August 2015 New Book Releases

Can you believe it’s the 1st of August tomorrow? This year is flying by so freakishly fast, but a new month also brings new book releases!

My Most Anticipated August Releases

The Dead House by Dawn Kurtagich – August 6th
(Releases September 15th in the US ** )

Reawakened by Colleen Houck – August 11th

The Creeping by Alexandra Sirowy – August 18th

My scary story addiction is set to continue as both The Dead House and The Creeping are a blend of horror and mystery/thriller. They sound so amazingly creepy, and hopefully I’ll get to read both soon. You might be able to tell from the cover that Reawakened is based on Ancient Egyptian mythology. I love mythology, Ancient Egyptian mythology in particular, and I can’t wait to try Reawakened.

** This is the US cover for The Dead House, definitely keep an eye out for it.

Other August Releases to Look For

August 4th

Ghostlight by Sonia Gensler // Of Dreams and Rust by Sarah Fine
// What You Left Behind by Jessica Verdi

August 11th

Black-Eyed Susans by Julia Heaberlin // The Moment of Letting Go by J.A. Redmerski
The Uninvited by Cat Winters

August 15th

Defects by Sarah Nofkee

August 18th

The Accident Season by Moira Fowley-Doyle // Court of Fives by Kate Elliott
A History of Glitter and Blood by Hannah Moskowitz

August 25th

Cage of Deceit by Jennifer Anne Davis // Mechanica by Betsy Cornwell
Legacy of Kings by Eleanor Herman

Thanks for stopping by, and happy reading!

WoW #59: Truthwitch by Susan Dennard

This week, I'm waiting on...

Truthwitch

by Susan Dennard

Expected publication: January 5th 2016

Genres: Fantasy; Young Adult

Add to Goodreads

On a continent ruled by three empires, some are born with a “witchery”, a magical skill that sets them apart from others.

In the Witchlands, there are almost as many types of magic as there are ways to get in trouble—as two desperate young women know all too well.

Safiya is a Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lie. It’s a powerful magic that many would kill to have on their side, especially amongst the nobility to which Safi was born. So Safi must keep her gift hidden, lest she be used as a pawn in the struggle between empires.

Iseult, a Threadwitch, can see the invisible ties that bind and entangle the lives around her—but she cannot see the bonds that touch her own heart. Her unlikely friendship with Safi has taken her from life as an outcast into one of reckless adventure, where she is a cool, wary balance to Safi’s hotheaded impulsiveness.

Safi and Iseult just want to be free to live their own lives, but war is coming to the Witchlands. With the help of the cunning Prince Merik (a Windwitch and ship’s captain) and the hindrance of a Bloodwitch bent on revenge, the friends must fight emperors, princes, and mercenaries alike, who will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch.

Truthwitch is one of THE most hyped books around right now, and this synopsis sounds so amazingly EPIC – Throne of Glass level epic! And it’s a four book series – huge YAY for breaking away from the trilogy habit. Plus, I love this cover!

I’ve been meaning to start Susan Dennard’s Something Strange and Deadly trilogy for a while now, but haven’t got around to it yet. January 2016 is quite a while away, so hopefully I’ll be able to start it before Truthwitch is released.

What do you think of Truthwitch? Were you lucky enough to snag an ARC at BEA?? And have you read the Something Strange and Deadly trilogy? What did you think of it and would you recommend it? Thanks for stopping by, and happy reading!

* Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. *

Review: Fairest by Marissa Meyer

Title: Fairest
Author: Marissa Meyer
Series: The Lunar Chronicles, #3.5
Format: Hardback, owned
My rating: 5 / 5

Add to Goodreads

In this stunning bridge book between Cress and Winter in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles, Queen Levana’s story is finally told.

Mirror, mirror on the wall,
Who is the fairest of them all?

Fans of the Lunar Chronicles know Queen Levana as a ruler who uses her “glamour” to gain power. But long before she crossed paths with Cinder, Scarlet, and Cress, Levana lived a very different story – a story that has never been told . . . until now.

Marissa Meyer spins yet another unforgettable tale about love and war, deceit and death. This extraordinary book includes full-color art and an excerpt from Winter, the next book in the Lunar Chronicles series.

