Will the Time Come #599, November 24th

Every Thursday I am going to list a book which I really want to read/keep meaning to get to. These are mostly books which have been on my shelf for awhile now but don't have to be, maybe you got it two weeks ago and really want to read it! Thanks to Jodie from Books for Company for this meme!

Want to Join?

-Pick a book you have been meaning to read

-Do a post telling us about the book    

-Link the post up in the linky  

-Visit the other blogs

From Goodreads:

ALKA CHELRAZI IS ON A MISSION:

1. Infiltrate Blackwater Academy

2. Win the Great Game

3. Burn Wizard society to the ground

As a child, Alka witnessed her parents' brutal murder at the hands of Wizards before she was taken in by an underground rebel group.

Now, Alka is deep undercover at the most prestigious school of magic in the Republic: Blackwater Academy, a place where status is everything, where decadent galas end in blood-splattered duels, where every student has their own agenda. To survive, Alka will have to lie, cheat, kill, and use every trick in her spy's toolkit. And for the first time in her life, the fiercely independent Alka will have to make friends in order to recruit the misfits and the outcasts into her motley rebellion.

But even as she draws closer to victory — to vengeance — she sinks deeper into danger as suspicious professors and murderous rivals seek the traitor in their midst, and dark revelations unravel her resolve. Can Alka destroy the twisted game...without becoming a part of it? 

Why the time hasn't come yet...

I don't know, I just lost track of it with how many books and authors there are. It's a standalone, and I own it, so I should be able to read it! What about you guys? Happy reading! 

Waiting on Wednesday #528, June 23rd

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating!

Capture the Crown by Jennifer Estep

Expected Publication: July 6th, 2021
From Goodreads:

Bestselling author Jennifer Estep returns to her Crown of Shards world with an all-new trilogy and a bold new heroine who protects her kingdom from magic, murder, and mayhem by moonlighting as a spy. 

Gemma Ripley has a reputation for being a pampered princess who is more interested in pretty gowns, sparkling jewelry, and other frivolous things than learning how to rule the kingdom of Andvari. But her carefully crafted persona is just an act to hide the fact that Gemma is a powerful mind magier—and a spy. 

Gemma is undercover, trying to figure out who is stealing large amounts of tearstone from one of the Ripley royal mines when she encounters Prince Leonidas Morricone of Morta—her mortal enemy. Gemma tries to steer clear of the handsome prince, but when she finds herself behind enemy lines, she reluctantly joins forces with Leo. Also coming to Gemma’s aid is Grimley, her beloved gargoyle.

Despite the fact that Andvari and Morta are old, bitter enemies, a dangerous attraction sparks between Gemma and Leo. Further complicating matters is Leo’s murderous family, especially Queen Maeven Morricone, the mastermind behind the infamous Seven Spire massacre.

The closer Gemma gets to the stolen tearstone, the more deadly plots she uncovers. Everyone is trying to capture the crown, but only one queen can sit on the throne…

Any Way the Wind Blows by Rainbow Rowell

Expected Publication: July 6th, 2021
From Goodreads:

In Carry On, Simon Snow and his friends realized that everything they thought they understood about the world might be wrong. And in Wayward Son, they wondered whether everything they understood about themselves might be wrong.

In Any Way the Wind Blows, Simon and Baz and Penelope and Agatha have to decide how to move forward.

For Simon, that means deciding whether he still wants to be part of the World of Mages -- and if he doesn't, what does that mean for his relationship with Baz? Meanwhile Baz is bouncing between two family crises and not finding any time to talk to anyone about his newfound vampire knowledge. Penelope would love to help, but she's smuggled an American Normal into London, and now she isn't sure what to do with him. And Agatha? Well, Agatha Wellbelove has had enough.

Any Way the Wind Blows takes the gang back to England, back to Watford, and back to their families for their longest and most emotionally wrenching adventure yet.

This book is a finale. It tells secrets and answers questions and lays ghosts to rest.

Carry On was conceived as a book about Chosen One stories; Any Way the Wind Blows is an ending about endings. About catharsis and closure, and how we choose to move on from the traumas and triumphs that try to define us.

The Bone Code by Kathy Reichs 

Expected Publication: July 6th, 2021
From Goodreads:

#1 New York Times bestselling author Kathy Reichs returns with her twentieth gripping novel featuring forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan, whose examinations, fifteen years apart, of unidentified bodies washed up from the sea may be connected to a deadly new pestilence.

A storm has hit South Carolina, dredging up crimes of the past.

