Waiting on Wednesday (63)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that you are eagerly anticipating.

A List of Cages by Robin Roe
Genre: Young Adult/Contemporary
Page Length: 320 pages
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Publication Date: January 10, 2017

About A List of Cages (via Goodreads):

When Adam Blake lands the best elective ever in his senior year, serving as an aide to the school psychologist, he thinks he's got it made. Sure, it means a lot of sitting around, which isn't easy for a guy with ADHD, but he can't complain, since he gets to spend the period texting all his friends. Then the doctor asks him to track down the troubled freshman who keeps dodging her, and Adam discovers that the boy is Julian--the foster brother he hasn't seen in five years.

Adam is ecstatic to be reunited. At first, Julian seems like the boy he once knew. He's still kind hearted. He still writes stories and loves picture books meant for little kids. But as they spend more time together, Adam realizes that Julian is keeping secrets, like where he hides during the middle of the day, and what's really going on inside his house. Adam is determined to help him, but his involvement could cost both boys their lives.

Of Fire and Stars (ARC Review) ~ The Fiery Romance of Two (Not So) Star-Crossed Lovers

Of Fire and Stars by Audrey Coulthurst
Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy/LGBTQIA+
Page Length: 400 pages
Format: ARC (won in a giveaway!)
Publication Date: November 22, 2016
Publisher: Balzer + Bray

I'd like to thank Audrey Coulthurst for hosting the giveaway. Although she provided me with a copy of her book, it in no way whatsoever affected my thoughts/opinions about this book. These opinions are completely my own.

About Of Fire and Stars (via Goodreads):

Betrothed since childhood to the prince of Mynaria, Princess Dennaleia has always known what her future holds. Her marriage will seal the alliance between Mynaria and her homeland, protecting her people from other hostile lands. But Denna has a secret. She possesses an Affinity for fire—a dangerous gift for the future queen of a kingdom where magic is forbidden.

Now, Denna must learn the ways of her new home while trying to hide her growing magic. To make matters worse, she must learn to ride Mynaria’s formidable warhorses before her coronation—and her teacher is the person who intimidates her most, the prickly and unconventional Princess Amaranthine (called Mare), sister of her betrothed.

When a shocking assassination leaves the kingdom reeling, Mare and Denna reluctantly join forces to search for the culprit. As the two work together, each discovers there’s more to the other than she thought. Mare is surprised by Denna’s intelligence and bravery, while Denna is drawn to Mare’s independent streak. Soon their friendship is threatening to blossom into something more.

But with dangerous conflict brewing that makes the alliance more important than ever, acting on their feelings could be deadly. Forced to choose between their duty and their hearts, Mare and Denna must find a way to save their kingdoms—and each other.

Of Fire and Stars was an enchanting read. It took me a few chapters to get into the book, but Coulthurst's beautiful writing thereafter quickly had me hooked.

While the story was not the most unique, I still greatly enjoyed Coulthurst's debut. Certain plot devices were a bit stale, such as killing off characters (in my opinion unnecessarily) to heighten the tension, but there was almost always something going on and I was never bored by the story.

I thought the protagonists, Dennaleia and Mare, were written extremely well. They both had their own unique personalities and I think their character arcs matched their upbringing and overall character really well. However, secondary characters are also important to a story, and I thought they were mediocre in Of Fire and Stars. They just weren't all that special. A few of them were distinct, but I thought that a lot of them could have been interchangeable with a secondary/minor character from another YA fantasy and I wouldn't have known the difference.

