My Greatest Sorrow is That I Don't Already Have the Next Book in Sorrowlynn's Story

Title: The Dragon's Price
Author: Bethany Wiggins
Series: Transference, book #1
Publisher: Crown BFYR
Publication Date: February 21, 2017
Source: galley received from publisher
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Fans of Julie Kagawa’s Talon and Renee Ahdieh’s The Wrath and the Dawn will devour this action-packed fantasy adventure about a girl who chooses to surrender herself to a deadly dragon rather than marry an enemy prince.

When two warring kingdoms unified against a deadly menace laying waste to both their lands, they had to make a choice: vow to marry their heirs to one another, or forfeit their lives to the dragon.

Centuries later, everyone expects the sheltered princess Sorrowlynn to choose the barbarian prince over the fire-breathing beast—everyone, that is, except Sorrow, who is determined to control her own destiny or die trying.

As she is lowered into the dragon’s chamber, she assumes her life is over until Golmarr, the young prince she just spurned, follows her with the hopes of being her hero and slaying the dragon. But the dragon has a different plan. . . .

If the dragon wins, it will be freed from the spell that has bound it to the cave for centuries. If Sorrow or Golmarr vanquish the dragon, the victor will gain its treasure and escape the cave beneath the mountain. But what exactly is the dragon hiding?

There are no safe havens for Sorrow or Golmarr—not even with each other—and the stakes couldn’t be higher as they risk everything to protect their kingdom.

Dragons. Warring kingdoms. And an arranged marriage that's about to go horribly, horribly wrong. What's not to love? I had some high expectations for this book, obviously, but some reviews had me a little wary, so I tried to temper my excitement. And while this book wasn't perfect, it was a lot of fun to read.

At first, I detested the damsel in distress who has to be taught everything, but that aspect is shifted on its head with a revelation later in the story, and so I can forgive the beginning. Especially amid other truths that come to light. Sorrowlynn's upbringing would have left her vulnerable to life outside of a castle, and so it's safe to assume she wouldn't have any survival knowledge, past who dresses her and brings her breakfast tray in the morning.

Despite Sorrow being a complete ninny in the beginning, I grew to love her character. And I was on board for the sweet romance that develops pretty much from the start. I loved that there was a lot of communication between the two leads. That rather than shy away from their complicated feelings, they discussed them. They embraced them, regardless of what others might think. And despite some cringe-worthy dialogue, the romance felt genuine and not overly saccharine. The romance was the perfect balance: endearing and enduring, just like Sorrow and Golmarr.

But I should mention: I hate bookish comparisons like those in the summary. And I hate when I see something on Twitter that, well...it didn't spoil the book for me, but it made me question how I was reacting to the book. And that's absurd because I was enjoying it up to that point. It's also pretty irrelevant since I don't watch the thing that was mentioned and therefore wouldn't see the similarities anyway. But I'm still upset that I saw it and let it have any bearing on my own enjoyment of the story, if only for a minute. I want to make those comparisons for myself, and if I don't see them for myself, I'm none the wiser.

But I digress. I was completely captivated by this story, sneaking in reading time whenever I could. The writing is really sketchy at times, and the juxtaposition of fantasy and modern speech was hard to bear, but it's the plot that kept me reading. A little more editing and this series could easily become a favorite. As it stands, I kind of love it in spite of its issues, and I'm dying for the next book after that ending.

GIF it to me straight:

About the authors:

Bethany Wiggins is the author of Stung and Shifting. She started writing on a dare and dove headfirst into the world of writerly madness. She lives in the desert with her husband, four quirky kids, and two very fluffy cats. Wiggins has always been an avid reader, but not an avid student. Seriously! She failed ninth grade English because she read novels instead of doing her homework. In high school, she sat alone at lunch and read massive hardback fantasy novels (Tad Williams and Robert Jordan anyone?). It wasn’t until the end of her senior year that the other students realized she was reading fiction. Since then she has penned SHIFTING (2011), STUNG (2013), and CURED (2014).

Find Bethany:

Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Facebook

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Labels: bethany wiggins, dragons, fantasy, random house, reviews, transference

{WOW} HEARTSTONE by Elle Katharine White

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

This week's WoW selection is...








's Pick:

Title: Heartstone
Author: Elle Katharine White
Series: n/a
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Date: January 17, 2017

A debut historical fantasy that recasts Jane Austen’s beloved Pride and Prejudice in an imaginative world of wyverns, dragons, and the warriors who fight alongside them against the monsters that threaten the kingdom: gryphons, direwolves, lamias, banshees, and lindworms.

