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March 2014: Review Recap!

Review Recap

So, evidently I’ve fallen a little more behind on book reviews than I thought I had. Normally, I average about seven book reviews per month and this month have barely gone over half that. I have excuses, of course. Most of which involve me having a lot more fun than normal. :-)

In any case, here’s a look at the books that were reviewed this month:

The Lascar’s Dagger by Glenda Larke – 5/5 stars!

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas – 4/5 stars

Selvage by Alexandra Duncan – 4/5 stars

and my favorite:

Dragon Haven

Dragon Haven by Robin Hobb – 5/5 stars!

It was, all things considered, a killer month in reading… Possibly my highest review average ever. Although, when you take into account that there’s only four of them, that’s not really an impressive sample size.

Waiting on Wednesday Features:

 Even though I am dying to read Invaded, I am most excited for the new Robin Hobb book!

A Q&A with Dan Wells:

dan-wells-01

That pretty much sums up my month of posting… I’m earnestly hoping for something a little more robust for next month, but will see what happens. Although, the Dan Wells interview was probably the coolest thing I’ve ever featured on my blog… So there’s that. :-)

by Niki Hawkes

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Coming Soon: Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo

Title: Ruin and RisingRuin and rising

Author: Leigh Bardugo

Series: The Grisha #3

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Release Date: June 17, 2014

The Overview: The capital has fallen. The Darkling rules Ravka from his shadow throne. Now the nation’s fate rests with a broken Sun Summoner, a disgraced tracker, and the shattered remnants of a once-great magical army. Deep in an ancient network of tunnels and caverns, a weakened Alina must submit to the dubious protection of the Apparat and the zealots who worship her as a Saint. Yet her plans lie elsewhere, with the hunt for the elusive firebird and the hope that an outlaw prince still survives. Alina will have to forge new alliances and put aside old rivalries as she and Mal race to find the last of Morozova’s amplifiers. But as she begins to unravel the Darkling’s secrets, she reveals a past that will forever alter her understanding of the bond they share and the power she wields. The firebird is the one thing that stands between Ravka and destruction—and claiming it could cost Alina the very future she’s fighting for.

Ruin and rising

Hosted by Breaking the Spine

  Because I’ve posted WOWs for all of the books I am dying to read within the next several months (at least, for the ones that have solid release dates and cover art), I decided to focus this week on a release I would definitely be excited for if I were current in the series. I’ve been told by countless people how awesome these books are and frankly don’t know why I haven’t picked them up before now. Supposedly, they have a lot of high-fantasy elements and some great characters… What’s not to love?

What book are you waiting on?

by Niki Hawkes

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Coming Soon: Fool’s Assassin by Robin Hobb

fools assassinTitle: Fool’s Assassin

Author: Robin Hobb

Series: The Fitz and The Fool #1

Genre: Fantasy

Release Date: August 12, 2014

The Overview: FitzChivalry—royal bastard and former king’s assassin—has left his life of intrigue behind. As far as the rest of the world knows, FitzChivalry Farseer is dead and buried. Masquerading as Tom Badgerlock, Fitz is now married to his childhood sweetheart, Molly, and leading the quiet life of a country squire. Though Fitz is haunted by the disappearance of the Fool, who did so much to shape Fitz into the man he has become, such private hurts are put aside in the business of daily life, at least until the appearance of menacing, pale-skinned strangers casts a sinister shadow over Fitz’s past . . . and his future. Now, to protect his new life, the former assassin must once again take up his old one. . . .

fools assassin

Hosted by Breaking the Spine

 As excited as I am for all the new amazing books coming out within the next year, the release of Robin Hobb’s new book The Fool’s Assassin is by far the one I am most looking forward to! Her body of work contains some of the most profound and memorable moments in my reading history and was partially responsible for giving me the kickstart I needed to start this book blog. I can’t wait to see where Hobb takes these characters next!

 If you have not yet read this author, I would recommend starting with the Assassin’s Apprentice. :-)

What book are you waiting on?