On the way to Isle of Palms, a barrier island off the South Carolina coast, forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan receives a call from the Charleston coroner. During the storm, a medical waste container has washed up on the beach. Inside are two decomposed bodies wrapped in plastic sheeting and bound with electrical wire. Chillingly, Tempe recognizes many details as identical to those of an unsolved case she handled in Quebec fifteen years earlier. With a growing sense of foreboding, she flies to Montreal to gather evidence and convince her boss Pierre LaManch to reopen the cold case. She also seeks the advice—and comfort—of her longtime beau Andrew Ryan.

Meanwhile, a storm of a different type gathers force in South Carolina. The citizens of Charleston are struck by a bacterium that, at its worst, can eat human flesh. Thousands panic and test themselves for a rare genetic mutation that may have rendered them vulnerable.

Shockingly, Tempe eventually discovers that not only are the victims in both grisly murder cases related, but that the murders and the disease outbreak also have a common cause…

Half Sick of Shadows by Laura Sebastian 

Expected Publication: July 6th, 2021
From Goodreads:

The Lady of Shalott reclaims her story in this bold feminist reimagining of the Arthurian myth from the New York Times bestselling author of Ash Princess.

Everyone knows the legend. Of Arthur, destined to be a king. Of the beautiful Guinevere, who will betray him with his most loyal knight, Lancelot. Of the bitter sorceress, Morgana, who will turn against them all. But Elaine alone carries the burden of knowing what is to come--for Elaine of Shalott is cursed to see the future.

On the mystical isle of Avalon, Elaine runs free and learns of the ancient prophecies surrounding her and her friends--countless possibilities, almost all of them tragic.

When their future comes to claim them, Elaine, Guinevere, Lancelot, and Morgana accompany Arthur to take his throne in stifling Camelot, where magic is outlawed, the rules of society chain them, and enemies are everywhere. Yet the most dangerous threats may come from within their own circle.

As visions are fulfilled and an inevitable fate closes in, Elaine must decide how far she will go to change fate--and what she is willing to sacrifice along the way. 

The Moonshine Shack Murder by Diane Kelly

Expected Publication: July 6th, 2021
From Goodreads:

In this intoxicating new cozy mystery series, the future for modern-day moonshiner Hattie Hayes looks bright--until death darkens the doorstep of her Moonshine Shack.

The Hayes family has made moonshine in Chattanooga since the days of Prohibition, and Hattie is happy to continue the tradition, serving up fun, fruity flavors in mason jars for locals and tourists alike. All signs indicate her new 'shine shop will be a smashing success. What's more, mounted police officer Marlon Landers has taken a shine to Hattie. For the first time ever, the stars seemed to have aligned in both her work and romantic life. But when a body ends up on her store's doorstep alongside a broken jar of her Firefly Moonshine, it just might be lights out for her fledgling business.

The homicide detective can't seem to identify the person who killed the owner of a nearby bar. The only witness is Hattie's longhaired gray cat, and Smoky isn't talking. When the detective learns that the victim and Hattie had a heated exchange shortly before his murder, she becomes her prime suspect.

Lest Hattie end up behind bars like her bootlegging great-grandfather a century before, she must distill the evidence herself and serve the killer a swift shot of justice.

The Girl in the Headlines by Hannah Jayne

Expected Publication: July 6th, 2021
From Goodreads:

The headlines say she killed her family. The truth? She doesn't remember.

Andrea McNulty goes to sleep on her eighteenth birthday with a near-perfect life: she's a high school field hockey star, a doted-upon big sister, the beloved daughter of two happy parents. But when she wakes up in a motel room the next morning, unable to remember what happened the previous night and covered in blood, Andi is a fugitive.

According to the news, Andi's parents were brutally attacked in the middle of the night. Her father is dead, her mother is in a coma, her little brother Josh is missing--and Andi is the prime suspect. Terrified and on the run from the police, Andi teams up with Nate, the sympathetic boy working the motel's front desk, to find the real murderer. But while the police are getting further from the killer, the killer is getting closer to Andi--closer than she could ever have imagined.

It Ends In Fire by Andrew Shvarts

Expected Publication: July 6th, 2021
From Goodreads:

ALKA CHELRAZI IS ON A MISSION:

1. Infiltrate Blackwater Academy

2. Win the Great Game

3. Burn Wizard society to the ground

As a child, Alka witnessed her parents' brutal murder at the hands of Wizards before she was taken in by an underground rebel group.

