Waiting on Wednesday #12: Icons

Waiting on Wednesday is a wonderful meme created by Jill from Breaking the Spine where we highlighted an upcoming release that we're eagerly anticipating.

Icons (Icons #1)
by Margaret Stohl
Expected publication: May 7th 2013
by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Summary from Goodreads:

Your heart beats only with their permission.

Everything changed on The Day. The day the windows shattered. The day the power stopped. The day Dol's family dropped dead. The day Earth lost a war it didn't know it was fighting.

Since then, Dol has lived a simple life in the countryside -- safe from the shadow of the Icon and its terrifying power. Hiding from the one truth she can't avoid.

She's different. She survived. Why?

When Dol and her best friend, Ro, are captured and taken to the Embassy, off the coast of the sprawling metropolis once known as the City of Angels, they find only more questions. While Ro and fellow hostage Tima rage against their captors, Dol finds herself drawn to Lucas, the Ambassador's privileged son. But the four teens are more alike than they might think, and the timing of their meeting isn't a coincidence. It's a conspiracy.

Within the Icon's reach, Dol, Ro, Tima, and Lucas discover that their uncontrollable emotions -- which they've always thought to be their greatest weaknesses -- may actually be their greatest strengths.

Babble:
I really can't wait for the Beautiful Creatures movie to come out. So when I found out that one of the co-author of the book is writing a new YA book, I'm immediately curious. Icons sounds brilliant and a little different from the Caster Chronicles series which is set in the South. But I'm so eager to read more from this great author so this will definitely go into my wishlist.

Review: Boundless

Boundless (Unearthly #3)
by Cynthia Hand
Published January 22nd 2013

by HarperTeen

Summary from Goodreads:

The past few years have held more surprises than part-angel Clara Gardner could ever have anticipated. Yet from the dizzying highs of first love, to the agonizing low of losing someone close to her, the one thing she can no longer deny is that she was never meant to live a normal life.

Since discovering the special role she plays among the other angel-bloods, Clara has been determined to protect Tucker Avery from the evil that follows her . . . even if it means breaking both their hearts. Leaving town seems like the best option, so she’s headed back to California - and so is Christian Prescott, the irresistible boy from the vision that started her on this journey in the first place.

As Clara makes her way in a world that is frighteningly new, she discovers that the fallen angel who attacked her is watching her every move. And he’s not the only one. . . . With the battle against the Black Wings looming, Clara knows she must finally fulfil her destiny. But it won’t come without sacrifices and betrayal.

In the riveting finale of the Unearthly series, Clara must decide her fate once and for all. 

Thoughts:
Ladies and gentleman, this is how you make a love triangle interesting. Create two swoon worthy male interests, present a real dilemma for our lovely female protagonist, and do not make her a boring idiot with nothing else to do but mope around for some guy to come along. Clara rocks!

Ehem...on a more serious note, Cynthia Hand is simply a genius in stirring your heart with tender young romance. Boundless started of really slow. Clara decided to move on with her life after her mother's death and attend Stanford with Angela and Christian in tow. Along the way she met some new friends and new admirers. She tried opening her heart to Christian but deep inside she still misses Tucker. Oh, the agony!

Aside from those hair pulling dilemma, the young angel bloods are experiencing some terrifying visions. As is expected from this series, some characters died. Some rise to the challenge. The ending is bittersweet and Clara finally made her choice between the two boys. In all honesty, I was sort of expecting a big showdown with the fallen Dark Wings but I guess the series is more about love and choosing your own destiny rather than about angels fighting it out with each other.

Overall, I definitely recommend this series to readers who are wary of angels. There are some light hearted moments that will definitely tug your heart strings.


In my Fantasy & Books in a Series Reading Challenge
Verdict: 5 stars.
Available on: Amazon 

Review: Shades of Earth

Shades of Earth (Across the Universe #3)
by Beth Revis
Published January 15th 2013

by Razorbill

Summary from Goodreads:

Amy and Elder have finally left the oppressive walls of the spaceship Godspeed behind. They're ready to start life afresh--to build a home--on Centauri-Earth, the planet that Amy has traveled 25 trillion miles across the universe to experience.

