ARC Review: FOR THE WOLF (Wilderwood #1) by Hannah Whitten

FOR THE WOLF (Wilderwood #1)

by Hannah Whitten

Release Date: June 1, 2021; Orbit

From Goodreads:

The first daughter is for the Throne.

The second daughter is for the Wolf. 

For fans of Uprooted and The Bear and the Nightingale comes a dark fantasy novel about a young woman who must be sacrificed to the legendary Wolf of the Wood to save her kingdom. But not all legends are true, and the Wolf isn't the only danger lurking in the Wilderwood. 

As the only Second Daughter born in centuries, Red has one purpose-to be sacrificed to the Wolf in the Wood in the hope he'll return the world's captured gods. 

Red is almost relieved to go. Plagued by a dangerous power she can't control, at least she knows that in the Wilderwood, she can't hurt those she loves. Again. 

ARC Review: A WAR OF SWALLOWED STARS (The Celestial Trilogy #3) by Sangu Mandanna

A WAR OF SWALLOWED STARS (The Celestial Trilogy #3)

by Sangu Mandanna

Release Date: June 29, 2021; Sky Pony

From Goodreads:

A prince without his kingdom. 

A kingdom without its princess. 

The destruction of the stars themselves. 

War is destroying the galaxy. Esmae has vanished without a trace. A terrifying, ravenous beast is devouring the stars one by one. Titania is offered a gift that may well be a curse. Alexi, the exiled prince, is asked to pay a heavy price for his mistakes. And far, far away, on a dark, mysterious planet, a sleeping god stirs awake. 

War or family. 

Pride or peace. 

ARC Review: AGAINST DARK TIDES (Beneath Black Sails #2) by Clare Sager

AGAINST DARK TIDES (Beneath Black Sails #2)

by Clare Sager

Date Published: September 23, 2020

From Goodreads:

Enemies. Lovers. Enemies once more. Now they must work together to survive.

Notorious pirate Lady Vice has lost everything: ship, crew, and friends. Even her body has betrayed her, leaving her magic weak. To make matters worse, she’s stuck at sea with the man who stabbed her in the back. 

Knigh Blackwood is no longer a captain, no longer a pirate-hunter, no longer … anything. All he has left is the woman he betrayed, and she’d rather cut out his tongue with his own dagger than forgive him. 

There’s just one thing that might make up for what they’ve lost: Drake’s treasure. But they’re not the only ones searching for clues and the elusive X that marks the spot. Between them and the treasure stand a scheming duke, a former lover, and a sea monster thought the stuff of legends – not to mention Vice and Knigh’s complicated feelings for each other. 

ARC Review: PRIDE AND PREMEDITATION (Jane Austen Murder Mystery #1) by Tirzah Price

PRIDE AND PREMEDITATION (Jane Austen Murder Mystery #1)

by Tirzah Price

Release Date: April 6, 2021; Harper Teen

From Goodreads:

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a young woman who desires a law career must be in want of a case. So when seventeen-year-old Lizzie Bennet hears about a scandalous society murder, she sees an opportunity to prove herself as a solicitor by solving the case and ensuring justice is served.

Except the man accused of the crime already has a lawyer on his side: Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy, the stern young heir to the prestigious Pemberley Associates law firm. Lizzie is determined to solve the murder before Darcy can so that she can show the world that a woman can be just as good as a man. (The fact that Darcy is an infuriating snob doesn’t help.) But there’s still a killer on the loose, and as the case gets more complicated, Lizzie and Darcy may have to start working together to avoid becoming the next victims themselves.

ARC Review: WHAT'S NOT TO LOVE by Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka

WHAT'S NOT TO LOVE

by Emily Wibberley & Austin Siegemund-Broka
Release Date: April 20, 2021; Viking Books for Young Readers

From Goodreads:

An academic enemies-to-lovers YA with all the nerdy drama, high school antics, and heartpounding romance of the Netflix original series Never Have I Ever 

Since high school began, Alison Sanger and Ethan Molloy have competed on almost everything. AP classes, the school paper, community service, it never ends. If Alison could avoid Ethan until graduation, she would. Except, naturally, for two over-achieving seniors with their sights on valedictorian and Harvard, they share all the same classes and extracurriculars. So when their school’s principal assigns them the task of co-planning a previous class’s ten-year reunion, with the promise of a recommendation for Harvard if they do, Ethan and Alison are willing to endure one more activity together if it means beating the other out of the lead. 

Blog Tour & ARC Review: THE BLOOD WITCH (The Osseous Chronicles #2) by Ivy Asher

THE BLOOD WITCH (The Osseous Chronicles #2)

by Ivy Asher

Release Date: March 27, 2021

About the book:

I never saw it coming...the bones...the magic...the betrayal. 

It’s no longer a question of who I can trust—the answer is no one. Now, it’s about survival. 

