Book Review: An Ember in The Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

An Ember in The Ashes by Sabaa Tahir
Published: April 28th, 2015
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Summary: Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Neither is free.

Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear. When Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy.

There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.

A classic good vs. evil but the complexity of the characters and magic made my heart race.

Book Review: Vendetta by Catherine Doyle

Vendetta (Blood for Blood #1) by Catherine Doyle 
Published: February 24th, 2015
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Summary: When it comes to revenge, love is a dangerous complication.With a fierce rivalry raging between two warring families, falling in love is the deadliest thing Sophie could do. An epic debut set outside modern-day Chicago.

When five brothers move into the abandoned mansion in her neighbourhood, Sophie Gracewell's life changes forever. Irresistibly drawn to bad boy Nicoli, Sophie finds herself falling into a criminal underworld governed by powerful families. As the boys' dark secrets begin to come to light, Sophie is confronted with stinging truths about her own family, too. She must choose between two warring dynasties - the one she was born into, and the one she is falling in love with. When she does, blood will spill and hearts will break.

A mysteriously fun read which surprised me.

Book Review: The Sin Eater's Daughter by Melinda Salisbury

The Sin Eater's Daughter (The Sin Eater's Daughter #1) by Melinda Salisbury
Published: March 1st, 2015
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Summary:
I am the perfect weapon.
I kill with a single touch.

Twylla is blessed. The Gods have chosen her to marry a prince, and rule the kingdom. But the favour of the Gods has it's price. A deadly poison infuses her skin. Those who anger the queen must die under Twylla's fatal touch.

Only Lief, an outspoken new guard, can see past Twylla's chilling role to the girls she truly is.

Yet in a court as dangerous and the queen's, some truths should not be told...


Mixed feelings aside I was on the edge of my seat through the entirety

Book Review: Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

Red Queen (Red Queen #1) by Victoria Aveyard
Published: February 10th, 2015
Purchase: Book Depository | Amazon | B&N | Indigo
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The poverty stricken Reds are commoners, living under the rule of the Silvers, elite warriors with god-like powers.
To Mare Barrow, a 17-year-old Red girl from The Stilts, it looks like nothing will ever change.
Mare finds herself working in the Silver Palace, at the centre of those she hates the most. She quickly discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy Silver control.
But power is a dangerous game. And in this world divided by blood, who will win?


Dystopian meets Fantasy but it's the usual Upper & Lower class revolution

Book Review: The Conspiracy of Us by Maggie Hall

The Conspiracy of Us (The Conspiracy of Us #1) by Maggie Hall
Published: January 13th, 2015
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Purchase: Book Depository | Amazon | B&N | Indigo
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Summary: Avery West's newfound family can shut down Prada when they want to shop in peace, and can just as easily order a bombing when they want to start a war. Part of a powerful and dangerous secret society called the Circle, they believe Avery is the key to an ancient prophecy. Some want to use her as a pawn. Some want her dead.

To unravel the mystery putting her life in danger, Avery must follow a trail of clues from the monuments of Paris to the back alleys of Istanbul with two boys who work for the Circle—beautiful, volatile Stellan and mysterious, magnetic Jack. But as the clues expose a stunning conspiracy that might plunge the world into World War 3, she discovers that both boys are hiding secrets of their own. Now she will have to choose not only between freedom and family--but between the boy who might help her save the world, and the one she's falling in love with. 



High fashion meets international levels of conspiracy meaning it's all I've ever dreamed of

Anticipated 2015 YA Debuts

I know, I know. 2015 is less than two months away and I'm just being a pain reminding you of this fact. I've still got tons of books on my TBR for this year and I'm already thinking ahead.
Apart from all the sequels that obviously come out next year, there's also many new series/stand-alones by debut authors coming out. I love debut authors because there's always the possibility that one of them will become my new favourite author. So I thought I should talk about some anticipated Young Adult releases of 2015 by new authors that are already getting a lot of buzz in the book community and who've got intriguing premise. (Also, fun fact: basically everything is being marketed as a mix of Game of Thrones or Hunger Games)
I only chose 6 this time but believe me, my list is HUGE. Maybe I'll make this a series.

Red Queen (Red Queen Trilogy) by Victoria Aveyard is already one of the most anticipated and talked about releases of 2015. It's being published by Orion and releasing February 25th, It's marketed as "for fans of Divergent and The Hunger Games" but at this point, what isn't? Some readers have said it's Graceling meets The Selection but also similar to Red Rising? Others say "a high fantasy X-men dystopian". I don't know what to believe. You can check out the synopsis on goodreads but it doesn't reveal much to be honest. So I'm just excited to read this because of the rave reviews and that killer cover. I get tingles just looking at it.

My Heart and Other Blackholes by Jasmine Warga sounds like the book that will wreck me wholeheartedly. It deals with suicide but reviewers say that it does so in a sensitive yet humorous and hopeful way. Releasing February 10th by Harper Collins/Balzer+Bray, the novel is said to "perfect for fans of Jay Asher and Laurie Halse Anderson." After glimpsing through the wonderful reviews adn the 5-star ratings, I'm definitely adding this one to my must-read list.

More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera is described as a unique confrontation of race, class and sexuality. I've been following Adam's reviews on goodreads for a while now and he seems like the coolest person. More Happy Than Not is pitched as the YA Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and follows a 16-year-old boy growing up in the Bronx. Check out the synopsis on goodreads because it does sound pretty incredible. It releases June 16th and is being published by Soho Teen. 

An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir hasn't even been released yet, and Paramount has signed a 7 figure deal for movie production rights. Maggie Steifvater even says it, "This one will be popular". Wow, if that wasn't a lot to take in already! An Ember in the Ashes is said to have hints of ancient Rome and Hunger Games-like elements while someone else said Romeo and Juliet meets Game of Thrones. Sounds like a wonderful mix of dystopian, roman elements and fantasy. I'm excited for this because all I see are rave reviews. Seriously. I'm pretty it's going to be a series even though it's not mentioned on goodreads yet. Mark it on your calenders for April 28th, publishing via Razorbill. 

The Conspiracy of Us by Maggie Hall sounds like it was written for me. I'm a huge fan of Ally Carter's Gallagher Girls series and this sounds like everything and more I've ever wanted. Putnam Juvenile is releasing it January 13th and I think I'll pre-order it already. It just sounds really fun; A fast-paced international escapade, laced with adrenaline, glamour, and romance. I'm so excited! You can read the first 4 chapters already if you wish to here.

Vendetta(Blood for Blood) by Catherine Doyle didn't capture me in the synopsis right away but then a review mentioned it being Vampire Diaries meets The Godfather meets The Raven Boys. And I went and re-read the synopsis. WOW. I'm so intrigued!? It sounds so twisty and dark. Okay, so 1)there's 5 brothers, 2)rivalry between two families & 3)forbidden love. I want it all. Releases very very early 2015 so that's good news. It's being published by Chicken House Ltd. and releases January 1st, 2015.