First Lines Friday #542, October 1st

First Lines Friday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie of Precision Reviews. We encourage all of our fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.

-Grab your current read(s)
-Share the first line(s)
-Include the title and author so that other FLF participants can add the book to their TBR Lists!

"My big brother reaches home in the dark hours before dawn, when even ghosts take their rest. He smells of steel and coal and forge. He smells of he enemy. He folds his scarecrow body through the window, bare feet silent on the rushes. A hot desert wind blows in after him rustling the limp curtains." -An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

Well, this gets us into this world right away! Must read more now! What about you guys? Happy reading! 

Magical Readathon: Orilium Update 52

So I read my next book for Magical Readathon: Orilium, and it was Fire Study which was for the prompt Character 7 Tower of Rumination, and I'll be reading An Ember in the Ashes next! This is the last post for going on the Novice Path. All I can do now is read for Background, Province, and Heritage, since we have until April to do that! But yeah, I had a great time with the Novice Path, and I can't wait to see where we go from here! 

My Reading Journey:

A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee

Prompt Fulfilled: Character 1 Province

Started On: September 1st

Finished On: September 1st, 9:21 PM

Pages Read: 384

Dark Breaks the Dawn by Sara B. Larson 

Prompt Fulfilled: Character 1 The Novice Path Entrance

Started On: September 2nd

Finished On: September 2nd, 5:28 PM

Pages Read: 320

Bright Burns the Night by Sara B. Larson

Prompt Fulfilled: Character 2 Heritage

Started On: September 2nd

Finished On: September 2nd, 9:12 PM

Pages Read: 307

Cliff's Descent by Dianne Duvall 

Prompt Fulfilled: Character 2 Tower of Rumination

Started On: September 3rd

Finished On: September 3rd, 4:38 PM

Pages Read: 290

Bond of Destiny by Larissa Ione

Prompt Fulfilled: Character 2 Ruin of the Skye

Started On: September 5th

Finished On: September 5th, 10:48 AM

Pages Read: 207

The Bone Code by Kathy Reichs 

Prompt Fulfilled: Character 2 Obsidian Falls

Started On: September 5th

Finished On: September 5th, 4:41 PM

Pages Read: 368

Finding Felicity by Stacey Kade

Prompt Fulfilled: Character 1 The Mist of Solitude

Started On: September 5th

Finished On: September 5th, 8:52 PM

Pages Read: 304

Cape Storm by Rachel Caine

Prompt Fulfilled: Character 1 Ashtorn Tree

Started On: September 6th

Finished On: September 6th, 6:01 PM

Pages Read: 320

The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Prompt Fulfilled: Character 1 Obsidian Falls

Started On: September 6th

Finished On: September 6th, 10:50 PM

Pages Read: 400

The Hawthorne Legacy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Prompt Fulfilled: Character 1 Tower of Rumination

