full thoughts, check out my review:
The Sun is Also a Star Review

6. Tell Me Three Things

Tell Me Three ThingsEverything about Jessie is wrong. At least, that’s what it feels like during her first week of junior year at her new ultra-intimidating prep school in Los Angeles. Just when she’s thinking about hightailing it back to Chicago, she gets an email from a person calling themselves Somebody/Nobody (SN for short), offering to help her navigate the wilds of Wood Valley High School. Is it an elaborate hoax? Or can she rely on SN for some much-needed help?

It’s been barely two years since her mother’s death, and because her father eloped with a woman he met online, Jessie has been forced to move across the country to live with her stepmonster and her pretentious teenage son.

In a leap of faith—or an act of complete desperation—Jessie begins to rely on SN, and SN quickly becomes her lifeline and closest ally. Jessie can’t help wanting to meet SN in person. But are some mysteries better left unsolved?

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

5 Stars

For my full thoughts, check out my review:
Tell Me Three Things Review

5. The Serpent King

The Serpent KingDill has had to wrestle with vipers his whole life at home, as the only son of a Pentecostal minister who urges him to handle poisonous rattlesnakes, and at school, where he faces down bullies who target him for his father’s extreme faith and very public fall from grace.

The only antidote to all this venom is his friendship with fellow outcasts Travis and Lydia. But as they are starting their senior year, Dill feels the coils of his future tightening around him. Dill’s only escapes are his music and his secret feelings for Lydia neither of which he is brave enough to share. Graduation feels more like an ending to Dill than a beginning. But even before then, he must cope with another ending one that will rock his life to the core.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

5 Stars

For my full thoughts, check out my review:
The Serpent King Review

4. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

HP and the Goblet of FireHarry Potter is midway through both his training as a wizard and his coming of age. Harry wants to get away from the pernicious Dursleys and go to the International Quidditch Cup with Hermione, Ron, and the Weasleys. He wants to dream about Cho Chang, his crush (and maybe do more than dream).

He wants to find out about the mysterious event that supposed to take place at Hogwarts this year, an event involving two other rival schools of magic, and a competition that hasn’t happened for hundreds of years. He wants to be a normal, fourteen-year-old wizard. But unfortunately for Harry Potter, he’s not normal – even by wizarding standards.
And in his case, different can be deadly.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

5 Stars

My Thoughts:

Can you believe that I am almost 25 years old and I am finally reading Harry Potter for the first time? That’s insane right? Well I am LOVING it. HP and the Goblet of Fire is by far my favorite one in the series so far. Just like it was my favorite of the movies also. I love how much more character growth and insight we get from the books. I’m hoping I can finish the series by years end!

3. We Are the Ants

We Are the AntsThere are a few things Henry Denton knows, and a few things he doesn’t.

Henry knows that his mom is struggling to keep the family together, and coping by chain-smoking cigarettes. He knows that his older brother is a college dropout with a pregnant girlfriend. He knows that he is slowly losing his grandmother to Alzheimer’s. And he knows that his boyfriend committed suicide last year.

What Henry doesn’t know is why the aliens chose to abduct him when he was thirteen, and he doesn’t know why they continue to steal him from his bed and take him aboard their ship. He doesn’t know why the world is going to end or why the aliens have offered him the opportunity to avert the impending disaster by pressing a big red button.

But they have. And they’ve only given him 144 days to make up his mind.

The question is whether Henry thinks the world is worth saving. That is, until he meets Diego Vega, an artist with a secret past who forces Henry to question his beliefs, his place in the universe, and whether any of it really matters. But before Henry can save the world, he’s got to figure out how to save himself, and the aliens haven’t given him a button for that.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

5 Stars

For my full thoughts, check out my review:
We Are the Ants Review

2. Golden Son & Morning Star

Golden SonDarrow is a rebel forged by tragedy. For years he and his fellow Reds worked the mines, toiling to make the surface of Mars inhabitable. They were, they believed, mankind’s last hope. Until Darrow discovered that it was all a lie, and that the Red were nothing more than unwitting slaves to an elitist ruling class, the Golds, who had been living on Mars in luxury for generations.

In RED RISING, Darrow infiltrated Gold society, to fight in secret for a better future for his people. Now fully embedded amongst the Gold ruling class, Darrow continues his dangerous work to bring them down from within. It’s a journey that will take him further than he’s ever been before – but is Darrow truly willing to pay the price that rebellion demands?

Hic sunt leones.

A life-or-death tale of vengeance with an unforgettable hero at its heart, Golden Son guarantees Pierce Brown’s growing status as one of fiction’s most exciting new voices.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

5 Stars

Morning StarDarrow would have lived in peace, but his enemies brought him war. The Gold overlords demanded his obedience, hanged his wife, and enslaved his people. But Darrow is determined to fight back. Risking everything to transform himself and breach Gold society, Darrow has battled to survive the cutthroat rivalries that breed Society’s mightiest warriors, climbed the ranks, and waited patiently to unleash the revolution that will tear the hierarchy apart from within.

Finally, the time has come.

But devotion to honor and hunger for vengeance run deep on both sides. Darrow and his comrades-in-arms face powerful enemies without scruple or mercy. Among them are some Darrow once considered friends. To win, Darrow will need to inspire those shackled in darkness to break their chains, unmake the world their cruel masters have built, and claim a destiny too long denied—and too glorious to surrender.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

5 Stars

For my full thoughts, check out my review:
Golden Son Review & Morning Star Review

1. Frozen Tides & Crystal Storm

Frozen TidesCLEO: Reeling after a bloody showdown in Limeros ending with Amara’s abduction of the water crystal, and a vacancy in the Mytican throne, Princess Cleo must cast aside her feelings and look toward her kingdom with the eyes of a Queen.

