Me on My Lady Jane

Title: My Lady Jane
Authors: Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton & Jodi Meadows
Release Date: June 7, 2016
Publisher: HarperTeen (HarperCollins imprint)

Lady Jane Grey, sixteen, is about to be married to a total stranger—and caught up in an insidious plot to rob her cousin, King Edward, of his throne. But that's the least of Jane's problems. She's about to become Queen of England. Like that could go wrong.

My Lady Jane is inventive, complicated, and hilarious. A tense and deadly period of time in England's history has been turned on its head, filled with shapeshifters, treacherous plots, and a surprising equine-related marriage.

It's rather difficult for me to describe this book, to put my thoughts and feelings about it in order. Yes, these people did exist. Yes, Edward died and Jane was made Queen of England for nine days before minds were changed and Jane was locked away while Mary, and later on Elizabeth, served as queen. That's really as far as historical accuracy goes. What follows, what makes up the bulk of this book, are wild and impossible imaginings told by modern-day narrators (considering the occasional usage of we, you, and Jimi Hendrix).

Because of the twisting and the altering of history, the reader sees different version of these characters. Here we see Jane, bookish and stubborn, smart and compassionate. Looking for someone who actually cares about her and not themselves or their social status. We see G, moping and annoyed at his current situation. Unsure what he wants out of life beyond not turning into his father. And we see Edward, wanting to live his life before wasting away. Wanting the chance to live, to experience the world, before its ripped from his hands by duty or death. Or both.  It's like we're given better versions of them, versions that wouldn't have existed back in the 16th century. Like they're historical version of modern teens.

I found this book funny, intriguing, and I kept reading in order to see how things played out after historical accuracy was mostly cast aside. Knowing the authors were drawing from actual events that would change the course of England's future, I wanted to know how they would change things. How they would bring in fantasy elements. How they would work in the looming religious war that was about to take hold of England for decades. If Lady Jane would still lose her head as she does in the history books. A little slow in some spots, brought on by a fair amount of internal pondering by the main characters, but still fun to read. I'd recommend this to readers who don't mind a little poking fun and rearranging of history coupled with stubborn characters and complicated magic.

(I downloaded an e-galley of this title to review from HarperCollins through Edelweiss.)

Me on This Week's Book Week (208)

This Week's Book Week is rather similar to Stacking the Shelves hosted by Tynga's Reviews only with far more rambling and a less witty title. ;)

While other parts of the country will be super hot this weekend, it's going to be cloudy and cool and a little rainy here. *sigh* It'll be so nice. As always, I hate the prospect of an incoming hot summer.

Well. I wanted to get a bunch of books read this week. I think I only read 2. Plus some comics I picked up the other day. So much for getting a bunch read this week. Crossing my fingers for the weekend.

I've been looking at what comics I pick up and I've been thinking about scaling back my list. Mostly because I've discovered that I have little patience when it comes to comics, reading a story 30 pages at a time once every month/six weeks. I also have no idea where to start with some series. Looking at all the backstory of DC and Marvel comics, I feel lost every single time I think about going back and starting at the beginning of a series. It looks like most of the comics on my list are taking a break for the summer, so it'll be a good time to look and see if I want to stick with some of these stories. But Saga will stay on my list. Because of course. (Go check it out if you haven't yet.)

Reviews going up this week will feature My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton & Jodi Meadows (Tuesday) and With Malice by Eileen Cook (Friday). :)

Bought/borrowed/received:

Flying by Carrie Jones (e-galley from Macmillan through Raincoast Books)

Me on Waiting on Wednesday (280)

Waiting on Wednesday is a bunch of weekly fun hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. :)

Title: The Voyage to Magical North
Author: Claire Fayers
Release Date: July 5, 2016
Publisher: Henry Holt & Co. (Macmillan imprint)

From Goodreads:

Twelve-year-old Brine Seaborne is a girl with a past--if only she could remember what it is. Found alone in a rowboat as a child, clutching a shard of the rare starshell needed for spell-casting, she's spent the past years keeping house for an irritable magician and his obnoxious apprentice, Peter.

