Waiting on Wednesday: Emblaze by Jessica Shirvington

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, which spotlights upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating.

 

(Coming March 2013) (The Violet Eden Chapters 3)

 Once again Violet Eden faces an impossible choice ... and the consequences are unimaginable.

Violet has come to terms with the fact that being part angel, part human, means her life will never be as it was.

Now Violet has something Phoenix - the exiled angel who betrayed her - will do anything for, and she has no intention of letting it fall into his hands. The only problem is that he has something she needs too.

Not afraid to raise the stakes, Phoenix seemingly holds all the power, always one step ahead. And when he puts the final pieces of the prophecy together, it doesn't take him long to realise exactly who he needs in order to open the gates of Hell.

With the help of surprising new allies, ancient prophecies are deciphered, a destination set and, after a shattering confrontation with her father, Violet leaves for the islands of Greece without knowing if she will have a home to return to...

 

  

I've been in love with this series ever since I was finally able to begin reading it last year. The covers are gorgeous, the stories and characters completely pull me in, and each book leaves me eagerly anticipating the next. And after getting to meet and talk to Jessica last year, I've been even more anxious for this next book!

What are you waiting on?

Waiting on Wednesday: Soulbroken by Heather Brewer

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, which spotlights upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating.

 

(Coming August 2013)

Sometimes you have to break the rules to discover the truth.

In this follow up to Legacy of Tril: Soulbound, Kaya has learned that she is Soulbound to Darius, the Barron she secretly trained with at Shadow Academy. But he’s been sent away, leaving Kaya with questions about how he could be Soulbound to her and another Healer. 

Determined to find answers and prove herself worthy of fighting in the war against King Darrek and the Graplars, Kaya sneaks away, encountering a mysterious Barron named Gage in her travels. But Darius has shocking information about Gage—information that changes everything Kaya thought she knew about what it means to be Bound.

 

 

 

 I haven't had a chance to write my review of the first Legacy of Tril book, Soulbound, but I couldn't wait to mention this sequel. I love the first book and can't wait to get my hands on this one! Plus, it has such a gorgeous cover!

 

What are you waiting for?

Something Strange and Deadly by Susan Dennard

Something Strange and Deadly

Something Strange and Deadly 1

Author: Susan Dennard  
Pages: 388 pgs
Genre: YA, Steampunk 
Release Date: July 24th 2012
Review Source: Harper Collins

I was intrigued by Susan Dennard's debut novel when I first read the description, and then I saw the cover. It's absolutely gorgeous. And I'm so glad that I read because it did not disappoint.

In 1876, Eleanor Fitt lives in Philadelphia and things have become strange. The dead begin to rise and Eleanor and her mother desperately need her brother to come home. Only he doesn't.

When one of the zombie's delivers a letter to Eleanor from her brother, she knows that he's in danger and needs her help. The Spirit Hunters are her only hope, but getting them to help is easier said than done, especially as the rising dead become more and more dangerous...

Now, as I've mentioned a number of times on here, I love steampunk and historical settings! There's something about beautiful flowing dresses, corsets, and men in top hats that I just love and we get all of that in this book with a steampunk twist. Eleanor's item of choice just so happens to be a parasol and it just adds to the whole setting.

I'm not really much of a zombie fan, in fact I only usually watch them in movies, but I could handle Susan's version of them. They are an integral part of the story, but not the main part. They aren't constantly on the run or on guard from the dead, and I really liked that.

And with the character relationships and world building, I'm definitely interested in finding out what happens next. Not too much is revealed, but just enough that we know the main characters and have a pretty good setup that leads in the next book. And, for anyone who's read it, I can't wait for more of Daniel after that ending.

So, who's with me in casually twiddling our thumbs as we wait for book 2, A Darkness Strange and Lovely?

Shadow of the Sun by Laura Kreitzer: Audiobook Review

Shadow of the Sun

Timeless 1

Author: Laura Kreitzer
Read by: Tavia Gilbert 
Length: 10hrs. 35 minutes
Genre: Fantasy
Release Date: November 16th 2012
Review Source: Revolution Publishing

I wrote a review for the book a while back, but I recently had the pleasure to listen to the audiobook and wanted to write a review for that as well.

