My journey as a dog mom and book worm…
We all know I am huge fan of Trisha and even though mafia is not a go to trope for me I had to give it a read.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🔥🔥🔥/5
I cannot believe the sheer number of amazing books that are supposed to release over the next few months. There are so many New series kicking off as well as series finale books releasing. I have gone pre order and box order crazy!!! It is going to be such a fun bookish fall!
August Releases
Vow of Thieves by Mary Pearson 8/6
This is the final book in the Dance of Thieves duology. This series is a spin off of the Remnant Chronicles series which I have joined a read along for and am very much enjoying.
Kazi and Jase have survived, stronger and more in love than ever. Their new life now lies before them―the Ballengers will be outlaws no longer, Tor’s Watch will be a kingdom, and Kazi and Jase will meet all challenges side by side, together at last.
But an ominous warning mars their journey back, and they soon find themselves captured in a tangled web of deceit woven by their greatest enemies and unlikeliest allies, a place where betrayals run deeper and more deadly than either had thought possible, and where timeless ambitions threaten to destroy them both.
Pre order on Amazon Here
The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen 8/13
I read her other release for this year The Dark Shores a few months ago and LOVED her writing. While this book technically released as an audiobook already it will come out for print the first time in August in paperbark and hard cover. I ordered my very first Baecrate to get an exclusive copy of this book and cannot wait to read it. This is considered an Adult book with steamy scenes (which I cannot wait for) until her previous YA releases. I actually ordered my first BaeCrate for this book and cannot wait to unbox it for you!
Lara has only one thought for her husband on their wedding day: I will bring your kingdom to its knees. A princess trained from childhood to be a lethal spy, Lara knows that the Bridge Kingdom represents both legendary evil – and legendary promise. The only route through a storm-ravaged world, the Bridge Kingdom controls all trade and travel between lands, allowing its ruler to enrich himself and deprive his enemies, including Lara’s homeland. So when she is sent as a bride under the guise of fulfilling a treaty of peace, Lara is prepared to do whatever it takes to fracture the defenses of the impenetrable Bridge Kingdom.
But as she infiltrates her new home – a lush paradise surrounded by tempest seas – and comes to know her new husband, Aren, Lara begins to question where the true evil resides. Around her, she sees a kingdom fighting for survival, and in Aren, a man fiercely protective of his people. As her mission drives her to deeper understanding of the fight to possess the bridge, Lara finds the simmering attraction between her and Aren impossible to ignore. Her goal nearly within reach, Lara will have to decide her own fate: Will she be the destroyer of a king or the savior of her people?
Pre order on Amazon Here
You can also listen to this book for free with a free Trial of Amazon Escape (Unlimited Romance Audiobooks for $6.95 a month) Audible Romance Free Trial
Rage (Stormheart #2) by Cora Carmack 8/27
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.
Pre order on Amazon Here
Wild Savage Stars (Sweet Black Waves #2) by 8/27
Branwen has a secret powerful enough to destroy two kingdoms. Her ancient magic led to a terrible betrayal by both her best friend, the princess Essy, and her first love, Tristan. Now this same magic is changing Branwen. Adrift in a rival court, Branwen must hide the truth from the enemy king by protecting the lovers who broke her heart―and finds herself considering a darker path.
Not everyone wants the alliance with Branwen’s kingdom to succeed―peace is balanced on a knife’s edge, and her only chance may be to embrace the darkness within…
Pre order on Amazon Here
September Releases: JUST OMG!!
There Will Come a Darkness by Katy Rose Pool (Age of Darkness #1) by 9/3
Five lives stand in its way.
Who will stop it… or unleash it?
For generations, the Seven Prophets guided humanity. Using their visions of the future, they ended wars and united nations―until the day, one hundred years ago, when the Prophets disappeared.
All they left behind was one final, secret prophecy, foretelling an Age of Darkness and the birth of a new Prophet who could be the world’s salvation . . . or the cause of its destruction. As chaos takes hold, five souls are set on a collision course:
A prince exiled from his kingdom.
A ruthless killer known as the Pale Hand.
A once-faithful leader torn between his duty and his heart.
A reckless gambler with the power to find anything or anyone.
And a dying girl on the verge of giving up.
One of them―or all of them―could break the world. Will they be savior or destroyer? Perfect for fans of Throne of Glass, Children of Blood and Bone, and An Ember in the Ashes.
Pre order on Amazon here
Five Dark Fates (Three Dark Crowns #4) by Kendare Blake 9/3
In this conclusion to the Three Dark Crowns series, three dark sisters will rise to fight as the secrets of Fennbirn’s history are laid bare. Allegiances will shift. Bonds will be tested, and some broken forever. The fate of the island lies in the hands of its queens.