They say a Rider in possession of a good blade must be in want of a monster to slay—and Merybourne Manor has plenty of monsters.

Passionate, headstrong Aliza Bentaine knows this all too well; she’s already lost one sister to the invading gryphons. So when Lord Merybourne hires a band of Riders to hunt down the horde, Aliza is relieved her home will soon be safe again.

Her relief is short-lived. With the arrival of the haughty and handsome dragonrider, Alastair Daired, Aliza expects a battle; what she doesn’t expect is a romantic clash of wills, pitting words and wit against the pride of an ancient house. Nor does she anticipate the mystery that follows them from Merybourne Manor, its roots running deep as the foundations of the kingdom itself, where something old and dreadful slumbers . . . something far more sinister than gryphons.

It’s a war Aliza is ill-prepared to wage, on a battlefield she’s never known before: one spanning kingdoms, class lines, and the curious nature of her own heart.

Elle Katharine White infuses elements of Austen’s beloved novel with her own brand of magic, crafting a modern epic fantasy that conjures a familiar yet wondrously unique new world.

Pride and Prejudice...and dragons? Sign. Me. The. Eff. Up! And that line about "a Rider in possession of a good blade"...bestill my heart! I think I've found the perfect book. Please let it be as good as it sounds. Pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease!!!


What are you desperately waiting for this Wednesday? Let us know in the comments or share a link to your own WoW post!

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Labels: 2017 debut, dragons, elle katharine white, fantasy, harper-collins, heartstone, pride & prejudice, retellings, waiting on wednesday (wow)

{WOW} THE DRAGON'S PRICE by Bethany Wiggins

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

This week's WoW selection is...








's Pick:



Title: The Dragon's Price
Author: Bethany Wiggins
Series: Transference, book #1
Publisher: Crown BFYR
Publication Date: February 21, 2017

Fans of Julie Kagawa’s Talon and Renee Ahdieh’s The Wrath and the Dawn will devour this action-packed fantasy adventure about a girl who chooses to surrender herself to a deadly dragon rather than marry an enemy prince.

When two warring kingdoms unified against a deadly menace laying waste to both their lands, they had to make a choice: vow to marry their heirs to one another, or forfeit their lives to the dragon.

Centuries later, everyone expects the sheltered princess Sorrowlynn to choose the barbarian prince over the fire-breathing beast—everyone, that is, except Sorrow, who is determined to control her own destiny or die trying.

As she is lowered into the dragon’s chamber, she assumes her life is over until Golmarr, the young prince she just spurned, follows her with the hopes of being her hero and slaying the dragon. But the dragon has a different plan. . . .

If the dragon wins, it will be freed from the spell that has bound it to the cave for centuries. If Sorrow or Golmarr vanquish the dragon, the victor will gain its treasure and escape the cave beneath the mountain. But what exactly is the dragon hiding?

There are no safe havens for Sorrow or Golmarr—not even with each other—and the stakes couldn’t be higher as they risk everything to protect their kingdom.

I'm always thinking to myself when I read fantasy, "MOAR DRAGONS, please!!!" And here is a book that's apparently been on my TBR for over a year, and it features a dragon with a treasure, a girl with a death wish, and a prince who just doesn't know when to quit...and it now has a cover. Or, at least, I only just discovered it has a cover. Either way, I am excite! I already have high hopes that the dragon and the princess fall in love. *insert all the heart eyes*

What are you desperately waiting for this Wednesday? Let us know in the comments or share a link to your own WoW post!

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Labels: bethany wiggins, dragons, fantasy, random house, transference, waiting on wednesday (wow)

{Audiobook} Review: The Girl at Midnight by Melissa Grey

Title: The Girl at Midnight
Author: Melissa Grey
Narrator(s): Julia Whelan
Series: The Girl at Midnight, book #1
Length: 9 hrs 55 mins
Publisher: Listening Library (Random House)
Publication Date: April 28, 2015
Source: received from publisher via Netgalley, borrowed audiobook from library
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

Beneath the streets of New York City live the Avicen, an ancient race of people with feathers for hair and magic running through their veins. Age-old enchantments keep them hidden from humans. All but one. Echo is a runaway pickpocket who survives by selling stolen treasures on the black market, and the Avicen are the only family she's ever known.

Echo is clever and daring, and at times she can be brash, but above all else she's fiercely loyal. So when a centuries-old war crests on the borders of her home, she decides it's time to act.

Legend has it that there is a way to end the conflict once and for all: find the Firebird, a mythical entity believed to possess power the likes of which the world has never seen. It will be no easy task, though if life as a thief has taught Echo anything, it's how to hunt down what she wants . . . and how to take it.

