"Waiting On" Wednesday (WoW, #46)

 "Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine that highlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly awaiting!

This week's selection is:

Legacy of Kings

Author(s): Eleanor Herman

Series: Blood of Gods and Royals, #1
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Expected Publication: August 25, 2015

Pre-Order Now!: Book Depository

 Goodreads Blurb:

Imagine a time when the gods turn a blind eye to the agony of men, when the last of the hellions roam the plains and evil stirs beyond the edges of the map. A time when cities burn, and in their ashes, empires rise.

Alexander, Macedonia’s sixteen-year-old heir, is on the brink of discovering his fated role in conquering the known world but finds himself drawn to newcomer Katerina, who must navigate the dark secrets of court life while hiding her own mission: kill the Queen. But Kat’s first love, Jacob, will go to unthinkable lengths to win her, even if it means competing for her heart with Hephaestion, a murderer sheltered by the prince. And far across the sea, Zofia, a Persian princess and Alexander’s unmet fiancée, wants to alter her destiny by seeking the famed and deadly Spirit Eaters.

Weaving fantasy with the salacious and fascinating details of real history, New York Times bestselling author Eleanor Herman reimagines the greatest emperor the world has ever known: Alexander the Great, in the first book of the Blood of Gods and Royals series.

What books are you "Waiting On" this week? "

Weekly Reading Update (WRU, #11)

This week I'm currently still reading The Young Elites by Marie Lu. So for about 3 weeks I haven't read much of anything *sighs* :(  Buuuutttt, hopefully this next week all that will change, I need to get through about 5 books in the next 8 days before they are due back to my library! Plus they are all great books that I've been wanting to read. Let's do this! :)

The Young Elites (The Young Elites, #1)

Author: Marie Lu
Pages: Currently reading on page 56 of 355
Acquired: Library
Published: 2014


Goodreads Blurb:
I am tired of being used, hurt, and cast aside.

Adelina Amouteru is a survivor of the blood fever. A decade ago, the deadly illness swept through her nation. Most of the infected perished, while many of the children who survived were left with strange markings. Adelina’s black hair turned silver, her lashes went pale, and now she has only a jagged scar where her left eye once was. Her cruel father believes she is a malfetto, an abomination, ruining their family’s good name and standing in the way of their fortune. But some of the fever’s survivors are rumored to possess more than just scars—they are believed to have mysterious and powerful gifts, and though their identities remain secret, they have come to be called the Young Elites.

Teren Santoro works for the king. As Leader of the Inquisition Axis, it is his job to seek out the Young Elites, to destroy them before they destroy the nation. He believes the Young Elites to be dangerous and vengeful, but it’s Teren who may possess the darkest secret of all.

Enzo Valenciano is a member of the Dagger Society. This secret sect of Young Elites seeks out others like them before the Inquisition Axis can. But when the Daggers find Adelina, they discover someone with powers like they’ve never seen.

Adelina wants to believe Enzo is on her side, and that Teren is the true enemy. But the lives of these three will collide in unexpected ways, as each fights a very different and personal battle. But of one thing they are all certain: Adelina has abilities that shouldn’t belong in this world. A vengeful blackness in her heart. And a desire to destroy all who dare to cross her.

It is my turn to use. My turn to hurt.

***** 

Tell me what you're currently reading or what you've read this week!

"Waiting On" Wednesday (WoW, #37)

 "Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine that highlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly awaiting!

This week's selection is:

An Ember in the Ashes

Author(s): Sabaa Tahir

Series: none
Publisher: Razorbill
Expected Publication: April 28, 2015

Pre-Order Now!: Book Depository

 Goodreads Blurb:

Set in a terrifyingly brutal Rome-like world, An Ember in the Ashes is an epic fantasy debut about an orphan fighting for her family and a soldier fighting for his freedom. It’s a story that’s literally burning to be told.

LAIA is a Scholar living under the iron-fisted rule of the Martial Empire. When her brother is arrested for treason, Laia goes undercover as a slave at the empire’s greatest military academy in exchange for assistance from rebel Scholars who claim that they will help to save her brother from execution.