But this new Earth isn't the paradise Amy had been hoping for. There are giant pterodactyl-like birds, purple flowers with mind-numbing toxins, and mysterious, unexplained ruins that hold more secrets than their stone walls first let on. The biggest secret of all? Godspeed's former passengers aren't alone on this planet. And if they're going to stay, they'll have to fight.

Amy and Elder must race to discover who--or what--else is out there if they are to have any hope of saving their struggling colony and building a future together. They will have to look inward to the very core of what makes them human on this, their most harrowing journey yet. Because if the colony collapses? Then everything they have sacrificed--friends, family, life on Earth--will have been for nothing.

FUELED BY LIES.

RULED BY CHAOS.

ALMOST HOME.

Thoughts:

There are so many reasons for me not to read this book. One. it has a really horrible cover. I mean after the beauty of the first and second book, so many people are surprised and turned off by the publisher's decision to change the cover to this one. Second, I really didn't like the first book which is evident in my almost scathing review of it which almost seemed like so long ago. Check out my really short review of the first book HERE.

But why..why..why did I picked it up in the end? Let's just say I'm so..so curious as to what will become of the Godspeed passengers. The fate of these people haunted me so much. Will they die a horrible death in the middle of nowhere? Will they overcome adversity and returned back to Earth? Or will there be a miracle and found themselves at long last at the new planet they've been headed for hundreds of years?

I was so ready to abandoned the series after the first book but finally I caved in to my curiosity. And I'm so glad I did! Shades of Earth is nothing like the first book. It's all action from the get go. And although Amy is as whiny as ever, Elder is trying to hard to prove that he has what it takes to be the leader of his people. If only Elder is like this since the beginning and not obsessing so much on Amy then a lot of things get resolved from the very first book. There's twists and turns abound in this book and so many new characters popping up here and there that it's hard to determined which one to trust.

Ultimately sometimes I think that I'm reading a book based on the Lost tv series because there are so many threats and obstacles that the Gospeed people had to faced once they landed on Centauri Earth. People are dying one by one, there's scary birdlike monsters, mysterious aliens hell bent on killing them and a big, big secret that no one had expected. Seriously gripping stuff.

I would have never thought that I would learn to appreciate and love a series that I used to hate. The last book really redeemed the series for me. I mean that big twist really is out of this world for me.

In my Fantasy & Books in a Series Reading Challenge
Verdict: 5 stars.
Available on: Amazon 

Follow Friday #11

Hi, everyone! It's time for another FF Friday.

Q: What is the last book that kept you up late into the night just to finish it?

Shades of Earth which is the last book from the Across the Universe trilogy by Beth Revis. It is weird because I truly hate the first book, didn't even read the second but curiosity get the better of me and I decided to check out the third and ended up finishing it in one sitting! The cover is horrible but seriously the last book kind of redeemed the series for me. 

Review: Enchanted Ever After

Enchanted Ever After (Mystic Circle #3)
by Robin D. Owens
Published December 18th 2012

by Harlequin Luna

ARC fom Netgalley

Summary from Goodreads:

Magic was just around the corner.... 

 

Kiri Palger knew the difference between reality-new house, hard work and not too many friends-and fantasy-the fun she had playing online games. So when the chance to work for the best gaming company in the world came up, giving her a chance to merge business with pleasure, how could she not apply?

Suddenly she has more friends, interesting neighbors and an intriguing love interest. But when the game begins to awaken something inside her, Kiri is shocked by the talents she never knew she had... and an evil she'd never imagined.

Her nice, safe life is imploding around her-and if she takes up the mantle of her powers, it will never be the same again....

Thoughts:
A few reviews I've stumbled upon on Goodreads assured readers that eventhough this is actually the third book in the series, it can actually be regarded as a stand alone. Well, I'm afraid I was feeling a bit lost in the beginning chapters of the book. Maybe because I'm having that time of the month or maybe I was expecting to breeze through a book without thinking much but the first few chapters where Kiri attended a  party in her new neighbourhood just left me floundering.

There are just too many characters to keep track of and not much background on each of them. There are fairies, humans with magical elements and other types I'm not really sure of. But I was intrigued with the whole magical video game concept that I stuck reading it till the end. And I'm glad that I did.