Now, Alka is deep undercover at the most prestigious school of magic in the Republic: Blackwater Academy, a place where status is everything, where decadent galas end in blood-splattered duels, where every student has their own agenda. To survive, Alka will have to lie, cheat, kill, and use every trick in her spy's toolkit. And for the first time in her life, the fiercely independent Alka will have to make friends in order to recruit the misfits and the outcasts into her motley rebellion.

But even as she draws closer to victory — to vengeance — she sinks deeper into danger as suspicious professors and murderous rivals seek the traitor in their midst, and dark revelations unravel her resolve. Can Alka destroy the twisted game...without becoming a part of it?

Reign by Cora Carmack

Expected Publication: July 6th, 2021
From Goodreads:

FIRST SHE ROARED. THEN SHE RAGED. NOW IT'S TIME FOR HER REIGN.

Aurora Pavan wanted to change her world.

She wanted to protect her people, not because they paid taxes, but because they deserved to live without fear. She wanted Pavan to be a home that welcomed everyone—remnants, stormhunters, and witches included.

For the first time in her life, she did not dread the duty into which she was born. She wanted it.

Then she met him. The Stormlord—the man who wielded the same magic as she, but with the intent to destroy rather than save. The Aurora Pavan who came home from that confrontation was not the same girl that had braved the wildlands and joined a rebellion. She was no longer the girl who was ready to change the world, ready to rule.

But she’s the queen now all the same. And her kingdom needs her.

If only she can keep the new darkness inside her at bay.

What We Devour by Linsey Miller

Expected Publication: July 6th, 2021
From Goodreads:

From the author of Mask of Shadows comes a dark and intricate story of a girl with a secret power who must tether herself to a violent and wicked ruler to save their crumbling world. What We Devour is perfect for fans of YA fantasy books, dark fairytales, and morally gray characters.

In a world of devastating power and a bloodthirsty monarch, it's time for the wealthy to be devoured.

Lorena Adler has a secret—she holds the power of the banished gods, the Noble and the Vile, inside her. But she has spent her entire life hiding from the world and her past. Lorena's content to spend her days as an undertaker in a small town, marry her best friend, Julian, and live an unfulfilling life so long as no one uncovers her true nature.

But when the notoriously bloodthirsty and equally Vile crown prince comes to arrest Julian's father, he immediately recognizes Lorena for what she is. So, she makes a deal—a fair trial for her betrothed's father in exchange for her service to the crown.

The prince is desperate for her help. He's spent years trying to repair the weakening Door that holds back the Vile...and he's losing the battle. As Lorena learns more about the Door and the horrifying price it takes to keep it closed, she'll have to embrace both parts of herself to survive.

The Queen Will Betray You by Sarah Henning

Expected Publication: July 6th, 2021
From Goodreads:

The Princess Bride meets Game of Thrones

Sarah Henning's The Queen Will Betray You is the breathtaking sequel to The Princess Will Save You in the Kingdoms of Sand and Sky duology — a brilliantly-executed YA fantasy homage to The Princess Bride

After a thousand years of political stability, the realm of The Sand and Sky is up for grabs. Four kingdoms, four rulers vying for the ultimate prize: sovereignty over the entire continent. A ruthless old king spinning webs, whose schemes encompass generations. A widowed queen whose only credo is all kings must die. A runaway queen whose unexpected return upends everyone’s plans. And a prince-in-waiting determined to wait no more.

Standing against them are a dispossessed princess and her stable boy love with a surprising claim of his own. Their only hope in the face of unspeakable betrayals, enemies hidden in the shadows, and insurmountable odds is the power of true love...

Yeah, there's some really great books kicking off the first Tuesday of the month! So excited for these books, I love these authors, and I can't wait for these books to be out! What about you guys? Happy reading! 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading #419, June 17th

It's Monday! What Are You Reading is a weekly meme hosted by Book Date where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week...and anything in between! This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well...you never know where that next "must read" book will come from!

What happened in the past week:

Weekly Memes:
It's Monday! What Are You Reading #418
Teaser Tuesday #426
WWW Wednesday #426
WOW #422
Will the Time Come #419
Third Sentence Thursday #409
Random Reads #395
First Lines Friday #422
The Reward Challenge Update #404
Book Blogger Hop #88
How Well I Stuck to It #256
Wrote that Review Update #253

Week 24 Reviews:
Eternal
Spellbinder
Unspoken
Fierce
Almost Midnight
Midnight Hour
Fighting Back
Shadow Warrior
Titanshade
Sanctuary
The Kingdom
War of the Bastards
Sorcery of Thorns
The Unhoneymooners
Dark Tribute

Random:
We Have the Cover of Sentinels of the Galaxy #2!!!!