When Brine and Peter get themselves into a load of trouble and flee, they blunder into the path of the legendary pirate ship the Onion. Before you can say "pieces of eight," they're up to their necks in the pirates' quest to find Magical North, a place so shrouded in secrets and myth that most people don't even think it exists. If Brine is lucky, she may find out who her parents are. And if she's unlucky, everyone on the ship will be eaten by sea monsters. It could really go either way.

Oooooo. I'm intrigued by Brine's backstory, or her lack of one beyond 'found alone in a rowboat.' And I love that the pirate ship is called the Onion. Of course it is. I hope this is full of fun and risk adventures. :)

Me on This Week's Book Week (207)

This Week's Book Week is rather similar to Stacking the Shelves hosted by Tynga's Reviews only with far more rambling and a less witty title. ;)

Hi all! It was supposed to rain this week but it didn't much. It did cool off, which was nice, but I wanted it to rain more.

I headed over to VanCAF on Saturday, which is kind of like Vancouver's lower key version of TCAF, and wandered around with Yash, looking at comics and getting books signed. I've put some pictures up on Instagram of what I picked up, you can find them here. Along with other book and puppy pictures. :) I won't be there on Sunday because of a garbage headache (sad face).

No reviews next week because of some lingering headaches and I haven't read much this past week. I think it's because my Kobo is being weird and I'm stuck reading e-books I picked up from the library on my phone, which I'm not looking forward to. I need the bigger screen. E-galleys can still be moved over, just not books from the library system.

Bought/borrowed/received:

The Vanishing Throne by Elizabeth May (ARC from Raincoast Books)
With Malice by Eileen Cook (ARC from Raincoast Books)
Been Here All Along by Sandy Hill (ARC from Raincoast Books)

Pip Bartlett's Guide to Magical Creatures by Jackson Pearce & Maggie Stiefvater (borrowed from the library)

Me on The Hunt

Title: The Hunt
Author: Megan Shepherd
Release Date: May 24, 2016
Publisher: Balzer + Bray (HarperCollins imprint)

They've left the cage—but they're not free yet. After their failed escape attempt, Cora, Lucky, and Mali have been demoted to the lowest level of human captives and placed in a safari-themed environment called the Hunt, along with wild animals and other human outcasts. They must serve new Kindred masters—Cora as a lounge singer, Lucky as an animal wrangler, and Mali as a safari guide—and follow new rules or face dangerous consequences. Meanwhile, Nok and Rolf have been moved into an enormous dollhouse, observed around the clock by Kindred scientists interested in Nok's pregnancy. And Leon, the only one who successfully escaped, has teamed up with villainous Mosca black-market traders. The former inhabitants of the Cage are threatened on all fronts—and maybe worst of all, one of the Hunt's Kindred safari guests begins to play a twisted game of cat and mouse with Cora. Separated and constantly under watch, she and the others must struggle to stay alive, never mind find a way back to each other. When Cassian secretly offers to train Cora to develop her psychic abilities—to prove the worthiness of humanity in a series of tests called the Gauntlet—she'll have to decide fast if she dares to trust the Kindred who betrayed her, or if she can forge her own way to freedom.

The Hunt is a dangerous game, a dangerous mission of survival. The tension is still high, their chances of getting caught or killed is still high, and the thought of escaping and returning to Earth is drifting further away.

Cora knows more of what's true now, now that they're outside of the cage. Now that she knows who Cassian really is. Now that she knows she can't funny trust him. But to be able to leave, to be set free, she has to work with him, let him teach her how to use her growing abilities. She needs him, and she's willing to lie to him. But is that really for the best? Out of the cage, Lucky and Mali are now part of the Hunt, part of the meager workforce of a safari-type area. Where the animals are the least dangerous creatures. Leon is off running packages for a dangerous alien, learning who he can really trust, who he can call family. And Nok and Rolf are being watched because of their unborn baby, because a scientist is extremely interested in their baby. Because they want the baby. Out of the cage, no one is safe.