I’m in the heart of the Order, trying to solve a series of mysterious disappearances, while doing everything that I can not to become bait. 

Enemies are circling, and they can’t seem to decide if they see me as a pawn or as a threat. Oh, and there’s that little issue of being tethered to Rogan, who I now want to kill. 

It’s time to figure out just what I’m capable of though. Because fool me once...shame on you. But fool me twice...and I will crush your bones to dust.

Review: THE MASK FALLING (The Bone Season #4) by Samantha Shannon

THE MASK FALLING (The Bone Season #4)

by Samantha Shannon

Date Published: January 26, 2021; Bloomsbury Publishing

From Goodreads:

Dreamwalker Paige Mahoney has eluded death again. Snatched from the jaws of captivity and consigned to a safe house in the Scion Citadel of Paris, she finds herself caught between those factions that seek Scion's downfall and those who would kill to protect the Rephaim's puppet empire. 

The mysterious Domino Program has plans for Paige, but she has ambitions of her own in this new citadel. With Arcturus Mesarthim-her former enemy-at her side, she embarks on an adventure that will lead her from the catacombs of Paris to the glittering hallways of Versailles. Her risks promise high reward: the Parisian underworld could yield the means to escalate her rebellion to outright war. 

As Scion widens its bounds and the free world trembles in its shadow, Paige must fight her own memories after her ordeal at the hands of Scion. Meanwhile, she strives to understand her bond with Arcturus, which grows stronger by the day. But there are those who know the revolution began with them-and could end with them...

ARC Review: GILDED SERPENT (Dark Shores #3) by Danielle Jensen

GILDED SERPENT (Dark Shores #3)

by Danielle Jensen
Release Date: April 27, 2021; Tor Teen

From Goodreads:

From bestselling author Danielle L. Jensen comes a thrilling new novel in the Dark Shores world, a series that Sarah J. Maas called "everything I look for in a fantasy novel." 

THEIR BATTLES ENDED IN VICTORY 

Lydia returns to Mudaire to enter training at the healing temple. But instead of fighting to save lives, she’s convinced she is doing more harm than good. She delves into the history of the gods only to discover a truth that will change her life forever. 

His birthright as commander of the Royal Army is finally in his grasp, but Killian feels anything but victorious. Burdened by his past, he embraces the darker side of his mark—and in doing so, risks starting a war. 

BUT THE WAR HAS ONLY JUST BEGUN 

Having defeated the tyrant Urcon, Marcus struggles to form a lasting alliance with the Arinoquians. But he is plagued by the knowledge that there is a traitor among his friends, and it could cost him everything that he’s fought for. 

ARC Review: TARNISHED EMPIRE (Dark Shores #0.5) by Danielle Jensen

TARNISHED EMPIRE (Dark Shores #0.5)

by Danielle Jensen
Release Date: January 26, 2021

From Goodreads:

DEFIANCE IS TREASON. TREASON IS DEATH. 

A siege is laid against the last resistance to the Senate’s rule. As the battle rages, a commander, a soldier, and a rebel will decide how far they are willing to go for victory. 

THE COMMANDER 

Marcus is forced to choose between destroying the rebel forces and liberating his legion. He must face the true cost of being a leader. And an oppressor. 

THE SOLDIER 

Agrippa sets his sights on glory to fill the deepening void within him. He discovers that the price of fame might not just be paid in blood, it might be paid by his heart. 

THE REBEL 

Silvara joins the rebel forces to fight against the legions who would see her family dead. While she dreams of being a warrior, she finds her sharpest weapon is seduction. But to defeat the Empire, she’ll have to betray the young man who now has her heart. 

ARC Review: RUTHLESS GODS (Something Dark and Holy #2) by Emily A. Duncan

 RUTHLESS GODS (Something Dark and Holy #2) 
by Emily A. Duncan
Release Date: April 7, 2020; Macmillan

About the book:

The stunning sequel to instant New York Times bestseller, Wicked Saints 

"Ruthless Gods opens the door to a world of fallen gods and eldritch horrors... Gruesome, grotesque, and so, so glorious." - Erin A. Craig, New York Times bestselling author of House of Salt and Sorrows 

Nadya doesn’t trust her magic anymore. Serefin is fighting off a voice in his head that doesn’t belong to him. Malachiasz is at war with who--and what--he’s become. 

As their group is continually torn apart, the girl, the prince, and the monster find their fates irrevocably intertwined. Their paths are being orchestrated by someone…or something. The voices that Serefin hears in the darkness, the ones that Nadya believes are her gods, the ones that Malachiasz is desperate to meet—those voices want a stake in the world, and they refuse to stay quiet any longer. 

