Waiting on Wednesday (9)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine where bloggers feature upcoming book releases that they're looking forward to.

This week I'm eagerly anticipating...

Dark Triumph

by Robin LaFevers

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
Release Date: April 2, 2013

Synopsis (from Goodreads):
Sybella arrives at the convent’s doorstep half mad with grief and despair. Those that serve Death are only too happy to offer her refuge—but at a price. Naturally skilled in both the arts of death and seduction, the convent views Sybella as one of their most dangerous weapons.

But those assassin’s skills are little comfort when the convent returns her to a life that nearly drove her mad. Her father’s rage and brutality are terrifying, and her brother’s love is equally monstrous. And while Sybella is a weapon of justice wrought by the god of Death himself, He must give her a reason to live. When she discovers an unexpected ally imprisoned in the dungeons, will a daughter of Death find something other than vengeance to live for?

This heart-pounding sequel to Grave Mercy serves betrayal, treachery, and danger in equal measure, bringing readers back to fifteenth century Brittany and will keep them on the edge of their seats.

Add it on Goodreads.

I am on the edge of my seat waiting for this next installment featuring assassin nuns!!

Breaking Point by Kristen Simmons

Release Date: February 12, 2013
Publisher: Tor Teen
Pages: 400
Series: Article 5 #2
Review Source: eARC from Tor Teen via Raincoast Books

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)
The second installment in Kristen Simmons's fast-paced, gripping YA dystopian series.

After faking their deaths to escape from prison, Ember Miller and Chase Jennings have only one goal: to lay low until the Federal Bureau of Reformation forgets they ever existed.

Near-celebrities now for the increasingly sensationalized tales of their struggles with the government, Ember and Chase are recognized and taken in by the Resistance—an underground organization working to systematically take down the government. At headquarters, all eyes are on the sniper, an anonymous assassin taking out FBR soldiers one by one. Rumors are flying about the sniper’s true identity, and Ember and Chase welcome the diversion….

Until the government posts its most-wanted list, and their number one suspect is Ember herself.

Orders are shoot to kill, and soldiers are cleared to fire on suspicion alone. Suddenly Ember can’t even step onto the street without fear of being recognized, and “laying low” is a joke. Even members of the Resistance are starting to look at her sideways.

With Chase urging her to run, Ember must decide: Go into hiding…or fight back?

My Thoughts:
Goodreads calls this series fast-paced and gripping, and that is no exaggeration. These books are epic! Something about the characters and the action is just so awesome and addicting. I really loved ‘Article 5’, and in my review I mentioned how it sticks out from other dystopians because of its characters and its heart. This continues to be true in ‘Breaking Point’, where we get to know new characters from the rebellion, and fall even more in love with characters from the first novel.

As you can tell, the characters, and the relationships between those characters, is one main reason why I love this series so much. In ‘Article 5’ Ember was naive and pretty sheltered, but in ‘Breaking Point’ we get to know a whole new Ember. She’s been through so much and seen so many things that she can’t help but be changed in certain ways. Even though it took some horrible events for this stronger Ember to emerge I really loved how she stepped up to the plate and was so brave in situations where it would have been easier to just hide away. And then there’s Chase. I’ve described Chase as “the best type of boy, fiercely loyal to and in love with Ember,” and this, of course, remains the same. Chase has also been through some incredibly tough times, but he stays strong when it's needed, especially when it comes to taking care of Ember. These two together are one of my favourite YA couples: they take care of each other, always stick together, and they have years and years of history between them. They seem to understand and “get” each other, which makes them a perfect fit.

The other main reason why I love this series so much is the action. Holy moly, the action! No second book syndrome here, not at all. Sometimes in books, especially dystopians where the characters have to physically journey somewhere, it can take forever for characters to complete their mission. I’m so grateful that this isn’t the case here. Even when different circumstances pop up, the characters are always still aware of their original goal. There are different journeys that get completed throughout the book, but the characters are never sidetracked from Sean and Ember’s plan to rescue Rebecca.

What else can I say about this book and this series?! Fabulous characters, incredible action, and just so many awesome aspects in general. I loved how we got to know more about the resistance and about how the present government came to be. I loved how there were hints about the centre of the resistance movement, which I suspect will be a big part of the third book. I also loved how even when there was success, nothing came easily for the main characters. There’s nothing worse than when characters skip easily from task to task, getting by on technicalities that seem completely fake. These books feel like they have real danger and real consequences, and I really appreciate that about them.

Basically: do yourself a favour and check out ‘Breaking Point’, or pick up ‘Article 5’ if you haven’t already.

The Cover:
Not my fave, but I like it... probably better in person, too.

Rating:
[5/5]

Find Breaking Point by Kristen Simmons on Goodreads, Book Depository, & Amazon.

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

Release Date: February 5, 2013
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Pages: 464
Series: The Lunar Chronicles #2
Review Source: eARC from Macmillan via Raincoast Books

Synopsis: (from Goodreads)
Cinder returns in the second thrilling installment of the New York Times-bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She’s trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she’ll be the Commonwealth’s most wanted fugitive.

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn’t know about her grandmother and the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother’s whereabouts, she has no choice but to trust him, though he clearly has a few dark secrets of his own.

As Scarlet and Wolf work to unravel one mystery, they find another when they cross paths with Cinder. Together, they must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen who will do anything to make Prince Kai her husband, her king, her prisoner.

My Thoughts:
As of writing this review it’s been a couple of hours since finishing ‘Scarlet’ and all that keeps rolling through my head is: “This is sheer perfection!” Obviously nothing is perfect, but this is the perfect book for me. It’s so much fun to read with all the character banter, bad ass heroines, and larger than life villains. I love how the book has such different sides to it: there are those lighter, amusing moments, but there is also intense action, heartbreak, and romance, all of which made me feel huge amounts of varying emotions.

I loved ‘Cinder’ so much that I couldn’t imagine not loving ‘Scarlet’, but I still wasn’t entirely sure what to expect with having a new main character added in. I don’t know why I even worried for a second, because Marissa Meyer weaves the plotlines together seamlessly, and I guarantee that you’ll adore Scarlet within a page or two. I still have a soft-spot for Cinder, of course, but I never found myself wanting to go back to one part of the narrative over another. The back and forth between the main characters always broke at the absolute perfect place.

Along with the amazing new heroine there are also two gentlemen added into the mix. I honestly can’t decide who I like more. On the one hand there’s the charmingly arrogant and debonair Captain Thorne, who is the main contributor to the book’s comic relief. On the other hand there’s the mysterious and shy Wolf, who I really can’t describe any other way except sexy (yes, I went there).

When you love a book so much it’s hard to pinpoint all the different reasons why it worked so well for you. There are all those elements I mentioned in the first paragraph, there’s the seamless narration switches, and there’s the extremely well written characters. In the case of Marissa Meyer’s writing there’s also incredible world-building. I love the Sailor Moon-esque plot elements that continued on from ‘Cinder’, and in ‘Scarlet’ I also noticed what I thought was a Firefly vibe. I absolutely loved these aspects, and I loved seeing everything come together.

Bottom line: this is a must-read series that I would recommend to all YA fans. I absolutely loved ‘Scarlet’, and the only negative I can think of is having to wait so long for the remaining two volumes in the series.

The Cover:
I wish I could say I love it, but I don't. The only thing I like is the title font.

Rating:
[5/5]

Find Scarlet by Marissa Meyer on Goodreads, Book Depository, & Amazon.