But some jobs aren't as straightforward as they seem. And this one might just set the world on fire.

This is going to be one big ole contradictory review because the things I liked about this book are also the things that bothered me about this book. The comparisons to both the Daughter of Smoke and Bone and The Mortal Instruments series were very apt because much of this book felt very familiar to me. And yet the author put her own unique spin on the story and characters, making them her own. I know that "new ideas" have pretty much been exhausted these days, and so I can't hold it against the author that her story seems inspired by other recent books. It's the execution of the story that makes this a worthwhile read, despite similarities to those other books.

I started out reading the review copy I had, but I was finding it difficult to get into the story. I think I got to 23% before I put it on hold in favor of waiting for the audiobook version to become available. That was probably the best decision because once I started the audio, I finished it within a day. It's narrated by the venerable Julia Whelan, and I don't think she's ever performed a book that I didn't like. This was going to be a 3 1/2 star read but because of the narration, I feel it deserves the full four stars.

Even after deliberating for a couple of weeks, I'm still not sure if my overall enjoyment of the story was due in part to the fact that it reminded me so much of one of my favorite series or if I just generally liked it. I know I enjoyed it…that much is certain. It had a snarky protagonist who went to great lengths for those she cared about. It also featured a love triangle that wasn't, which is my favorite kind…where the heroine grows and realizes that what she thought she had with one love interest was nothing compared to that which she could have, even if that love might be a bit star-crossed.

The characters themselves are very reminiscent of those in both of the aforementioned series and their dynamic was also strangely familiar, as it seemed to borrow heavily from The Mortal Instruments. You'll see what I mean when the two different groups converge and even their feelings are the same. Even the idea of reincarnation is present, though it manifests in a different way. The world was rich and fantastical, but I felt so comfortable with it because it was redolent of the two warring factions in Daughter of Smoke and Bone and even the use of portals for travel.

The Girl at Midnight was an enjoyable read but not a unique one. Even so, I find myself wanting the next book. I'm hoping that the similarities to other series will end with book one and the real world-building will really begin in the sequel.

GIF it to me straight:

About the author:

Melissa Grey penned her first short story at the age of twelve and hasn't stopped writing since. As an undergrad at Yale, she learned how ride a horse and shoot a bow and arrow at the same time, but hasn't had much use for that skill since graduating in 2008.

Her debut novel, THE GIRL AT MIDNIGHT, was published by Delacorte/Random House.

Find Melissa:

Website | Goodreads | Twitter | Pinterest | Instagram

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Labels: audiobooks, beautiful covers, dragons, fantasy, favorite narrators, magic, melissa grey, random house, reviews, the girl at midnight

{Blog Tour} Review + Giveaway: Shadow Scale by Rachel Hartman

When I was asked if I'd like to participate in the blog tour for the sequel to Rachel Hartman's New York Times bestselling Seraphina, I couldn't say yes quickly enough. I enjoyed Hartman's debut novel so much when I first read it that I found myself unable to adequately review it…and I've left it unreviewed to date. Here's hoping I can succinctly describe how amazing this sequel is. ;) Check out my review below and enter to win your own copy of Shadow Scale.

Title: Shadow Scale
Author: Rachel Hartman
Series: Seraphina, book #2
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Publication Date: March 10, 2015
Source: ARC received from publisher
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Seraphina took the literary world by storm with 8 starred reviews and numerous “Best of” lists. At last, her eagerly awaited sequel has arrived—and with it comes an epic battle between humans and dragons.

The kingdom of Goredd: a world where humans and dragons share life with an uneasy balance, and those few who are both human and dragon must hide the truth. Seraphina is one of these, part girl, part dragon, who is reluctantly drawn into the politics of her world. When war breaks out between the dragons and humans, she must travel the lands to find those like herself—for she has an inexplicable connection to all of them, and together they will be able to fight the dragons in powerful, magical ways.

As Seraphina gathers this motley crew, she is pursued by humans who want to stop her. But the most terrifying is another half dragon, who can creep into people’s minds and take them over. Until now, Seraphina has kept her mind safe from intruders, but that also means she’s held back her own gift. It is time to make a choice: Cling to the safety of her old life, or embrace a powerful new destiny?

Considering it had been nearly three years since I first read Seraphina, I decided a re-read -- or re-listen, in my case -- was necessary. It's amazing how much you can forget in that length of time and yet still remember just how much you enjoyed the story the first time you experienced it. However, once I returned to this world of dragons and music, I found that it was like I'd never left it.