OK, so I got 23 posts in 7 days, yeah, read a good number of books this week, so I'm pretty happy about that! What about you guys? Happy reading!

So this week I want to read The Burning Shadow, Containment, The Eyes of Tamburah, The Last Widow, and Smokescreen.

When Evelyn Dasher crossed paths with Luc, she was thrown headfirst into the world of the Lux—only to discover that she was already far more involved in their world than she ever suspected.

Because the Luxen aren't the only ones with a hidden past. There's a gap in Evie's memory, lost months of her life and a lingering sense that something happened, something she can't remember and nobody is willing to tell her. She needs to find out the truth about who she is—and who she was. But every answer she finds only brings up more questions.

Her search for the truth brings her ever closer to Luc, the Origin at the center of it all. He's powerful, arrogant, inhumanly beautiful, extremely dangerous…and possibly in love with her. But even as Evie falls for him, she can't help but wonder if his attraction is to her, or to the memory of a girl who no longer exists.

And all the while, a new threat looms: reports of a flu-like, fatal virus that the government insists is being spread by Luxen. A horrifying illness that changes whoever it touches, spreading panic across a country already at its breaking point.

#1 New York Times, USA Today, and internationally bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout returns to the world of the Lux with this steamy, shocking second installment of the Origin series that will leave readers reeling.

Kenzie and her friends find themselves on the run and up against another alien invasion headed towards Earth.

They may have escaped Sanctuary, but Kenzie and her friends are far from safe.

Ex-Omnistellar prison guard Kenzie and her superpowered friends barely made it off Sanctuary alive. Now they're stuck in a stolen alien ship with nowhere to go and no one to help them. Kenzie is desperate for a plan, but she doesn't know who to trust anymore. Everyone has their own dark secrets: Omnistellar, her parents, even Cage. Worse still, she's haunted by memories of the aliens who nearly tore her to shreds—and forced her to accidentally kill one of the Sanctuary prisoners, Matt.

When Kenzie intercepts a radio communication suggesting that more aliens are on their way, she knows there's only one choice: They must destroy the ship before the aliens follow the signal straight to them. Because if the monstrous creatures who attacked Sanctuary reach Earth, then it's game over for humanity.

What Kenzie doesn't know is that the aliens aren't the only ones on the hunt. Omnistellar has put a bounty on Kenzie's head—and the question is whether the aliens or Omnistellar get to her first.

Treasure hunting has never been more dangerous... Tomb Raider meets Poison Study!

New York Times bestselling author Maria Snyder begins an action-packed new fantasy series.

'He thinks you are the thief...'

Shyla is a researcher who resides in the underground desert city of Zirdai, which is ruled by the wealthy Water Prince and brutal Heliacal Priestess. Even though Shyla is sun-kissed - an outcast, considered cursed by the Sun Goddess - she is still renowned for uncovering innumerable archaic facts, lost artefacts, ancient maps, and obscure historical documents. Her quiet life is about to change when Banqui, an archaeologist, enlists her services to find The Eyes of Tamburah: legendary gemstones that bestows great magic to its wielder. These ancient objects can tip the balance of power and give whoever possesses them complete control of the city.

But chaos erupts when The Eyes are stolen soon after they're found - and Shyla is blamed for the theft. Forced to flee, with the Prince's soldiers and the Priestess' deacons on her trail, Shyla must recover the jewels and clear her name. A quest that will unearth secrets even more valuable than The Eyes of Tamburah themselves...

New York Times bestselling author Karin Slaughter brings back Will Trent and Sara Linton in this superb and timely thriller full of devious twists, disturbing secrets, and shocking surprises you won't see coming

A mysterious kidnapping

On a hot summer night, a scientist from the Centers for Disease Control is grabbed by unknown assailants in a shopping center parking lot. Vanished into thin air, the authorities are desperate to save the doctor.

A devastating explosion

One month later, the serenity of a sunny Sunday afternoon is shattered by the boom of a ground-shaking blast—followed by another seconds later. One of Atlanta's busiest and most important neighborhood's has been bombed—the location of Emory University, two major hospitals, the FBI headquarters, and the CDC.

A diabolical enemy

Medical examiner Sara Linton and her partner Will Trent, an investigator with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, rush to the scene—and into the heart of a deadly conspiracy that threatens to destroy thousands of innocent lives. When the assailants abduct Sara, Will goes undercover to save her and prevent a massacre—putting his own life on the line for the woman and the country he loves.

In this pulse-pounding thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Iris Johansen, forensic sculptor Eve Duncan journeys to Africa to help families torn apart by a violent attack deep in the jungle--but she may be putting herself in more danger than she knows.