As with the last book, no one can really be trusted. Certain people can, certain humans, but that's about it. How can you trust those who imprisoned you, who tested you, who put you in danger over and over again? The betrayal, the lies, all the moments of doublespeak, are fresh in Cora's mind, in Mali's and Lucky's, in everyone's. They just want to go home, to leave the station and go back to Earth. And as with the last book, it's all about staying alive. Being quick and clever. Being strong.

I was never sure on what would happen because I could never predict the choices of the Kindred. Aliens with a moral code. They would do what they thought was best, but it wasn't always the human choice. I'm curious as to what the last book will bring, what will happen and how it will all end.

(I downloaded an e-galley of this title from HarperCollins through Edelweiss.)

Me on Waiting on Wednesday (279)

Waiting on Wednesday is a bunch of weekly fun hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. :)

Title: A Little Taste of Poison
Author: R.J. Anderson
Release Date: September 27, 2016
Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers (Simon & Schuster imprint)

From Goodreads:

Twelve-year-old Isaveth tries to take down the man who framed her father for murder in this lively follow-up to A Pocket Full of Murder, which Kirkus Reviews called “thoroughly entertaining.”

The city of Tarreton is powered by magic, from simple tablets that light lamps to advanced Sagery that can murder a man from afar. Isaveth has a talent for spell-making, but as a girl from a poor neighborhood she never dreamed she could study at the most exclusive magical school in the city. So when she’s offered a chance to attend, she eagerly accepts.

The school is wonderful, but old and new enemies confront Isaveth at every turn, and she begins to suspect her scholarship might be more a trap than a gift. Even her secret meetings with Esmond, her best friend and partner in crime-solving, prove risky—especially once he hatches a plan to sneak her into the biggest society event of the season. It’s their last chance to catch the corrupt politician who once framed her father for murder. How can Isaveth refuse?

WANT. I want to read this so much. R.J.'s books are so smart, full of social commentary and messages and lessons weaved in seamlessly with exciting plot and compelling characters and big problems. And I love Isaveth so much, she's clever and strong and all about helping her family and doing magic.

Me on The Only Thing Worse Than Me Is You

Title: The Only Thing Worse Than Me Is You
Author: Lily Anderson
Release Date: May 17, 2016
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (Macmillan imprint)

Trixie Watson has two very important goals for senior year: to finally save enough to buy the set of Doctor Who figurines at the local comic books store, and to place third in her class and knock Ben West--and his horrendous new mustache that he spent all summer growing--down to number four. Trixie will do anything to get her name ranked over Ben's, including give up sleep and comic books--well, maybe not comic books--but definitely sleep. After all, the war of Watson v. West is as vicious as the Doctor v. Daleks and Browncoats v. Alliance combined, and it goes all the way back to the infamous monkey bars incident in the first grade. Over a decade later, it's time to declare a champion once and for all. The war is Trixie's for the winning, until her best friend starts dating Ben's best friend and the two are unceremoniously dumped together and told to play nice. Finding common ground is odious and tooth-pullingly-painful, but Trixie and Ben's cautious truce slowly transforms into a fandom-based tentative friendship. When Trixie's best friend gets expelled for cheating and Trixie cries foul play, however, they have to choose who to believe and which side they're on--and they might not pick the same side.

The Only Thing Worse Than Me Is You is full of snark, sci-fi pop culture references, clever banter, and a silly reason to hold a grudge for a decade. It's fun, clever, and has some great female friendships.