Denna and Mare's romance started off kind of as a mutual hatred toward each other, which slowly developed into friendship, and eventually blossomed into something more. Across any romance, I love a good slow burn. It takes time to develop relationships with people in real life, and books need to reflect that. The only thing that bothered me about Denna and Mare's relationship (which might actually be a big deal) was how quickly they got physical after confessing their love to each other. Like I know they were excited/exhilarated/whatever, but it just seemed like they moved too fast into the intimate stuff. So while I appreciated that it wasn't instalove, the minute they realized they were in love (and their love was reciprocated), their hands were all over each other. So in a way they still moved way too fast for my comfort while also going slow (if that even makes any sense at all). Also, I know that it was a forbidden romance, but it seemed too easy for them to overcome the obstacles that separated them from each other. Like, I'm pretty sure guards would notice if a figure was climbing up a rope into the princess's rooms at night. Just saying. But enough about the romance. Let's talk about something else now.

I really enjoyed the concept of the world and magic, but I really would have liked to know more, especially in regard to the religious aspect. I still have so many questions. Why do some believe that the magic is a gift from the gods, while others shun it? Like honestly, what made Mynaria so opposed to magic? Why do/did only some kingdoms have magic surging through its people's veins and others don't? How does the bloodline for magic work?

Despite all my complaining, I did like this book immensely. It tells a wonderful story about overcoming obstacles and finding yourself, and although I did voice some complaints, it was a story that left me captivated from start to finish.

My rating: 3.25 stars

October SST: Interview with Bound by Blood and Sand Author Becky Allen (+ Giveaway!)

Bound by Blood and Sand by Becky Allen
Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy
Release Date: October 11, 2016

About Bound by Blood and Sand (via Goodreads):

Jae is a slave in a dying desert world.

Once verdant with water from a magical Well, the land is drying up, and no one remembers the magic needed to keep the water flowing. If a new source isn’t found soon, the people will perish. Jae doesn’t mind, in a way. By law, she is bound by a curse to obey every order given her, no matter how vile. At least in death, she’ll be free.

Lord Elan’s family rules the fading realm. He comes to the estate where Jae works, searching for the hidden magic needed to replenish the Well, but it’s Jae who finds it, and she who must wield it. Desperate to save his realm, Elan begs her to use it to locate the Well.

But why would a slave—abused, beaten, and treated as less than human—want to save the system that shackles her? Jae would rather see the world burn.

Though revenge clouds her vision, she agrees to help if the kingdom’s slaves are freed. Then Elan’s father arrives. The ruler’s cruelty knows no limits. He is determined that the class system will not change—and that Jae will remain a slave forever.

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INTERVIEW

When did you realize you wanted to be an author?

I don't remember exactly, but it must have been somewhere around fifth grade. I was a voracious reader as a kid, and that's when I can first remember writing stories for class - my creative short story was at least three times as long as everyone else's. (Also, it was fantasy, as I recall, something about a girl who turned into a phoenix.) Over the next couple of years I wrote more and more, with stories getting longer and longer all throughout middle and high school - I wrote my first (not very good) real novel in college. (It is never going to see the light of day.)

Have you ever/do you ever plan to write novels outside of the genre of Bound by Blood and Sand (if so, what genre)?

I definitely want to write some science fiction, too - I love scifi and fantasy both.

What's your favorite thing about being a writer?

Ooooh. That's tricky - there are pieces in all parts of the process that I love, and pieces that are pretty awful. But I think there's something magical about the time an idea is just starting to take shape, when you can play with it and brainstorm and worldbuild. In that stage, the idea feels shiny and perfect, without any actual words messing things up yet.

What is your writing process like?

I usually set aside time to do three to four  writing sessions a week: at least one evening after work (I have a full time job), plus both Saturday and Sunday. On those days, I take my laptop to a cafe and work for at least an hour. Usually I start by pre-writing for about 10 minutes to figure out how the scene is going to play out, and then I write in 30 minute chunks.

How long does it typically take you to complete a draft?

Usually three to four months, working three to four days a week. By the time I hit that last month I am always so impatient to be done already!

What is the most important lesson you've learned throughout your journey to become published?

When it comes to revising, don't ever dismiss an idea for being too hard or because you know pursuing it would take too long. Often, it's those time consuming, massive plot overhauls/rewrites/etc that will make your book the strongest it can be - and at the end of the day, that's the most important thing.