Pre-order on Amazon here
Darkdawn (The Nevernight Chronicle #3) by Jay Kristoff – 9/3
The Republic of Itreya is in chaos. Mia Corvere has assassinated Cardinal Duomo and rumors of Consul Scaeva’s death ripple through the street of Godsgrave like wildfire. But buried beneath those same streets, deep in the ancient city’s bones, lies a secret that will change the Republic forever.
Mia and her brother Jonnen must journey through the depths of the ancient metropolis. Their quest will take them through the Godsgrave underdark, across the Sea of Swords, back to the library of the Quiet Mountain and the poisoned blades of Mia’s old mentors, and at last the fabled Crown of the Moon. There, Mia will at last discover the origins of the darkin, and learn the destiny that lies in store for her and her world. But with the three suns now in descent, and Truedark on the horizon, will she survive?
Pre-order on Amazon here
Serpent and Dove (Serpent and Dave #1) by Shelby Mahurin – 9/3
Two years ago, Louise le Blanc fled her coven and took shelter in the city of Cesarine, forsaking all magic and living off whatever she could steal. There, witches like Lou are hunted. They are feared. And they are burned.
Sworn to the Church as a Chasseur, Reid Diggory has lived his life by one principle: thou shalt not suffer a witch to live. His path was never meant to cross with Lou’s, but a wicked stunt forces them into an impossible union—holy matrimony.
The war between witches and Church is an ancient one, and Lou’s most dangerous enemies bring a fate worse than fire. Unable to ignore her growing feelings, yet powerless to change what she is, a choice must be made. And love makes fools of us all.
Pre-order on Amazon here
Gideon the Ninth (The Ninth House #1) by Tamsyn Muir – 9/10
*Two words: Space, Necromancers! Totally excited for this book! I actually purchased the August Illumicrate box just for this book with sprayed edges, so also look for that unboxing!
The Ninth Necromancer needs a swordswoman.
Gideon has a sword, some dirty magazines, and no more time for undead bullshit.
Tamsyn Muir’s Gideon the Ninth unveils a solar system of swordplay, cut-throat politics, and lesbian necromancers. Her characters leap off the page, as skillfully animated as necromantic skeletons. The result is a heart-pounding epic science fantasy.
Brought up by unfriendly, ossifying nuns, ancient retainers, and countless skeletons, Gideon is ready to abandon a life of servitude and an afterlife as a reanimated corpse. She packs up her sword, her shoes, and her dirty magazines, and prepares to launch her daring escape. But her childhood nemesis won’t set her free without a service.
Harrowhark Nonagesimus, Reverend Daughter of the Ninth House and bone witch extraordinaire, has been summoned into action. The Emperor has invited the heirs to each of his loyal Houses to a deadly trial of wits and skill. If Harrowhark succeeds she will be become an immortal, all-powerful servant of the Resurrection, but no necromancer can ascend without their cavalier. Without Gideon’s sword, Harrow will fail, and the Ninth House will die. Of course, some things are better left dead.
Pre-order on Amazon here
Capturing the Devil (Stalking Jack the Ripper #4) by Kerri Maniscalco- 9/10
Pre-order on Amazon here
Treason of Thorns by Laura E. Weymouth- 9/10
Everything shattered, though, when her father committed high treason trying to free Burleigh from the king’s oppressive control. He was killed, and Vi was forced into hiding.
When she’s given a chance to go back, she discovers Burleigh has run wild with grief. Vines and briars are crumbling the walls. Magic that once enriched the surrounding countryside has turned dark and deadly, twisting lush blooms into thorns, poisoning livestock and destroying crops. Burleigh’s very soul is crying out in pain.
Vi would do anything to help, and soon she finds herself walking the same deadly path as her father all those years before. Vi must decide how far she’s willing to go to save her house—before her house destroys everything she’s ever known.
Pre-order on Amazon here
October Releases:
Ninth House (The Ninth House series #1) by Leigh Bardugo- 10/08
I am so so so exited to see Bardugo’s dark adult novel!!! I really enjoy the characters she has build in her YA world and cannot wait to see what she doe without limitations.
Still searching for answers to this herself, Alex arrives in New Haven tasked by her mysterious benefactors with monitoring the activities of Yale’s secret societies. These eight windowless “tombs” are well-known to be haunts of the future rich and powerful, from high-ranking politicos to Wall Street and Hollywood’s biggest players. But their occult activities are revealed to be more sinister and more extraordinary than any paranoid imagination might conceive.
Pre-order on Amazon here
The Beautiful (The Beautiful #1) by Renée Ahdieh- 10/08
When more bodies are discovered, each crime more gruesome than the last, Celine and New Orleans become gripped by the terror of a serial killer on the loose—one Celine is sure has set her in his sights . . . and who may even be the young man who has stolen her heart. As the murders continue to go unsolved, Celine takes matters into her own hands and soon uncovers something even more shocking: an age-old feud from the darkest creatures of the underworld reveals a truth about Celine she always suspected simmered just beneath the surface.