Eventhough it took some time for me to get into the story, the mystical setting is really fascinating. And despite the seemingly childish cover, this is actually an adult book. Or can it be considered new adult? All the characters are actually grown ups and it's nice to read something from an adult point of view once in a while.

Recommended for: fans of witches
Verdict: 3 stars.
In my Witches & Witchcraft Reading Challenge 
Available on: Amazon

Waiting on Wednesday #11: Archlight

Waiting on Wednesday is a wonderful meme created by Jill from Breaking the Spine where we highlighted an upcoming release that we're eagerly anticipating.

Arclight
by Josin L. McQuein
Expected publication: April 23rd 2013 

by Greenwillow Books

Summary from Goodreads:

No one crosses the wall of light . . . except for one girl who doesn’t remember who she is, where she came from, or how she survived. A harrowing, powerful debut thriller about finding yourself and protecting your future—no matter how short and uncertain it may be. 

The Arclight is the last defense. The Fade can’t get in. Outside the Arclight’s border of high-powered beams is the Dark. And between the Light and the Dark is the Grey, a narrow, barren no-man’s-land. That’s where the rescue team finds Marina, a lone teenage girl with no memory of the horrors she faced or the family she lost. Marina is the only person who has ever survived an encounter with the Fade. She’s the first hope humanity has had in generations, but she could also be the catalyst for their final destruction. Because the Fade will stop at nothing to get her back. Marina knows it. Tobin, who’s determined to take his revenge on the Fade, knows it. Anne-Marie, who just wishes it were all over, knows it.

When one of the Fade infiltrates the Arclight and Marina recognizes it, she will begin to unlock secrets she didn’t even know she had. Who will Marina become? Who can she never be again?

Babble:
After reading the blurb, I'm hoping that the Fade is not another new term for vampires and was imagining it to be vampires or some sort of mutated humans. But vampires can be cool too if they are something like Julie Kagawa's version. I love the combination of cool and creepy looking colours on the cover. Please make the story rock.

Review: Crash

Crash (Visions #1)
by Lisa McMann
Published January 8th 2013
by Simon Pulse

Summary from Goodreads:

If what you see is what you get, Jules is in serious trouble. The suspenseful first of four books from the New York Timesbestselling author of the Wake trilogy.

Jules lives with her family above their restaurant, which means she smells like pizza most of the time and drives their double-meatball-shaped food truck to school. It’s not a recipe for popularity, but she can handle that.

What she can’t handle is the recurring vision that haunts her. Over and over, Jules sees a careening truck hit a building and explode...and nine body bags in the snow.

The vision is everywhere—on billboards, television screens, windows—and she’s the only one who sees it. And the more she sees it, the more shesees. The vision is giving her clues, and soon Jules knows what she has to do. Because now she can see the face in one of the body bags, and it’s someone she knows. Someone she has been in love with for as long as she can remember.

Thoughts:
I had no expectations whatsoever before reading Crash so after finishing it, I was surprised to find it very enjoyable. I know a lot of people are disappointed about the lack of action or the subplot about the supposedly forbidden romance between Jules and Sam but I found it to be quite interesting.

This might sound ironic or strange because I usually don't like the romance element in YA books but I quite like this one. Maybe it's the fact that all the mentions of pastas and pizzas in this book made me salivating for a slice of pepperoni pizza. But Jules and her family is an interesting bunch and it's nice to read about a normal family in a YA book where the parents are actually there and is not conveniently missing.

For me the whole vision plotline is handled well and was so glad that Jules finally got her man in the end. The rivalry between the two families are sometimes exaggerated but in the end it's the kids that change things.

In my Debut Author, Fantasy & Books in a Series Reading Challenge
Verdict: 3 stars.
Available on: Amazon

Review: Altered

Altered (Altered #1)
by Jennifer Rush
Hardcover, 336 pages
Published January 1st 2013

by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Summary from Goodreads:

When you can’t trust yourself, who can you believe?

Everything about Anna’s life is a secret. Her father works for the Branch at the helm of its latest project: monitoring and administering treatments to the four genetically altered boys in the lab below their farmhouse. There’s Nick, Cas, Trev . . . and Sam, who’s stolen Anna’s heart. When the Branch decides it’s time to take the boys, Sam stages an escape, killing the agents sent to retrieve them. 