Do you have any advice to young writers who want to be published one day?

Yes! There are a lot of things I could say, but to focus on one: write for fun for yourself before you worry about getting published. For one thing, because if you don't find writing in and of itself to be fun, trust me, you're not going to find writing for publication fun either (because it's more of the same, but with WAY more stress).

But more than anything else, writing just for fun takes off so much pressure. Give yourself the freedom to write without caring if it's any good, if it makes any sense, if anyone else would ever want to read it. Tell yourself stories you love. Experiment with writing anything that interests you - whether that's fantasy or romance or essays or poems. Anything! The more you write, the more you'll figure out what it is you love to write, and the more you'll find your own voice. Publication can come eventually (sooner for some of you - a bit later for me!) but giving yourself the freedom to experiment and learn in an environment that's just fun is vital.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Becky Allen grew up in a tiny town outside Ithaca, New York, and graduated from Brandeis University with a major in American studies and a minor in journalism. She is the website director of TheBody.com, an online HIV resource, and loves New York, brunch, and feminism. Becky lives in New York City.

GIVEAWAY:

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Waiting on Wednesday (62)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that you are eagerly anticipating.

Girls in the Moon by Janet McNally
Genre: Young Adult/Contemporary
Page Length: 352 pages
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: November 29, 2016

About Girls in the Moon (via Goodreads):

Everyone in Phoebe Ferris’s life tells a different version of the truth. Her mother, Meg, ex–rock star and professional question evader, shares only the end of the story—the post-fame calm that Phoebe’s always known. Her sister, Luna, indie-rock darling of Brooklyn, preaches a stormy truth of her own making, selectively ignoring the facts she doesn’t like. And her father, Kieran, the cofounder of Meg’s beloved band, hasn’t said anything at all since he stopped calling three years ago.

But Phoebe, a budding poet in search of an identity to call her own, is tired of half-truths and vague explanations. When she visits Luna in New York, she’s determined to find out how she fits in to this family of storytellers, and to maybe even continue her own tale—the one with the musician boy she’s been secretly writing for months. Told in alternating chapters, Phoebe’s first adventure flows as the story of Meg and Kieran’s romance ebbs, leaving behind only a time-worn, precious pearl of truth about her family’s past—and leaving Phoebe to take a leap into her own unknown future.

October SST: Excerpt from Glitter by Aprilynne Pike (+ Giveaway!)

Glitter by Aprilynne Pike
Genre: Young Adult/Fantasy/Historical Fiction
Release Date: October 25, 2016

About Glitter (via Goodreads):

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Aprilynne Pike comes a truly original new novel—Breaking Bad meets Marie Antoinette in a near-future world where the residents of Versailles live like it’s the eighteenth century and an almost-queen turns to drug dealing to save her own life.

Outside the palace of Versailles, it’s modern day. Inside, the people dress, eat, and act like it’s the eighteenth century—with the added bonus of technology to make court life lavish, privileged, and frivolous. The palace has every indulgence, but for one pretty young thing, it’s about to become a very beautiful prison.

When Danica witnesses an act of murder by the young king, her mother makes a cruel power play . . . blackmailing the king into making Dani his queen. When she turns eighteen, Dani will marry the most ruthless and dangerous man of the court. She has six months to escape her terrifying destiny. Six months to raise enough money to disappear into the real world beyond the palace gates.

Her ticket out? Glitter. A drug so powerful that a tiny pinch mixed into a pot of rouge or lip gloss can make the wearer hopelessly addicted. Addicted to a drug Dani can sell for more money than she ever dreamed.
But in Versailles, secrets are impossible to keep. And the most dangerous secret—falling for a drug dealer outside the palace walls—is one risk she has to take.

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EXCERPT

“You’re punctual, that’s appreciated,” I say in French. The words come out barely above a whisper. My heart is racing in my chest and I’m complimenting his punctuality?