-- As seen on Goodreads

My Thoughts

Oh wow, where do I begin, Fairest was awesome! I really liked Cress, but I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as I was expecting to. It did affect my anticipation for Winter – I wasn’t really that keen on reading it right away. But now after reading Fairest, I can’t WAIT to read Winter, it really is going to be epic!

In Fairest we get to see from Queen Levana’s childhood right up to her mid-twenties, and the events that shaped her into the evil Queen we know and hate. Holy wow, she is one scary lady! She’s been dealt some really terrible cards in life, and I couldn’t help feeling sorry for her at times. I definitely wasn’t expecting to feel sympathy toward her, and this shows just how fabulous Marissa Meyer is at developing well-rounded characters. I loved getting a better understanding of what warped Levana into the cold, calculating, ruthless antagonist who will stop at nothing in her pursuit of what she wants. Seeing her logic is nothing short of unsettling and repulsive, yet so morbidly fascinating.

The writing style was flawless, as always. I love how crystal clear Meyer’s books are, and how easy it is to imagine everything that’s taking place. I loved learning a bit more about Luna and how the society works. I get the feeling that there’s a whole lot more left to discover, and I can’t wait to read about it in Winter.

Technically, you could read this novella between any of the books in the Lunar Chronicles series, but I do think it’s best reading it after you’ve finished Cress. There are no full-on spoilers for the first three books in the series, but it would be possible to pick up on a few hints that could spoil things slightly. And also, I think keeping the mystery that is Queen Levana for as long as possible is vital. I’m not going to name specific names, but I LOVED seeing some familiar characters popping up throughout the book, and finding out where they are linked into Queen Levana’s story.

Overall, Fairest was an excellent addition to an already amazing series, and I highly recommend reading it. This novella is a must read, and should not be skipped over!

The Musical Tag

Val over @ The Innocent Smiley tagged me for the Musical Tag a month or so ago, and I’m only getting around to taking part now (oops…) Thanks so much for tagging me Val! The tag was originally created by Amber @ YA Indulgences, and you can get all the questions HERE, I did skip a couple. The rules of the tag are as follows:

Rules!

1. Tag at least five people. You probably want to tag them on
Twitter so they’ll know that way too. :)

2. Thank the person that tagged you. (Thanks Val!)

3. Give Amber credit for her awesome tag!

1. ~There’s A World~ (Next To Normal)

A book with a great world you want to be part of.

Erilea from Throne of Glass. And yes, I’m completely serious, provided I can escape back to THIS world whenever I like! It would be so awesome to experience, but I’d probably be scared sh*tless to walk outside the door without weapons drawn. Or...with Celaena, Chaol, Dorian or Aedion walking beside me – and preferably they'd have weapons drawn too!

If I’m there to stay permanently… then it’ll be The Wizarding World.

2. ~What You Own~ (RENT)

What author do you have to own all the books by?

Sarah J. Maas. (Surprise!) Just reading her books in not enough- oh no! I NEED to own them all, and so far I’ve accomplished this (YAY!) Every one of her books I’ve read I’ve loved, and with both the Throne of Glass and A Court of Thorns and Roses series continuing over the next few years and THIS little book due in 2017… there’s LOTS of Sarah J. Maas books to look forward to.

3. ~No One Mourns The Wicked~ (Wicked)

The character you hate most from a book.

I think you can guess. Jeb. I hate every single fictional CELL in his fictional body. And yes, I've brushed aside every evil character I know and hate, as Jeb annoys me even MORE than all of them combined!

4. ~All I Ask Of You-~ (Phantom of The Opera)

Who is your favorite romantic pairing in a book?

Just ONE favourite?! This is not possible! *Stomps foot* Ok, ok, if I have to pick just ONE… it’ll be Lizzie Bennet and Mr Darcy. It’s the best spoiler free one I can come up with, OK!!

5. ~I Should Tell You~ (RENT)

A book you haven’t read that everyone else has.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. And… I probably will never read it. *Shrugs*

6. ~Think Of Me~ (Phantom of The Opera)

The last book you couldn’t get off your mind after reading it.

Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan. I became ADDICTED to this series after just one book! I love Kami, Jared, Angela, Holly, Rusty and Ash (... ok, I DON'T love Ash. At all! He's a goody-goody, annoying weakling, but... details!) and I NEED to get my hands on the last book ASAP.

7. ~What Is This Feeling~ (Wicked)

A book that you weren’t sure you would like, but you LOVED it.

Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma. The subject matter is icky, and I was certain I’d end up being revolted, but holy crap, I was an emotional WRECK after reading it. I loved how honest the book was, and how sweet, adorable and REAL the characters were.

8. ~Didn’t I See This Movie?~ (Next To Normal)

Your favorite movie adaptation/retelling of a book

The Hunger Games movies. I LOVE each one, and FINALLY a book series was adapted perfectly to the big screen.

9. ~He’s Not Here~ (Next To Normal)

A book where one of your favorite characters dies (don’t list the character)

*Sobs for a thousand years*

10. ~It’s Gonna Be Good~ (Next To Normal)

A book you’re so excited to read!

Queen of Shadows!

11. ~Don’t Do Sadness/Blue Wind~ (Spring Awakening)

A book that was NOT a tearjerker for you despite (possibly) being sad.

Crown of Midnight. Ok, ok, don’t freak out! I DID cry, but not as much as I had anticipated, but it wasn’t at THAT moment, (if you catch my drift.) It was over something else. Now that broke my little shipping heart!

12. ~How Could I Ever Forget~ (Next To Normal)

A book that you read years ago that you had forgotten about

Ooh… this is tricky. See, I read SO MANY library books when I was a kid, and I’ve forgotten the vast majority of them. The ones I remember reading are the ones I own a copy of now. ‘Out of sight, out of mind’ really is true unfortunately. :/ If I could go back and see which books I read, that would be awesome!

I Tag:

Tracy @ Cornerfolds // Zareena @ The Slanted Bookshelf // Emma @ Emma's Bookery
Krystianna @ Downright Dystopian // Charnell @ Reviews from a Bookworm
And YOU!! If you’re reading this, consider yourself tagged!

Thanks for stopping by, and happy reading!

Review: End of Days by Susan Ee

Title: End of Days
Author: Susan Ee
Series: Penryn and the End of Days, #3
Format: Paperback, owned
My rating: 3 / 5

Add to Goodreads

End of Days is the explosive conclusion to Susan Ee’s bestselling Penryn & the End of Days trilogy.

After a daring escape from the angels, Penryn and Raffe are on the run. They’re both desperate to find a doctor who can reverse the twisted changes inflicted by the angels on Raffe and Penryn’s sister. As they set off in search of answers, a startling revelation about Raffe’s past unleashes dark forces that threaten them all.

When the angels release an apocalyptic nightmare onto humans, both sides are set on a path toward war. As unlikely alliances form and strategies shift, who will emerge victorious? Forced to pick sides in the fight for control of the earthly realm, Raffe and Penryn must choose: Their own kind, or each other?

-- As seen on Goodreads

My Thoughts

I read End of Days back in May, and it’s taken me until the end of July to figure out how I feel about the conclusion to one of my favourite series. I guess it could be summed up in one sentence: I liked how the story concluded, but I was expecting so much more. I was truly gutted when I found out End of Days would be the final book in the series. Like everybody, I had been looking forward to five glorious book of Penryn, Raffe and their plight to survive the angel apocalypse. I thought I’d have years of awesomeness to come, so it came as a big shock when I found out that the third book is actually the end. (I can’t help wondering if this disappointment has clouded my overall enjoyment of the ending.)

Ok, I have to say this: four books would have made this series perfection – namely, a book in-between World After and End of Days. Why? So much was condensed into this one book and lots of little events were skimmed over, and quite a few things were left either unanswered or rushed. If everything that happened was expanded on, slowed down and developed even more than it was and split between two books… it really would have been epic.