I must admit, though, that after listening to Seraphina prior to picking up this sequel, the pacing of Shadow Scale did seem a bit slow. It definitely picks up, but it required pushing through the first third or so of the novel to get to that point. But once it does, it's twice as engaging as the previous installment. And just as full of surprises.

There are far more characters to love and loathe in this sequel -- dragons, half-dragons, and humans alike -- but I found that I missed some of my favorites because of Seraphina's separation from them while on her quest to find others like herself. And I found myself missing some of the characters I'd only just come to know as they morphed right in front of my very eyes. Someone Seraphina had once called a friend is now set on destroying her, using the very people she cares about the most in order to do so. It makes it nearly impossible for Seraphina to trust anyone but herself. But Seraphina is more powerful than even she knows, besides the fact that she's quite intelligent and remarkably observant. She can outmaneuver even the cleverest adversary once she puts her mind to it, which is exactly what the situation warrants in the conclusion to her story.

Shadow Scale felt less about dragons themselves and more about politics and alliances and avoiding an all-out war, but it was such an intriguing end to the story, leaving Goredd and seeing how the rest of the world looked upon dragonkind. It was also a bit of a relief to see some of the loose ends in Seraphina finally tied up, including the romance and Orma's exile. The ending was maybe a little bittersweet, and not just because I found myself unready to say goodbye to these characters, but that's what I love about these books: Hartman writes the story as it needs to unfold for these complicated characters and not just the way we want it to be written for them. Her ability to craft such a complex world, full of characters with so much depth that you'll never find the end of them, still has me in awe.

GIF it to me straight:

About the author:

Rachel Hartman’s first YA fantasy novel, SERAPHINA, was published by Random House on July 10th, 2012.

Rachel was born in Kentucky, but has lived a variety of places including Chicago, Philadelphia, St. Louis, England, and Japan. She has a BA in Comparative Literature, although she insists it should have been a BS because her undergraduate thesis was called “Paradox and Parody in Don Quixote and the satires of Lucian.” She eschewed graduate school in favour of drawing comic books. She now lives in Vancouver, BC, with her family, their whippet, and a talking frog and salamander (who fight zombies)(really. There are a lot of zombies in the Pacific Northwest).

Find Rachel:

Website | Facebook | Goodreads

Random House is graciously offering up a copy of Shadow Scale to one lucky winner in the US/Canada.

Rules:

• This giveaway is US/CAN only. The publisher will be providing the prize for this giveaway.
• One entry per household. 
• Entries will be verified. Any entry found to be falsified will result in disqualification of all entries for that participant. 
• Winner will be notified via email. Winner will then have 48 hours to respond before another winner will be selected. Please check your SPAM folder!!! 
• We are not responsible for lost packages. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks for stopping by and happy reading!

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Labels: beautiful covers, blog tour, dragons, fantasy, giveaways, rachel hartman, random house, reviews, seraphina

Judging a Book By Its Cover: Talon by Julie Kagawa

We so borrowed this idea from Sara at Forever 17 Books, who got the idea from an article on Babble called Judging a Book by Its Cover: A 6-year-old Guesses What Classic Novels Are All About. Basically, it's about getting a child's perspective on the story inside the book based on just the cover art. It can be hilarious, but it can also be enlightening.

Okay, I totally missed doing these posts with Katie, and it looks like it's been right at a year since our last one. While cleaning recently, I found the folder that I kept her previous iterations in -- all 33 of them! -- so I begged April to see if Aubrey would be up to contributing, too. Lucky for me, she was! =)






This week, the girls are working on the following book:

Title: Talon
Author: Julie Kagawa
Series: Talon, book #1
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publication Date: October 28, 2014
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

Long ago, dragons were hunted to near extinction by the Order of St. George, a legendary society of dragon slayers. Hiding in human form and growing their numbers in secret, the dragons of Talon have become strong and cunning, and they're positioned to take over the world with humans none the wiser.

Ember and Dante Hill are the only sister and brother known to dragonkind. Trained to infiltrate society, Ember wants to live the teen experience and enjoy a summer of freedom before taking her destined place in Talon. But destiny is a matter of perspective, and a rogue dragon will soon challenge everything Ember has been taught. As Ember struggles to accept her future, she and her brother are hunted by the Order of St. George.

Soldier Garret Xavier Sebastian has a mission to seek and destroy all dragons, and Talon's newest recruits in particular. But he cannot kill unless he is certain he has found his prey: and nothing is certain about Ember Hill. Faced with Ember's bravery, confidence and all-too-human desires, Garret begins to question everything that the Order has ingrained in him: and what he might be willing to give up to find the truth about dragons.

Behold, the girls' attempts at recreating Talon by Julie Kagawa...