Pre-order on Amazon here
Beyond the Black Door by AdriAnne Strickland- 10/29
Everyone has a soul. Some are beautiful gardens, others are frightening dungeons. Soulwalkers―like Kamai and her mother―can journey into other people’s souls while they sleep.
But no matter where Kamai visits, she sees the black door. It follows her into every soul, and her mother has told her to never, ever open it.
When Kamai touches the door, it is warm and beating, like it has a pulse. When she puts her ear to it, she hears her own name whispered from the other side. And when tragedy strikes, Kamai does the unthinkable: she opens the door.
A.M. Strickland’s imaginative dark fantasy features court intrigue and romance, a main character coming to terms with her asexuality, and twists and turns as a seductive mystery unfolds that endangers not just Kamai’s own soul, but the entire kingdom …
Pre-order on Amazon here
November Releases:
The Toll (Scythe #3) Neil Shusterman- 11/05
From New York Times bestselling author Neal Shusterman comes the thrilling conclusion to the Printz Honor–winning series Arc of a Scythe.
It’s been three years since Rowan and Citra disappeared; since Scythe Goddard came into power; since the Thunderhead closed itself off to everyone but Grayson Tolliver.
In this pulse-pounding conclusion to New York Times bestselling author Neal Shusterman’s Arc of a Scythe trilogy, constitutions are tested and old friends are brought back from the dead.
Pre- order on Amazon here
The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern- 11/05
This is my most anticipated read of the year!! I loved The Night Circus and cannot wait to devour this beauty and this will probably be one of the few books i obtain multiple editions of. I have already pre-ordered my U.S. edition and rumor had it that Illumicrate will being putting this book in the November box. If so I will be all over it for the UK edition!
Pre-order on Amazon here
Call Down the Hawk (Dreamer # 1) by Maggie Stiefvater- 11/05
The dreamers walk among us . . . and so do the dreamed. Those who dream cannot stop dreaming – they can only try to control it. Those who are dreamed cannot have their own lives – they will sleep forever if their dreamers die.
And then there are those who are drawn to the dreamers. To use them. To trap them. To kill them before their dreams destroy us all.
Ronan Lynch is a dreamer. He can pull both curiosities and catastrophes out of his dreams and into his compromised reality.
Jordan Hennessy is a thief. The closer she comes to the dream object she is after, the more inextricably she becomes tied to it.
Carmen Farooq-Lane is a hunter. Her brother was a dreamer . . . and a killer. She has seen what dreaming can do to a person. And she has seen the damage that dreamers can do. But that is nothing compared to the destruction that is about to be unleashed. . . .
Pre- order on Amazon here
Supernova (Renegades #3) by Marissa Meyer – 11/05
The epic conclusion to Marissa Meyer’s thrilling Renegades Trilogy finds Nova and Adrian struggling to keep their secret identities concealed while the battle rages on between their alter egos, their allies, and their greatest fears come to life. Secrets, lies, and betrayals are revealed as anarchy once again threatens to reclaim Gatlon City.
Pre- order on Amazon here
The Sky Weaver (Iskari #3) by Kristen Ciccarelli- 11/12
Safire, a soldier, knows her role in this world is to serve the King of Firgaard—helping to maintain the peace in her oft-troubled nation.
Eris, a deadly pirate, has no such conviction. Known as the Death Dancer for her ability to evade even the most determined of pursuers, she possesses a superhuman power to move between worlds.
When one can roam from dimension to dimension, can one ever be home? Can love and loyalty truly exist?
Pre- order on Amazon here
Queen of Nothing (The Folks of Air #3) 11/19
AND last but certainly not least!!! I was so so so excited when this release was moved up, and cannot wait to find out not only what happens next, but how this story ends for Jude and Cardan!
He will be destruction of the crown and the ruination of the throne.
Now as the exiled mortal Queen of Faerie, Jude is powerless and left reeling from Cardan’s betrayal. She bides her time determined to reclaim everything he took from her. Opportunity arrives in the form of her deceptive twin sister, Taryn, whose mortal life is in peril.
Jude must risk venturing back into the treacherous Faerie Court, and confront her lingering feelings for Cardan, if she wishes to save her sister. But Elfhame is not as she left it. War is brewing. As Jude slips deep within enemy lines she becomes ensnared in the conflict’s bloody politics.
And, when a dormant yet powerful curse is unleashed, panic spreads throughout the land, forcing her to choose between her ambition and her humanity…
Pre-order on Amazon here
What release are you most excited for?? Let me know in the comments below!
Overall: *****
Romance: **
Reading Rate: *****
Pages: 456
I cannot express how excited I was for this book to release. I read Rogerson’s Enchantment of Ravens earlier this year and really enjoyed it! Plus, my goodness the level of cover gorgeousness is just crazy!!!