Started On: September 7th

Finished On: September 7th, 6:38 PM

Pages Read: 400

Forgotten in Death by J.D. Robb

Prompt Fulfilled: Character 1 Background

Started On: September 7th

Finished On: September 7th, 11:19 PM

Pages Read: 384

Empire of the Vampire by Jay Kristoff

Prompt Fulfilled: Character 2 The Novice Path Entrance

Started On: September 8th

Finished On: September 8th, 10:47 PM

Pages Read: 752

The Gravedigger's Son by Darynda Jones 

Prompt Fulfilled: Character 3 Ruin of the Skye

Started On: September 10th

Finished On: September 10th, 4:01 PM

Pages Read: 103

The Operator by Kim Harrison

Prompt Fulfilled: Character 3 Obsidian Falls

Started On: September 10th

Finished On: September 10th, 10:02 PM

Pages Read: 468

Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson

Prompt Fulfilled: Character 2  Ashtorn Tree

Started On: September 11th

Finished On: September 11th, 5:12 PM

Pages Read: 400

The Girl Who Was Supposed to Die by April Henry

Prompt Fulfilled: Character 2 The Mist of Solitude

Started On: September 11th

Finished On: September 11th, 7:41 PM

Pages Read: 224

Imagineer by Honor Raconteur

Prompt Fulfilled: Character 3 Ashtorn Tree

Started On: September 12th

Finished On: September 12th, 2:29 PM

Pages Read: 313

Excantation by Honor Raconteur

Prompt Fulfilled: Character 3 Tower of Rumination

Started On: September 12th

Finished On: September 12th, 7:15 PM

Pages Read: 227

Master of Tomes by Honor Raconteur

Prompt Fulfilled: Character 3 The Novice Path Entrance

Started On: September 12th

Finished On: September 12th, 9:30 PM

Pages Read:  268

When Sorrows Come by Seanan McGuire

Prompt Fulfilled: Character 2 Province

Started On: September 14th

Finished On: September 14th, 5:27 PM

Pages Read: 384

The Last Laugh by Mindy McGinnis

Prompt Fulfilled: Character 4 Obsidian Falls

Started On: September 15th

Finished On: September 15th, 6:37 PM

Pages Read: 384

The Deepest of Secrets by Kelley Armstrong 

Prompt Fulfilled: Character 2 Background

Started On: September 16th

Finished On: September 16th, 8:47 PM

Pages Read: 352

Unknown by Rachel Caine

Prompt Fulfilled: Character 4 Ruin of the Skye

Started On: September 17th

Finished On: September 17th, 9:39 PM

Pages Read: 305

American Street by Ibi Zoboi

Prompt Fulfilled: Character 3 The Mist of Solitude

Started On: September 18th

Finished On: September 18th, 8:44 AM

Pages Read: 352

The Dead and the Dark by Courtney Gould

Prompt Fulfilled: Character 1 Ruin of the Skye

Started On: September 18th

Finished On: September 18th, 5:03 PM

Pages Read: 368

The Bronzed Beast by Roshani Chokshi

Prompt Fulfilled: Character 4 Tower of Rumination

Started On: September 18th

Finished On: September 18th, 11:34 PM

Pages Read: 400

Desperate Measures by Katee Roberts 

Prompt Fulfilled: Character 5 Obsidian Falls

Started On: September 19th

Finished On: September 19th, 10:44 AM

Pages Read: 230

Learn My Lesson by Katee Robert

Prompt Fulfilled: Character 5 Ashtorn Tree

Started On: September 19th

Finished On: September 19th, 2:50 PM

Pages Read: 253

A Worthy Opponent by Katee Robert

Prompt Fulfilled: Character 6 Obsidian Falls

Started On: September 19th

Finished On: September 19th, 5:06 PM

Pages Read: 302

The Beast by Katee Roberts

Prompt Fulfilled: Character 6 Ashtorn Tree

Started On: September 19th

Finished On: September 19th, 8:09 PM

Pages Read: 284

The Sea Witch by Katee Roberts

Prompt Fulfilled: Character 4 Ashtorn Tree

Started On: September 19th

Finished On: September 19th, 10:01 PM

Pages Read: 275

Queen Takes Rose by Katee Roberts

Prompt Fulfilled: Character 4 Background

Started On: September 19th

Finished On: September 19th, 11:49 PM

Pages Read: 294

Wicked Villains Shorts by Katee Roberts

Prompt Fulfilled: Character 5 Tower of Rumination

Started On: September 19th

Finished On: September 19th, 11:56 PM

Pages Read: 134

The Pretenders by Rebecca Hanover

Prompt Fulfilled: Character 1 Orilium Academy Arc

Started On: September 21st

Finished On: September 21st, 4:04 PM

Pages Read: 416

Unequal Affections by Lara S. Ormiston 

Prompt Fulfilled: Character 4 The Mist of Solitude

Started On: September 21st

Finished On: September 21st, 10:24 PM

Pages Read: 352

Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James

Prompt Fulfilled: Character 5 The Mist of Solitude

Started On: September 22nd

Finished On: September 22nd, 9:40 PM

Pages Read: 325

A Dance with the Fae Prince by Elise Kova

Prompt Fulfilled: Character 4 The Novice Path Entrance

Started On: September 23rd

Finished On: September 23rd, 3:20 PM

Pages Read: 344

Queen's Gambit by Karen Chance

Prompt Fulfilled: Character 4 Province

Started On: September 23rd

Finished On: September 23rd, 10:02 PM

Pages Read: 648

Unseen by Rachel Caine

Prompt Fulfilled: Character 5 Ruin of the Skye

Started On: September 24th

Finished On: September 24th, 6:17 PM

Pages Read: 304

Unbroken by Rachel Caine

Prompt Fulfilled: Character 6 Ruin of the Skye

Started On: September 24th

Finished On: September 24th, 11:29 PM

Pages Read: 308

Better Together by Christine Riccio

Prompt Fulfilled: Character 6 The Mist of Solitude

Started On: September 25th

Finished On: September 25th, 7:20 PM

Pages Read: 448

A List of Cages by Robin Roe

Prompt Fulfilled: Character 5 Heritage

Started On: September 25th

Finished On: September 25th, 11:30 PM

Pages Read: 310

Dead Silence by S.A. Barnes

Prompt Fulfilled: Character 7 Obsidian Falls

Started On: September 26th

Finished On: September 26th, 9:57 PM