Trixie is all brains and sass and snark and attitude. She's sharp and determined, will support and defend best friends Harper and Meg with everything she has (because she knows they also have her back, even when they're acting weird), and she won't let anything go. Like getting her revenge on Ben West, even if the reason, which dates back to their elementary school days, seems childish. But Trixie can't let it go. They always clash, battling with quips and snide remarks. Because she can't let go of anything, like her revenge, like her friends, like her comics and her fandoms, she can come off as harsh and unfair. As too stubborn. But every character has flaws. It's her confronting them, coming face to face with them and learning from them, that makes her interesting as a character.

The sci-fi nerd in me loves the idea of this book, of teens reading comics and loving science fiction. There are lots of references to shows and comics like Doctor Who, Firefly, Buffy, Spider-Man, and Battlestar Galactica. I do wonder if some of these are a bit dated, some of these shows were on when I was in high school, but the internet doesn't like letting things fall into the ether of the forgotten. Some shows, like Doctor Who or Buffy, are timeless. I also love that this is a modern retelling of Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing. Knowing the play means knowing how the characters will progress so I knew how it would all end, but it was still fun to read. Fun to see how everything would happen in a modern setting.

I had so much fun reading this. Every time a TV or comic reference came up that I knew I would chuckle and keep on reading, waiting for the next one. As a fan of certain sci-fi shows and certain comics (like Saga), this was the book for me. This is the book I wish I could hand to teenage me to have fun with. This is all kinds of geek fun and supportive female friendships. A must-read for self-proclaimed geeks.

(I received an advance copy of this title to review from Raincoast Books.)

Me on This Week's Book Week (206)

This Week's Book Week is rather similar to Stacking the Shelves hosted by Tynga's Reviews only with far more rambling and a less witty title. ;)

Hello! So it's been warm and sunny and humid enough that there was a late night surprise thunderstorm one night. Which is a bit odd, considering it's May. I think the summer is going to be dry and hot and that everyone will melt.

I've been making a list of books to check out from the library this summer. Looking ahead, there are a lot of September releases I'm looking forward to, as always. There's always a huge release of books in September and October. But I'm grasping at straws when it comes to summer releases. There are a bunch of gaps in my calendar and I'm not sure if it's me, if I'm not interested in as many new books as I was last summer, or there are just fewer books coming out. So any suggestions of books to check out would be great. All suggestions are welcome. :)

Reviews going up this week will feature The Only Thing Worse Than Me Is You by Lily Anderson (Tuesday) and The Hunt by Megan Shepherd (Friday). :)

Bought/borrowed/received:

The Graces by Laure Eve (e-galley from Abrams through NetGalley) (As someone who saw the film The Craft when they were younger and was obsessed with magic and witches and wanted to be magic, I'm really looking forward to this.)
Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst (e-galley from HarperCollins through Edelweiss)
Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake (e-galley from HarperCollins through Edelweiss)
Aerie by Maria Dahvana Headley (e-galley from HarperCollins through Edelweiss)

Me on Ruined

Title: Ruined
Author: Amy Tintera
Release Date: May 3, 2016
Publisher: HarperTeen (HarperCollins imprint)

Emelina Flores has nothing. Her home in Ruina has been ravaged by war. She lacks the powers of her fellow Ruined. Worst of all, she witnessed her parents' brutal murders and watched helplessly as her sister, Olivia, was kidnapped. But because Em has nothing, she has nothing to lose. Driven by a blind desire for revenge, Em sets off on a dangerous journey to the enemy kingdom of Lera. Somewhere within Lera's borders, Em hopes to find Olivia. But in order to find her, Em must infiltrate the royal family. In a brilliant, elaborate plan of deception and murder, Em marries Prince Casimir, next in line to take Lera's throne. If anyone in Lera discovers Em is not Casimir's true betrothed, Em will be executed on the spot. But it's the only way to salvage Em's kingdom and what is left of her family. Em is determined to succeed, but the closer she gets to the prince, the more she questions her mission. Em's rage-filled heart begins to soften. But with her life—and her family—on the line, love could be Em's deadliest mistake.