This book is very different from EOR, so if you were not a fan I would still give Sorcery of Thorns a try. I will say as a fan of both I feel Sorcery of Thorns far surpassed EOR for quality, and I enjoyed the writing style used more in SOT. Even though this book was over 400 pages I blew through it in 2 days, I just could not put it down and had to find out what happened next.
What I liked:
What I didn’t like:
I was really worried this book was going to be a victim of the hype but I really think it delivered. If this is the only book in the universe I would be so so sad… I already have two editions of this book and would rush to buy anything and everything Rogerson put out about this world. While there are demons and fighting and a hint of romance I still feel this is a book I would recommend for a teen to read, but also enough of a story that adults can still enjoy as well.
Synopsis:
All sorcerers are evil. Elisabeth has known that as long as she has known anything. Raised as a foundling in one of Austermeer’s Great Libraries, Elisabeth has grown up among the tools of sorcery—magical grimoires that whisper on shelves and rattle beneath iron chains. If provoked, they transform into grotesque monsters of ink and leather. She hopes to become a warden, charged with protecting the kingdom from their power.
Then an act of sabotage releases the library’s most dangerous grimoire. Elisabeth’s desperate intervention implicates her in the crime, and she is torn from her home to face justice in the capital. With no one to turn to but her sworn enemy, the sorcerer Nathaniel Thorn, and his mysterious demonic servant, she finds herself entangled in a centuries-old conspiracy. Not only could the Great Libraries go up in flames, but the world along with them.
As her alliance with Nathaniel grows stronger, Elisabeth starts to question everything she’s been taught—about sorcerers, about the libraries she loves, even about herself. For Elisabeth has a power she has never guessed, and a future she could never have imagined.
Just a Final 🙂 Warning- LOTS of spoilers below
Overall Rating: ****
Value: ****
Uniqueness:****
I am so so so excited for the release of Finale!!!! I want to set aside all of the other books in my TBR list to start reading right away! These books always leave me needing to know what happens next! I am forcing myself to finish off the two books I am currently reading before I can dive in…. so probably will be my weekend treat!!!
Now without further ado! The unboxing of the World of Caraval Special Edition box from OwlCrate.
What was all included in the box:
I believe there are still some unsigned books or boxes with unsigned books available on OwlCrate’s website.
I did give this box 4 starts instead of 5 as I didn’t feel the items really warranted the higher cost, I might be spoiled with how many items are usually in the monthly OwlCrate boxes, but I didn’t feel I received a whole lot of extra. Also aside from the cover art the book doesn’t have any exclusive content so I will still need to purchase a Barnes & Noble Exclusive version of the book if I want the extra chapter from Legends perspective. I don’t enjoy having multiple copies of the same book, so I will wait and see how much I love the book before deciding if I really really need the extra content.
How do you feel about the series??? Let me know in the comments below, and of course Spoiler warnings please!!!
So May 7th has turned into the release day of the year apparently! There are so many amazing books with extras that I cannot wait to come out.
May 7th
Aurora Rising (The Aurora Cycle #1) by Jay Kristoff & Amie Kaufman
After listening to Illuminae (which I reviewed earlier this month, check it out here) anything done by Amie and Jay will be an automatic buy for me! Not to mention the early reviews for this book have been phenomenal.
Synopsis:
The year is 2380, and the graduating cadets of Aurora Academy are being assigned their 
first missions. Star pupil Tyler Jones is ready to recruit the squad of his dreams, but his own boneheaded heroism sees him stuck with the dregs nobody else in the Academy would touch…
A cocky diplomat with a black belt in sarcasm
A sociopath scientist with a fondness for shooting her bunkmates
A smart-ass techwiz with the galaxy’s biggest chip on his shoulder
An alien warrior with anger management issues
A tomboy pilot who’s totally not into him, in case you were wondering
And Ty’s squad isn’t even his biggest problem—that’d be Aurora Jie-Lin O’Malley, the girl he’s just rescued from interdimensional space. Trapped in cryo-sleep for two centuries, Auri is a girl out of time and out of her depth. But she could be the catalyst that starts a war millions of years in the making, and Tyler’s squad of losers, discipline-cases and misfits might just be the last hope for the entire galaxy.
They’re not the heroes we deserve. They’re just the ones we could find. Nobody panic.
AND OH MY GOODNESS THE PRE ORDER OFFER FOR THIS BOOK:
Memento (The Illuminae Files 0.1) by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff
December, 2574. Forty-three days before the BeiTech attack on Kerenza IV.
This is the story of my first friendship.
This is the tale of my first murder?
Some monsters are born.
But I?
< ERROR >
I was made.
Finale (Caraval #3) by Stephanie Garber
This is one of very few series that I have read as they release and I cannot wait for this book!!!!! I am not a huge person for having multiple editions but I have ordered both the Fairyloot Special Edition box and the OwlCrate Special Edition box… and most likely going to have to get the Barnes & Noble Exclusive for the extra chapter from Legend’s perspective. If you haven’t already I highly recommend reading this series, they are a super fast paced and fun read!