Anna is torn between following Sam or staying behind in the safety of her everyday life. But her father pushes her to flee, making Sam promise to keep her away from the Branch, at all costs. There’s just one problem. Sam and the boys don’t remember anything before living in the lab—not even their true identities.

Now on the run, Anna soon discovers that she and Sam are connected in more ways than either of them expected. And if they’re both going to survive, they must piece together the clues of their past before the Branch catches up to them and steals it all away.

Thoughts:
Altered is fueled with action from the get go as we get a pretty quick introduction on Anna and the boys and their individual quirks and traits before they decided to make a hasty exit when the secret organization which held them hostage wanted to use them.

As the boys race along to find the missing pieces to their past, Anna discovered more starling revelations about her own. The story tend to jump from one scene to the next but the attraction between Sam the leader of the group and Anna is electrifying. The likeness to the Bourne movies is unmistakable and I'm thinking that this book might be a good book for guys.

There's twists and turns galore at every corner and just as the boys are about to find the truth about their existence, one of them turns out to be a mole in their midst. It turns out that Anna and Sam's past are very much related to each other. Although I was excited to find out more about the guys, I just can't help but think that the whole 'mysterious operation producing super humans' plotline is kind of cliche and stereotypical.

In my Debut Author, Fantasy & Books in a Series Reading Challenge
Verdict: 3 stars.
Available on: Amazon 

Follow Friday #10

Hi, everyone! It's time for another FF Friday.

Q: Who is your favourite villain from a book?

Ridley from the Caster Chronicles. She's so bad ass! But a certain villain trumps all others in my opinion. He can really set my heart racing. But he's not from any book. He's actually Loki from Thor/The Avengers movie. Tom Hiddleston..I mean Loki is just so hot!

Review: Touch of Death

Touch of Death (Touch of Death #1)
by Kelly Hashway
Published January 15th 2013

by Spencer Hill Press

Summary from Goodreads:

Jodi Marshall isn’t sure how she went from normal teenager to walking disaster. One minute she’s in her junior year of high school, spending time with her amazing boyfriend and her best friend. The next she’s being stalked by some guy no one seems to know.

After the stranger, Alex, reveals himself, Jodi learns he’s not a normal teenager and neither is she. With a kiss that kills and a touch that brings the dead back to life, Jodi discovers she’s part of a branch of necromancers born under the 13th sign of the zodiac, Ophiuchus. A branch of necromancers that are descendents of Medusa. A branch of necromancers with poisoned blood writhing in their veins.

Jodi’s deadly to the living and even more deadly to the deceased. She has to leave her old, normal life behind before she hurts the people she loves. As if that isn’t difficult enough, Jodi discovers she’s the chosen one who has to save the rest of her kind from perishing at the hands of Hades. If she can’t figure out how to control her power, history will repeat itself, and her race will become extinct.

Thoughts:
One easy way to sum up about this book is that it is a surprisingly good YA fantasy but with some minor hiccups. For one if animals and people starts dropping off like flies around you, you must at least feel that something is wrong with you, right?

But no...our dear Jodi  is too preoccupied with the mysterious gorgeous stalker who always seemed to pop up wherever she goes. Even at her house. Yikes! It took awhile for the truth to actually sink in to our dear Jody and when it does, it's actually too late. Her boyfriend nearly died because of a kiss and was unceremoniously brought back to life with dire consequences.

After that, I'm glad to say that the story took an interesting twist with Jody being swept away to a secluded secret hideout for the gifted. But as predicted, Jody is considered as THE ONE who can balance both of the gift of life and death of a necromancer. As a YA debut, it is not too bad but some elements of the book are too cliche and seemed so familiar in other books.

In my Debut Author, Fantasy & Books in a Series Reading Challenge
Verdict: 3 stars.
Available on: Amazon

Waiting on Wednesday #10: Control

Waiting on Wednesday is a wonderful meme created by Jill from Breaking the Spine where we highlighted an upcoming release that we're eagerly anticipating.