Ruined is a story of dangerous secrets and hated magics, of deception and plots and plans. Of revenge.

Em is angry, determined to carry out her plan. She's rough, tough, and smart. She's driven by rage and revenge, by her hate of the people who wanted her family killed and kidnapped. She's driven to prove herself to the Ruined that she's capable of rescuing her sister, that she can be a leader. Even when she's not one of the Ruined herself. While she doesn't have an ability of her own, she can fight, she can plot, and she can take action. She can do it. Hopefully her plan will work long enough that no one will question who she really is, that she can find her sister before it's too late.

Cas is an outlier in the royal family of Lera. His personality is at odds with the controlling one of his father and the ruthless one of his mother. He's annoyed at this sudden marriage, that he wasn't consulted or asked what he wanted, and would rather do his own thing. He's confused as to why his father makes certain decisions regarding the Ruined, why he hates them so much. He's been left to make his own decisions, left alone by parents who thought he would be easy to manipulate as time went on, and soon finds that he doesn't like whats going on.

As I read this I was intrigued as to where it would go. How far Em and Cas would have to pretend in their marriage. How much they would clash. How long the deception would last. How long until the looming battle, because it's looming, like a dark thundercloud, would begin. There were moments of tension, moments of clashing personalities. Moments of vulnerability. Of betrayal. I'll be keeping an eye out for the next book, I'm curious as to where the story will go next. What will happen to Em next.

(I downloaded an e-galley of this title from HarperCollins through Edelweiss.)

Me on Waiting on Wednesday (278)

Waiting on Wednesday is a bunch of weekly fun hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. :)

Title: A Shadow Bright and Burning
Author:
Release Date: September 20, 2016
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers

From Goodreads:

I am Henrietta Howel.
The first female sorcerer in hundreds of years.
The prophesied one.
Or am I?

Henrietta Howel can burst into flames.
Forced to reveal her power to save a friend, she's shocked when instead of being executed, she's invited to train as one of Her Majesty's royal sorcerers.

Thrust into the glamour of Victorian London, Henrietta is declared the chosen one, the girl who will defeat the Ancients, bloodthirsty demons terrorizing humanity. She also meets her fellow sorcerer trainees, handsome young men eager to test her power and her heart. One will challenge her. One will fight for her. One will betray her.

But Henrietta Howel is not the chosen one. 
As she plays a dangerous game of deception, she discovers that the sorcerers have their own secrets to protect. With battle looming, what does it mean to not be the one? And how much will she risk to save the city—and the one she loves?

Exhilarating and gripping, Jessica Cluess's spellbinding fantasy introduces a powerful, unforgettably heroine, and a world filled with magic, romance, and betrayal. Hand to fans of Libba Bray, Sarah J. Maas, and Cassandra Clare.

Ooooo, historical and magical and intriguing. The cover is pretty, the rose on fire and the flames turning from orange to teal to blue as they rise up. It seems to be a year for historical YA with fantasy elements, like The Dark Days Club and These Vicious Masks.

Me on The Winner's Kiss

Title: The Winner's Kiss
Author: Marie Rutkoski
Release Date: March 29, 2016
Publisher: Farrar, Straus & Giroux Books for Young Readers (Macmillan imprint)

War has begun. Arin is in the thick of it with untrustworthy new allies and the empire as his enemy. Though he has convinced himself that he no longer loves Kestrel, Arin hasn't forgotten her, or how she became exactly the kind of person he has always despised. She cared more for the empire than she did for the lives of innocent people—and certainly more than she did for him. At least, that's what he thinks. In the frozen north, Kestrel is a prisoner in a brutal work camp. As she searches desperately for a way to escape, she wishes Arin could know what she sacrificed for him. She wishes she could make the empire pay for what they've done to her. But no one gets what they want just by wishing. As the war intensifies, both Kestrel and Arin discover that the world is changing. The East is pitted against the West, and they are caught in between. With so much to lose, can anybody really win?