He says nothing.

“I meant what I wrote in my note. I’m prepared to discuss an opportunity that I think will be immeasurably profitable for the both of us.”

He steeples his fingers and leans forward as though listening intently. A move calculated, I’m certain, to make me feel at ease. But it appears forced and instinct raises the hairs on the back of my neck.

I fight the urge to lean forward myself—to close the distance between us. To feel his breath on my face and—what is it that draws me to this … criminal? For of course that’s what he is—a dangerous criminal. I pause at that thought. Is it the danger? That sort of foolishness certainly occurs often enough in the romantic novels I’ve read. Is that what’s happening here? But no. If I were attracted to dangerous fellows I’d be throwing myself at the feet of the King. Is it because I have, on some level, considered becoming a criminal myself?

I study him closely and a prickling sense of wrongness wriggles through the haze of attraction. He’s young, yes, but I’m hardly one to question youth. His dress is a touch sloppy—or at the very least not personally tailored—but what I’ve seen of Paris has suggested to me that this is the norm rather than the exception. Still, there’s something …

“You’re not who I asked to see,” I say, forcing my voice to flow out utterly calm; a sea of glass.

A slight widening of the eyes is his only response.

“I must speak with the person in charge of this operation. That’s clearly not you.” I give a graceful gesture at his person with a swirl of my wrist that takes some of the sting of the insult away. I hope. Though a large part of me is simply glad he’s not who he was pretending to be: A drug lord.

“Did you expect a court dandy in fancy clothes, then?” he says. In French for certain—but not with a native accent.

I take a moment to inhale his voice, which is deeper than I’d anticipated, and with a hint of gravel. “Your clothes tell me nothing, sir; it’s in your eyes.”

That makes him angry. But it’s true. His eyes are fire and rebellion and the head of this sort of operation would have need of neither. Running a successful business, even an illicit one, fills men’s eyes with confidence, satisfaction. This person in front of me longs for more in life.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Critically acclaimed, #1 New York Times best-selling author Aprilynne Pike has been spinning tales since she was a child with a hyper-active imagination. At the age of twenty she received her BA in Creative Writing from Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston, Idaho. When not writing, Aprilynne can usually be found out running; she also enjoys singing, acting, reading, and working with pregnant moms as a childbirth educator and doula. Aprilynne lives in Arizona with her husband and four kids; she is enjoying the sunshine.

GIVEAWAY

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Waiting on Wednesday (61)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that you are eagerly anticipating.

Glitter by Aprilynne Pike
Genre: Young Adult/Historical Fiction/Fantasy
Page Length: 384 pages
Publisher: Random House Books for Young Readers
Publication Date: October 25, 2016

About Glitter (via Goodreads):

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Aprilynne Pike comes a truly original new novel—Breaking Bad meets Marie Antoinette in a near-future world where the residents of Versailles live like it’s the eighteenth century and an almost-queen turns to drug dealing to save her own life.

Outside the palace of Versailles, it’s modern day. Inside, the people dress, eat, and act like it’s the eighteenth century—with the added bonus of technology to make court life lavish, privileged, and frivolous. The palace has every indulgence, but for one pretty young thing, it’s about to become a very beautiful prison.

When Danica witnesses an act of murder by the young king, her mother makes a cruel power play . . . blackmailing the king into making Dani his queen. When she turns eighteen, Dani will marry the most ruthless and dangerous man of the court. She has six months to escape her terrifying destiny. Six months to raise enough money to disappear into the real world beyond the palace gates.

Her ticket out? Glitter. A drug so powerful that a tiny pinch mixed into a pot of rouge or lip gloss can make the wearer hopelessly addicted. Addicted to a drug Dani can sell for more money than she ever dreamed.

But in Versailles, secrets are impossible to keep. And the most dangerous secret—falling for a drug dealer outside the palace walls—is one risk she has to take.