Aubrey's masterpiece & guess:

Aubrey says:

"I think it's about a red lizard that likes to eat people and he has a long tongue."

Clearly that must be what it's about right? lol. I think she might be off a little but I admire her imagination. And paying attention to detail. when I asked why she thought it had along tongue she was sure to point it out on the cover. I've actually purchased this one already, but I'm not sure when I'll get to it. Soon I hope because I love everything Julie Kagawa has written. :)


Katie's artwork & thoughts:

Katie says:

"I really think it's about dragons going to people and killing them. They could be burning down houses and blowing fire on the ground."

Hmm...I haven't read this book yet, but based on the summary, I'm sure dragons and humans aren't exactly on friendly terms. Still, I don't know how much killing there will be. I've heard the dragon aspect isn't explored all that much in this first book, sadly. I loved Kagawa's post-apocalyptic vampire series, so I was hoping she'd do something fantastic with dragons...


Have you read this book or do you plan to? What do you think of the girls' artwork and their thoughts on the story's premise?

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Labels: aubrey, cover art, dragons, fantasy, harlequin-teen, judging a book by its cover, julie kagawa, katiebug, talon

Waiting on Wednesday: Talon & A Darker Shade of Magic

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

This week's WoW selections are...








's Pick:

Title: Talon
Author: Julie Kagawa
Series:  Talon  #1
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Publication Date: October 28th, 2014

Long ago, dragons were hunted to near extinction by the Order of St. George, a legendary society of dragon slayers. Hiding in human form and growing their numbers in secret, the dragons of Talon have become strong and cunning, and they're positioned to take over the world with humans none the wiser.

Ember and Dante Hill are the only sister and brother known to dragonkind. Trained to infiltrate society, Ember wants to live the teen experience and enjoy a summer of freedom before taking her destined place in Talon. But destiny is a matter of perspective, and a rogue dragon will soon challenge everything Ember has been taught. As Ember struggles to accept her future, she and her brother are hunted by the Order of St. George.

Soldier Garret Xavier Sebastian has a mission to seek and destroy all dragons, and Talon's newest recruits in particular. But he cannot kill unless he is certain he has found his prey: and nothing is certain about Ember Hill. Faced with Ember's bravery, confidence and all-too-human desires, Garret begins to question everything that the Order has ingrained in him: and what he might be willing to give up to find the truth about dragons.

I've always had a thing for Dragons. When I saw Julie Kagawa was writing about them, I danced a little. There isn't a book that woman has written that I didn't love, so I'm anxious to get my hands on this one! :)

's Pick:

Title: A Darker Shade of Magic
Author: V.E. Schwab
Series: A Darker Shade of Magic, book #1
Publisher: Tor Books
Publication Date: February 24, 2015

From V.E. Schwab, the critically acclaimed author of Vicious, comes a new universe of daring adventure, thrilling power, and parallel Londons, beginning with A Darker Shade of Magic.

Kell is one of the last Travelers—magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel universes—as such, he can choose where he lands.

There’s Grey London, dirty and boring, without any magic, ruled by a mad King George. Then there’s Red London, where life and magic are revered, and the Maresh Dynasty presides over a flourishing empire. White London, ruled by whoever has murdered their way to the throne—a place where people fight to control magic, and the magic fights back, draining the city to its very bones. And once upon a time, there was Black London...but no one speaks of that now.

Officially, Kell is the Red Traveler, personal ambassador and adopted Prince of Red London, carrying the monthly correspondences between the royals of each London. Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they’ll never see—a dangerous hobby, and one that has set him up for accidental treason. Fleeing into Grey London, Kell runs afoul of Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations, who first robs him, then saves him from a dangerous enemy, and then forces him to spirit her to another world for a proper adventure.

But perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, Kell and Lila will first need to stay alive—and that is proving trickier than they hoped.

Ah! Another book from the awesome Victoria Schwab!!! I read both of the books in The Archived series -- and I'm praying there will be a third! -- and Kristen and I buddy-read Vicious, which turned out to be even more delightfully villainous than I'd been hoping. And I have The Near Witch on my shelf, waiting for me to give it a chance. What I'm trying to say is, I will read anything Schwab writes because each book I've read of hers has far exceeded my expectations, and I have no doubt that A Darker Shade of Magic will be the best yet. I mean, c'mon...you read that synopsis, right? ;0)


What are you desperately waiting for this Wednesday? Let us know in the comments or share a link to your own WoW post!

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Labels: a darker shade of magic, adult, dragons, julie kagawa, magic, talon, tor, victoria schwab, waiting on wednesday (wow)