The Winner's Kiss is a conclusion. It's weighted by determination, by anger and betrayal, by the bitter taste found on the tongue when one trusts in a lie. But it's also buoyed by a glimpse of the future, by the hope that war won't always be the answer. By the hope that one day the war will end.

I look at Arin and I see someone driven, someone searching for ways to make things right. The Valerians invaded, colonized, took everything from the Herrani and made them slaves. Now Arin fights back, leads soldiers and those hoping to regain their homes. I look at Arin and I see someone who couldn't look past his own anger, who couldn't look at Kestrel and the things she wanted to say but couldn't. Someone who wouldn't listen. It's painful, all the ways he wouldn't listen to Kestrel. Each and every time he would only see lies on her face, in her voice. But he couldn't afford to listen.

I look at Kestrel and I see a smart, determined young woman hoping to do the right thing, hoping to save those she cares about, and ending up caught by those who would wield power and control like a slavemaster would wield a whip. Without hesitation, moving smoothly and cleanly. Inflicting the most damage. Enforcing control. She's caught, punished, forced north towards a horrific work camp. But what then? I don't want to say what happens next, I don't want to give it away, but what follows for Kestrel is a rather surprising search. A look back at herself, into herself, and who she becomes on the other side.

This book is the end result. A land of war and change, the result of lies believes and truths unspoken and cast aside. The air between Arin and Kestrel is thick with regret and mistake. As heavy and dry as a mouth full of sand. But it's not the only thing between them, not the only thing that pushes them together. This had been a series of empire and war, of winners and losers, of soldiers and musicians. Of those favoured by the gods. This series has been a heavy one, with serious consequences, and the overall story is amazing. A must-read.

(I purchased a copy of this title.)

Me on This Week's Book Week (205)

This Week's Book Week is rather similar to Stacking the Shelves hosted by Tynga's Reviews only with far more rambling and a less witty title. ;)

Hi all! It might as well be summer. Or winter, considering all the pollen and fluff in the air.

I was downtown at the Raincost Books Fall Preview, which was great. It's always fun seeing the Raincoast girls and talking up books with other people. :) And this time the event features special guest Eileen Cook! I'm excited to soon get to With Malice, it sounds rather intriguing. The downside of the event was not wanting to wait for all the books I found interesting. ;)

Reviews going up this week will feature The Winner's Kiss by Marie Rutkoski (Tuesday) and Ruined by Amy Tintera (Friday). :)

Bought/borrowed/received:

Labyrinth Lost by Zoraida Córdova (ARC from Raincoast Books)
Metaltown by Kristen Simmons (ARC from Raincoast Books)
The Hundred Lies of Lizzie Lovett by Chelsea Sedoti (ARC from Raincoast Books)
Stealing Snow by Danielle Paige (ARC from Raincoast Books)

Me on Map of Fates

Title: Map of Fates
Author: Maggie Hall
Release Date: March 8, 2016
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile (Penguin imprint)

Two weeks. That's how long it took for Avery West's ordinary life to change forever: In two weeks, she discovered she was heiress to a powerful secret society known as the Circle, learned her mother was taken hostage by the Circle's enemies, and fell for a boy she's not allowed to love, just as she found out another was her unwelcome destiny. Now, Avery crosses oceans in private jets to hunt for clues that will uncover the truth about the Circle, setting her mom and herself free before it's too late. By her side are both the boys: Jack—steady, loyal, and determined to help her even at the expense of his own duty—and Stellan, whose connection to Avery grows stronger by the day despite her best intentions, making her question what she believes at every turn. But at the end of a desperate hunt from the islands of Greece to the red carpet at Cannes comes a discovery that not only changes everything, but could bring the whole world to its knees. And now Avery is forced to face the truth: in the world of the Circle, no one is what they seem.

Map of Fates is a thrilling chase for clues and secrets. A race around the world, a race against time. A race against fate?