Synopsis:
Welcome, welcome to Caraval…all games must come to an end.
It’s been two months since the last Caraval concluded, two months since the Fates have been freed from an enchanted deck of cards, two months since Tella has seen Legend, and two months since Legend claimed the empire’s throne as his own. Now, Legend is preparing for his official coronation and Tella is determined to stop it. She believes her own mother, who still remains in an enchanted sleep, is the rightful heir to the throne.
Meanwhile, Scarlett has started a game of her own. She’s challenged Julian and her former fiancé, Count Nicolas d’Arcy, to a competition where the winner will receive her hand in marriage. Finaly, Scarlett feels as if she is in complete control over her life and future. She is unaware that her mother’s past has put her in the greatest danger of all.
Caraval is over, but perhaps the greatest game of all has begun―with lives, empires, and hearts all at stake. There are no spectators this time: only those who will win…and those who will lose everything. . .
Storm Cursed (Mercy Thompson #11) by Patricia Briggs
I read the first several books in this series and enjoyed them. I just started to get a bit behind and have not had a chance to catch up. I will probably do a full reread and knock the whole series out once complete since I have lost track of a lot of the details.
Synopsis:
My name is Mercedes Athena Thompson Hauptman, and I am a car mechanic.
And a coyote shapeshifter . . . And the mate of the Alpha of the Columbia Basin werewolf pack.
Even so, none of that would have gotten me into trouble if, a few months ago, I hadn’t stood upon a bridge and taken responsibility for the safety of the citizens who lived in our territory. It seemed like the thing to do at the time. It should have only involved hunting down killer goblins, zombie goats, and an occasional troll. Instead, our home was viewed as neutral ground, a place where humans would feel safe to come and treat with the fae.
The reality is that nothing and no one is safe. As generals and politicians face off with the Gray Lords of the fae, a storm is coming and her name is Death.
But we are pack, and we have given our word. We will die to keep it.
Romanov by Nadine Brandes
Synopsis:
The history books say I died.
They don’t know the half of it.
Anastasia “Nastya” Romanov was given a single mission: to smuggle an ancient spell into her suitcase on her way to exile in Siberia. It might be her family’s only salvation. But the leader of the Bolshevik army is after them . . . and he’s hunted Romanov before.
Nastya’s only chances of survival are to either release the spell, and deal with the consequences, or enlist help from Zash, the handsome soldier who doesn’t act like the average Bolshevik. Nastya’s never dabbled in magic before, but it doesn’t frighten her as much as her growing attraction for Zash. She likes him. She thinks he might even like her . . .
That is, until she’s on one side of a firing squad . . . and he’s on the other.
Nocturna (A Forgery of Magic #1) by Maya Motayne
Synopsis:
Set in a Latinx-inspired world, a face-changing thief and a risk-taking prince must team up to defeat a powerful evil they accidentally unleashed.
To Finn Voy, magic is two things: a knife to hold under the chin of anyone who crosses her…and a disguise she shrugs on as easily as others pull on cloaks.
As a talented faceshifter, it’s been years since Finn has seen her own face, and that’s exactly how she likes it. But when Finn gets caught by a powerful mobster, she’s forced into an impossible mission: steal a legendary treasure from Castallan’s royal palace or be stripped of her magic forever.
After the murder of his older brother, Prince Alfehr is first in line for the Castallan throne. But Alfie can’t help but feel that he will never live up to his brother’s legacy. Riddled with grief, Alfie is obsessed with finding a way to bring his brother back, even if it means dabbling in forbidden magic.
But when Finn and Alfie’s fates collide, they accidentally unlock a terrible, ancient power—which, if not contained, will devour the world. And with Castallan’s fate in their hands, Alfie and Finn must race to vanquish what they have unleashed, even if it means facing the deepest darkness in their pasts.
Broken Throne (Red Queen #4.5) by Victoria Aveyard
While I was not a big fan of how this series ended I was a fan of the first few books so am really interested so see some extra content from this world. I have pre-ordered a singed Barnes & Noble exclusive version .
Synopsis:
Return once more to the deadly and dazzling world of Red Queen in Broken Throne, a beautifully designed, must-have companion to the chart-topping series from #1 New York Times bestselling author Victoria Aveyard.
The perfect addition to the #1 New York Times bestselling Red Queen series, this gorgeously designed package features three brand-new novellas, two previously published novellas, Steel Scars and Queen Song, and never-before-seen maps, flags, bonus scenes, journal entries, and much more exclusive content.
Fans will be delighted to catch up with beloved characters after the drama of War Storm and be excited to hear from brand-new voices as well. This stunning collection is not to be missed!