Pages Read: 352

Lirael by Garth Nix

Prompt Fulfilled: Character 5 The Novice Path Entrance

Started On: September 27th

Finished On: September 27th, 9:37 PM

Pages Read: 464

Mile High with a Vampire by Lynsay Sands

Prompt Fulfilled: Character 6 Tower of Rumination

Started On: September 28th

Finished On: September 28th, 8:05 PM

Pages Read: 384

The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik

Prompt Fulfilled: Character 2 Orilium Academy Arc

Started On: September 28th

Finished On: September 28th, 10:59 PM

Pages Read: 400

Cast in Firelight by Dana Swift

Prompt Fulfilled: Character 6 The Novice Path Entrance

Started On: September 29th

Finished On: September 29th, 5:53 PM

Pages Read: 448

The God of Lost Words by A.J. Hackwith

Prompt Fulfilled: Character 7 Ruin of the Skye

Started On: September 29th

Finished On: September 29th, 10:50 PM

Pages Read: 336

Chance of a Lifetime by Jude Deveraux and Tara Sheets

Prompt Fulfilled: Character 3 Background

Started On: September 30th

Finished On: September 30th, 12:32 PM

Pages Read: 336

Poison Study by Mara V. Snyder

Prompt Fulfilled: Character 7 The Novice Path Entrance

Started On: September 30th

Finished On: September 30th, 3:31 PM

Pages Read: 409

Magic Study by Mara V. Snyder

Prompt Fulfilled: Character 7 Orilium Academy Arc

Started On: September 30th

Finished On: September 30th, 7:20 PM

Pages Read: 440

Fire Study by Mara V. Snyder

Prompt Fulfilled: Character 7 Tower of Rumination

Started On: September 30th

Finished On: September 30th, 10:34 PM

Pages Read: 441

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

Prompt Fulfilled: Character 3 Province

Started On: October 1st

Currently On: Page 0 of 446

Prompts Left: Character 1 Heritage, Character 3 Heritage, Character 4 Heritage,  Character 5 Background, Character 5 Province, Character 6 Background, Character 6 Province, Character 6 Heritage, Character 7 Background, Character 7 Province, Character 7 Heritage

Read: 52

Pages Read: 18321

Waiting on Wednesday #497, November 18th

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

Call of Vultures by Kate Kessler

Expected Publication: December 1st, 2020
From Goodreads:

In this suspenseful and twisted thriller, an ex-con uses her unique skill set to fight for the justice of those who can't defend themselves. Kate Kessler's novels are "impossible to put down" (Hollie Overton).

Killian Delaney has a skewed moral compass, a high threshold for pain, an unstoppable will, and she's just joined the Network: a group of well-funded individuals who help the weakest among us.

Two sisters have gone missing, and Killian has been hired to track them down.

The plan is straightforward: follow the trail, find the girls, and kill whoever stands in her way.

They're living in a commune in upstate New York, one that looks a lot like a cult. And while one sister wants out, the other adamantly refuses.

The Cousins by Karen M. McManus

Expected Publication: December 1st, 2020
From Goodreads:

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of One of Us Is Lying comes your next obsession. You'll never feel the same about family again.

Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah Story are cousins, but they barely know each another, and they've never even met their grandmother. Rich and reclusive, she disinherited their parents before they were born. So when they each receive a letter inviting them to work at her island resort for the summer, they're surprised . . . and curious.

Their parents are all clear on one point--not going is not an option. This could be the opportunity to get back into Grandmother's good graces. But when the cousins arrive on the island, it's immediately clear that she has different plans for them. And the longer they stay, the more they realize how mysterious--and dark--their family's past is.

The entire Story family has secrets. Whatever pulled them apart years ago isn't over--and this summer, the cousins will learn everything. 

Day One by Kelly DeVos

Expected Publication: December 1st, 2020
From Goodreads:

In the sequel to Day Zero, stepsisters Jinx and MacKenna must put aside their enmity and work together to rescue their little brother...and possibly save the world. A nonstop whirlwind of a read for fans of Marie Lu, Rick Yancey and Alexandra Bracken.

RULE ONE: THOSE WHO PANIC DON'T SURVIVE.

IT'S AS TRUE NOW AS IT WAS THE DAY OUR WORLD EXPLODED INTO CHAOS.

Jinx

Three months ago, all I wanted was to stay up late playing video games and pretending the world was fine. With my parents' role in a massive political conspiracy exposed, I ended up on the run, desperate to rescue my little brother, Charles, from the clutches of The Opposition.

I used to hate my father's obsession with disaster prepping. But as I fight my way across a war-torn country and into a secret military research facility with only my stepsister to count on, I realize that following Dr. Doomsday's Guide for Ultimate Survival might be our only hope of surviving to see Charles again.

MacKenna

Once, I had it all. The right backstory. The right qualifications. But my life as a student journalist was destroyed forever in the explosions that triggered the country's meltdown. Now I'm determined to help Jinx get our little brother, Charles, back. But we also have to find our own reasons to survive. Somehow, I've become the first reporter of the new civil war. In a world where your story is your ultimate weapon, I have to become the toughest freedom fighter of all.