Avery is focused, determined. She has one main goal: save her mom. To do that, she has to find something lost for hundreds of years. The tomb of Alexander the Great. She's trying hard to solve riddles, to uncover clues. Trying to avoid the unspoken words that pass between her and Jack, between her and Stellan. Trying to find friends and allies in a world of secrets and spies, enemies who would use her for their own gains. The stress and strain grows and grows, weighing her down. But she can't do it alone. She needs those close to her, those ready and willing to help her, in order to complete her search.

This continues the race around the world that started in the first book. As with the first, I'm intrigued by the mystery aspect, by the clues hidden in history aspect. By the myths and legends passed down through the ages, by a sort of prophecy that seems inescapable in the modern day. But will it all come to pass that way? Must Avery join together with someone not of her choosing? Has her future already been determined? She's not stupid, but with her mother taken from her she's emotional. Worried, nearing desperation. She would do anything, perhaps even work with anyone. But would it be worth it? Could she truly trust them?

In a series like this, a series of secrets and myth, of mystery and puzzles, of families drunk on power and status, it's hard to trust anyone who isn't Avery. The reader sees everyone through her eyes, notices the way they speak and the way they act. The words they say, the names they mention. But only when Avery is looking that hard. In a world this dangerous, how can Avery trust anyone? Because she has no choice. Because she can only do so much as a teen girl in Europe. Searching. Hoping that no one she cares about will die. A book for those looking to continue a tense series of international intrigue and complicated emotions.

(I borrowed a copy of this title from the library.)

Me on Waiting on Wednesday (277)

Waiting on Wednesday is a bunch of weekly fun hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. :)

Title: Strange the Dreamer
Author: Laini Taylor
Release Date: September 27, 2016
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (Hachette Book Group imprint)

From Goodreads:

A breathtaking new novel by National Book Award finalist and New York Times bestselling author Laini Taylor.

Strange the Dreamer is the story of:

the aftermath of a war between gods and men.
a mysterious city stripped of its name.
a mythic hero with blood on his hands.
a young librarian with a singular dream.
a girl every bit as dangerous as she is in danger.
alchemy and blood candy, nightmares and godspawn, moths and monsters, friendship and treachery, love and carnage.

Welcome to Weep.

I'm so looking forward to this. Laini's books are magical and mystical and I never want to stop reading them. I don't wait for this, I want to know everything about it. Whats going on, who's involved, how much magic there'll be. How dangerous it'll get. ;)

Me on Warrior Witch

Title: Warrior Witch
Author: Danielle L. Jensen
Release Date: May 3, 2016
Publisher: Angry Robot Books

Cécile and Tristan have accomplished the impossible, but their greatest challenge remains: defeating the evil they have unleashed upon the world. As they scramble for a way to protect the people of the Isle and liberate the trolls from their tyrant king, Cécile and Tristan must battle those who'd see them dead. To win, they will risk everything. And everyone. But it might not be enough. Both Cécile and Tristan have debts, and they will be forced to pay them at a cost far greater than they had ever imagined.

Warrior Witch is a deadly ending to a looming war, a search for answers and solutions.

This is it. It's time for Cécile and Tristan to make some decisions. Hard decisions. Practical decisions. They're looking at the bigger picture here, the ways in which to stop the trolls who would wage war against the humans. The ways to stop those who would want them dead. Their actions are seen as cold, heartless, unfeeling, but they don't have the luxury to think about themselves, to consider being compassionate. They're trying to save lives, save each other, save as many as they can. But that doesn't mean they can save everyone. It's now a race against time, time they might not have.

This book is the end to a series full of impossible magic, lies and betrayal, death, and hope for the future. It's all about choices and inescapable promises, debts owed and debts called in. Those make this a hard book, a lesson in futility. In doing what needs to be done over what you want to do, what you'd rather do in order to make everything hurt less. And things really hurt at the end of this book.

(I received an e-galley of this title to review from Angry Robot through NetGalley.)