ELIAS is the academy’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias is considering deserting the military, but before he can, he’s ordered to participate in a ruthless contest to choose the next Martial emperor.

When Laia and Elias’s paths cross at the academy, they find that their destinies are more intertwined than either could have imagined and that their choices will change the future of the empire itself.

What books are you "Waiting On" this week? 

Top Ten Tuesday (TTT, #29)

 Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish.

This week's post is:

Top 10 Books I Recently Added to My TBR List

In no particular order...

These are the books I most recently added to my Goodreads TBR shelf. None of these are out yet, but I can't wait for them. :) Goodreads links below if you want to know more about these books!

The Wicked Will Rise (Dorothy Must Die, #2) - Danielle Paige
Miss Mayhem (Rebel Belle, #2) - Rachel Hawkins
Endangered - Lamar Giles
An Ember in the Ashes - Sabaa Tahir
Rook - Sharon Cameron
A Madness So Discreet - Mindy McGinnis
Dreamland - Robert L. Anderson
Velvet - Temple West
The Eternal City - Paula Morris
A School for Unusual Girls (Stranje House, #1) - Kathleen Baldwin

What Are Your Picks?

"Waiting On" Wednesday (WoW, #33)

 "Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine that highlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly awaiting!

This week's selection is:

The Wicked Will Rise

Author(s): Danielle Paige

Series: Dorothy Must Die, #2
Publisher: Harper Collins
Expected Publication: March 31, 2015

Pre-Order Now!: Book Depository

 Goodreads Blurb:

 DISCLAIMER: THIS IS BOOK 2: DO NOT READ BELOW IF YOU HAVEN'T READ BOOK 1 THERE MAY BE SPOILERS!

In this dark, high-octane sequel to the New York Times bestselling Dorothy Must Die, Amy Gumm must do everything in her power to kill Dorothy and free Oz.

To make Oz a free land again, Amy Gumm was given a mission: remove the Tin Woodman’s heart, steal the Scarecrow’s brain, take the Lion’s courage, and then Dorothy must die....

But Dorothy still lives. Now the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked has vanished, and mysterious Princess Ozma might be Amy’s only ally. As Amy learns the truth about her mission, she realizes that she’s only just scratched the surface of Oz’s past—and that Kansas, the home she couldn't wait to leave behind, may also be in danger. In a place where the line between good and evil shifts with just a strong gust of wind, who can Amy trust—and who is really Wicked?

What books are you "Waiting On" this week? 

Top Ten Tuesday (TTT, #27)

 Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish.

This week's post is:

Top 10 Books On My Spring TBR List

In no particular order...

These are some of the books I've been wanting to finally read for the last couple months. Most of them came out either earlier this year or sometime last year. There are also some thrown in there that haven't been released yet that I cannot wait to read!!

What Are Your Picks?

The Crown of Embers (Fire and Thorns, #2)

 

Author: Rae Carson
Series: Fire and Thorns, #2
Pages: 410
Challenge: Goodreads Challenge 2015
Genre: Fantasy
Acquired: Library
Rating: ★★★★

*****

Goodreads Summary:

She does not know what awaits her at the enemy's gate.

Elisa is a hero.

She led her people to victory over a terrifying, sorcerous army. Her place as the country's ruler should be secure. But it isn't.

Her enemies come at her like ghosts in a dream, from foreign realms and even from within her own court. And her destiny as the chosen one has not yet been fulfilled.

To conquer the power she bears, once and for all, Elisa must follow a trial of long-forgotten—and forbidden—clues, from the deep, hidden catacombs of her own city to the treacherous seas. With her go a one-eyed spy, a traitor, and the man whom—despite everything—she is falling in love with.

If she's lucky, she will return from this journey. But there will be a cost.