Control
by Lydia Kang
Expected publication: December 19th 2013 

by Dial Books for Young Readers

Summary from Goodreads:

After the violent death of her father, 17 year-old Zelia loses her younger sister, Dylia, during an abduction at a foster care agency. It turns out her sister Dylia isn’t just pretty and sweet – she’s illegal. In the year 2150, DNA must be pure by law, and anyone with enhanced genes face death. Zelia’s only allies are the freak-show inhabitants of her new, underground foster home. Along with the unexpected love of a very strange boy, she will need her flaws and their illicit traits to save the only family she has left.

Babble:
Yay! Finally a cover that is totally unique and not featuring a deceivingly beautiful girl in front. And the blurb sounds intriguing and exciting. Another teen book with X-Men elements? Since I loved the comic, I don't really mind.

Review: Pantomime

Pantomime

by Laura Lam
Published February 5th 2013 

by Strange Chemistry
ARC from Netgalley

Summary from Goodreads:

R. H. Ragona’s Circus of Magic is the greatest circus of Ellada. Nestled among the glowing blue Penglass—remnants of a mysterious civilisation long gone—are wonders beyond the wildest imagination. It’s a place where anything seems possible, where if you close your eyes you can believe that the magic and knowledge of the vanished Chimaera is still there. It’s a place where anyone can hide.

Iphigenia Laurus, or Gene, the daughter of a noble family, is uncomfortable in corsets and crinoline, and prefers climbing trees to debutante balls. Micah Grey, a runaway living on the streets, joins the circus as an aerialist’s apprentice and soon becomes the circus’s rising star.

But Gene and Micah have balancing acts of their own to perform, and a secret in their blood that could unlock the mysteries of Ellada.

Thoughts:
This is a really hard review to write because after finishing the book, I thought long and hard what was I going to say about it and honestly my mind just goes completely blank.

I really wanted to like this book and was eagerly waiting for its release since last year. In all honesty, I was expecting a magical journey filled with extraordinary antics of the circus performers but the magical elements fell short. Instead I got a deeply confused child trying to find a place where he actually belongs.

It's not truly a bad book and there are some wonderful secondary characters in the mix, notably the two aerialist; Arik and Aenea who took Micah under their wings and Drystan the serious clown with a secret past.

But the issues surrounding Micah is quite a controversial one and I'm left wondering if younger readers will understand the underlying message that the author try to convey. I do think that she deserves a credit for trying to touch such a taboo subject. However, some elements are confusing. For example, it might be good to have a map of all the places surrounding Ellada. There are mentions of Byssia, Michada and other far reaching places but no further explanations regarding it. A map would be really helpful. And I'm still trying to figure out what the whole chimaera thing and why does Micah the only who can see it? Hopefully such questions will be answered in the next installment. I'm also so curious on how the writer will address the whole Micah/Gene issue. If this was a contemporary YA dealing with such topic, I'm sure quite a few eyebrows will be raised.


Verdict: 3 stars.
In my Debut Author & Fantasy Reading Challenge
Available on: Amazon

Waiting on Wednesday #9: Linked

Waiting on Wednesday is a wonderful meme created by Jill from Breaking the Spine where we highlighted an upcoming release that we're eagerly anticipating.

Linked
by Imogen Howson
Expected publication: June 11th 2013

by Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers

Summary from Goodreads:

Elissa used to have it all: looks, popularity, and a bright future. But for the last three years, she’s been struggling with terrifying visions, phantom pains, and mysterious bruises that appear out of nowhere.

Finally, she’s promised a cure: minor surgery to burn out the overactive area of her brain. But on the eve of the procedure, she discovers the shocking truth behind her hallucinations: she’s been seeing the world through another girl’s eyes.

Elissa follows her visions, and finds a battered, broken girl on the run. A girl—Lin—who looks exactly like Elissa, down to the matching bruises. The twin sister she never knew existed.

Now, Elissa and Lin are on the run from a government who will stop at nothing to reclaim Lin and protect the dangerous secrets she could expose—secrets that would shake the very foundation of their world.

Riveting, thought-provoking and utterly compelling, Linked will make you question what it really means to be human.