Penryn: Angelfall Penryn is one of my all-time favourite characters, but End of Days Penryn… gosh, I don’t know what happened, but she didn’t really seem like the Penryn I remembered at all. I didn’t connect with her that much and it really breaks my heart. In the first book, the majority of her focus was on protecting her mother and sister, and while this still applies in End of Days, those intentions didn’t seem as genuine anymore. It felt like she was going through the motions of caring for her sister, but if I’m honest, most of her focus is on Raffe. Now, I love Raffe, but what made this series awesome was Penryn not letting the gorgeous hunk of angel distract her from her own goals. I feel this side of her personality shrivelled away a bit too much, and a bit too quickly. I’m also a bit surprised with Penryn’s attitude toward her sister. I don’t want to say too much, but I was expecting her to be more… open… to Paige’s new needs.

Raffe: Most of what I mentioned about Penryn can apply to Raffe, too. I liked him in this book, but he wasn’t quite the same. While the swoony and humours words are there, a lot of the feelings and emotions behind them have disappeared. I think back to Angelfall, and even to World After, and every sentence and interaction made an impact. Here though, his personality felt a little flat at times. Smart-mouth, humorous, badass Raffe is adorable, but indecisive Raffe isn’t that appealing, if I’m honest.

I felt Penryn and Raffe’s relationship was a little bit too convenient at times. We went from one book (WA) with very little Penryn and Raffe, to a book with LOTS of Penryn and Raffe. While the banter is present, the emotion behind it was lacking and all the tension I remember from the first two books was skimmed over. It wasn’t just their relationship that felt a bit a bit rushed: I would have loved to know more about The Watchers and Hell! And I can’t forget about the ending and the epilogue. It was a weird combination of satisfying and disappointing. I have a love/hate relationship with epilogues in general, and this one leans into the hate side. I can only describe it as feeling out of place, and not as impactful as I had hoped for.

Overall, I really enjoyed Penryn’s story and I’m satisfied with the conclusion, but I can’t help feeling that the ending to the trilogy had the potential to be so much better. While I might have been a bit disappointed, I highly recommend starting this series. Angelfall still remains one of my favourite books, and that will never change.

WoW #58: Ice Like Fire by Sara Raasch

This week, I'm waiting on...

Ice Like Fire

by Sara Raasch

Expected publication: October 13th 2015

Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy

Add to Goodreads

It’s been three months since the Winterians were freed and Spring’s king, Angra, disappeared—thanks largely to the help of Cordell.

Meira just wants her people to be safe. When Cordellan debt forces the Winterians to dig their mines for payment, they unearth something powerful and possibly dangerous: Primoria’s lost chasm of magic. Theron sees this find as an opportunity—with this much magic, the world can finally stand against threats like Angra. But Meira fears the danger the chasm poses—the last time the world had access to so much magic, it spawned the Decay. So when the king of Cordell orders the two on a mission across the kingdoms of Primoria to discover the chasm’s secrets, Meira plans to use the trip to garner support to keep the chasm shut and Winter safe—even if it means clashing with Theron. But can she do so without endangering the people she loves?

Mather just wants to be free. The horrors inflicted on the Winterians hang fresh and raw in Januari—leaving Winter vulnerable to Cordell’s growing oppression. When Meira leaves to search for allies, he decides to take Winter’s security into his own hands. Can he rebuild his broken kingdom and protect them from new threats?

As the web of power and deception weaves tighter, Theron fights for magic, Mather fights for freedom—and Meira starts to wonder if she should be fighting not just for Winter, but for the world.

I read Snow Like Ashes last month, and oh my goodness, I need Ice Like Fire RIGHT NOW! I loved it, and I need to know what happens next. And just look at the cover: how gorgeous! I love having matching covers when I start reading a series, so here’s hoping the beautiful matching covers continue!

If you’ve read Snow Like Ashes, well, I’ve got a little problem: I can’t decide who to ship! When I started the book, I was all Mather-Mather-Mather-no-changing-my-mind-EVER. Then Theron appeared and things got a bit complicated… And now I have no idea who I should root for! Humm, maybe I should ship Mather and Theron??

Have you read Snow Like Ashes? Have you picked a ship yet? What do you think about matching covers in a series? Nothing angers me more than cover changes, particularly mid-series! How do you feel about them? And what new releases are you waiting on this week?