The Love Curse of Melody McIntyre by Robin Talley

Expected Publication: December 1st, 2020
From Goodreads:

New York Times bestselling author Robin Talley returns with this sweet, queer rom-com about a high school musical’s stage manager and lead actress, perfect for fans of Becky Albertalli and Nina LaCour.

Melody McIntyre, stage manager extraordinaire, has a plan for everything. Lead actor need a breath mint? She’s on it. Understudy bust a seam? Mel’s sewing kit is at the ready. Not only is her Plan A foolproof, she’s got a Plan B, and a Plan C, because actors can be total fools.

What she doesn’t have? Success with love. Every time she falls for someone during a school performance, both the romance and the show end in catastrophe. So, Mel swears off any entanglements until their upcoming production of Les Mis is over.

Of course, Mel didn’t count on Odile Rose, rising star in the acting world, auditioning for the spring performance. And she definitely didn’t expect Odile to be sweet and funny, and care as much about the play’s success as Mel.

Which means that Melody McIntyre’s only plan now is trying desperately not to fall in love.

This earnest and hilarious #ownvoices romantic comedy from New York Times bestselling author Robin Talley features secret rendezvous, deadly stage props, and a wealth of pining from afar; there’s something for everyone in this charming, compulsively likable LGBTQ love story.

The Good Girls by Claire Eliza Barlett 

Expected Publication: December 1st, 2020
From Goodreads:

The troublemaker. The overachiever. The cheer captain. The dead girl.

Like every high school in America, Jefferson-Lorne High contains all of the above.

After the shocking murder of senior Emma Baines, three of her classmates are at the top of the suspect list: Claude, the notorious partier; Avery, the head cheerleader; and Gwen, the would-be valedictorian.

Everyone has a label, whether they like it or not--and Emma was always known as a good girl. But appearances are never what they seem. And the truth behind what really happened to Emma may just be lying in plain sight. As long-buried secrets come to light, the clock is ticking to find Emma's killer--before another good girl goes down.

A Sky Beyond the Storm by Sabaa Tahir

Expected Publication: December 1st, 2020
From Goodreads:

Prepare for the jaw-dropping finale of Sabaa Tahir's beloved New York Times bestselling An Ember in the Ashes fantasy series, and discover: Who will survive the storm?

Picking up just a few months after A Reaper at the Gates left off...

The long-imprisoned jinn are on the attack, wreaking bloody havoc in villages and cities alike. But for the Nightbringer, vengeance on his human foes is just the beginning.

At his side, Commandant Keris Veturia declares herself Empress, and calls for the heads of any and all who defy her rule. At the top of the list? The Blood Shrike and her remaining family.

Laia of Serra, now allied with the Blood Shrike, struggles to recover from the loss of the two people most important to her. Determined to stop the approaching apocalypse, she throws herself into the destruction of the Nightbringer. In the process, she awakens an ancient power that could lead her to victory--or to an unimaginable doom.

And deep in the Waiting Place, the Soul Catcher seeks only to forget the life--and love--he left behind. Yet doing so means ignoring the trail of murder left by the Nightbringer and his jinn. To uphold his oath and protect the human world from the supernatural, the Soul Catcher must look beyond the borders of his own land. He must take on a mission that could save--or destroy--all that he knows. 

Defending the Galaxy by Maria V. Sndyer

Expected Publication: December 2nd, 2020
From Goodreads:

Year 2522. Oh. My. Stars.

Junior Officer Ara Lawrence here, reporting for duty. Again. It's situation critical for the security team and everyone in the base - including my parents - with a new attack from the looters imminent, a possible galaxy-wide crime conspiracy and an unstoppable alien threat. But this all pales in the face of my mind-blowing discovery about the Q-net. Of course, no one believes me. I'm not sure I believe me. It could just be a stress-induced delusion. That's what my parents seem to believe...

Their concern for me is hampering my ability to do my job. I know they love me, but with the Q-net in my corner, I'm the only one who can help the security team beat the shadowy aliens from the pits we discovered. We're holding them at bay, for now, but the entire Milky Way Galaxy is in danger of being overrun.

With battles on too many fronts, it's looking dire. But one thing I've learned is when people I love are in jeopardy, I'll never give up trying to save them. Not until my dying breath. Which could very well be today...

Yeah, there's some really great books coming out at the start of December, and I can't wait to read them! What about you guys? Happy reading! 

Waiting on Wednesday #364, May 2nd

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

Rage by Cora Cormak
Expected Publication: June 11th, 2018
From Goodreads:
New York Times bestselling author Cora Carmack's young adult debut series: the second in a captivating new YA fantasy/romance series perfect for fans of Victoria Aveyard

Princess or adventurer.