MAGNUS: With the kingdom in chaos, Princess Lucia still missing and quite possibly in danger, and a shocking realization about Cleo, the steely prince is once again torn between love and duty, leaving him wondering whether he’s strong enough to rule his people.

LUCIA: The young sorcercess has had her vengeance after the cruel death of her first and only love. Heartbroken and unable to trust anyone, she allies with the awoken Fire god, who also seeks revenge.

JONAS: After escaping death by the skin of his teeth, the defeated rebel—along with a mysterious stranger–leader reunites with Princess Cleo, only to find himself a mere pawn in a dangerous hunt for the elusive Kindred.

KING GAIUS: Abandoned by Melenia and betrayed by his own children, Gaius flees Mytica and sails to Kraeshia, where he attempts to ally with the famously brutal emperor across the Silver Sea.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

5 Stars

My Thoughts:

You all know that the Falling Kingdoms series is my all time favorite. Well book 4 does not disappoint at all! It’s fun, action packed, and a wild ride from beginning to end. So much is revealed in this installment that my brain and feels could not take it anymore! A ship finally gets together… and one of my favorite characters rises from the dead. Considering how many characters have died in this series, it’s not much of a spoiler to who it is!

Crystal StormThe ruthless Empress Amara of Kraeshia has taken the Mytican throne, and now uncertainty looms over the three kingdoms. Since Lucia unleashed the fire Kindred, wreaking havoc throughout the land, Myticans have been looking for someone—anyone—they can trust. They believe in Amara, not knowing her grand promises are built on lies.

In Paelsia, Magnus and Cleo reluctantly follow King Gaius to the home of his exiled mother, Selia. Selia is a powerful witch and claims she can help unlock the magic of the Kindred—if the visitors agree to her terms. When Jonas arrives from Kraeshia, he is shocked to find that his rebel army now includes his sworn enemies. Along with Nic, Felix, and the mysteriously resurrected Ashur, the contentious group agrees to cast aside old grudges—for now—and united against their common enemy: Amara.

Meanwhile, bearing the child of a Watcher and feared by all, Princess Lucia travels across Mytica to find her family. But time is running out. The impending storm signals the dark prophecy Timotheus warned her about. Her fate is written, and it includes none other than the rebel Jonas. When their paths collied, Jonas and Lucia must decide between blindly following their destiny or fighting for their own free will.

The battle for power culminates at the Paelsian palace, where Amara resides. Rain pours. Blood spills. And soon all will discover that the darkest magic comes at an even darker price.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

5 Stars

My Thoughts:

OH-EM-GEE. What a freaking ending that was. How, why, what???? This series has now taken on a whole new level of awesomeness. My poor babies…. what is going to happen to my precious, precious characters?? I guess we will have to sit back and find out!


Well there you have it! My Top 16 Books of 2016. What did you think? What were some of your favorite books of 2016? Let me know in the comments!

Until next time,

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Weekly Cover Reveal Recap | December 26 – January 1

Weekly Cover RevealsHey guys!

Here are the covers that were revealed during the week of December 26 – January 1. Click the author to hop on over to their GoodReads page to add it to you’re TBR!

This was a big week for reveals. Hope ya’ll enjoy.

FANTASY / SCI-FI

Reign of Serpents by Eleanor Herman (Blood of Gods and Royals #3)

Published by Harlequin Teen

June 27th 2017

Reign of SerpentsNew York Times bestselling author Eleanor Herman entwines the real scandals of history with epic fantasy in this action-packed follow-up to EMPIRE OF DUST.

In REIGN OF SERPENTS, the ancient power of Snake Blood threatens the known world. While Prince Alexander struggles with a very deadly inner demon, his betrothed, Zofia, is on her way to him, to unite their kingdoms…even as she begins to realize where her true allegiance lies. The fierce Cynane meets her match-not in her future husband, the deranged king of Illyria, but in her great-great-grandfather, Talus, possessor of Smoke Blood, who will teach her the true meaning of betrayal. And marooned together on an island in the Mediterranean, romantic tension blooms between Katerina and Hephaestion as they learn of lost civilizations and discover a device that could help them do the impossible: kill the last living god.

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Published by St. Martin’s Griffin

May 9th 2017

Carry OnSimon Snow is the worst chosen one who’s ever been chosen

That’s what his roommate, Baz, says. And Baz might be evil and a vampire and a complete git, but he’s probably right.

Half the time Simon can’t even make his wand work, and the other half, he sets something on fire. His mentor’s avoiding him, his girlfriend broke up with him, and there’s a magic-eating monster running around wearing Simon’s face. Baz would be having a field day with all this, if he were here – it’s their last year at Watford School of Magicks, and Simon’s infuriating nemesis didn’t even bother to show up.

Carry On is a love letter to love stories and the power of words – to every ‘chosen one’ who ever had more on their mind than saving the world…

Beauty and the Beast: Lost in a Book by Jennifer Donnelly

Published by Disney Press

January 31st 2017

Lost in a BookAn original addition to the beloved Beauty and the Beast fairy tale, Lost in a Book follows the lonely, bookish Belle as she finds an enchanted book in the Beast’s library called Nevermore that carries her into a glittering new world. There, Belle is befriended by a mysterious countess who offers her the life she’s always dreamed of.