Thanks for stopping by, and happy reading!

* Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. *

Review: Waterfall by Lauren Kate

Title: Waterfall
Author: Lauren Kate
Series: Teardrop, #2
Format: eARC, kindly provided by the
publishers via Netgalley (Thank you!!)
My rating: 1 / 5

Add to Goodreads

Heart-stopping romance, devastating secrets and dark magic, from bestselling author Lauren Kate. The stunning sequel to Teardrop.

Eureka's tears have flooded the earth and now Atlantis is rising, along with its evil king, Atlas. Eureka is the only one who can stop him – but first she must learn how to fight.

She travels across the ocean with Ander to try and make sense of the dark world her sorrow has created. But dark secrets are hidden in the depths – will she be strong enough to defeat Atlas, or is her broken heart just what he needs to power his rising kingdom?

Eureka has the chance to save the world. But she'll have to give up on everything – even love . . .

-- As seen on Goodreads

My Thoughts

*I received an eARC from the publishers via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. This didn't influence my opinion in any way.*

I love mythology, and once I found out this series involved Atlantis I HAD to read it. I read Teardrop quite a while back and while I didn’t really love that book, I was curious enough about the overall concept to continue on with Waterfall and see how things progressed. Unfortunately, this isn’t anywhere near the continuation I was hoping for. This might sound a little harsh, but I can’t word it any other way: I didn’t like anything about this book.

Plot and writing style: It wasn’t my cuppa at all. Right from the first page I was struggling, and it took me over a month to read Waterfall – considering I usually read a book or two a week, this should have been the hint that I wouldn’t enjoy the book. The overall story was very hard to follow at times, and it felt very choppy at best with nothing to mesh and bring everything together. It was very detail-light, and nothing was properly fleshed out. I struggled to picture how the world is supposed to look, or even where the book is set, and this links into my next point…

World-building: Correction, WHAT world-building?! This is the part I’m most frustrated about. Once I see the word ‘Atlantis’ thrown around, I want lots and lots of Atlantis. I don’t care about anything else – GIMME ATLANTIS! Eureka wants to fix what she created? Good for her… now, gimme Atlantis. She’s confused, moody and hurting? I don’t really CARE. I still don’t see ATLANTIS! She can’t choose between Brooks and Ander – Oh my heart BLEEDS for her. KILL THEM ALL! And painfully! JUST. GIVE. ME. ATLANTIS!!

One-dimensional characters: The characters are the bread and butter of why I read, and when I don’t like ANYONE in the story, I begin to question why I stuck with the book for so long. It’s a little obvious I didn’t like Eureka. She was a pain for the vast majority of the book, and her narrative was agonising to read at times. Even when I don’t connect with the main character, there’s usually a secondary character I can connect with, but unfortunately all the other characters were just as flat, emotionless and unappealing. The only one I had a few vague moments of connection with was Ander, but it wasn’t enough to help me enjoy the story.

Sadly, Waterfall just wasn’t for me. I was completely bored with everything that happened, and I had to force myself to keep reading, and I found myself skimming over pages rather than being caught up in an awesome story. I was under the impression that this was going to be a trilogy… but with the ending, I’m struggling to see how another book will work. I haven’t read any of Kate’s other books, but I do own a copy of Fallen. I’m a little hesitant to start it now as I didn’t click with her writing style here. Hopefully when I get around to trying out that series I’ll enjoy it.

Stacking the Shelves and Weekly Wrap-Up: July 1 - 18

Things have gotten a little depressing with my update posts recently, so we’re going to focus purely on the good this week: New Books!

I’m linking up with the Stacking the Shelves meme this weekend.

Books I Bought This Week

I love getting my hands on new books, but I think I’m more of a binge book buyer rather than a grazer. I do occasionally pick up one book here and there – be it a pre-order, or if I’m physically in a shop and see a book I want. But, I usually order my books online and I’ll get quite a few books at once. I do splurge on a hardcover book now and again, but I’m a frugal book shopper at heart and there’s usually some good savings to be made with second hand books. I love matching book covers, but if I have choose between a cheap second-hand book with a different cover or pay full price for a matching cover… nine time out of ten, I’ll choose to save money. Then, I can get even MORE books!

