Grabby Hands : January releases

Hi guys!

I'm starting a new feature on the blog, because it's the New Year so it'll be the perfect time for it! I'll be doing monthly posts featuring all the books I'm excited for in the upcoming month. Obviously, this is the first edition of this feature, Grabby Hands, it will be dedicated to January releases! I know I'm a little late for January, but better now than never, right?

                                                                         Published January 5th                                                       

Passenger by Alexandra Bracken : A time traveling adventure, of course I want it! Apparently there is a slow-burn romance and I really enjoy that. Alexandra Bracken is one of my favourite authors anyway :)

The Impostor Queen by Sarah Fine : Early reviews praised this book. It's an high fantasy with a main character who was supposed to be queen... But when the magic has to enter her, it doesn't... So she has to flee... It sounds amazing!

Thief of Lies by Brenda Drake : Well, I just need to know it involves libraries and I'm sold.

 

Worlds of Ink and Shadow by Lena Coakley : The main characters are the Brontë siblings, how cool is that? I can't wait to read about them because I love them so, so, so much.

Truthwitch by Susan Dennard : Something Strange and Deadly came as a huge surprise last year, I marathoned the trilogy in five days while I had classes. It's a high fantasy involving witches! It's super hyped up, which is great, but it makes me feel like I should wait a little before reading it, even if I'll love it.

Curio by Evangeline Denmark : It's fantasy and steampunk, wow I want! And it involves Chemists, it should be really cool!

Firsts by Laurie Elizabeth Flynn : It's a contemporary and I'm not the biggest fan of those, as you may now, but I'm excited for this one because the premise sounds so interesting! I wanna read about those moral issues.

                                                        Published January 19th                                                         

Sword and Verse by Kathy MacMillan : It's an high fantasy and the premise reminded me a lot of An Ember in the Ashes, so I'm excited, but I heard it had instalove, ugh. The main character's name is Raisa, like in the Seven Realms so she can't do wrong, can she?

                                                       Published January 26th                                                          

The Dark Days Club by Alison Goodman : This is one of my most anticipated reads of the year. It is set during the Regency and involves demons that want to take over society. It has such a similar vibe to The Infernal Devices that I can't help but want it!

The Love That Split the World by Emily Henry : First, the cover is gorgeous and it should be enough to want the book. It involves time traveling I think but the synopsis is pretty vague...

The Prophecy of Shadows by Michelle Madow : It is a typical paranormal romance with witches, those we used to read so many years ago but... I still hope it could be good? I like the cover, we'll see how it is but it could be great?

Which book(s) are you excited for in January?

The Impostor Queen | Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine where we discuss the upcoming releases that we are most excited for.

Title: The Impostor Queen (Untitled #1)

Autor: Sarah Fine

Published: January 5th 2016 by Margaret K. McElderry Books

Goodreads summary: Sixteen-year-old Elli was a small child when the Elders of Kupari chose her to succeed the Valtia, the queen who wields infinitely powerful ice and fire magic. Since then, Elli has lived in the temple, surrounded by luxury and tutored by magical priests, as she prepares for the day when the Valtia perishes and the magic finds a new home in her. Elli is destined to be the most powerful Valtia to ever rule.

But when the queen dies defending the kingdom from invading warriors, the magic doesn’t enter Elli. It’s nowhere to be found.

Disgraced, Elli flees to the outlands, the home of banished criminals—some who would love to see the temple burn with all its priests inside. As she finds her footing in this new world, Elli uncovers devastating new information about the Kupari magic, those who wield it, and the prophecy that foretold her destiny. Torn between the love she has for her people and her growing loyalty to the banished, Elli struggles to understand the true role she was meant to play. But as war looms, she must align with the right side—before the kingdom and its magic are completely destroyed.

MY THOUGHTS

I haven't read Sarah's other books yet but this one seems like a great place to start. It's a high fantasy so basically I have to read it. It sounds really interesting, because it deals with a temple and prophecy and magic. And the main character was supposed to be queen but won't be. I read some great reviews on this one (but not enough, sadly), and I think there one character is homosexual or bisexual (I'm sorry I can't remember), it's great we're getting more diversity in that genre!

Are you excited about this book? Which books are you waiting for this Wednesday?

Sword and Verse | Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine where we discuss the upcoming releases that we are most excited for.

Title: Sword and Verse
Author: Kathy MacMillan
Published: January 19th 2016

Goodreads summary: Raisa was just a child when she was sold to work as a slave in the kingdom of Qilara. Despite her young age, her father was teaching her to read and write, grooming her to take his place as a Learned One. In Qilara, the Arnathim, like Raisa, are the lowest class, and literacy is a capital offense. What’s more, only the king, prince, tutor, and tutor-in-training are allowed to learn the very highest order language, the language of the gods. So when the tutor-in-training is executed for teaching slaves this sacred language, and Raisa is selected to replace her, Raisa knows any slipup on her part could mean death.

Keeping her secret is hard enough, but the romance that’s been growing between her and Prince Mati isn’t helping matters. Then Raisa is approached by the Resistance—an underground army of slave rebels—to help liberate Arnath slaves. She wants to free her people, but that would mean aiding a war against Mati. As Raisa struggles with what to do, she discovers a secret that the Qilarites have been hiding for centuries—one that, if uncovered, could bring the kingdom to its knees.