  *****

 My Thoughts:

After Elisa's recent victories and defeating her powerful enemies, Elisa thinks all is over and done, her prophecy fulfilled, and that she can rule her kingdom peacefully as queen. But that is not the case. Enemies come at her constantly and while Elisa fights to protect her kingdom and loved ones, she still has yet to fulfill her destiny so she must embark on a new journey to figure it all out....again!

Like in the last book, I really liked Elisa's personality and wit. She's very clever and intelligent, and I enjoyed reading about her journeys in this book. I am also always surprised with the new interesting characters we meet in each book.... this series is also always handy with the plot twists. :)

I liked how the story continued from where the last book left off and how easy it was to pick the story back up after having read the last book over 8 months ago. It is still hard to believe that Elisa's character is only 16 years old because of her maturity I tend to see her as a couple years older easily. I like that she is continuing to grow into her character and evolve into a great leader and queen for her kingdom.

The journeys and adventures in this book are always so interesting and mysterious to read about. You never know what to expect next and that is what makes these books so fun and enjoyable to read. I like the relationships and friendships with the characters the most. I disliked how nothing really ever gets resolved until the very end of these novels. I mean... maybe that's the point to not know everything until the end but.... I like my relationships of any kind to be built from close to the beginnings of books (as opposed to 3/4 through) that way I can see the relationship evolve and grow (for both friendships and love interests). Just a personal opinion though.

My favorite scenes were any scenes with Mara and Elisa. I love their closeness and friendship. I also find the scenes with Elisa with any of her enemies to be favorites as well; I just feel that she handles each situation well for her age in the books. I can admit though that it took me a few days to get through this one since in most of the middle it was a little slow, but for the majority of the rest of the book the pacing was good.

The ending was good. It could have been better and done in a more suspenseful way, but nonetheless it was done nicely and sets up the final book well.
Cover: 5/10
Rating: 4/5
I would recommend to those looking for a good young adult fantasy trilogy with fantastic magic and adventure!

Book 1: The Girl of Fire and Thorns (Check Out My Review Here!)
Book 3: The Bitter Kingdom

If you have read this book, let me know your thoughts below!!

*****

The Girl of Fire and Thorns (Fire and Thorns, #1)

 

 Author: Rae Carson
Series: Fire and Thorns, #1
Pages: 423
Challenge: Goodreads Challenge 2014, 2014 Book Bingo Challenge
Genre: Fantasy
Acquired: Library
Rating: ★★★★

*****

Goodreads Summary:

Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness.
Elisa is the chosen one.

But she is also the younger of two princesses, the one who has never done anything remarkable. She can't see how she ever will.

Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs the chosen one, not a failure of a princess.

And he's not the only one who seeks her. Savage enemies seething with dark magic are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people's savior. And he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake.

Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn’t die young.

Most of the chosen do.

  *****

 My Thoughts:

Elisa's fate was chosen the moment they found out she was the chosen one. She is soon secretly wed to a king, whose country is heading towards great destruction. With Elisa being the chosen one, she is the only one who can save the people.

At first I found Elisa INCREDIBLY annoying! She constantly put herself down and thought less of herself and wished that she wasn't the chosen one. It was like a never ending whining party!.... I just wanted to forcefully shake her and tell her to have some self-respect and accept her situation. She fortunately gets off of her rain cloud...hallelujah!... and actually realizes her worth and impotance during the remainder of the book.

I absolutely loved the plot, for me it was new and different and I really needed that from the YA that I was reading. This novel explored so many elements and topics like deceit, relationships, self-worth and self-esteem, loyalty, suspense and more. I also found the supporting characters intriguing and necessary to the plot's twists and its progression.  

My favorite scene was the ending fight scene and its intensity. I loved just about any scene with Humberto in it, he was such an sweet character to read about. So as far as what I liked and disliked.... I liked Humberto as well as Elisa and her captors' journeys. Throughout the story their journeys made the plot that much more interesting and worth the read. It was definitely a major part of the story as well as the effect of Elisa being the chosen one.