Dark Shores (Dark Shores #1) by Danielle L. Jensen
I got a chance to read an advanced eGalley of this book and I really enjoyed it, you can read my full review here.
Synopsis:
In a world divided by meddlesome gods and treacherous oceans, only the Maarin possess the knowledge to cross the Endless Seas. But they have one mandate: East must never meet West.
A PIRATE WITH A WILL OF IRON
Teriana is the second mate of the Quincense and heir to the Maarin Triumvirate. Her people are born of the seas and the keepers of its secrets, but when her closest friend is forced into an unwanted betrothal, Teriana breaks her people’s mandate so her friend might escape—a choice with devastating consequences.
A SOLDIER WITH A SECRET
Marcus is the commander of the Thirty-Seventh, the notorious legion that has led the Celendor Empire to conquer the entire East. The legion is his family, but even they don’t know the truth he’s been hiding since childhood. It’s a secret he’ll do anything to protect, no matter how much it costs him – and the world.
A DANGEROUS QUEST
When an Empire senator discovers the existence of the Dark Shores, he captures Teriana’s crew and threatens to reveal Marcus’s secret unless they sail in pursuit of conquest, forcing the two into an unlikely—and unwilling—alliance. They unite for the sake of their families, but both must decide how far they are willing to go, and how much they are willing to sacrifice.
May 14th
We Hunt the Flame (Sands of Arawiya #1) by Hafsah Faizal
I am super excited for this book, and I have an educated guess that it will be in the May OwlCrate which means special edition!!!
Synopsis:
People lived because she killed.
People died because he lived.
Zafira is the Hunter, disguising herself as a man when she braves the cursed forest of the Arz to feed her people. Nasir is the Prince of Death, assassinating those foolish enough to defy his autocratic father, the king. If Zafira was exposed as a girl, all of her achievements would be rejected; if Nasir displayed his compassion, his father would punish him in the most brutal of ways.
Both are legends in the kingdom of Arawiya—but neither wants to be.
War is brewing, and the Arz sweeps closer with each passing day, engulfing the land in shadow. When Zafira embarks on a quest to uncover a lost artifact that can restore magic to her suffering world and stop the Arz, Nasir is sent by the king on a similar mission: retrieve the artifact and kill the Hunter. But an ancient evil stirs as their journey unfolds—and the prize they seek may pose a threat greater than either can imagine.
Set in a richly detailed world inspired by ancient Arabia, We Hunt the Flame is a gripping debut of discovery, conquering fear, and taking identity into your own hands.
May 21st
Kingsbane (Empirium #2) by Claire Legrand
I have not yet read Furyborn but it is on my TBR for May before the release of Kingsbane, all of the early hype for this book has been amazing!
Rielle Dardenne has been anointed Sun Queen, but her trials are far from over. The Gate keeping the angels at bay is falling. To repair it, Rielle must collect the seven hidden castings of the saints. Meanwhile, to help her prince and love Audric protect Celdaria, Rielle must spy on the angel Corien—but his promises of freedom and power may prove too tempting to resist.
Centuries later, Eliana Ferracora grapples with her new reality: She is the Sun Queen, humanity’s long-awaited savior. But fear of corruption—fear of becoming another Rielle—keeps Eliana’s power dangerous and unpredictable. Hunted by all, racing against time to save her dying friend Navi, Eliana must decide how to wear a crown she never wanted—by embracing her mother’s power, or rejecting it forever.
Overall Rating: ****
A Pack of Blood and Lies was a fast paced read that pulls you right it, no struggling to get hooked here! You are left wondering what will happen to Ness next from the get go as her Werewolf family comes to force her back to Colorado after the passing of her mother. Ness has all the makings of the fierce female lead set out to avenge her family and teach the backwards pack a lesson, but her reckless streak lands her in more trouble than she started out with…. Thankfully the steamy Liam always seems to be there to save the day. Yes, it’s a little cliché but has all the juicy tidbits that keep you coming back for more along with a few twists and turns you don’t see coming. I do wish more detailed physical descriptions of characters was provided up front. Its left to the imagination in the beginning so my mind formed its own descriptions to find out later in the story that person appeared differently. This story wraps up just enough to leave you satisfied but ready to dive into the next installment. I would have started reading to sequel right away!
Official Synopsis:
The primal rule of winning: don’t fall in love with the contender.
Three months shy of her eighteenth birthday, Ness is forced to return to Colorado. Even though it’s been six years, and the wolves of her all-male pack don’t recognize her, she recognizes them. People who shun others because of their gender are hard to forget.
Especially Liam Kolane–son of Heath, the crudest and cruelest Alpha to have ruled the Boulder Pack. Liam is as handsome as he is infuriating, as kind as he is punishing, and he makes Ness’s traitorous heart race, which isn’t good. After all, he’s a Kolane. Like father like son, right?
When Heath dies, Liam vies to become the new Alpha and no one dares challenge him.