In her dramatic follow-up to Wicked Saints, the first book in her Something Dark and Holy trilogy, Emily A. Duncan paints a Gothic, icy world where shadows whisper, and no one is who they seem, with a shocking ending that will leave you breathless. 

ARC Review: OF WICKED BLOOD (The Quatrefoil Chronicles #1) by Olivia Wildenstein & Katie Hayoz

OF WICKED BLOOD (The Quatrefoil Chronicles #1) 
by Olivia Wildenstein & Katie Hayoz
Release Date: February 2, 2021; Twig Publishing

From Goodreads:

NO REST FOR THE WICKED . . . OR THE CURSED. 

SLATE 

I didn’t mean to steal the Bloodstone from the De Morel’s crypt. 

Scratch that, I did mean to steal it. 

Until I realized it was a curse-magnet that only comes off if I, along with a jolly trio, successfully defeat four curses. 

If any of us fail, I’m dead. 

I’ve never been a glass half-empty sort of person, but my glass looks in dire need of a refill right about now. 

The only highlight of this wicked treasure hunt: feisty, entitled Cadence de Morel. 

CADENCE 

I was raised on tales of magic, in a small town reputed to be the birthplace of French witchcraft. 

Did I believe all the stories I heard? Absolutely not. I mean, if magic existed, Maman wouldn’t have died, and Papa wouldn’t be stuck in a wheelchair, right? 

Wrong. 

The night Slate Ardoin waltzes into my life, wearing a ring he stole from my mother’s grave, I call him a monster. 

But then I meet real ones, and Slate, well . . . he becomes something else to me. 

Something frustrating to live with but impossible to live without. 

Something I will fight for, no matter the cost. 

*Warning: profuse cursing (and not just the magical kind).

ARC Review: SKYHUNTER (Skyhunter #1) by Marie Lu

SKYHUNTER (Skyhunter #1) 

by Marie Lu

Release Date: September 29, 2020; Roaring Brook Press

From Goodreads:

A broken world. 

An overwhelming evil. 

A team of warriors ready to strike back. 

Talin is a Striker, a member of an elite fighting force that stands as the last defense for the only free nation in the world: Mara. 

A refugee, Talin knows firsthand the horrors of the Federation, a world-dominating war machine responsible for destroying nation after nation with its terrifying army of mutant beasts known only as Ghosts. 

But when a mysterious prisoner is brought from the front to Mara's capital, Talin senses there’s more to him than meets the eye. Is he a spy from the Federation? What secrets is he hiding? 

Blog Tour & ARC Review: THE INHERITANCE GAMES (The Inheritance Games #1) by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

THE INHERITANCE GAMES (The Inheritance Games #1) 
by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Release Date: September 29, 2020; Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

From Goodreads:

A Cinderella story with deadly stakes and thrilling twists, perfect for fans of One of Us is Lying and Knives Out.

Avery Grambs has a plan for a better future: survive high school, win a scholarship, and get out. But her fortunes change in an instant when billionaire Tobias Hawthorne dies and leaves Avery virtually his entire fortune. The catch? Avery has no idea why--or even who Tobias Hawthorne is. To receive her inheritance, Avery must move into sprawling, secret passage-filled Hawthorne House, where every room bears the old man's touch--and his love of puzzles, riddles, and codes. 

ARC Review: WHERE DREAMS DESCEND (Kingdom of Cards #1) by Janella Angeles

WHERE DREAMS DESCEND (Kingdom of Cards #1) 
by Janella Angeles
Release Date: August 25, 2020; Wednesday Books

From Goodreads:

In a city covered in ice and ruin, a group of magicians face off in a daring game of magical feats to find the next headliner of the Conquering Circus, only to find themselves under the threat of an unseen danger striking behind the scenes. 

As each act becomes more and more risky and the number of missing magicians piles up, three are forced to reckon with their secrets before the darkness comes for them next. 

The Star: Kallia, a powerful showgirl out to prove she’s the best no matter the cost 

The Master: Jack, the enigmatic keeper of the club, and more than one lie told 

The Magician: Demarco, the brooding judge with a dark past he can no longer hide 

ARC Review: THE SILVERED SERPENTS (The Gilded Wolves #2) by Roshani Chokshi

THE SILVERED SERPENTS (The Gilded Wolves #2) 
by Roshani Chokshi
Release Date: September 22, 2020; Wednesday Books

From Goodreads:

They are each other’s fiercest love, greatest danger, and only hope. 

Séverin and his team members might have successfully thwarted the Fallen House, but victory came at a terrible cost ― one that still haunts all of them. Desperate to make amends, Séverin pursues a dangerous lead to find a long lost artifact rumoured to grant its possessor the power of God. 

Their hunt lures them far from Paris, and into icy heart of Russia where crystalline ice animals stalk forgotten mansions, broken goddesses carry deadly secrets, and a string of unsolved murders makes the crew question whether an ancient myth is a myth after all. 