Babble:
There are a lot of books about twin sisters or a girl having multiple personalities in recent years. I love the amazing cover and after reading What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang which has a somewhat similar plotline, I'm hoping that this book will blow me away by its awesome-ness.

Review: Princess of the Silver Woods

Princess of the Silver Woods (Princess #3)
by Jessica Day George
Published December 11th 2012 

by Bloomsbury USA Children's Books

Summary from Goodreads:

When Petunia, the youngest of King Gregor's twelve dancing daughters, is invited to visit an elderly friend in the neighboring country of Westfalin, she welcomes the change of scenery. But in order to reach Westfalin, Petunia must pass through a forest where strange two-legged wolves are rumored to exist. Wolves intent on redistributing the wealth of the noble citizens who have entered their territory. But the bandit-wolves prove more rakishly handsome than truly dangerous, and it's not until Petunia reaches her destination that she realizes the kindly grandmother she has been summoned to visit is really an enemy bent on restoring an age-old curse. 

The stories of Red Riding Hood and Robin Hood get a twist as Petunia and her many sisters take on bandits, grannies, and the new King Under Stone to end their family curse once and for all. 

Thoughts:
I have not read the first two books before this but it does not in any way hamper my enjoyment of the book. Petunia is an interesting character that I immediately fall in love with. Maybe it's because she shoved a gun up a bandit's nose right in the first few pages which just shows how feisty she is.

And her sisters; the supposedly twelve dancing princesses are a real delight. Not to mention the many heroes in the book. Oliver the down and out of luck noble son who had to resort to robbery to feed his people immediately grew an attraction to Petunia and it is interesting to see their blossoming romance despite the fact that both parties tried to hide it. And the whole mystery regarding the Kingdom Under the Stone intrigued me till the end.

I'm glad I had the chance to read this series and hope there'll be more stories about the princesses. Feisty, witty and strong heroines are indeed my thing. And the princesses certainly did not disappoint.

Verdict: 4 stars.
In my Books in a Series Reading Challenge
Available on: Amazon

Review: A Conspiracy of Alchemists

A Conspiracy of Alchemists (The Chronicles of Light and Shadow #1)
by Liesel Schwarz
Published March 5th 2013
by Del Rey

Summary from Goodreads:

LEAVE IT TO CHANCE. Eleanor “Elle” Chance, that is—the intrepid heroine of this edgy new series that transforms elements of urban fantasy, historical adventure, and paranormal romance into pure storytelling gold. 

In a Golden Age where spark reactors power the airways, and creatures of Light and Shadow walk openly among us, a deadly game of Alchemists and Warlocks has begun.

When an unusual cargo drags airship-pilot Elle Chance into the affairs of the mysterious Mr. Marsh, she must confront her destiny and do everything in her power to stop the Alchemists from unleashing a magical apocalypse.

Thoughts:
With the exception of The Friday Society, I found that most of the steampunk books I've read last year was a bit disappointing. Steampunk is such an exciting genre with a lot of possibilities for awesome world building but unfortunately a lot of books got bogged down by uninspiring characters and confusing plotlines. This book happens to be suffering the same fate.

While I find most of the gadgetry wonderfully crafted and imaginative, the characters are kind of flat and one dimensional. Elle is a female pilot and the daughter of a renowned inventor who found herself in a most unusual predicament. Within the first few pages of the book a fairy decided to lodged itself in her bracelet and the next thing we knew she was being abducted by an evil secret society hell bent on stealing a mysterious box given for safekeeping by her client.

I would dearly love for a bit more background on her and the secretive Dark World that the author keep mentioning in the book before embarking on a bumpy ride all over the world to escape the bad guys and later on rescuing Elle's father. And the predictable romance with the so-called Mr. Mash just didn't really add in the story. So while the idea sounds pretty cool in the beginning, I found myself slogging through most of the book.

Verdict: 3 stars.
In my Books in a Series Reading Challenge
Available on: Amazon

My 2013 Reading Challenges

Last year I went totally crazy and participated in 7 reading challenges. It's hard to keep track of all of them and by the end of the year, eventhough I've achieved my target I feel so burn out that I don't even put up wrap up posts for some of them.