MY THOUGHTS

Okay, this totally reminds me of An Ember in the Ashes!!!! I'm pretty sure it's just the synopsis and it will be totally different, but seriously! Slave... Language of the gods... Forbidden romance with a prince... Approached by the Resistance... A secret hiding for centuries... The summary sold the book to me, basically! The main character has the same name than Raisa from Seven Kingdoms, so it means it will be a great book, right? I'm totally incoherent right now, but I'm so excited because it sounds like an amazing YA high fantasy, and it's a debut author!

Have you heard about this book? What do you think about it?

The Dark Days Club | Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine where we discuss the upcoming releases that we are most excited for. 

Title: The Dark Days Club (Lady Helen #1)
Author: Alison Goodman
Published: January 26th 2016 by Viking Books for Young Readers

Goodreads summary: New York Times bestseller Alison Goodman's eagerly awaited new project: a Regency adventure starring a stylish and intrepid demon-hunter!

London, April 1812. On the eve of eighteen-year-old Lady Helen Wrexhall's presentation to the queen, one of her family's housemaids disappears - and Helen is drawn into the shadows of Regency London. There, she meets Lord Carlston, one of the few who can stop the perpetrators: a cabal of demons infiltrating every level of society. Dare she ask for his help, when his reputation is almost as black as his lingering eyes? And will her intelligence and headstrong curiosity wind up leading them into a death trap?

MY THOUGHTS

I heard about this book at the beginning of this year and I got excited right away. I'm so eager to know more about the Regency - because I'm French, so I only know our side of history. 19th century is a time period I love, so I'm really excited. Moreover, it is about hunting demons, which I also love. I know it won't be the same (and I don't want that) but I totally have an Infernal Devices vibe from this book, even if it's not the same period exactly. Because of that, I sure want to read this book!

What do you think of this book? Which book are you excited for this Wednesday?

Truthwitch | Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine where I discuss the upcoming releases that I'm most excited for. 

Title: Trutwitch (The Witchlanders #1)

Author: Susan Dennard

Published: January 5th 2016 by Tor Teen

Goodreads summary: On a continent ruled by three empires, some are born with a “witchery”, a magical skill that sets them apart from others.

In the Witchlands, there are almost as many types of magic as there are ways to get in trouble—as two desperate young women know all too well.

Safiya is a Truthwitch, able to discern truth from lie. It’s a powerful magic that many would kill to have on their side, especially amongst the nobility to which Safi was born. So Safi must keep her gift hidden, lest she be used as a pawn in the struggle between empires.

Iseult, a Threadwitch, can see the invisible ties that bind and entangle the lives around her—but she cannot see the bonds that touch her own heart. Her unlikely friendship with Safi has taken her from life as an outcast into one of reckless adventure, where she is a cool, wary balance to Safi’s hotheaded impulsiveness.

Safi and Iseult just want to be free to live their own lives, but war is coming to the Witchlands. With the help of the cunning Prince Merik (a Windwitch and ship’s captain) and the hindrance of a Bloodwitch bent on revenge, the friends must fight emperors, princes, and mercenaries alike, who will stop at nothing to get their hands on a Truthwitch.

MY THOUGHTS

I read Dennard's Something Strange and Deadly trilogy last month and I loved every single part of it. I laughed. I cried. I was scared. This trilogy made me feel everything and I was so sad it was over (I read the three books in five days during school time). But, well, there is Truthwitch. I have high hopes, because Susan Dennard is an amazing writer. From the #ClanChat, we saw that her world was really complex and seemed amazing. I read the first chapter online and it will be quite a ride! It seemed full of adventures, friendships, and kick-ass female characters! Also, the Bloodwitch was quite scary...

Are you excited about this book? Don't lie because who wouldn't?

Passenger | Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly feature hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine where I discuss the upcoming releases that I'm most excited for. 

Title: Passenger (Passenger #1)

Author: Alexandra Bracken

Published: January 5th 2016 by Disney-Hyperion

Goodreads summary: passage, n.

i. A brief section of music composed of a series of notes and flourishes.

ii. A journey by water; a voyage.

iii. The transition from one place to another, across space and time.

In one devastating night, violin prodigy Etta Spencer loses everything she knows and loves. Thrust into an unfamiliar world by a stranger with a dangerous agenda, Etta is certain of only one thing: she has traveled not just miles but years from home. And she’s inherited a legacy she knows nothing about from a family whose existence she’s never heard of. Until now.

Nicholas Carter is content with his life at sea, free from the Ironwoods—a powerful family in the colonies—and the servitude he’s known at their hands. But with the arrival of an unusual passenger on his ship comes the insistent pull of the past that he can’t escape and the family that won’t let him go so easily. Now the Ironwoods are searching for a stolen object of untold value, one they believe only Etta, Nicholas’ passenger, can find. In order to protect her, he must ensure she brings it back to them— whether she wants to or not.

Together, Etta and Nicholas embark on a perilous journey across centuries and continents, piecing together clues left behind by the traveler who will do anything to keep the object out of the Ironwoods’ grasp. But as they get closer to the truth of their search, and the deadly game the Ironwoods are play­ing, treacherous forces threaten to sep­arate Etta not only from Nicholas but from her path home . . . forever

MY THOUGHTS

This book involves ships, that's the only thing I needed to be sold, tbh. I loved Bracken's The Darkest Minds, so of course I'm jumping on this ship I'm so funny. This book involved a violonist, that's so cool, and it has to deal with time travel? What else do you need? I just want to be in January already...

Are you excited about this book?