A journalist shows up on Eve Duncan's doorstep with a plea for help. Jill Cassidy has just come from a small African village with a heart wrenching story: half the villagers--many of them children--have been killed in a horrific attack by guerilla soldiers, the bodies burned beyond recognition. Now, the families desperately need Eve's help to get closure and begin to heal.

But when Eve arrives in the remote jungle, she begins to suspect that Jill's plea may have been a cover story for a deeper, more sinister plot. Isolated and unsure who she can trust, Eve finds herself stranded in an unstable country where violence threatens to break out again at any moment and with only her own instincts to rely on if she hopes to get home to her family alive . . .

#1 New York Times bestselling author Iris Johansen is back with one of her most exhilarating and dangerous adventures yet in this "riveting" high-stakes thriller (Publishers Weekly).

Week 24 Review: War of the Bastards

From Goodreads:
A year has passed since the fall of Lightspire. The Inquisitor Miles Hampstedt has usurped the throne and rules Noveris with a blood-soaked iron fist. Tilla and her friends have become hardened rebels in the Unbroken, a band of guerilla fighters hiding out in the fringes of the Kingdom. Tilla is plagued with doubt and regret; Lyriana struggles with the burdens of being a fugitive Queen; Zell atones for his guilt by killing for the cause. And even as they all fight, they know their cause is doomed, that with very passing day Miles' power grows, his army of Bloodmages spreading to cover the continent.

Then a raid on an outpost produces two unexpected prisoners: Lord Elric Kent himself, now a prisoner obsessed with revenge, and Syan See, a strange girl from the Red Wastes. Tilla struggles with the emotional weight of confronting her father, but it's Syan that offers the true revelation. She demonstrates a new incredible kind of magic, and speaks of a secret civilization hidden in isolation in the mysterious Wastes. With Miles' forces closing in, Tilla and her friends (alongside a hostage Lord Kent) set out to make contact with Syan's people, to make an pact that could turn the war. The journey will test their character, forge unlikely alliances, reveal the horrifying true nature of magic, and set in motion a battle that will determine the fate of Noveris itself. 

My Review:
Yeah, wow, this book was so excellent! We had action, we had adventure, and we learned more about this world! It was such an incredible book, and a really great ending to the series! I just enjoyed it so, so much!

There is a year between City of Bastards and War of the Bastards, and Tilla has become something of a warrior, and is keeping track of the people she's personally killed. They've changed, hardened, they have more scars, but they're still fighting. Which is good, because things got worse before they got better!

We're introduced to a new character, Syan, and yeah, what she represents, it totally changed their understanding of the world. Because she can do magic, and she wasn't born anywhere near Lightspire. And we got to learn more about their gods, which was pretty awesome, since there was the tomb of them in the last book, meaning that there was some situation there!

That ending, yeah, it had a lot going on. I loved that she was able to heal her relationship with her father, and the change that Lyriana made, politically, yeah, that was a game changer! I wouldn't mind another book set in this world (with new characters, if needed to narrate) to explore those changes, and the threat that they're still facing with the world ending and all!

This book was amazing, and I can't wait to read what Andrew Shvarts writes next!

Author: Andrew Shvarts
Series: Royal Bastards #3
Read: June 12th, 2019
Source: Ebook.bike
Reason Why: Love her writing and it's a End of Series 2019 Book, Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2019 Book and a WoW Book!
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Published: June 4th 2019

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

WWW Wednesday #426, June 12th

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you'll read next?

Thanks to MizB of Should Be Writing now A Daily Rhythm for starting this meme!

I'm reading War of the Bastards, and yeah, it's a pretty intense finale! Really enjoying it!

I read The kingdom, and it was a pretty fantastic book, loved the concept and the characters!

I'm going to be reading Sorcery of Thorns, and I can't wait, it sounds really fantastic!

What about you guys? Happy reading!

Waiting on Wednesday #412, April 3rd

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating!

Wolf Rain by Nalini Singh
Expected Publication: June 4th, 2019
From Goodreads:
New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh takes us on a new adventure in this next novel of the Psy-Changeling Trinity series…

The end of Silence was supposed to create a better world for future generations. But trust is broken, and the alliance between Psy, Changeling, and human is thin. The problems that led to Silence are back in full force. Because Silence fixed nothing, just hid the problems.

This time, the Psy have to find a real answer to their problems–if one exists. Or their race will soon go extinct in a cascade of violence. The answer begins with an empath who is attuned to monsters–and who is going to charm a wolf into loving her despite his own demons. 