But Nevermore is not what it seems, and the more time Belle spends there, the harder it is to leave. Good stories take hold of us and never let us go, and once Belle becomes lost in this book, she may never find her way out again.

This deluxe hardcover novel expands upon the beautiful story and world seen in the new Walt Disney Studios’ film, Beauty and the Beast.

Umberland by Wendy Spinale (Everland #2)

Published by Scholastic Press

May 9th 2017

UmberlandGwen, Pete, and the others have escaped from Everland. But the safe haven they hoped to find at Alnwick Castle doesn’t exist. With the Queen of England on her deathbed, Duchess Alyssa has stepped in to lead, but things have gotten worse as the cure Doc created for the Horologia virus has mutated, accelerating the disease. The only possible solution he can think of is to go back to the virus’s origin: an extinct poisonous apple.

Legend has it a tree bearing the apple might be found at the center of a deadly labyrinth hidden deep within Germany. A place that no one in their right mind enters. Leaving Pete in charge of the survivors, Alyssa sets out with only her sword, her wits, and the help of Maddox Hadder, a wild boy who oversees the castle gardens. To get to the center of the maze, she’ll be forced to battle monsters more terrifying than her darkest nightmares.

But can anyone truly survive the madness of the maze? And what if there’s no apple to be found there?

The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden

Published by Del Rey

January 10th 2017

The Bear and the NightingaleAt the edge of the Russian wilderness, winter lasts most of the year and the snowdrifts grow taller than houses. But Vasilisa doesn’t mind—she spends the winter nights huddled around the embers of a fire with her beloved siblings, listening to her nurse’s fairy tales. Above all, she loves the chilling story of Frost, the blue-eyed winter demon, who appears in the frigid night to claim unwary souls. Wise Russians fear him, her nurse says, and honor the spirits of house and yard and forest that protect their homes from evil.

After Vasilisa’s mother dies, her father goes to Moscow and brings home a new wife. Fiercely devout, city-bred, Vasilisa’s new stepmother forbids her family from honoring the household spirits. The family acquiesces, but Vasilisa is frightened, sensing that more hinges upon their rituals than anyone knows.

And indeed, crops begin to fail, evil creatures of the forest creep nearer, and misfortune stalks the village. All the while, Vasilisa’s stepmother grows ever harsher in her determination to groom her rebellious stepdaughter for either marriage or confinement in a convent.

As danger circles, Vasilisa must defy even the people she loves and call on dangerous gifts she has long concealed—this, in order to protect her family from a threat that seems to have stepped from her nurse’s most frightening tales.

The Seafarer’s Kiss by Julia Ember

Published by Duet Books

May 4th 2017

The Seafarer's KissHaving long-wondered what lives beyond the ice shelf, nineteen-year-old mermaid Ersel learns of the life she wants when she rescues and befriends Ragna, a shield-maiden stranded on the mermen’s glacier. But when Ersel’s childhood friend and suitor catches them together, he gives Ersel a choice: say goodbye to Ragna or face justice at the hands of the glacier’s brutal king.

Determined to forge a different fate, Ersel seeks help from Loki. But such deals are never as one expects, and the outcome sees her exiled from the only home and protection she’s known. To save herself from perishing in the barren, underwater wasteland and be reunited with the human she’s come to love, Ersel must try to outsmart the God of Lies.

Unraveling by Sara Ella (Unblemished #2)

Published by Thomas Nelson

July 11th 2017

UnravelingOne kiss changed her future. Can another alter her past?

Eliyana Ember doesn’t believe in true love. Not anymore. After all she’s been through between capturing the Void and saving the Second Reflection, El only trusts what’s right in front of her. The tangible. The real. Not some unexplained Kiss of Infinity she once shared with the ghost of a boy she’s trying to forget. She has more important things to worry about—like becoming queen of the Second Reflection, a role she is so not prepared to fill.

But why does she feel like something—or someone—Is missing?

When the Callings, those powerful magical gifts, become threatened, Eliyana discovers her connection with Ky Rhyen may have something to do with it. El needs answers before the Callings disappear altogether. Can she find a way to sever her tie with Ky without killing him, and keep herself from truly falling for him in the process?

Julia Defiant by Catherine Egan (Witch’s Child #2)

Published by Knopf Books for Young Readers

June 13th 2017

Julia DefiantJulia and a mismatched band of revolutionaries, scholars, and thieves have crossed the world searching for a witch. But for all the miles traveled, they are no closer to finding Ko Dan. No closer to undoing the terrible spell he cast that bound an ancient magic to the life of a small child. Casimir wants that magic will happily kill Theo to extract it and every moment they hunt for Ko Dan, Casimir s assassins are hunting them.

Julia can deal with danger. The thing that truly scares her lies within. Her strange ability to vanish to a place just out of sight has grown: she can now disappear so completely that it s like stepping into another world. It s a fiery, hellish world, filled with creatures who seem to recognize her and count her as one of their own.
So . . . is Julia a girl with a monster lurking inside her? Or a monster wearing the disguise of a girl?

If she can use her monstrous power to save Theo, does it matter?