So this year, I'm being realistic and have decided to only join 3. Let's hope I have the time to actually read the books since I'm thinking of having another kid on top of my busy work schedule.

I love fantasy so this is a no brainer for me. Thanks to TheBookCellar for hosting this and the general aim is to read and review 10 Young Adult/Middle Grade Fantasy books. Easy peasy!

Tara from Hobbitsies is hosting the Debut Author Challenge. I love finding new authors to follow. Hopefully I'll get to read 12 debut books and review them this year.

Since most of the books that I've been reading these days are a part of the series then it just make sense to join in this challenge. Book stack on deck is hosting it and I'm aiming for the Sampler level ( 5 books).

Waiting on Wednesday #8 : Antigoddess

Waiting on Wednesday is a wonderful meme created by Jill from Breaking the Spine where we highlighted an upcoming release that we're eagerly anticipating.


Antigoddess (Antigoddess #1)
by Kendare Blake
Expected publication: September 10th 2013 

by Tor Teen

Summary from Goodreads:

Old Gods never die…
Or so Athena thought. But then the feathers started sprouting beneath her skin, invading her lungs like a strange cancer, and Hermes showed up with a fever eating away his flesh. So much for living a quiet eternity in perpetual health.

Desperately seeking the cause of their slow, miserable deaths, Athena and Hermes travel the world, gathering allies and discovering enemies both new and old. Their search leads them to Cassandra—an ordinary girl who was once an extraordinary prophetess, protected and loved by a god.

These days, Cassandra doesn’t involve herself in the business of gods—in fact, she doesn’t even know they exist. But she could be the key in a war that is only just beginning.

Because Hera, the queen of the gods, has aligned herself with other of the ancient Olympians, who are killing off rivals in an attempt to prolong their own lives. But these anti-gods have become corrupted in their desperation to survive, horrific caricatures of their former glory. Athena will need every advantage she can get, because immortals don’t just flicker out.

Every one of them dies in their own way. Some choke on feathers. Others become monsters. All of them rage against their last breath. 

The Goddess War is about to begin 

Babble:
Wait! Before you dismissed the not so enticing cover you must know the fact that I just totally love Anna Dressed in Blood which is written by Kendare Blake. She has a knack of creating strong scary heroine which is also evident in the blurb for this one. Fighting among ancient Greek gods? Bring it on!

Review: Prophecy

Prophecy (The Dragon King Chronicles #1)
by Ellen Oh
Published January 2nd 2013
by HarperTeen
ARC from Netgalley

Summary from Goodreads:

The greatest warrior in all of the Seven Kingdoms... is a girl with yellow eyes.

Kira’s the only female in the king’s army, and the prince’s bodyguard. She’s a demon slayer and an outcast, hated by nearly everyone in her home city of Hansong. And, she’s their only hope...

Murdered kings and discovered traitors point to a demon invasion, sending Kira on the run with the young prince. He may be the savior predicted in the Dragon King Prophecy, but the missing treasure of myth may be the true key. With only the guidance of the cryptic prophecy, Kira must battle demon soldiers, evil shaman, and the Demon Lord himself to find what was once lost and raise a prince into a king. 

Thoughts:
Some readers and bloggers I knew were displeased with the comparison made with Graceling which  is certainly one of the most memorable YA fantasy I've come across. This could be easily an Asian version of Graceling with so many glaring similarities. There's the pre-requisite feared female assassin with royal blood who become a trusted guardian to the wimpy prince, an unwanted noble suitor and enough twists and turns that will definitely make your head spin. But there's also many elements like powerful monks, ancient goddess, dragons and a prophecy about 'The One' which makes the book unique in my opinion.

I ended up really liking the story despite the obvious plotline and the simple writing. Maybe because of the Korean setting or the fact that Kira turned out to be a very likeable demon slayer. And the fact that the romance is very subdued (just like in Graceling) makes me appreciate the book even more.

Although a lot is resolved at the end of the story, I'm guessing that the writer will introduced some new conflict to keep the series going. And Kira's new love interest; Jaewon might provide for an interesting plot what with his mysterious past and the fact that he seemed like some runaway noble from a distant land. I really can't wait for that.

Verdict: 5 stars.
Available on: Amazon