Shadow Warrior by Christine Feehan
Expected Publication: June 4th, 2019
From Goodreads:
Danger inspires fierce passion when a serial killer threatens Chicago's Ferraro crime family in this novel in Christine Feehan's New York Times bestselling series.

Vittorio Ferraro is a man whose family loyalty knows no bounds. He would die for his siblings and the people they love, but what he really wants is to start a family of his own. Deep down, Vittorio has always known finding a woman who could ride shadows would be nearly impossible--let alone one who could accept his particular needs--and he never expected to find her in the middle of a kidnapping....

Grace Murphy has always been drawn to Vittorio Ferraro--or at least to the billionaire's public bad-boy persona. Now that she's under his protection and the sole focus of his intense caring, she can't help wanting to get as close to him as possible. But Grace knows her presence is putting the entire Ferraro family in danger. Her monster of a brother will never let her go, but Vittorio has no intention of losing the woman whose shadow matches his own.

Shadow & Flame by Mindee Arnett
Expected Publication: June 4th, 2019
From Goodreads:
From acclaimed author Mindee Arnett comes the thrilling conclusion of the stunningly epic, action-packed, and romantic fantasy adventure about a powerful girl possessed of strange magic, the outcast prince she loves, and the kingdom that has torn them apart.

Kate and Corwin are on the run, desperate for allies in a new world of war among the kingdoms of Rime. As the book opens, Kate suffers a massive loss, one that will shape the struggle for freedom of all wilders and magic folk—that is, if Kate can learn to control her own power. 

War of the Bastards by Andrew Shvarts
Expected Publication: June 4th, 2019
From Goodreads:
A year has passed since the fall of Lightspire. The Inquisitor Miles Hampstedt has usurped the throne and rules Noveris with a blood-soaked iron fist. Tilla and her friends have become hardened rebels in the Unbroken, a band of guerilla fighters hiding out in the fringes of the Kingdom. Tilla is plagued with doubt and regret; Lyriana struggles with the burdens of being a fugitive Queen; Zell atones for his guilt by killing for the cause. And even as they all fight, they know their cause is doomed, that with very passing day Miles' power grows, his army of Bloodmages spreading to cover the continent.

Then a raid on an outpost produces two unexpected prisoners: Lord Elric Kent himself, now a prisoner obsessed with revenge, and Syan See, a strange girl from the Red Wastes. Tilla struggles with the emotional weight of confronting her father, but it's Syan that offers the true revelation. She demonstrates a new incredible kind of magic, and speaks of a secret civilization hidden in isolation in the mysterious Wastes. With Miles' forces closing in, Tilla and her friends (alongside a hostage Lord Kent) set out to make contact with Syan's people, to make an pact that could turn the war. The journey will test their character, forge unlikely alliances, reveal the horrifying true nature of magic, and set in motion a battle that will determine the fate of Noveris itself. 

That Night by Cyn Balog
Expected Publication: June 4th, 2019
From Goodreads:
Hailey wants to know the truth, but there are some secrets that are best left buried…

Hailey is determined to find out all she can about her boyfriend's suicide. She knows Declan wouldn't kill himself, even if she can't remember a lot of what lead up to that fateful night.

Kane, Declan's stepbrother and Hailey's best friend, wants to move past what happened—not dig up bad memories. But the more Hailey searches for information, the more she remembers.

As the truth begins to unravel, Hailey finds herself unveiling secrets she never could have imagined—secrets that have the possibility of ruining everything... 

Yeah, so many authors have books coming out on the 4th! Love them, and these books sounds so great, and some great sequels that I can't wait to read! What about you guys? Happy reading!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading #408, April 1st

It's Monday! What Are You Reading is a weekly meme hosted by Book Date where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week...and anything in between! This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well...you never know where that next "must read" book will come from!

What happened in the past week:

Weekly Memes:
It's Monday! What Are You Reading #407
Teaser Tuesday #415
WWW Wednesday #415
WOW #411
Will the Time Come #408
Third Sentence Thursday #398
Random Reads #384
First Lines Friday #411
The Reward Challenge Update #393
Book Blogger Hop #77
How Well I Stuck to It #245
Wrote that Review Update #242

Week 13 Reviews:
The Dragon Throne
If I Was Your Girl
Proof of Forever
Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe
And She Was
Royal Bastards
City of Bastards
Storm Cursed
Legacy of Light
Spelled
Bang

Tours:
In Another Life: Review

Random:
We Have the Cover of Debutantes #2!!!!
We Have the Cover of Heart of Thorns #2!!!!
We Have the Cover of Simon Snow #2!!!!
We Have the Cover of Dreamer Trilogy #1!!!!
We Have the Cover of Rime Chronicles #2!!!!
Andrew Shvarts Author Page
Betsy Schow Author Page
Claire Legrand Author Page

Stephen Blackmoore Author Page

OK, so I got 32 posts in 7 days, and yeah, it was a pretty fantastic week, I read a lot, and I had my first two nights with Jax sleeping in my bed, first just me and him, the next night, with Dobby as well. Which is great, because I missed having a doggie to cuddle with on days other family members claimed Dobby. What about you guys? Happy reading!