Duty or freedom.

Her Kingdom or the Stormhunter she loves.

If Aurora knows anything, it's that choices have consequences. To set things right, she joins a growing revolution on the streets of Pavan. 

In disguise as the rebel Roar, she puts her knowledge of the palace to use to aid the rebellion. But the Rage season is at its peak and not a day passes without the skies raining down destruction. Yet these storms are different—they churn with darkness, and attack with a will that’s desperate and violent. 

This feels like more than rage. 

It feels like war. 

Ocean Light by Nalini Singh
Expected Publication: June 12th, 2018
From Goodreads:
New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh dives beneath the surface of her Psy-Changeling world into a story of passionate devotion and selfless love...

Security specialist Bowen Knight has come back from the dead. But there's a ticking time bomb in his head: a chip implanted to block telepathic interference that could fail at any moment--taking his brain along with it. With no time to waste, he should be back on land helping the Human Alliance. Instead, he's at the bottom of the ocean, consumed with an enigmatic changeling...

Kaia Luna may have traded in science for being a chef, but she won't hide the facts of Bo's condition from him or herself. She's suffered too much loss in her life to fall prey to the dangerous charm of a human who is a dead man walking. And she carries a devastating secret Bo could never imagine...

But when Kaia is taken by those who mean her deadly harm, all bets are off. Bo will do anything to get her back--even if it means striking a devil's bargain and giving up his mind to the enemy... 

Venom in the Veins by Jennifer Estep
Expected Publication: June 12th, 2018
From Goodreads:
Blood might be thicker than water, but venom is stronger than just about anything …

It was supposed to be a nice, quiet, simple dinner with friends—but nothing is ever nice, quiet, or simple when you’re Gin Blanco, the Spider, notorious assassin and current queen of the Ashland underworld.

This time around, someone seems to be targeting Stuart Mosley, the president of First Trust bank. Lots of people have grudges against Mosley, but the more I investigate, the more Mosley’s problems seem to be connected to some of my own, especially when it comes to the Circle, the evil, shadowy group that is secretly responsible for much of the crime and corruption in Ashland.

But when another blast from my dark and deadly past as the Spider comes to light, I wonder if I’ll be able to survive this dangerous new enemy, who has a burning thirst for revenge that will only be satisfied with one thing: my death.

A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir
Expected Publication: June 12th, 2018
From Goodreads:
Beyond the Empire and within it, the threat of war looms ever larger.

The Blood Shrike, Helene Aquilla, is assailed on all sides. Emperor Marcus, haunted by his past, grows increasingly unstable, while the Commandant capitalizes on his madness to bolster her own power. As Helene searches for a way to hold back the approaching darkness, her sister's life and the lives of all those in the Empire hang in the balance.

Far to the east, Laia of Serra knows the fate of the world lies not in the machinations of the Martial court, but in stopping the Nightbringer. But while hunting for a way to bring him down, Laia faces unexpected threats from those she hoped would aid her, and is drawn into a battle she never thought she'd have to fight.

And in the land between the living and the dead, Elias Veturius has given up his freedom to serve as Soul Catcher. But in doing so, he has vowed himself to an ancient power that will stop at nothing to ensure Elias's devotion–even at the cost of his humanity.


Another amazing collection of books! So excited for them! Ocean Light, especially, since it's a part of such a long lived series! I just really want it! What about you guys? Happy reading!

Week 47 Review: Three Sides of a Heart

From Goodreads:
In this collection, edited by Natalie C. Parker, some of your favorite YA authors tackle the much-debated trope of the love triangle, and the result is sixteen fresh, diverse, and romantic stories you don't want to miss.

A teen girl who offers kissing lessons. Zombies in the Civil War South. The girl next door, the boy who loves her, and the girl who loves them both. Vampires at a boarding school. Three teens fighting monsters in an abandoned video rental store. Literally the last three people on the planet. 

What do all these stories have in common?

The love triangle.

You may think you know the love triangle, but you've never seen love triangles like these. 

My Review:
I really enjoyed this anthology! I enjoy love triangles, and almost all of these weren't the usual girl has the choice between two guys. Especially since there was a lot of diversity in this book-a lot of LGBT characters, and characters of different ethnicities!

I don't know which story I enjoyed the most, I know The Historian, The Garrison, and the Cantakerous Catwoman by Lamar Giles was a favourite because it was just so twisty and turny, as well as Omega Ship by Rae Carson which a girl made the right choice for her, even if others would see it as selfish.

The weirdest one was Work in Progress by E. K. Johnston, with 3 characters each having a section they narrated, then those characters in a different setting, and repeat. It was just weird! Runner up would be Cass, An, and Dra by Natalie C. Parker

Some of these stories, I kinda got annoyed at-a big point of the love triangle, is that a choice is made, though a good deal of these stories subverted that, like Vim and Vigor by Veronica Roth. But a few of them, the story ends before the choice was made, and that really sucked! I wanted to know!

A few odd comments on the various stories would be, in Dread South by Justina Ireland, I kinda felt ashamed to have the same name as such a racist character! In Vega by Brenna Yovanoff, I think the 3rd member of the triangle was the city, Las Vegas, herself. With A Hundred Thousand Threads’ by Alaya Dawn Johnson, I do wish that we could've gotten a bit more detail, like who was talking/writing, instead of us having to figure things out. It would've been a lot easier, at the beginning of each section, to just have a little bit of data! And I wonder which of these stories had the "The girl next door, the boy who loves her, and the girl who loves them both" synopsis.

I did enjoy reading these stories a lot, I just wish that these stories each had a line synopsis, and were longer! They were really great to read!

Authors: Renée Ahdieh, Rae Carson, Brandy Colbert, Katie Cotugno, Lamar Giles, Tessa Gratton, Bethany Hagen, Justina Ireland, Alaya Dawn Johnson, E.K. Johnston, Julie Murphy, Garth Nix, Natalie C. Parker, Veronica Roth, Sabaa Tahir, Brenna Yovanoff
Read: November 24th, 2017
Source: Edelweiss
Reason Why: Sounded really good with some really great authors, and it's a SAC 2017 Book!
Publisher: HarperTeen
Expected Publication: December 19th 2017

5/5 Hearts

4.5/5 Books

4.5/5 Stars

Random Reads #266, December 29th

Random Reads is a monthly meme (that I'm going to do weekly) hosted by I'm Loving Books to read some books that have been on our TBR piles for a long time. Using Random.org, I got 5865 which turned out to be A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir! It's been on my TBR pile since July 7th 2015, and I added it because her books sound really great! Happy reading! 

Will the Time Come #239, December 31st

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:

I WILL TELL YOU THE SAME THING I TELL EVERY SLAVE.

THE RESISTANCE HAS TRIED TO PENETRATE THIS SCHOOL COUNTLESS TIMES. I HAVE DISCOVERED IT EVERY TIME. 

IF YOU ARE WORKING WITH THE RESISTANCE, IF YOU CONTACT THEM, IF YOU THINK OF CONTACTING THEM, I WILL KNOW 

AND I WILL DESTROY YOU.

Laia is a slave.
Elias is a soldier.
Neither is free.

Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear.

It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do.

But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy.

There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.

Why the time hasn't come yet...
Well, it sounds like it'll press my buttons, so I'm kinda scared of reading it! Plus, I read a teaser, and it proved that! Though I really want to read it! What about you guys? Happy reading! 

Waiting on Wednesday #203, March 25th

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

Your Next Breath by Iris Johansen
Expected Publication: April 28th, 2015
From Goodreads:
atherine Ling is one of the CIA’s most prized operatives. Raised on the streets of Hong Kong, she was pulled into the agency at the age of fourteen. If life has taught her anything, it is not to get attached, but there are two exceptions to that rule: her son Luke and her mentor Hu Chang. Luke was kidnapped at age two, and now, nine years later, he has astonishingly been returned to her. Catherine vows never to fail him again. Now, just as she is building a relationship with Luke, it seems that someone from Catherine’s past is playing a deadly game with her, and using those she cares about as pawns. Three are dead already: the former prostitute who helped Catherine when she was out on the street, a CIA agent with whom she worked closely, and the informant who helped her free Luke. Someone is picking off the people Catherine cares about one by one, with the circle narrowing closer and closer to those she loves the most. Catherine has made many enemies throughout her life, and she has no choice but to weed through her past to find out who is targeting her now, and then go after the vicious killer herself.

The Replaced by Kimberly Derting
Expected Publication: April 28th, 2015
From Goodreads:
Romantic and action-packed, The Replaced is the gripping second installment in the Taking trilogy.

Kyra hasn't been the same since she returned from her mysterious five-year disappearance. Now, on the run from the NSA, Kyra is forced to hide out with others who, like her, have been Returned. Yet she is determined to find Tyler, the boy she loves who was also abducted—all because of her. When her group intercepts a message that Tyler might still be alive but is in the hands of a shadowy government organization that experiments on the Returned, Kyra knows it's a risk to go after him. What if it's a trap? And worse, what if the returned Tyler isn't the same boy she lost? 

Perfect for fans of The Fifth Wave and the Body Finder series, The Replaced is both chilling and explosive, with creepy, otherworldly elements and twisty, psychological thrills that will have you questioning what exactly it means to be human.

The Eternity Key by Bree Despain
Expected Publication: April 28th, 2015
From Goodreads:
Fan-favorite author Bree Despain continues her modern-day romance trilogy inspired by the Greek myth of Persephone and Hades with this second book in her Into the Dark series. 

Haden Lord, the disgraced Prince of the Underrealm, has chosen love over honor and will do everything in his power to protect Daphne Raines, the human girl he was supposed to bring to the Underrealm. Haden’s choice is put to the test as the Skylords and a figure from his past arrive in Olympus Hills with a plan that could destroy all of the realms.

Embracing her destiny as the Cypher, Daphne begins to understand the immense power of her musical ability to control the elements, but she must come to terms with her feelings for Haden and what she must sacrifice in order to protect him and her friends.

Believing the Key of Hades is the only thing that can stop the Underrealm Court from releasing the monstrous Keres on the mortal world, Haden, Daphne, and their friends set out to find the Key before Persephone’s Gate opens again on the spring equinox. 

Cold Burn of Magic by Jennifer Estep
Expected Publication: April 28th, 2015
From Goodreads:
There Be Monsters Here. . .

It's not as great as you'd think, living in a tourist town that's known as "the most magical place in America." Same boring high school, just twice as many monsters under the bridges and rival Families killing each other for power. 

I try to keep out of it. I've got my mom's bloodiron sword and my slightly illegal home in the basement of the municipal library. And a couple of Talents I try to keep quiet, including very light fingers and a way with a lock pick. 

But then some nasty characters bring their Family feud into my friend's pawn shop, and I have to make a call--get involved, or watch a cute guy die because I didn't. I guess I made the wrong choice, because now I'm stuck putting everything on the line for Devon Sinclair. My mom was murdered because of the Families, and it looks like I'm going to end up just like her. . .

Rogue by Julie Kagawa
Expected Publication: April 28th, 2015
From Goodreads:
Ember Hill left the dragon organization Talon to take her chances with rebel dragon Cobalt and his crew of rogues. But Ember can't forget the sacrifice made for her by the human boy who could have killed her—Garret Xavier Sebastian, a soldier of the dragonslaying Order of St. George, the boy who saved her from a Talon assassin, knowing that by doing so, he'd signed his own death warrant. 

Determined to save Garret from execution, Ember must convince Cobalt to help her break into the Order's headquarters. With assassins after them and Ember's own brother helping Talon with the hunt, the rogues find an unexpected ally in Garret and a new perspective on the underground battle between Talon and St. George. 

A reckoning is brewing and the secrets hidden by both sides are shocking and deadly. Soon Ember must decide: Should she retreat to fight another day…or start an all-out war?

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
Expected Publication: April 28th, 2015
From Goodreads:
I WILL TELL YOU THE SAME THING I TELL EVERY SLAVE.

THE RESISTANCE HAS TRIED TO PENETRATE THIS SCHOOL COUNTLESS TIMES. I HAVE DISCOVERED IT EVERY TIME. 

IF YOU ARE WORKING WITH THE RESISTANCE, IF YOU CONTACT THEM, IF YOU THINK OF CONTACTING THEM, I WILL KNOW 

AND I WILL DESTROY YOU. 

LAIA is a Scholar living under the iron-fisted rule of the Martial Empire. When her brother is arrested for treason, Laia goes undercover as a slave at the empire’s greatest military academy in exchange for assistance from rebel Scholars who claim that they will help to save her brother from execution.

ELIAS is the academy’s finest soldier— and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias is considering deserting the military, but before he can, he’s ordered to participate in a ruthless contest to choose the next Martial emperor.

When Laia and Elias’s paths cross at the academy, they find that their destinies are more intertwined than either could have imagined and that their choices will change the future of the empire itself. 

Lying Out Loud by Kody Keplinger
Expected Publication: April 28th, 2015
From Goodreads:
Kody Keplinger returns to the world of The DUFF in this brand-new companion novel!

Sonny Ardmore is an excellent liar. She lies about her dad being in prison. She lies about her mom kicking her out. And she lies about sneaking into her best friend's house every night because she has nowhere else to go.

Amy Rush might be the only person Sonny shares everything with -- secrets, clothes, even a nemesis named Ryder Cross.

Ryder's the new kid at Hamilton High and everything Sonny and Amy can't stand -- a prep-school snob. But Ryder has a weakness: Amy. So when Ryder emails Amy asking her out, the friends see it as a prank opportunity not to be missed.

But without meaning to, Sonny ends up talking to Ryder all night online. And to her horror, she realizes that she might actually like him. Only there's one small catch: he thinks he's been talking to Amy. So Sonny comes up with an elaborate scheme to help Ryder realize that she's the girl he's really wanted all along. Can Sonny lie her way to the truth, or will all her lies end up costing her both Ryder and Amy?

Magonia by Maria Dahvana
Expected Publication: April 28th, 2015
From Goodreads:
Neil Gaiman’s Stardust meets John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars in this fantasy about a girl caught between two worlds…two races…and two destinies.

Aza Ray is drowning in thin air. 

Since she was a baby, Aza has suffered from a mysterious lung disease that makes it ever harder for her to breathe, to speak—to live. 

So when Aza catches a glimpse of a ship in the sky, her family chalks it up to a cruel side effect of her medication. But Aza doesn’t think this is a hallucination. She can hear someone on the ship calling her name.

Only her best friend, Jason, listens. Jason, who’s always been there. Jason, for whom she might have more-than-friendly feelings. But before Aza can consider that thrilling idea, something goes terribly wrong. Aza is lost to our world—and found, by another. Magonia. 

Above the clouds, in a land of trading ships, Aza is not the weak and dying thing she was. In Magonia, she can breathe for the first time. Better, she has immense power—and as she navigates her new life, she discovers that war is coming. Magonia and Earth are on the cusp of a reckoning. And in Aza’s hands lies the fate of the whole of humanity—including the boy who loves her. Where do her loyalties lie?

The Girl at Midnight by Melissa Grey
Expected Publication: April 28th, 2015
From Goodreads:
For readers of Cassandra Clare's City of Bones and Leigh Bardugo's Shadow and Bone, The Girl at Midnight is the story of a modern girl caught in an ancient war.

Beneath the streets of New York City live the Avicen, an ancient race of people with feathers for hair and magic running through their veins. Age-old enchantments keep them hidden from humans. All but one. Echo is a runaway pickpocket who survives by selling stolen treasures on the black market, and the Avicen are the only family she's ever known.

Echo is clever and daring, and at times she can be brash, but above all else she's fiercely loyal. So when a centuries-old war crests on the borders of her home, she decides it's time to act.

Legend has it that there is a way to end the conflict once and for all: find the Firebird, a mythical entity believed to possess power the likes of which the world has never seen. It will be no easy task, but if life as a thief has taught Echo anything, it's how to hunt down what she wants . . . and how to take it.

But some jobs aren't as straightforward as they seem. And this one might just set the world on fire.

Trouble from the Start by Rachel Hawthorne
Expected Publication: April 28th 2015
From Goodreads:
Perfect for fans of Stephanie Perkins, Lauren Barnholdt, and Susane Colasanti, Trouble from the Start is a sweet and romantic read about a good girl who falls for a bad boy.

Avery knows better than to fall for Fletcher, the local bad boy who can't seem to outrun his reputation. Fletcher knows he shouldn't bother with college-bound, daughter-of-a-cop Avery. But when their paths cross, neither can deny the spark. Are they willing to go against everything and let their hearts lead the way? Or are they just flirting with disaster?


A companion novel to Rachel Hawthorne's paperback original The Boyfriend Project, this title is perfect for fans of summer beach reads and sweet treats. 

In A World Just Right by Jen Brooks
Expected Publication: April 28th, 2015
From Goodreads:
High school senior Jonathan Aubrey creates worlds at will. In Kylie-Simms-is-my-girlfriend, he’s given himself everything he doesn’t have in real life-–the track team, passing grades, and his dream girl–-until one day he confuses his worlds and almost kisses the real Kylie Simms. Now his girlfriend Kylie and the real Kylie are changing, and Jonathan must solve the mystery of his own life to save his love from a gruesome fate.

The Secrets We Keep by Trisha Leaver
Expected Publication: April 28th, 2015
From Goodreads:
A girl takes over her twin sister's identity in this emotionally charged page-turner about the complicated bond between sisters.

Ella and Maddy Lawton are identical twins. Ella has spent her high school years living in popular Maddy's shadows, but she has never been envious of Maddy. In fact, she's chosen the quiet, safe confines of her sketchbook over the constant battle for attention that has defined Maddy's world.

When—after a heated argument—Maddy and Ella get into a tragic accident that leaves her sister dead, Ella wakes up in the hospital surrounded by loved ones who believe she is Maddy. Feeling responsible for Maddy's death and everyone's grief, Ella makes a split-second decision to pretend to be Maddy. Soon, Ella realizes that Maddy's life was full of secrets. Caught in a web of lies, Ella is faced with two options—confess her deception or live her sister's life.

Such a great, wonderful collection of books! Though I've already read a few, since they were just so good, and I had them! I can't wait to read more! What about you guys? Happy reading!

Sabaa Tahir Author Page

The Story: Another DAC book, one that was also in the YA Buzz Books, and another book that I just can't wait to read, it looks really great!

Website

Series: An Ember in the Ashes.

An Ember in the Ashes: An Ember in the Ashes and her site, my review, A Torch Against the Night and her site, my review, A Reaper at the Gates and her site.

Anthologies: Three Sides of a Heart and my review.