CONTEMPORARY

The Lake Effect by Erin McCahan

Published by Dial Books

July 11th 2017

The Lake Effectlake effect | n.
The effect of any lake, especially the Great Lakes, in modifying the weather in nearby areas

It’s the summer after his senior year, and driven, focused Briggs Henry is ready to leave behind his ex-girlfriend, his comically aggressive grandmother, and his parents’ money troubles for Lake Michigan and its miles of sandy beaches. He’s lined up a summer job working as a personal assistant and living in a gorgeous Victorian on the water—exactly the kind of house Briggs plans to buy his parents once he’s a multi-millionaire. But when he arrives, his boss, the eccentric Mrs. Bosic, tells him to get dressed for her funeral. Uh . . . It’s the first of many funerals they’ll attend this summer—to hilarious and eye-opening effect. Add to this a new set of friends-cum-enemies-cum-friends-again, and Abigail, the mysterious girl next door on whom Briggs’s charms repeatedly fail, and “the lake effect” is beginning to take on a whole new meaning.

Pushing the Boundaries by Stacey Trombley (Off Limits #1)

Published by Entangled: Crush

January 16th 2016

Pushing the BoundariesMyra goes to Haiti with one goal: take the photograph that will win a scholarship and prove to her uber-traditional family that she has what it takes to be a photographer instead of a doctor. Her camera has always been her shield against getting too close to anyone, but she didn’t expect the hot teen translator who has an ability to see past her walls.

Elias needs his job as a translator to provide for his siblings. He can’t afford to break the rule forbidding him from socializing with a client. Except this girl Myra insists on going outside the city to capture the perfect picture, and he steps in as her guide in order to keep her safe.

The deeper they travel into the country, the harder they fall for each other. Now they’re both taking risks that could cost each other their dreams.

If they get too close—it could ruin both their lives.

Mr. 60% by Clete Barrett Smith

Published by Crown Books for Young Readers

August 22nd 2017

Mr. 60%Matt Nolan is the high school drug dealer, deadbeat, and soon-to-be dropout according to everyone at his school. His vice principal is counting down the days until Mr. 60% (aka Matt) finally flunks out and is no longer his problem. What no one knows is the only reason Matt sells drugs is to take care of his uncle Jack, who is dying of cancer.

Meet Amanda. The overly cheerful social outcast whose optimism makes Matt want to hurl. Stuck as partners during an after-school club (mandatory for Matt), it’s only a matter of time until Amanda discovers Matt’s secret. But Amanda is used to dealing with heartbreak, and she’s determined to help Matt find a way to give life 100 percent.

The Secret Science of Magic by Melissa Keil

Published by Hardie Grant Egmont

April 1st 2017

The Science of MagicThe unsolvable problem: If Sophia is a genius, why can’t she crack the puzzle of what to do with her life?

Fact: Sophia is smart. As in, certified-child-prodigy, breezing-through-uni-subjects-even-though-she’s-only-in-year-twelve smart. This terrifies her, because geniuses have a tendency to end up as recluses and weirdos – and with her current social ineptness, she’s halfway there already.

Truth: Joshua is good at magic tricks, ignoring most things about year twelve, and not thinking at all about life after high school.

Fact: Sophia can’t even talk to her best friend Elsie about her anxieties, because Elsie is firmly focused on her own future – and on plans that will mean leaving Sophia behind.

Truth: Joshua has had a secret crush on Sophia since forever, but he doesn’t have forever to act on it.

Fact: There are some things no amount of genius can prepare you for … and the messiness of the real world is one of them.

Truth: Timing is everything.

Cheesus Was Here by J.C. Davis

Published by Sky Pony Press

2017

Cheesus Was HereNothing ever happens in tiny Clemency, Texas, until the day a gas clerk finds the image of Baby Jesus inside a Babybel cheese wheel. When more crazy miracles turn up, Clemency turns into a full blown media circus. While everyone else seems ready to accept that God has a dairy fetish, 16-year-old Delaney Delgado hasn’t believed in miracles since her kid sister died. Del’s determined to prove this whole thing is one big hoax and nothing and no one is going to convince her otherwise.

Sure her best friend, Gabe, is a pastor’s kid and on the side of the angels, but even Gabe has to admit things look a bit fishy. When Del finds proof the miracles are fake, however, she has to decide whether to disgrace her town and risk losing Gabe’s friendship or support a lie that mocks the miracle her family prayed for and never received.

MYSTERY / HORROR

Count All Her Bones by April Henry (Girl, Stolen #2)

Published by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)

May 2nd 2017

Count All Her BonesCheyenne sets out to save her former captor in this much-anticipated sequel to Girl, Stolen.

Six months ago, Griffin Sawyer meant to steal a car, but he never meant to steal the girl asleep in the backseat. Panicked, he took her home. His father, Roy, decided to hold Cheyenne―who is blind―for ransom. Griffin helped her escape, and now Roy is awaiting trial. As they prepare to testify, Griffin and Cheyenne reconnect and make plans to meet.

But the plan goes wrong and Cheyenne gets captured by Roy’s henchmen―this time for the kill. Can Cheyenne free herself? And is Griffin a pawn or a player in this deadly chase?

The Merciless III: Origins of Evil by Danielle Vega (The Merciless #3)

Published by Razorbill

July 11th 2017

The Merciless IIIBrooklyn knows that there’s no good without evil, no right without wrong. And when a helpless girl calls her teen helpline, whispering that someone is hurting her, Brooklyn knows that she needs to save her anonymous caller, even if it means doing something bad.

Her parents and friends assure her the call was probably a prank but Brooklyn has always had a tendency to take over, whether someone has asked for help or not.

She discovers the call came from Christ First Church and finds herself plunged into the cultish community of its youth group. She’s especially drawn to Gavin, the angelic yet tortured pastor’s son.