Except Ness.
Thus begins a treacherous game.
The rules: winner takes all…including loser’s life.
A Pack of Blood and Lies does not release until April 30th but is available for pre-order now!
Thank you to NetGalley and Twig Publishing for the opportunity to review this ARC for my honest opinion.
At first it seemed like releases were slowing down a bit after all of the amazingness at the first of the year. But when I started digging in there were actually a TON of highly anticipated books that were coming out this month. Two of the books this month Wicked Saints and The Devouring Grey are on my most anticipated “underrated” book list for the year!
April 2nd
<a href="http://Wicked Saints: A Novel (Something Dark and Holy)
A girl who can speak to gods must save her people without destroying herself.
A prince in danger must decide who to trust.
A boy with a monstrous secret waits in the wings.
Together, they must assassinate the king and stop the war.
In a centuries-long war where beauty and brutality meet, their three paths entwine in a shadowy world of spilled blood and mysterious saints, where a forbidden romance threatens to tip the scales between dark and light. Wicked Saints is the thrilling start to Emily A. Duncan’s devastatingly Gothic Something Dark and Holy trilogy..
<a href="http://The Devouring Gray
This is my most anticipated release of April (followed closely by Wicked Saints) I cannot wait to get my hands on this book and SO wished I had an ARC.
On the edge of town a beast haunts the woods, trapped in the Gray, its bonds loosening…
Uprooted from the city, Violet Saunders doesn’t have much hope of fitting in at her new school in Four Paths, a town almost buried in the woodlands of rural New York. The fact that she’s descended from one of the town’s founders doesn’t help much, either—her new neighbours treat her with distant respect, and something very like fear. When she meets Justin, May, Isaac, and Harper, all children of founder families, and sees the otherworldly destruction they can wreak, she starts to wonder if the townsfolk are right to be afraid.
When bodies start to appear in the woods, the locals become downright hostile. Can the teenagers solve the mystery of Four Paths, and their own part in it, before another calamity strikes?
<a href="http://Defy Me (Shatter Me)
I have all of the series but have not started reading them yet…. one of my reading goals for the month is to be ready for this release. I have heard a lot of great things about the series but didn’t want to be left hanging until it was complete. I also pre-ordered a signed exclusive version of this book from Barnes & Noble.
The gripping fifth installment in the New York Times, USA Today, and Publishers Weekly bestselling Shatter Me series. Will Juliette’s broken heart make her vulnerable to the strengthening darkness within her? ** This first book in this series <a href="http://Shatter Me
Juliette’s short tenure as the supreme commander of North America has been an utter disaster. When the children of the other world leaders show up on her doorstep, she wants nothing more than to turn to Warner for support and guidance. But he shatters her heart when he reveals that he’s been keeping secrets about her family and her identity from her—secrets that change everything.
Juliette is devastated, and the darkness that’s always dwelled within her threatens to consume her. An explosive encounter with unexpected visitors might be enough to push her over the edge.
<a href="http://We Rule the Night
Two girls use forbidden magic to fly and fight–for their country and for themselves–in this riveting debut that’s part Shadow and Bone, part Code Name Verity.
Seventeen-year-old Revna is a factory worker, manufacturing war machines for the Union of the North. When she’s caught using illegal magic, she fears being branded a traitor and imprisoned. Meanwhile, on the front lines, Linné defied her father, a Union general, and disguised herself as a boy to join the army. They’re both offered a reprieve from punishment if they use their magic in a special women’s military flight unit and undertake terrifying, deadly missions under cover of darkness. Revna and Linné can hardly stand to be in the same cockpit, but if they can’t fly together, and if they can’t find a way to fly well, the enemy’s superior firepower will destroy them–if they don’t destroy each other first.
We Rule the Night is a powerful story about sacrifice, complicated friendships, and survival despite impossible odds.
April 9th
<a href="http://The Red Scrolls of Magic (The Eldest Curses)
I have to admit I didn’t even consider pre-ordering this and am only adding it to the top list since it is so hyped. I struggled to make it through the first two books in the Dark Artifices series and have yet to desire to read <a href="http://Queen of Air and Darkness (The Dark Artifices)
All Magnus Bane wanted was a vacation—a lavish trip across Europe with Alec Lightwood, the Shadowhunter who against all odds is finally his boyfriend. But as soon as the pair settles in Paris, an old friend arrives with news about a demon-worshipping cult called the Crimson Hand that is bent on causing chaos around the world. A cult that was apparently founded by Magnus himself. Years ago. As a joke.
Now Magnus and Alec must race across Europe to track down the Crimson Hand and its elusive new leader before the cult can cause any more damage. As if it wasn’t bad enough that their romantic getaway has been sidetracked, demons are now dogging their every step, and it is becoming harder to tell friend from foe. As their quest for answers becomes increasingly dire, Magnus and Alec will have to trust each other more than ever—even if it means revealing the secrets they’ve both been keeping.