ARC Review: THE PRINCESS WILL SAVE YOU (The Princess Will Save You #1) by Sarah Henning

THE PRINCESS WILL SAVE YOU (The Princess Will Save You #1) 
by Sarah Henning 
Release Date: July 7, 2020; Tor Teen
Young Adult, Fantasy

About the book:

A PRINCESS 

A STABLE BOY 

A QUEST 

When her father dies, Princess Amarande is given an ultimatum: Marry the leader of one of the four neighboring kingdoms, or lose her crown—and possibly her life. And to force her hand, her beloved, the stable boy Luca, is kidnapped. 

But Amarande was raised to be a warrior, not a sacrifice. 

And nothing will stop her from saving her true love and rescuing her kingdom. 

Review: The Fallen Kingdom (The Falconer #3) by Elizabeth May

The Fallen Kingdom (The Falconer #3) 
by Elizabeth May
Date Published: June 13, 2017; Chronicle Books

From Goodreads:
She’s on borrowed time…and she has only one chance to set things right. 

Find life. 

Deep in a forest, Aileana Kameron claws her way out of the earth. Back from the dead with no memory of who she is or what has happened to her, the Falconer now possesses even greater otherworldly powers and a ruthless instinct to kill—and the one piece of knowledge that can change everything.

Find Kiaran. 

Two fae monarchs, Aithinne and Kadamach, stand on the brink of war, and according to an ancient curse, one must die at the hand of the other or all the worlds will perish. Once, Kadamach was known as Kiaran, and he was mentor, protector, and lover to Aileana. Now, under the grip of the curse, his better nature seems lost forever.

Review: FROM BLOOD AND ASH (Blood And Ash #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

FROM BLOOD AND ASH (Blood And Ash #1) 
by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Release Date: March 30, 2020; Blue Box Press

From Goodreads:

Captivating and action-packed, From Blood and Ash is a sexy, addictive, and unexpected fantasy perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Laura Thalassa. 

A Maiden… 

Chosen from birth to usher in a new era, Poppy’s life has never been her own. The life of the Maiden is solitary. Never to be touched. Never to be looked upon. Never to be spoken to. Never to experience pleasure. Waiting for the day of her Ascension, she would rather be with the guards, fighting back the evil that took her family, than preparing to be found worthy by the gods. But the choice has never been hers. 

A Duty… 

The entire kingdom’s future rests on Poppy’s shoulders, something she’s not even quite sure she wants for herself. Because a Maiden has a heart. And a soul. And longing. And when Hawke, a golden-eyed guard honor bound to ensure her Ascension, enters her life, destiny and duty become tangled with desire and need. He incites her anger, makes her question everything she believes in, and tempts her with the forbidden. 

A Kingdom… 

ARC Review: THE MAGNOLIA SWORD: A BALLAD OF MULAN by Sherry Thomas

THE MAGNOLIA SWORD: A BALLAD OF MULAN 
by Sherry Thomas
Date Published: September 10, 2019; Tu Books

From Goodreads:

CHINA, 484 A.D. 

A Warrior in Disguise 

All her life, Mulan has trained for one purpose: to win the duel that every generation in her family must fight. If she prevails, she can reunite a pair of priceless heirloom swords separated decades earlier, and avenge her father, who was paralyzed in his own duel. 

Then a messenger from the Emperor arrives, demanding that all families send one soldier to fight the Rouran invaders in the north. Mulan's father cannot go. Her brother is just a child. So she ties up her hair, takes up her sword, and joins the army as a man. 

A War for a Dynasty 

Thanks to her martial arts skills, Mulan is chosen for an elite team under the command of the princeling--the royal duke's son, who is also the handsomest man she's ever seen. But the princeling has secrets of his own, which explode into Mulan's life and shake up everything she knows. As they cross the Great Wall to face the enemy beyond, Mulan and the princeling must find a way to unwind their past, unmask a traitor, and uncover the plans for the Rouran invasion . . . before it's too late.

ARC Review: LUCKY CALLER by Emma Mills

LUCKY CALLER
by Emma Mills
Release Date: January 14, 2020; Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)

About the book:
With the warmth, wit, intimate friendships, and heart-melting romance she brings to all her books, Emma Mills crafts a story about believing in yourself, owning your mistakes, and trusting in human connection in Lucky Caller.

When Nina decides to take a radio broadcasting class her senior year, she expects it to be a walk in the park. Instead, it’s a complete disaster.

The members of Nina's haphazardly formed radio team have approximately nothing in common. And to maximize the awkwardness her group includes Jamie, a childhood friend she'd hoped to basically avoid for the rest of her life.

The show is a mess, internet rumors threaten to bring the wrath of two fandoms down on their heads, and to top it all off Nina's family is on the brink of some major upheaval.