Torn between an unstoppable attraction to Gavin and her obsession with the truth, Brooklyn is forced to make a devastating choice to rid Christ Church of evil once and for all. . . . But the devil has plans for Brooklyn’s soul.

HISTORICAL

An Uninterrupted View of the Sky by Melanie Crowder

Published by Philomel Books

June 13th 2017

An Uninterrupted View of the SkyIt’s 1999 in Bolivia and Francisco’s life consists of school, soccer, and trying to find space for himself in his family’s cramped yet boisterous home. But when his father is arrested on false charges and sent to prison by a corrupt system that targets the uneducated, the poor, and the indigenous majority, Francisco’s mother abandons hope and her family. Francisco and his sister are left with no choice: They must move into the prison with their father. There, they find a world unlike anything they’ve ever known, where everything—a door, a mattress, protection from other inmates—has its price.

Prison life is dirty, dire, and dehumanizing. With their lives upended, Francisco faces an impossible decision: Break up the family and take his sister to their grandparents in the Andean highlands, fleeing the city and the future that was just within his grasp, or remain together in the increasingly dangerous prison. Pulled between two equally undesirable options, Francisco must confront everything he once believed about the world around him and his place within it.

In this heart-wrenching novel inspired by real events, Melanie Crowder sheds light on a little-known era of modern South American history—where injustice still darkens the minds and hearts of people alike—and proves that hope can be found, even in the most desperate places.

Orphan, Agent, Prima, Pawn by Elizabeth Kiem (Dukovskaya #3)

Published by Soho Teen

August 22nd 2017

Orphan, Agent, Prima, PawnThe year is 1958, and sixteen-year-old Svetlana is stuck in a Moscow orphanage designated for the unwanted children of Stalin’s enemies. Ballet is her obsession and salvation, her only hope at shedding a tainted family past. Shveta’s dream is to make a new life as a dancer.

Her dream comes true: she’s invited to join The Bolshoi Ballet, whose power as a symbol of Soviet prowess is unmatched—except perhaps by the dreaded KGB secret police. Sveta is stunned when officers show up at her door. Inexplicably, they know about a fainting spell she once had: a trance she slipped into. Something like a vision.

Some very powerful people believe Sveta is capable of serving the regime as much more than a dancer. They want to enlist her against the West as a psychic spy. She must explore this other talent if she is to erase the sins of her family, if she is to dance on the world stage for the Motherland—if she is to survive.

COVER REVEALS WITHOUT SYNOPSIS

 


Are you looking forward to any of these books? Let me know in the comments below! Stay tuned for next weeks cover reveals!

Until next time,

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Ruthlessly Sinister Villains | Top 10 Tuesday

TOP-10-TUESDAY-NEW

Hey guys!

Welcome back to another Top 10 Tuesday weekly fun on my blog! Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. If you want to join in the fun, hop on over to their blog to see what it’s all about!

This week’s topic is Top 10 Ruthlessly Sinister Villains.

 

You all know at least one ruthlessly sinister villain. Whether it be from your favorite book, or tv, or movie, or even from the comic books. Being an avid reader, I know many sinister villains. They can sometimes be one of my favorite characters. I find them complex and compelling to read, and without them our heroes can’t reach the greatness we know they will.

So without further ado, here are some ruthlessly sinister villains for all to enjoy!


10. Queen Irina from The Shadow Queen

The Shadow Queen

Queen Irina is not to be trusted. She married her dead sister’s husband to kill him and his children in order to be the rightful heir. But of course things never go as planned for the villain. The said children survived and are coming back to reclaim their kingdom and Queen Irina will stop at nothing, and I mean nothing, to keep that from happening!

 

9. Queen of Hearts from Splintered

Splintered

The Queen of Hearts is a tyrant in almost all her retellings. This one is no surprise! She thinks Wonderland is rightfully hers to rule with an iron thumb. But Alyssa doesn’t agree. The Queen of Hearts needs to be stopped from finding a permanent to host her sinister soul. But she will definitely not go down easy. Wonderland will never be the same again when she is gets through with it!

8. Draewulf from Storm Siren

Storm Siren

Draewulf is just plain evil. He will cut you open and hop into your body to overtake your soul. Of course like all villains, his plan is to take over the world. Which means he must get rid of all the Elementals left living, including our heroine Nym. No land is safe once Draewulf takes over, and the best part is, no one even knows what he looks like. Suprise!

7. Queen Olympias from Legacy of Kings

Legacy of Kings

 

Queen Olympias is just plain crazy. Not only does she prance around doing spiritual spells and incantations, but she also plays with snakes. And by play, I mean she lets them bite her and such. She will stop at nothing to get her son, Alexander, his rightful spot on the throne. Even if that means she has to kill everyone to do so, including her daughter.

6. Manon from Heir of Fire

Heir of Fire

Now I know Manon is not the true villain of the Throne of Glass series, but she is being used by one. It doesn’t help that she has razor sharp teeth and finger nails and comes with her own squad of other ruthless witches and their dragon companions. They feed off scared humans, piece by piece. I wouldn’t want to cross paths with her, that’s for sure!

5. King Gaius from Throne of Glass

Falling Kingdoms

 

King Gaius is nothing but cold and ruthless. All he wants is to be the ruler of pretty much everything. He had no trouble taking over two other kingdoms, including killing everyone that got in his way. He even goes as far as to use his only children to achieve this. From public beheadings, to behind the scenes murder and torture, King Gaius has done it all.