Gabriella's past is a mystery, but that never stopped her from achieving her goals. As a supernatural specialist, and far more intelligent than anyone her age, she has always been ignored by her peers. Because of the isolation she has always felt, she put her life and soul into her job. Being a supernatural specialist hasn't given her the divine intervention she always longed for, until one day a shipment arrives from Italy containing three dead bodies with an uncanny ability to regenerate. Gabriella is frightened and intrigued, but not as scared as she becomes when a dark creature attacks her.

As the bodies come back to life, the plot takes an unexpected twist that you won't see coming. The supernatural world only begins to unfold before her as angels appear, her dreams start to haunt her, and the very past she has forgotten comes back with startling clarity. Romance blooms, escape plans are made, an assassin is out to kill her, and death is only around the corner. But what is more terrifying than all of it is the fact she is the chosen one, the Illuminator, the one who will save them all.

 I fell in love with Laura's writing after reading Shadow of the Sun, but I realized why I did all over again after listening to the audiobook. There's just something about hearing a story read aloud that brings it to life and I felt that here.

The narrator, Tavia Gilbert, really seemed to capture who each of the characters were, especially Gabriella, and brought something a bit more to them with each of their voices. It's difficult to change accents and switch pitches, but she did it flawlessly. It was fun and even more exciting to delve back into this amazing world.

Now that I've heard Shadow of the Sun read aloud, I can't wait for the others to be on audiobook and I'm even more excited for the final book in the series. Thank you to Laura and Revolution Publishing for this opportunity!

Cover Reveal: The Seven Year King by Kiki Hamilton

Kiki Hamilton is sharing the cover for the latest novel in her The Faerie Ring series, book 3 The Seven Year King which is being released May 2013.

Isn't this gorgeous!

Here's a short teaser:

A deadly sacrifice, a heartbreaking choice, an uncertain future...

Waiting on Wednesday: If I Should Die by Amy Plum

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, which spotlights upcoming releases we are eagerly anticipating.

 

(Coming May 2013)

I will not lose another person I love. I will not let history repeat itself.

Vincent waited lifetimes to find me, but in an instant our future together was shattered. He was betrayed by someone we both called a friend, and I lost him. Now our enemy is determined to rule over France’s immortals, and willing to wage a war to get what they want.

It shouldn’t be possible, none of it should be, but this is my reality. I know Vincent is somewhere out there, I know he’s not completely gone, and I will do anything to save him.

After what we’ve already fought to achieve, a life without Vincent is unimaginable. He once swore to avoid dying—to go against his nature and forsake sacrificing himself for others—so that we could be together. How can I not risk everything to bring my love back to me?

 

 

 I absolutely love this series and have been anxious for this book since I finished the sequel, Until I Die, last year. Conclusion are always sad, but this is one I definitely can't wait for!

What are you waiting on?

Cover Reveal: Winter Queen by Amber Argyle

So this week I am very excited to get to share the cover for Amber Argyle's latest book, Winter Queen:

 Winter Queen

Fairy Queens 1

~Becoming a winter queen will make Ilyenna as cold and cruel and deadly as winter itself, but it might be the only way to save her people from a war they have no hope of winning.~

Mortally wounded during a raid, seventeen-year-old Ilyenna is healed by winter fairies who present her with a seductive offer: become one of them and share their power over winter. But that power comes with a price. If she accepts, she will become a force of nature, lose her humanity, and abandon her family.

Unwilling to pay such a high price, Ilyenna is enslaved by the one of the invaders, Darrien. While in captivity, she learns the attack wasn’t just a simple raid but part of a larger plot to overthrow her entire nation. 

With the enemy stealing over the mountains and Darrien coming to take her to his bed, Ilyenna must decide whether to resurrect the power the fairies left behind. Doing so will allow her to defeat Darrien and the other invaders, but if she embraces winter, she will lose herself to that destroying power—forever.

Oh and here's the cover front and back as well:

 
 Isn't this cover actually gorgeous! I definitely can't wait to read this.