Now as I have already mentioned... Elisa's problems with accepting herself ruffled me as well as the actual descriptions of Elisa's character in the novel. She was described as being overweight and loving to eat, and she didn't feel that she was as pretty as her older sister who was thinner. I didn't like that she seemed to dwell on the fact that she wasn't like her sister, who seemed to be their family's golden child. I feel that the author may have tried to incorporate real life issues into this fantasy plot to better connect with the readers, but honesty I felt that it was unnecessary within this plot. I felt Elisa used it as more of a handicap and excuse to some of the things that she did or went through. Maybe in a different novel or plot, this concept could have had a real meaningful impact but within this story I felt that it was just too much.

Okay lol.... done with my mini rant....

Now as far as other problems with the story I found the pacing to be a bit off. So hopefully this makes sense and you see what I mean....For some events that happened, they were brushed off and briefly mentioned or explained when at some times they could have been developed and further elaborated on to avoid ambiguity within the storyline. Vice versa, some events were explained to thoroughly and dragged out, when I felt that they could have been explained concisely and briefly since their relevance wasn't as significant as say some of the other plot events.

The ending was very interesting, it ended in a way that made me want to know what happened afterwards. I do really want to know how the story will progress in the other novels in the trilogy. Although there could have been better character development, I did really enjoy this book. It took me a minute to read this... like a week... but that could be in part due to the pacing issues I mentioned, if I got bored with an event or the chapter I was reading I would often put it down and come back about a day or so later. Overall I gave it 4/5 stars and I would recommend to those who like to read fantasy or those who are looking for a new and interesting plot.

If you have read this book, let me know your thoughts below!!

*****

Top Ten Tuesday (TTT, #12)

 

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish.

This week's post is:

Top Ten Authors I Own the Most Books From

Top Ten: ( in no particular order)

Since my collection isn't that big, I don't have many options for this post being that I am a college student with very little extra cash to buy books.... But that aside here are the authors! :)

1. Christopher Pike

 2. J.K. Rowling

3.Stephenie Meyer

4. Rick Riordan

 

5.Cassandra Clare

6. Richelle Mead

7. Scott Westerfeld

8. Sarah Dessen

9. Meg Cabot

10. Sophie Kinsella

Top Ten Tuesday (TTT, #11)

 

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish.

This week's post is:

Top Ten Characters I Would Want With Me On A Deserted Island 

Top Ten: ( in no particular order)

I feel that all of these characters would benefit me in some way if I would ever get stuck on a deserted island with 10 other people. I would definitely want those people to be these people!


Rose Hathaway
Who wouldn't want Rose on their team when they get stranded on a deserted island? She's a kick ass trained fighter and protector.

 
Juliette Ferrars
 Now although she can't touch us, I feel that she would be valuable to our defense. Say some unwanted, dangerous people come for whatever reason, we definitely need someone with some unexpected power on our side! The element of surprise is our goal!


 Tessa Gray
Tessa's pretty smart so maybe she could be helpful on this deserted island. I'm assuming that we could use her warlock skills in some way to help the group and ensuring our survival.



 Tris Prior
Tris is definitely someone you could use as an asset to help you out if you get stranded on a deserted island.

  
Katniss Everdeen
Katniss is the Queen of the Bow and Arrow. For food, she will be very valuable in feeding all of us.

 
Ze'ev "Z" Kesley (Wolf)
I also feel that Wolf would be helpful in bringing in food and providing that needed man power for possibly building shelter.

 
 Tobias Eaton (Four)
 I'm thinking Four could help Wolf with the essential manly tasks.... as well as just being Four.


Hermione Granger
The ultimate best friend.....plus she's ridiculously smart.....plus she's a wizard.... and she could definitely help with simple spells to cook food or make fires, etc. Maybe even figure out some way to send for help.


 William Herondale
It's Will Herondale....umm...so... I mean ...yeah....okay...

 
Magnus Bane
Magnus could use his magical warlock skills to possibly bring us help or conjour up us a way to leave the island...or at least to help make life easier on the island. With both he and Hermione we should manage!

*****
Which characters would you want to be with you on a deserted island? 
Comment and let me know!!