4. The Darkling from Shadow and Bone

Shadow and Bone

The Darkling doesn’t come off as the villain in the first book. He makes you fall in love with him and when you least expect it shit hits the fan! He wants Ravka and everywhere else he can get his grubby hands on to live in the Fold, a perpetually dark and dangerous place. Thankfully for our resident sun summoner. What better way to fight off the darkness, then with some light!

 

3. Voldemort from Harry Potter

HP and the Deathly Hollows

 

Voldemort is probably one of the most famous book villains there ever was. He wants to be the most powerful wizard there ever was. The only thing standing in his way is the child he couldn’t kill oh so many years before. But that won’t stop him from coming back and finishing the job. Voldermort leaves a trail of death wherever he goes and with his dark army of wizards behind him, our heroes better get together and be prepared to fight back!

2. Talis from The Scorpion Rules

The Scorpion Rules

 

If you want to talk about ruthless then meet Talis. He is a 400 year old artificial intelligence that currently runs the world we call Earth. Although his intentions are well, like stopping the world from warring, or rationing off water supply, doesn’t mean he’s not opposed to blowing up a city or country to do so. He even goes as far as taking children hostages from all the royals and rulers of the Earth to prevent them from making big moves. Just think, one moment you’re living your life, and then the next Talis blows up it up. No thank you.

1. Jackal from Red Rising

Red Rising

 

I’ve saved the most sinister for last. The Jackal is by far the grimiest, dirtiest, creepy, calculating, conniving villain I have ever known. In the first book he wants to win no matter what. Even if it means killing in the most ruthless ways including cannibalism. The second book is all about building trust and conniving his way to the top. And the final book has him executing all his planning and going behind everyone’s back to achieve ultimate domination.


Well there you have it! Top 10 Ruthlessly Sinister Villains. What are some of your favorite villains?

Until next time,

Sig New

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Top Summer 2016 Reads!

Top Summer 2016 Reads

Hey guys!

Sorry to break it to you guys, but summer is almost over! I know… shocking. But hey, with the end of summer, comes autumn, which means better fashion, cooler weather, and everything pumpkin flavored! Over the summer I had the pleasure of reading some truly awesome books, and the ones that stood out to me the most, I would like to share with you all.


Morning Star by Pierce Brown

Morning StarDarrow would have lived in peace, but his enemies brought him war. The Gold overlords demanded his obedience, hanged his wife, and enslaved his people. But Darrow is determined to fight back. Risking everything to transform himself and breach Gold society, Darrow has battled to survive the cutthroat rivalries that breed Society’s mightiest warriors, climbed the ranks, and waited patiently to unleash the revolution that will tear the hierarchy apart from within.

Finally, the time has come.

But devotion to honor and hunger for vengeance run deep on both sides. Darrow and his comrades-in-arms face powerful enemies without scruple or mercy. Among them are some Darrow once considered friends. To win, Darrow will need to inspire those shackled in darkness to break their chains, unmake the world their cruel masters have built, and claim a destiny too long denied—and too glorious to surrender.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

5 Stars

Why You Should Pick This Up:
  • Ending to the one of the best trilogies ever written!
  • Expansive Sci-Fi world-building.
  • Fantastic, well fleshed out characters.

We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson

We Are the AntsThere are a few things Henry Denton knows, and a few things he doesn’t.

Henry knows that his mom is struggling to keep the family together, and coping by chain-smoking cigarettes. He knows that his older brother is a college dropout with a pregnant girlfriend. He knows that he is slowly losing his grandmother to Alzheimer’s. And he knows that his boyfriend committed suicide last year.

What Henry doesn’t know is why the aliens chose to abduct him when he was thirteen, and he doesn’t know why they continue to steal him from his bed and take him aboard their ship. He doesn’t know why the world is going to end or why the aliens have offered him the opportunity to avert the impending disaster by pressing a big red button.

But they have. And they’ve only given him 144 days to make up his mind.

The question is whether Henry thinks the world is worth saving. That is, until he meets Diego Vega, an artist with a secret past who forces Henry to question his beliefs, his place in the universe, and whether any of it really matters. But before Henry can save the world, he’s got to figure out how to save himself, and the aliens haven’t given him a button for that.

🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

5 Stars

Why You Should Pick This Up:
  • Makes you really think long and hard about your life.
  • Heartbreaking but beautiful.
  • Characters you can’t help but feel for.

Court of Fives by Kate Elliott

Court of FivesOn the Fives court, everyone is equal.

And everyone is dangerous.

Jessamy’s life is a balance between acting like an upper-class Patron and dreaming of the freedom of the Commoners. But away from her family, she can be whomever she wants when she sneaks out to train for the Fives, an intricate, multilevel athletic competition that offers a chance for glory to the kingdom’s best competitors.

Then Jes meets Kalliarkos, and an improbable friendship between the two Fives competitors—one of mixed race and the other a Patron boy—causes heads to turn. When Kal’s powerful, scheming uncle tears Jes’s family apart, she’ll have to test her new friend’s loyalty and risk the vengeance of a royal clan to save her mother and sisters from certain death.

🌟🌟🌟🌟

4 Stars

Why You Should Pick This Up:
  • EPIC high fantasy.
  • Diverse characters (not a single white character)
  • Fantastic writing and world building!

Empire of Dust by Eleanor Herman

Empire of DustIn Macedon, war rises like smoke, forbidden romance blooms and ancient magic tempered with rage threatens to turn an empire to dust.