So this week I want to read Defy the Fates, Shadow Me, Defy Me, Furyborn, Mask of Shadows, Ruin of Stars, and Smoke and Key.

Hunted and desperate.

Abel only has one mission left that matters: save the life of Noemi Vidal. To do that, he not only has to escape the Genesis authorities, he also must face the one person in the galaxy who still has the means to destroy him. Burton Mansfield's consciousness lives on, desperate for a home, and Abel's own body is his last bargaining chip.

Alone in the universe.

Brought back from the brink of death, Noemi Vidal finds Abel has not only saved her life, but he's made her into something else, something more. Not quite mech, yet not quite human any longer, Noemi must find her place in a universe where she is utterly unique, all while trying to create a world where anyone--even a mech--can be free.

The final battle between Earth and the colony planets is here, and there's no lengths to which Earth won't go to preserve its domination over all humanity. But together, the universe's most advanced mech and its first human-mech hybrid might have the power to change the galaxy for good.

Fan favorite character Kenji Kishimoto narrates this gripping companion novella to Tahereh Mafi's New York Times bestselling Shatter Me series, set during the explosive events in Restore Me!

Juliette is still reeling from Warner's betrayal, and Kenji is trying to balance his friendship with her with his responsibilities as a leader of the resistance against the Reestablishment. Things get even more interesting when an unexpected person from Omega Point's past surfaces.

The gripping fifth installment in the New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestselling Shatter Me series. Will Juliette's broken heart make her vulnerable to the strengthening darkness within her?

Juliette's short tenure as the supreme commander of North America has been an utter disaster. When the children of the other world leaders show up on her doorstep, she wants nothing more than to turn to Warner for support and guidance. But he shatters her heart when he reveals that he's been keeping secrets about her family and her identity from her—secrets that change everything.


Juliette is devastated, and the darkness that's always dwelled within her threatens to consume her. An explosive encounter with unexpected visitors might be enough to push her over the edge.

The stunningly original, must-read fantasy of 2018 follows two fiercely independent young women, centuries apart, who hold the power to save their world...or doom it.

When assassins ambush her best friend, Rielle Dardenne risks everything to save him, exposing herself as one of a pair of prophesied queens: a queen of light, and a queen of blood. To prove she is the Sun Queen, Rielle must endure seven elemental magic trials. If she fails, she will be executed...unless the trials kill her first.

One thousand years later, the legend of Queen Rielle is a fairy tale to Eliana Ferracora. A bounty hunter for the Undying Empire, Eliana believes herself untouchable--until her mother vanishes. To find her, Eliana joins a rebel captain and discovers that the evil at the empire's heart is more terrible than she ever imagined.

As Rielle and Eliana fight in a cosmic war that spans millennia, their stories intersect, and the shocking connections between them ultimately determine the fate of their world--and of each other.

The thrilling conclusion to the Mask of Shadows duology that weaves a tale of magic, shadows, and most importantly, revenge.

As one of the Queen's elite assassins, Sal finally has the power, prestige, and permission to hunt down the lords who killed their family. But Sal still has to figure out who the culprits are. They must enlist the help of some old friends and enemies while ignoring a growing distaste for the queen and that the charming Elise is being held prisoner by her father.

But there's something terribly wrong in the north. Talk of the return of shadows, missing children, and magic abounds. As Sal takes out the people responsible for their ruined homeland, Sal learns secrets and truths that can’t be forgotten.

A sound awakens her. There's darkness all around. And then she's falling...

She has no idea who or where she is. Or why she's dead. The only clue to her identity hangs around her neck: a single rusted key. This is how she and the others receive their names—from whatever belongings they had when they fell out of their graves. Under is a place of dirt and secrets, and Key is determined to discover the truth of her past in order to escape it.

She needs help, but who can she trust? Ribbon seems content in Under, uninterested in finding answers. Doll's silence hints at deep sorrow, which could be why she doesn't utter a word. There's Smoke, the boy with a fierceness that rivals even the living. And Journal, who stays apart from everyone else. Key's instincts tell her there is something remarkable about each of them, even if she can't remember why.