I got two new books and five second-hand books over the past couple of weeks. I pre-ordered The Heart of Betrayal by Mary E. Pearson on The Book Depository, and I got it on release day which I’m really happy about. I usually pre-order through TBD as they sell directly in Euro’s and have free shipping – huge amounts of WIN for my bank balance! I’ve already devoured the book, and I really enjoyed it. (But, I did like the first book a bit more, though…)

I also got Untold by Sarah Rees Brennan, and I’m a little over half-way through reading it. I read Unspoken (the first book in the series) a couple of weeks ago, and the minute I finished reading I ran to the computer to order the second book. I’m usually a bit more patient than this, but I’ve become completely obsessed with this series and I have a feeling I’ll be ordering the third book the minute I’ve finished Untold!

All of these are the second-hand books I bought. I really want to love Daughters of Smoke and Bone, but… I don’t know if I will. I know so many people love the series, but I didn’t want to fork over the cash for a brand new book just in case I didn’t get into the story. When I saw it second-hand and cheap… it became a no-brainer, so I bought it! Plus, if I like it, I might splurge on the box set of hardcovers… we’ll see! I’ve seen lots of good things about Eon: Rise of the Dragoneye, and it sounds really good. And, okay, maybe the dragon on the cover helped persuade me that I need the book in my life!

I read Say Her Name by James Dawson earlier this year, and I absolutely loved it so I wanted to try out some of his other books. I’ve had my eye on Hollow Pike for a while, and while the book I got is in a bit rougher shape than I’d like, I can’t wait to read it. I started the Morganville Vampire series last year, and the more books I read in the series, the more addicted I’m getting! It’s a really long series but they’re very easy books to read and really entertaining. I found books four and five – Feast of Fools and Lord of Misrule respectively – and I hope to get around to reading them soon.

For Review

The Changeling by Helen Falconer - Huge thanks to Penguin/Corgi Children's Books for this one! (I'm in love with this cover, btw!)

On the Blog Recently

My 10 Favourite Books I've Read So Far in 2015

July 2015 New Book Releases

Review: Cress by Marissa Meyer

Re-Evaluating my 2015 Goals and Resolutions

Hope you have a fantastic weekend, and Happy Reading!

WoW #57: Riders by Veronica Rossi

This week, I'm waiting on...

Riders

by Veronica Rossi

Expected publication: February 2nd 2016

Genres: Young Adult; Fantasy; Post-Apocalyptic;

Add to Goodreads

For eighteen-year-old Gideon Blake, nothing but death can keep him from achieving his goal of becoming a U.S. Army Ranger. As it turns out, it does.

Recovering from the accident that most definitely killed him, Gideon finds himself with strange new powers and a bizarre cuff he can’t remove. His death has brought to life his real destiny. He has become War, one of the legendary four horsemen of the apocalypse.

Over the coming weeks, he and the other horsemen—Conquest, Famine and Death—are brought together by a beautiful but frustratingly secretive girl to help save humanity from an ancient evil on the emergence. They fail.

Now—bound, bloodied, and drugged—Gideon is interrogated by the authorities about his role in a battle that has become an international incident. If he stands any chance of saving his friends and the girl he’s fallen for—not to mention all of humankind—he needs to convince the skeptical government officials the world is in imminent danger. But will anyone believe him?

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine.

February 2016 is a little far away but… THIS. BOOK! I need it I need it I need it I NEED IT! Why do I need it? Riders is written by Veronica Rossi. I absolutely LOVED her Under the Never sky trilogy, so anything she writes in the future will be heading right to the top of my to-read list. And, this line of the synopsis: “He has become War, one of the legendary four horsemen of the apocalypse.”

I need no other reason; I’m completely and forever SOLD! I wish it was released sooner, but if it’s anything like her other books, it’ll be epic and totally worth the wait!

Have you read the Under the Never Sky trilogy? Did you like it?! And what do you think of Riders? Thanks for stopping by!