After winning his first battle, Prince Alexander fights to become the ruler his kingdom demands—but the line between leader and tyrant blurs with each new threat.

Meanwhile, Hephaestion, cast aside by Alexander for killing the wrong man, must conceal the devastating secret of a divine prophecy from Katerina even as the two of them are thrust together on a dangerous mission to Egypt.

The warrior, Jacob, determined to forget his first love, vows to eradicate the ancient Blood Magics and believes that royal prisoner Cynane holds the key to Macedon’s undoing.

And in chains, the Persian princess Zofia still longs to find the Spirit Eaters, but first must grapple with the secrets of her handsome—and deadly—captor.

🌟🌟🌟🌟

4 Stars

Why You Should Pick This Up:
  • Inspired by real history.
  • Huge cast of fun characters.
  • Magic, battles, and a cute prince!

This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab

This Savage SongThere’s no such thing as safe in a city at war, a city overrun with monsters. In this dark urban fantasy from author Victoria Schwab, a young woman and a young man must choose whether to become heroes or villains—and friends or enemies—with the future of their home at stake. The first of two books.

Kate Harker and August Flynn are the heirs to a divided city—a city where the violence has begun to breed actual monsters. All Kate wants is to be as ruthless as her father, who lets the monsters roam free and makes the humans pay for his protection. All August wants is to be human, as good-hearted as his own father, to play a bigger role in protecting the innocent—but he’s one of the monsters. One who can steal a soul with a simple strain of music. When the chance arises to keep an eye on Kate, who’s just been kicked out of her sixth boarding school and returned home, August jumps at it. But Kate discovers August’s secret, and after a failed assassination attempt the pair must flee for their lives.

🌟🌟🌟🌟

4 Stars

Why You Should Pick This Up:
  • A story about monsters!
  • Great life lessons.
  • Dark, gritty, and evil.

Well there you have it, my Top Summer Reads of 2016! Let me know what books you really enjoyed this Summer or if you read any of the ones I’ve listed here.

Until next time,

Sig New

TWITTER | GOOD READS | INSTAGRAM | BLOG LOVIN’

July 2016 Wrap Up!

July-Wrap-Up

Hey guys!

July is now over, and what a month that was! I attended the Book Riot monthly book club meeting in Toronto, I met a boy, I got sun poisoning and a severe sun burn, and I seen some great movies too! So all in all July was a month to remember. Here’s hoping August will be just as good… minus the nasty sun burn!

So let’s take a look back at July 2016!


Wrap-Up-Books-Ive-Read

Triad Blood by Nathan Burgoine – July 1st, 2016

We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson – July 9th, 2016 

Empire of Dust by Eleanor Herman – July 16th, 2016

Court of Fives by Kate Elliott – July 22nd, 2016

Poisoned Blade by Kate Elliott – July 29th, 2016

Morning Glories Vol. 3: P.E. by Nick Spencer – July 29th, 2016

Night Flower by Kate Elliott – July 30th, 2016

Morning Glories Vol. 4: Truants by Nick Spencer – July 30th, 2016

The Assassin Game by Kirsty McKay – July 31st, 2016

6 novels +  1 novella +  2 graphic novels = a success!

Other books I’ve started:

 


Wrap-Up-Reviews

Morning Star by Pierce Brown – 5/5

Triad Blood by Nathan Burgoine – 3/5

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas – 4/5 

Empire of Dust by Eleanor Herman – 4/5

We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson – 5/5

Court of Fives by Kate Elliott – 4/5

(Click the links to read the reviews)


WOW's-and-Whats-NExt

Waiting On Wednesday

NevernightJuly 6th, 2016

A Torch Against the Night – July 13th, 2016

Empire of Storms – July 20th, 2016

Three Dark Crowns – July 27th, 2016

What’s Next?

Next Sequel (The Exiled Queen / The Mirror King)July 15th, 2016


Wrap-Up-Tops

Top 10 Tuesday

Books I Enjoyed Under 2000 Ratings – July 5th, 2016

10 Facts About Me – July 12th, 2016

10 Books Set Outside the U.S.A – July 19th, 2016

Top 5 Wednesday

Outside of My Comfort Zone – July 6th, 2016

Wish There Was a Sequel – July 13th, 2016

Recent Additions Wishlist – July 20th, 2016


Wrap-Up-Comic-Book-Hauls

Haul #49 – July 7th, 2016

Haul #50July 14th, 2016

Haul #51July 21st, 2016

Haul #52July 28th, 2016

 


Wrap-Up-Awards-+-Achievements

July Awards

N/A

July Achievements

500 Blog Followers – July 2016

21,000 Blog ViewsJuly 2016

8500 Blog Visitors – July 2016


Wrap-Up-Tags

The Diverse Book Tag July 11th, 2016

Mid-Year Book Freak Out Tag – July 16th, 2016

Pokemon GO Book Tag – July 23rd, 2016


Discussions-at-Dawn

Benefits to Re-Reading – July 2nd, 2016


SUMMER BOOK BINGO

Book Bingo Progress July

Squares I obtained this month:

B

M/M Romance – Triad Blood by Nathan Burgoine

I

White Cover – Morning Glories Vol. 3: P.E. by Nick Spencer

Part of 4+ Series – Morning Gories Vol. 4: Truant by Nick Spencer

2016 Debut – The Assassin Game by Kirtsy McKay

N

June, July, August Release – Poisoned Blade by Kate Elliott

Mental Health – We Are the Ants by Shaun David Hutchinson

G

PoC Main Character – Court of Fives by Kate Elliott

Political Intrigue – Empire of Dust by Eleanor Herman


And that was July. I had a great month, thank you guys for spending it with me! See you guys in August!