Then the murders start. Bodies that are burned to a crisp. And after being burned, the dead stay dead. Key is running out of time to discover who she was—and what secret someone is willing to kill to keep hidden—before she loses her life for good…

Andrew Shvarts Author Page

The Story: I saw Royal Bastards around Goodreads, and yeah, it sounded good, so I read it and the second book, and I can't wait to read more!

Website

Series: Royal Bastards.

Royal Bastards: Royal Bastards and his site, my review, City of Bastards and his site, my review, War of the Bastards and his site, my review.

Week 13 Reviews: Royal Bastards, City of Bastards

From Goodreads:
Being a bastard blows. Tilla would know. Her father, Lord Kent of the Western Province, loved her as a child, but cast her aside as soon as he had trueborn children.

At sixteen, Tilla spends her days exploring long-forgotten tunnels beneath the castle with her stablehand half brother, Jax, and her nights drinking with the servants, passing out on Jax's floor while her castle bedroom collects dust. Tilla secretly longs to sit by her father's side, resplendent in a sparkling gown, enjoying feasts with the rest of the family. Instead, she sits with the other bastards, like Miles of House Hampstedt, an awkward scholar who's been in love with Tilla since they were children.

Then, at a feast honoring the visiting princess Lyriana, the royal shocks everyone by choosing to sit at the Bastards' Table. Before she knows it, Tilla is leading the sheltered princess on a late-night escapade. Along with Jax, Miles, and fellow bastard Zell, a Zitochi warrior from the north, they stumble upon a crime they were never meant to witness.

Rebellion is brewing in the west, and a brutal coup leaves Lyriana's uncle, the Royal Archmagus, dead—with Lyriana next on the list. The group flees for their lives, relentlessly pursued by murderous mercenaries; their own parents have put a price on their heads to prevent the king and his powerful Royal Mages from discovering their treachery.

The bastards band together, realizing they alone have the power to prevent a civil war that will tear their kingdom apart—if they can warn the king in time. And if they can survive the journey... 

From Goodreads:
Tilla, bastard of House Kent, has it made. Safe from her murderous father in the dazzling capital of Lightspire, she lives a life of luxury under the protection of the Volaris King, alongside her boyfriend Zell and best friend, Princess Lyriana.

So why isn't she happy? Maybe it's the whispers and stares that follow her wherever she goes, as the daughter of the traitor waging war against Lightspire. Or maybe it's the memories of her beloved brother, Jax, who lies cold in his grave even as she tries to settle into a life in the city's prestigious University.

Then, Tilla stumbles upon the body of a classmate, a friend. The authorities are quick to rule it a suicide and sweep it under the rug, but when Tilla herself is attacked by a mysterious man with terrifying powers, she's convinced of a conspiracy. Her friends beg her to stay silent; what she's suggesting is impossible... and treasonous.

But Tilla can't, won't, let it go. And the deeper she digs, the more questions she uncovers. How is the West beating the supposedly invincible Lightspire Mages in battle? Is it connected to the shadowy cult wreaking havoc in Lightspire? Nothing is as it seems in the glorious capital, and Tilla's presence might just be the spark that sets the Kingdom aflame. 

My Review:
These books were so freaking great! I loved reading them, I devoured them, and I can't wait to read War of the Bastards, and I'm kinda glad that I read them when I did, because it comes out in just a few months, yeah!

These books had strong world building with the magic and the politics and where they met in the middle. Tilla doesn't have magic, herself, but she quickly spends a lot of time with someone who does-Princess Lyriana. And it's only by chance that that comes about and changes Tilla's life forever.

All of these characters were great to read about. They had their quirks, like Zell who showed his brother mercy and it came back to haunt him. They all their issues to face, from their parentage, their birthright, and in the 2nd book, to being distrusted because they came from the west.

The first book was a journey, going from the west to the east. It changes them, and they're different in the 2nd book, where they've arrived at the capital. The 2nd book had both mysteries and politics, and it changed them some more. I can't wait to see what they're going to be like in War, which is going to happen after a time jump, I'm pretty sure.

These were such great reads, I enjoyed them so much, and I can't wait to read more!

Author: Andrew Shvarts
Series: Royal Bastards #1, 2
Read: March 25th, 26th, 2019
Source: Library
Reason Why: Sounded good, and they're Prequel & Sequel Challenge 2019 Books!
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Published: May 30th 2017, June 5th 2018

Royal Bastards:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

City of Bastards:

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars