Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly blog post by Jill over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights releases we're eagerly awaiting.

Angra is alive, his Decay is spreading—and no one is safe.

Meira will do anything to save her world. With Angra trying to break through her mental defenses, she desperately needs to learn to control her own magic—so when the leader of a mysterious Order from Paisly offers to teach her, she jumps at the chance. But the true solution to stopping the Decay lies in a labyrinth deep beneath the Season Kingdoms. To defeat Angra, Meira will have to enter the labyrinth, destroy the very magic she’s learning to control—and make the biggest sacrifice of all.

Mather will do anything to save his queen. He needs to rally the Children of the Thaw, find Meira—and finally tell her how he really feels. But with a plan of attack that leaves no kingdom unscathed and a major betrayal within their ranks, winning the war—and protecting Meira—slips farther and farther out of reach.

Ceridwen will do anything to save her people. Angra had her brother killed, stole her kingdom, and made her a prisoner. But when she’s freed by an unexpected ally who reveals a shocking truth behind Summer’s slave trade, Ceridwen must take action to save her true love and her kingdom, even if it costs her what little she has left.

As Angra unleashes the Decay on the world, Meira, Mather, and Ceridwen must bring the kingdoms of Primoria together…or lose everything.

I still need to read the second book of this trilogy, I had heard mixed things about that one, but heard the ending was awesome...yet cliffhangery. So hence the reason why it's still unread! And it's become my goal to do a series binge for most of my trilogies and whatnot. We shall see what happens!

TITLE: Frost Like Night

AUTHOR: Sara Raasch
PUBLISHER: Balzer & Bray
GENRE: Fantasy YA
RELEASE DATE: September 20, 2016

Kaz Brekker and his crew have just pulled off a heist so daring even they didn't think they'd survive. But instead of divvying up a fat reward, they're right back to fighting for their lives. Double-crossed and left crippled by the kidnapping of a valuable team member, the crew is low on resources, allies, and hope. As powerful forces from around the world descend on Ketterdam to root out the secrets of the dangerous drug known as jurda parem, old rivals and new enemies emerge to challenge Kaz's cunning and test the team's fragile loyalties. A war will be waged on the city's dark and twisting streets―a battle for revenge and redemption that will decide the fate of magic in the Grisha world. 

Another series I plan to binge hopefully this year! At least this one's a duology!! :D

TITLE: Crooked Kingdom
AUTHOR: Leigh Bardugo
PUBLISHER: Henry Holt and Co.
GENRE: Fantasy YA
RELEASE DATE: September 27, 2016

 

Teaser & Top Ten Tuesdays

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly feature hosted by MizB of Books and Beat. 

Here are the rules:

1. Grab your current read
2. Open to a page
3. Pick out 2 lines that are SPOILER FREE
4. Name the title, author, etc.

You shall now fear ever going to the bathroom again!! Read on if you dare!

"I was on the toilet, midstream, when I felt movement in the bowl. At first, I ignored it, but then I felt smoothness, tickling between my legs. I jolted with fright and looked down.

And screamed.

Scales, shining under the lamp, two territorial eyes--cold-blooded and cunning--and a forked tongue, darting out from between my legs." p 20*

*This quote comes from the ARC and therefore it and its page number are not final.








TITLE: And the Trees Crept In
AUTHOR: Dawn Kurtagich
PUBLISHER: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
GENRE: Horror YA
RELEASE DATE: September 6, 2016

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list  that one of our bloggers here at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.

This week's topic is: Ten Books That Have Been On Your Shelf (Or TBR) From Before You Started Blogging That You STILL Haven't Read Yet 

*in no particular order

Hmm...that might be difficult as most of the books I added to my TBR pile came from blogging. Before blogging I didn't know what a TBR pile was and there were actually times when I did NOT have something new to read! So my post will include books that were added in the beginning days of blogging. So these really all should've been picked up in 2010 and I later added them to Goodreads as I got the hang of it by 2011!

10. DEAD GIRLS ARE EASY by Terri Garey--this was actually one of my first blogger pals recommendations. I thought it sounded interesting so I bought the whole series at a Borders closing sale. *Sobs*

9. RUBY RED by Kerstin Gier--this was actually one of my first contest wins! Still need to read this series!

8. NIGHT WORLD Vol 1-3 by L.J. Smith--yup more Borders closing sales acquisitions. Though actually I found the third one at TJ Maxx for $3! Still need to read this series, though I have read one of the individual novels!

7. DARK VISIONS by L.J. Smith--another TJ Maxx find! Think it was somewhere between $2-4. Can't remember because I took that dreadful sticker off!

6. THE ROSE BRIDE by Nancy Holder--I bought this one at a signing she and Debbie did for their final (and resurrected) Wicked book! You don't know how excited I was for that one! I bought this because I enjoyed the series I read so far of the retold fairy tales! Never realized how many there were in this particular line!

5. SCENT OF A WHITE ROSE by Tish Thawer--another blogger recommendation from the early days! Still need to read it, but can't remember what drew me to it! LOL!

4. SAVOR by Megan Duncan--another early day blogger recommendation! And again, can't remember why I wanted to read it! LOL!

3. DARK HEART FOREVER by Lee Monroe--yet another blogger recommendation from that first year or so! Love werewolves, so I know why I picked it up! LOL!

2. EMBERS by Laura Bickle--picked this series up at my first RT and still need to read it!! I loved her Alayna Williams series, so I suspect I will love this one too!

1. TOUCH OF FROST by Jennifer Estep--another one I picked up at my first RT and every RT after that I picked up the next book. Basically have the whole series now and still haven't read this first book!

ARC Review--A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir

A Torch Against the Night takes readers into the heart of the Empire as Laia and Elias fight their way north to liberate Laia’s brother from the horrors of Kauf Prison. Hunted by Empire soldiers, manipulated by the Commandant, and haunted by their pasts, Laia and Elias must outfox their enemies and confront the treacherousness of their own hearts.

In the city of Serra, Helene Aquilla finds herself bound to the will of the Empire’s twisted new leader, Marcus. When her loyalty is questioned, Helene finds herself taking on a mission to prove herself—a mission that might destroy her, instead.

I received this ARC from the publisher while attending BEA earlier this year. I was in no way compensated for this review.

A Torch Against the Night is Sabaa Tahir's second book in the An Ember in the Ashes series (that's right SERIES! As when I write this today, Sabaa announces an additional two books will be added to the series at large!). Which is a good thing because this one ends with so many loose-ends and whatnot that I would be most unhappy if that was the actual end for our characters. Even with one more book, as I initially thought this would be a trilogy would feel rushed with all the need to tie up those loose-ends! But I'm getting ahead of myself here!

While a great deal of things happen in this one, on the same hand not much truly happens. But this is in no way a bad thing. I enjoyed all the buildup to things to come. And I am pretty sure the next book is going to be explosive! We have Laia and Elais on the run from the Commandant and certain death while they try to make their way to Kauf, the prison where Darin, Laia's brother, is being held prisoner.

Not long into their journey they are joined by Keenan and Izzi, who I was most excited to see! I always liked Keenan and his broody moods, but yet how he developed a softer side when it came to Laia. And Izzi is truly one of teh most bravest characters I've met in this series! Plus she's a very loyal friend to Laia.

The danger is amped up a bit when we learn that Elias has been poisoned and doesn't have long to live, but he will do everything possible to rescue Darin before his time comes to an abrupt end. This I think truly adds to the danger and pacing because I couldn't reas fast enough to see if he would make it or not.

Then there's Helene, who's got a few chapters of her own. She's now the Blood Shrike to the emperor--Marcus--and her first mission is to find Elias and bring him back for a public execution. Which Helene will have to administer. Helene has a lot of inner battling going on because a part of her still loves Elias, but then she's also hurt because he essentially chose Laia over her. This definitely makes the love complication I talked about in the first book even more messy, for Laia and Elias still have that other person who they care for, but they still care for one another.

The love complication, as I said, remains to be messy in this one. Though it does seem Helene is trying to do her duty to the emperor and also because she needs to protect her family. Then there's Laia and Keenan and of course Elias. I always enjoyed Keenan's character like I said and I must say I was completely surprised by how this love complication gets settled. At least on one side. it's too soon to say for the other half. Plus, more obstacles still stand between....everyone!

There's a lot of detail to what happens in here and I don't want to get into all of it because of spoilers. But you can know that this was a remarkable read filled with lots of tension, action, suspense, and of course some stolen moments of romance. There's secrets abound in this one too! There's so much mystery surrounding a certain character that we've been getting hints at for two books now. I can't wait for clear answers! Obviously, we can gather some things about what's going on, but for me, I'm the kind of reader who needs to know exactly what's what! LOL!

The ending to this one was good! It's not entirely cliffhangery, but a nice pause in the actiony moments. There's still a great deal to come for all our characters involved. And I honestly wouldn't be surprised if Marcus gets a few chapters pov's next time, because he too is going through somethings that we only get hints of!

A Torch Against the Night was an incredibly alluring read and I am anticipating the release of the third book to see what fates await all our favorite characters! If you haven't started this series yet, I highly recommend it! It's a nice fantasy read that isn't overly hard to understand its world and rules and naturally, it's one dangerous place to live in! Good thing I'm just a reader on the outside! LOL! Yet another fabulous read from the talented Sabaa Tahir that leaves me craving for more...but at least this time I am not screaming in agony while I wait! ;)

Overall Rating 5/5 stars

A Torch Against the Night releases August 30, 2016

It's Monday! What are You Reading?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. It's a fun meme where we gather to share what we've read last week and our reading plans for this week.

Last Week I Read:

 A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir (ARC)--Review to come later today!

Arcana Rising by Kresley Cole (5 stars)

And the Trees Crept In by Dawn Kurtagich (ARC)--Review to come next week!

About to Start Reading:

Kingdom of Ash and Briars by Hannah West (ARC)

What I Hope to Read this Week:

Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake (ARC)

Other Posts of Interest:

Teaser & Top Ten Tuesdays

Waiting on Wednesday

Random Thursday

Follow Friday

Winner!

Stacking the Shelves

Stacking the Shelves

Stacking The Shelves is all about the books we are adding to our shelves each week, sharing with you our excitement for our newest titles and maybe have you discover a new book in the process!


Hey all! How was your week? Mine was okay, book wise it was even better! LOL! Here's what I bought this week:

 

Arcana Rising by Kresley Cole--this was the paperback I had preordered prior to receiving an eARC and decided I NEEDED a physical copy of it because I heart this series sooo much!

Scooby Doo Apocalypse #4 by Keith Giffen & Jim Lee, Ill. by Howard Porter--I WILL eventually START these comics!! LOL!

Then for review I received:

Midnight Hour by C.C. Hunter (ARC)--EEK!!!! MIRANDA'S BOOK!!

Betrayals by Kelley Armstong--so can't wait to read this one!

The Art of Disney's Dragons by Tom Bancroft--the most beautiful book...and yet, it came to me half soaking wet!! :( Filing damage claims with UPS and hopefully they will cover the costs for a NEW copy. This is my first time dealing with them in this sense. Never before has a book arrived from the publisher to me so damaged! And it was in one of those bubbler packs...should've been dry yet it was damp. There were freaking tears people, not only was a precious book destroyed by water...but a gorgeous artwork book...and DISNEY!!!  I was inconsolable that night!

THANK YOU ST. MARTIN'S GRIFFIN, SPHERE, AND DISNEY EDITIONS!!

Oh and Midnight Hour also came with SWAG!! :D

Then I also bought this t-shirt, because it spoke to me on many levels...lol:

I'm  officially on the waitlist! Oh yeah!

And then I seemed to have lost the picture and I literally just deleted it from my camera as well, so I am borrowing the pictures from the website and I meant to post this LAST week, but forgot somehow...long story short, I bought myself these:

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST TSUM TSUMS!!

That was my week of awesomeness! What did you all get?

WINNER!

Time to announce the winner of the signed copy of The Beauty of Darkness! And the winner is...

JENNY WEED VASQUEZ!!!

Congrats Jenny!!

I've emailed the winner and she will have 48 hours to respond or else a new winner will be chosen. 

Follow Friday

This is a weekly blog meme hosted by Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read

 

The Rules:

• The goal is to increase blog followers, make friends and have something to post.
• You create your own post using the post prompt.
• You leave your link and thumbnail in the linky list that links back to your post prompt.
• Once you have your post up and linked, visit other posts and tell them hi. The point is to FOLLOW them not just comment.
• If you see a post that just hit it to the moon, or just want to show appreciation to a fellow blogger friend, like their name on the linky list to show some appreciation.
• The person with the most likes gets chosen as the next Feature (you can be chosen every 90 days unless we are in need of features)
• It is required that if you participate that you have to follow the FEATURE. It is a big no-no to participate and ignore the feature. They are the special snowflake in this little blizzard.
• As a participant it is up to your discretion on how you want people to follow. Please post RSS, GFC etc if you have a follow of choice.

Specific RULES:

• Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts.
• Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say “hi” in your comments and that they are now following you.
• If you are using WordPress or another CMS that doesn’t have GFC (Google Friends Connect) state in your posts how you would like to be followed FOLLOW as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don’t just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don’t say “HI”
• Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don’t just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don’t say “HI”
• If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love…and the followers

 

This week's prompt is: What is Your Favorite Opening Scene?

MY ANSWER: Oh another tough one! As you all should know by now, I have a terrible memory for these kinds of things! LOL! I can't play trivia if my life depended on it! But I did remember one opening scene, more so because I can remember the author talking about it. Here's the first few sentences:

"Digging graves is hell on a manicure, but I was taught good vampires clean up after every meal. So I ignored the chipped onyx polish. I ignored the dirt caked under my nails. I ignored my palms, rubbed raw and blistering. And when a snapping twig announced David's arrival, I ignored him too."


And the book in question was Red-Headed Stepchild by Jaye Wells! Quickly became a favorite series!

  

 

Review--Arcana Rising by Kresley Cole

Losses mount and deadly new threats converge in this next action-packed tale of the Arcana Chronicles by #1 New York Times bestselling author Kresley Cole.

When the battle is done . . .
The Emperor unleashes hell and annihilates an army, jeopardizing the future of mankind--but Circe strikes back. The epic clash between them devastates the Arcana world and nearly kills Evie, separating her from her allies.

And all hope is lost . . .
With Aric missing and no sign that Jack and Selena escaped Richter's reach, Evie turns more and more to the darkness lurking inside her. Two Arcana emerge as game changers: one who could be her salvation, the other her worst nightmare.

Vengeance becomes everything.
To take on Richter, Evie must reunite with Death and mend their broken bond. But as she learns more about her role in the future--and her chilling past--will she become a monster like the Emperor? Or can Evie and her allies rise up from Richter's ashes, stronger than ever before?

I received this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. I was in no way compensated for this review.

BE FOREWARNED! There are SPOILERS from previous books in this review!! If you haven’t read Dead of Winter yet, then be aware that there are SPOILERS pertaining it in this review!!

OH. MY. GOD. That was my reaction after finishing Kresley Cole’s Arcana Rising!! It was a phenomenal read! This series…this series has had me hooked so deeply ever since the first book. Never has a series kept me so gripped! Yes, I’ve loved many a read, but there’s something totally and inexplicably different about Kresley’s The Arcana Chronicles. And I must say I love it soooo very much!

Evie is in state of turmoil! Having witnessed Jack’s death she can’t function. Her goal is to find Tess and make her take her back in time to rescue him. But naturally, things go awry from the get-go. Separated from Aric within moments of the start of the novel, Evie is on a mission and she will do everything possible to succeed. She must bring Jack back, she must tell him yes and give him the ribbon…the one that signifies her choice that she wants him. And it’s during this mission that she meets a new Arcana player, Sol.

If you’ve read Day Zero, you’ll already know a bit about him. He’s the Sun card basically and can harness powers of the sun. Plus he has control over Baggers and his two lovers are baggers as well, but they are more special to him. Evie enlists or forces him to help her get back to Fort Arcana where Tess is.

It’s so hard to describe the high points of this story without getting into too many details. Evie has a plan, but naturally, there’s going to be more to it than that! Never fear, Evie will not be solo in this book. We get some reconnections and we also get a point of view of another character who shall remain nameless. They—improper English to save you from spoilers—don’t get many chapters but even some was enough! There’s lots going on even where Evie isn’t at the moment. And soon the goal becomes KILL THE EMPEROR!!!

I was surprised to see that that confrontation didn’t quite make it to the pages. There was some buildup to it, in a sense, but I definitely see it playing a larger part in the next story! And there will be more! HUZZAH!!

Now romance! Because it HAS to be discussed! Never has a love triangle ever had me SO conflicted before. Generally I pick my team…sometimes I’m right, other times I’m wrong, and a few times I am so very, very wrong (but we won’t discuss that! Lol!), but with this series, I’ve yet to pick my team! I have literally gone back and forth in every book! Book 1= Jack, Book 2= Aric, Book 3= I’m SO CONFLICTED! LITERALLY CHANGING MY MIND EVERY COUPLE OF PAGES! Book 4 has me on one side, but for reasons I can’t discuss! And really, you can probably guess who it is, but I will remain vague! And I will say that there is plenty of smexy moments in this one! Some that has my toes curling and thinking WOW! This is definitely for a more mature YA crowd, so be advised of that if you want to recommend to teens!

I will admit that the action was a little slow in this one, but the TENSION more than makes up for it! Evie is first racing against the clock to find Tess and have her go back in time to rescue Jack and the sooner she gets there, the better the odds. Then there’s just more tension between Evie and Aric for if you recall, she was choosing Jack at the end of Dead of Winter. So he’s hurt and not feeling the friendly vibes with her when she’s wanting to be pals again. That kind of had me wanting to give her a knock on the noggin. And of course the sexual tension between them still remains because even when Aric is mad at her, he still loves her. So yes, this book basically held me gripped from the beginning and wouldn’t let go until its end. Then it left me in agony because I NEED TO KNOW MORE NOW!!! Agh!!

Another bit of a bombshell was the lack of involvement Evie's grandmother had. It was such a big goal of Evie to get to her grandmother and when Aric delivers her to Evie, it was kind of just poof'! And then Evie rarely spent time with her. I just thought she would play a good role in the story for Evie, in helping her. Her character was kind of surprising too. I didn't really care for her, but in a way that's kudos to Kresley on how she wrote her! And that's all I'll say about that!

Needless to say that this one ended with a pretty hefty cliffhanger. I mean it was BIG! Not only the shocking bomb drop that was given at the end, but also a teeny piece that connected to it! And then there’s still tons of unresolved issues regarding many players! So much we don’t know and then I started furiously clicking my kindle expecting to see more pages of awesome story, but it was THE END!! The most tragic words to read (even figuratively) mid series!! And sometimes even in the last book, but that can sometimes yield to a happy smile…this was no such scenario though because this series is not over yet…thank goodness!

The Arcana Chronicles is one intense and enthralling series! It’s so remarkable that my heart pretty much races the entire time I am reading it! It’s DEEP! It’s beautiful! It’s engaging and thrilling, and romantic, and sad, and oh god, there are not enough words for me to describe this series! It leaves me speechless as well as breathless! The next book cannot come out soon enough, that’s all I have to say! LOL! So yes, if you’re looking for that Paranormal (ish) YA read I would SO recommend this series because while not paranormal in the traditional sense, it’s still got that dark magic vibe and of course dystopian apocalyptic. And even now, as I try to end this review with a nice catchy word of praise, I remain speechless because there just aren’t enough words! Well done, Kresley, well done!

Overall Rating 5/5 stars