Until next time,

Sig New

TWITTER | GOOD READS | INSTAGRAM | BLOG LOVIN’

 

July 2016 Book Haul!

BOOK-HAUL-NEW

Hey guys!

Here are all the books I got in July! There is quite a few to get through.

So let’s get started shall we?


INDIGO

Skyborn by David Dalglish

Black Wolves by Kate Elliott

A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

The Darkest Magic by Morgan Rhodes

More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera

And I Darken by Kiersten White

The Gray Wold Throne by Cinda Williams Chima

The Crimson Crown by Cinda Williams Chima

Legacy of Kings by Eleanor Herman

A Dance of Shadows by David Dalglish

A Dance of Ghosts by David Dalglish

A Dance of Chaos by David Dalglish

This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab

The Star-Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi

The Blackthorn Key by Kevin Sands


That was definitely a big month for me! Did you guys pick up any of these books too? See you next month!

Until next time,

Sig New

TWITTER | GOOD READS | INSTAGRAM | BLOG LOVIN’

Empire of Dust by Eleanor Herman (Blood of Gods and Royals #2) | REVIEW

Empire of DustEmpire of Dust by Eleanor Herman (Blood of Gods and Royals #2)
Published by Harlequin Teen on June 28th 2016
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Historical
Pages: 432
Format: Hardcover

LINKS: Good Reads | Amazon | Indigo | Book Depository

In Macedon, war rises like smoke, forbidden romance blooms and ancient magic tempered with rage threatens to turn an empire to dust

After winning his first battle, Prince Alexander fights to become the ruler his kingdom demands—but the line between leader and tyrant blurs with each new threat.

Meanwhile, Hephaestion, cast aside by Alexander for killing the wrong man, must conceal the devastating secret of a divine prophecy from Katerina even as the two of them are thrust together on a dangerous mission to Egypt.

The warrior, Jacob, determined to forget his first love, vows to eradicate the ancient Blood Magics and believes that royal prisoner Cynane holds the key to Macedon’s undoing.

And in chains, the Persian princess Zofia still longs to find the Spirit Eaters, but first must grapple with the secrets of her handsome—and deadly—captor.

🌟🌟🌟🌟

4 Stars

*** CHECK OUT THE REVIEW FOR BOOK ONE: LEGACY OF KINGS ***
**CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR BOOK 1: READ AT OWN RISK!!!**
* Received an ARC from Harlequin Teen via NetGalley for a honest review *

First Line:

Leaves rustling, branches creaking.


Review

COVER 🌟🌟🌟🌟           PLOT 🌟🌟🌟🌟

CHARACTERS 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟    ROMANCE 🌟🌟🌟🌟

WRITING 🌟🌟🌟🌟       WORLD 🌟🌟🌟🌟


The Good

Empire of Dust by Eleanor Herman is the second book in the Blood of God and Royals series about the fantastical life of Alexander the Great as a teenager. Empire of Dust picks up right after Legacy of Kings and the big battle at the end. Alexander is still acting regent to the throne while his father is away, his mother has disappeared, Kat and Heph are healing up from the battle, Jacob retreated with the other Aesarian Lords, Cynane was taken captive, and Zo is on the run from being killed.

There is fantastic character growth this time around. All the characters are adapting to their current situations and making the best of what is to come. Alex still feels the pressure of his empire on his shoulders. His powers are growing as he learns new information about his true origins. While Kat and Heph’s feelings for each other begin to deepen on their journey to Egypt. Jacob finds a new mission to keep himself occupied while Cyn is back to her scheming ways. Finally Zo starts growing a back bone taking charge of her life.

This book has a lot of POV’s, but don’t let that be a turn off for you. It is continually progressing in a rapid manner that makes things more exciting. The story keeps moving even when the characters POV isn’t being told, so we get to miss all the boring aspects that make having multiple POV’s in a book horrible. Herman’s writing only elevates the story. I love how she includes history with touches of fantastical elements that keep making the story seem fresh and not like a textbook.

We finally get to see more of Greece and the Persian Empire this time around. But not only that but we also travel to Egypt as well. The descriptions and pictures being painted in my imagination was amazing. Herman really knows her stuff!

The Bad

Empire of Dust was a pretty solid sequel. But it wasn’t without it’s issues. The plot progressed, but is still not quite clear. I can see the direction it’s going and the stepping stones to get there have been placed, but it’s still never made clear what is going to happen. I guess that builds the momentum to keep reading though.

There was only one battle scene this time around, and I was a little disappointed. This is just a personal preference, but I like a book with more action packed scenes in them. So here’s hoping that there will be more in the next one!

Finally I want to talk about what the point of having Zo in the story at all is? Maybe she plays a bigger part in the future, but I find her chapters to be dull and they don’t really add too much to the storyline.


A steady improvement for a sequel. Let me know what you guys thought of Empire of Dust by Eleanor Herman! I would love to hear your opinions as well!

Until next time,

Sig 3

 

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#GreatnessIsBorn

Eleanor HermanEleanor Herman is the New York Times Bestselling author of Sex with Kings, as well as three other works of nonfiction: Sex with the Queen, Mistress of the Vatican, and King Peggy. Obsessed by all things royal and historical, she lives in McLean, Virginia with her husband and four extremely dignified cats. Legacy of Kings is her first Young Adult novel.