By Niki Hawkes

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Coming Soon: Invaded by Melissa Landers

InvadedTitle: Invaded

Author: Melissa Landers

Series: Alienated #2

Genre: Teen Science Fiction

Release Date: February 3, 2015 (a.k.a. way too far away)

The Overview: The romantic sequel to Alienated takes long-distance relationships to a new level as Cara and Aelyx long for each other from opposite ends of the universe…until a threat to both their worlds reunites them. Cara always knew life on planet L’eihr would be an adjustment. With Aelyx, her L’eihr boyfriend, back on Earth, working to mend the broken alliance between their two planets, Cara is left to fend for herself at a new school, surrounded by hostile alien clones. Even the weird dorm pet hates her. Things look up when Cara is appointed as human representative to a panel preparing for a human colony on L’eihr. A society melding their two cultures is a place where Cara and Aelyx could one day make a life together. But with L’eihr leaders balking at granting even the most basic freedoms, Cara begins to wonder if she could ever be happy on this planet, even with Aelyx by her side.

Meanwhile, on Earth, Aelyx, finds himself thrown into a full-scale PR campaign to improve human-L’eihr relations. Humans don’t know that their very survival depends on this alliance: only Aelyx’s people have the technology to fix the deadly contamination in the global water supply that human governments are hiding. Yet despite their upper hand, the leaders of his world suddenly seem desperate to get humans on their side, and hardly bat an eye at extremists’ multiple attempts on Aelyx’s life. The Way clearly needs humans’ help . . . but with what? And what will they ask for in return?

Invaded 2

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I am so eager to pick up this second book, I can hardly stand it. Alienated was easily one of my best reads of 2013 and just might be among my all-time favorites. I loved the concept, the characters, the writing, the story, the everything! Just imagine if Rory Gilmore (I am a huge Gilmore Girls fan) was selected to host an alien exchange student… What’s not to love about that? Anyway, I think I’m most excited because I love where the story is headed and am eager to learn more about Aelyx’s people. If you haven’t read Alienated yet, you are missing out!

What book are you waiting on?

by Niki Hawkes

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Coming Soon: Havoc by Ann Aguirre

havocTitle: Havoc

Author: Ann Aguirre

Series: Dred Chronicles #2

Genre: Science Fiction

Release Date: August 26, 2014

The Overview: Second in a new trilogy set in the Jax universe, pitched as Prison Break in space — on a prison ship filled with warring factions, hostile territories and savage retribution, only the strong survive.

[kind of a sad overview, isn’t it? It describes it in a nutshell, but I’ll definitely be updating it when there’s more information]

havoc 2

Hosted by Breaking the Spine

 I know, I know – you all are sick of hearing how much I like this author. Well too bad – She’s got a new Dred book on the way and I am beyond excited! It’s the second book in a spinoff series that is shaping up nicely – I loved the concept, the characters, and the action in the first book and I’d be willing to bet it’s going to be even more exciting in the second! If you haven’t read this author, I strongly recommend reading Grimspace – the book that started it all.

What book are you waiting on?

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Coming Soon: Killer Instinct by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Killer instinctTitle: Killer Instinct

Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Series: The Naturals #2

Genre: Teen Fiction

Release Date: November 4, 2014

The OverviewSeventeen-year-old Cassie Hobbes has a gift for profiling people. Her talent has landed her a spot in an elite FBI program for teens with innate crime-solving abilities, and into some harrowing situations. After barely escaping a confrontation with an unbalanced killer obsessed with her mother’s murder, Cassie hopes she and the rest of the team can stick to solving cold cases from a distance. But when victims of a brutal new serial killer start turning up, the Naturals are pulled into an active case that strikes too close to home: the killer is a perfect copycat of Dean’s incarcerated father—a man he’d do anything to forget. Forced deeper into a murderer’s psyche than ever before, will the Naturals be able to outsmart the enigmatic killer’s brutal mind games before this copycat twists them into his web for good?

Killer instinct 2

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The Naturals landed the number one spot in my Top YA books of 2013 and I am positively thrilled that the series will continue this November! It was such a smart read – involving teenagers naturally gifted with different skills that make them ideal candidates for solving crime. Cassie, the main character, can accurately predict things about people just by analyzing their appearance and mannerisms. It was absorbing, intense, and entirely fascinating, and I imagine the second book will be just as amazing. You’d better believe I’m dropping everything to read Killer Instinct the day it comes out!

What book are you waiting on?

by Niki Hawkes