<a href="http://Descendant of the Crane
I have heard so many good things about this book but just was not drawn to the plot myself. Sometimes the Bookstagram hype can run away with a book a bit and I am afraid this might be one of those times…. I will give it a little time post release to see how things pan out before purchasing. The cover art is undeniably gorgeous.
Princess Hesina of Yan has always been eager to shirk the responsibilities of the crown, dreaming of an unremarkable life. But when her beloved father is found dead, she’s thrust into power, suddenly the queen of a surprisingly unstable kingdom. What’s more, Hesina believes that her father was murdered—and that the killer is someone close to her.
Hesina’s court is packed full of dissemblers and deceivers eager to use the king’s death for political gain, each as plausibly guilty as the next. Her advisers would like her to blame the neighboring kingdom of Kendi’a, whose ruler has been mustering for war. Determined to find her father’s actual killer, Hesina does something desperate: she enlists the aid of a soothsayer—a treasonous act, punishable by
death, since magic was outlawed centuries ago.
Using the information provided by the sooth, and uncertain if she can trust her family, Hesina turns to Akira—a brilliant investigator who’s also a convicted criminal with secrets of his own. With the future of Yan at stake, can Hesina find justice for her father? Or will the cost be too high?
April 16th
<a href="http://The Binding: A Novel
The cover if this book is SOOOO gorgeous. I would want it even if it didn’t sound amazing.
Imagine you could erase grief.
Imagine you could remove pain.
Imagine you could hide the darkest, most horrifying secret.
Forever.
Young Emmett Farmer is working in the fields when a strange letter arrives summoning him away from his family. He is to begin an apprenticeship as a Bookbinder—a vocation that arouses fear, superstition, and prejudice among their small community but one neither he nor his parents can afford to refuse.
For as long as he can recall, Emmett has been drawn to books, even though they are strictly forbidden. Bookbinding is a sacred calling, Seredith informs her new apprentice, and he is a binder born. Under the old woman’s watchful eye, Emmett learns to hand-craft the elegant leather-bound volumes. Within each one they will capture something unique and extraordinary: a memory. If there’s something you want to forget, a binder can help. If there’s something you need to erase, they can assist. Within the pages of the books they create, secrets are concealed and the past is locked away. In a vault under his mentor’s workshop, rows upon rows of books are meticulously stored.
But while Seredith is an artisan, there are others of their kind, avaricious and amoral tradesman who use their talents for dark ends—and just as Emmett begins to settle into his new circumstances, he makes an astonishing discovery: one of the books has his name on it. Soon, everything he thought he understood about his life will be dramatically rewritten.
April 30th
<a href="http://King of Fools (The Shadow Game Series)
This is the sequel to <a href="http://Ace of Shades (The Shadow Game Series)
Indulge your vices in the City of Sin, where a sinister street war is brewing and fame is the deadliest killer of them all…
On the quest to find her missing mother, prim and proper Enne Salta became reluctant allies with Levi Glaisyer, the city’s most famous con man. Saving his life in the Shadow Game forced Enne to assume the identity of Seance, a mysterious underworld figure. Now, with the Chancellor of the Republic dead and bounties on both their heads, she and Levi must play a dangerous game of crime and politics…with the very fate of New Reynes at stake.
Thirsting for his freedom and the chance to build an empire, Levi enters an unlikely partnership with Vianca Augustine’s estranged son. Meanwhile, Enne remains trapped by the mafia donna’s binding oath, playing the roles of both darling lady and cunning street lord, unsure which side of herself reflects the truth.
As Enne and Levi walk a path of unimaginable wealth and opportunity, new relationships and deadly secrets could quickly lead them into ruin. And when unforeseen players enter the game, they must each make an impossible choice: To sacrifice everything they’ve earned in order to survive…
Overall Rating: ****
In preparation for the release of the Wicked King I held off on reading this novella to wait and get my hyped since it had been so long since the release of The Cruel Prince.
While I did buy this on Kindle I ended up listening to the audiobook with my free trial of Scribd. It was only an hour and a half so was really easy to get through… plus the narrator did a great job and her imitations of the guy voices were hilarious!
This novella is based on Taryn apologizing to Jude for the events of The Cruel Prince and giving her side of the story. I actually really enjoyed seeing the story for Taryn’s point of view, and I felt like it really filled on some gaps in the original story. Don’t get me wrong I still don’t like her any more than I did at the end of The Cruel Prince but I hate Locke 100 times more. The way Taryn tells the story really gets across just how devious he is. This was the perfect sample story to get me excited again for The Wicked King after such a long gap from reading the first book. I would have given this novella 5 starts if it had more length.
Although I didn’t get the book right on the release date I ordered several special edition boxes and the Barnes and Noble exclusive book so look for lots more reviews in the near future!
Lovabull Books 