Release Day Blitz: Zero Repeat Forever by Gabrielle Prendergast

I am so excited that ZERO REPEAT FOREVER by Gabrielle Prendergast is available now and that I get to share the news!

If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book by Author Gabrielle Prendergast, be sure to check out all the details below.

This blitz also includes a giveaway for a signed hardcover of the book courtesy of Gabrielle and Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.

About The Book:

Title:

 ZERO REPEAT FOREVER

Author: Gabrielle Prendergast

Pub. Date: August 29, 2017

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Pages: 496

Formats: Hardcover, eBook, audiobook

Find it: Amazon, B&N, Audible, iBooks, TBD, Goodreads

He has no voice, or name, only a rank, Eighth. He doesn’t know the details of the mission, only the directives that hum in his mind.

Dart the humans. Leave them where they fall.

His job is to protect his Offside. Let her do the shooting.

Until a human kills her…

Sixteen year-old Raven is at summer camp when the terrifying armored Nahx invade, annihilating entire cities, taking control of the Earth. Isolated in the wilderness, Raven and her friends have only a fragment of instruction from the human resistance.

Shelter in place.

Which seems like good advice at first. Stay put. Await rescue. Raven doesn’t like feeling helpless but what choice does she have?

Then a Nahx kills her boyfriend.

Thrown together in a violent, unfamiliar world, Eighth and Raven should feel only hate and fear. But when Raven is injured, and Eighth deserts his unit, their survival comes to depend on trusting each other… 

Book Trailer:

About Gabrielle: 

Gabrielle is a writer, teacher and designer living in Vancouver, Canada.  You can read about her books here. She is represented by Barbara Poelle at the Irene Goodman Literary Agency.

In 2014 she was the Writer in Residence at Vancouver Public Library. In 2015 she was nominated for the BC Book Prizes and chosen to tour the province to promote BC Books. In 2017 Gabrielle took part in the TD Canada Children’s Book Week Tour. She has also been nominated for the White Pine Awardand the CLA Award.

Gabrielle won the Westchester Award for Audacious. Audacious was included in CBC’s list of 100 YA Books That Make You Proud to be Canadian. A poem from Capricious was chosen for the 2014 Poetry in Transit Program. Pandas on the East Side was chosen as an Ontario Library Association Best Bet for Junior Fiction in 2016. It was also nominated/shortlisted for the Chocolate Lily Award, The Red Cedar Award, the Diamond Willow Award and the Myrca Award.

Website |  Twitter | Facebook | Intstagram | Pinterest | Goodreads

Giveaway Details:

(1) winner will receive a signed finished copy of ZERO REPEAT FOREVER, US Only & Canada.

(3) winners will receive signed postcards and bookmarks ZERO REPEAT FOREVER, US Only & Canada.

Ends on September 19th at Midnight EST!

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Waiting On Wednesday #123

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme created by Breaking the Spine

The Glass Spare (The Glass Spare, #1)
Lauren DeStefano
Young Adult Fantasy
October 24th 2017
Goodreads Link

Synopsis:

A banished princess.
A deadly curse.
A kingdom at war.

Wil Heidle, the only daughter of the king of the world’s wealthiest nation, has grown up in the shadows. Kept hidden from the world in order to serve as a spy for her father—whose obsession with building his empire is causing a war—Wil wants nothing more than to explore the world beyond her kingdom, if only her father would give her the chance.

Until one night Wil is attacked, and she discovers a dangerous secret. Her touch turns people into gemstone. At first Wil is horrified—but as she tests its limits, she’s drawn more and more to the strange and volatile ability. When it leads to tragedy, Wil is forced to face the destructive power within her and finally leave her home to seek the truth and a cure.

But finding the key to her redemption puts her in the path of a cursed prince who has his own ideas for what to do with her power.

With a world on the brink of war and a power of ultimate destruction, can Wil find a way to help the kingdom that’s turned its back on her, or will she betray her past and her family forever?

Release Week Blitz: Allerleirauh by Chantal Gadoury

I am so excited that ALLERLEIRAUH by Chantal Gadoury is available now and that I get to share the news!

If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book by Author Chantal Gadoury, be sure to check out all the details below.

This blitz also includes a giveaway for a paperback of the book or an eBook courtesy of The Parliament House and Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.

About The Book:

Title: ALLERLEIRAUH

Author: Chantal Gadoury

Pub. Date: August 22, 2017

Publisher: The Parliament House 

Pages: 236

Formats: Paperback, eBook

Find it: Amazon, B&N, iBooks, Goodreads

Once Upon a Time…

In the kingdom of Tranen, a king makes a promise to his dying wife that he'll only remarry a woman who possesses her golden hair. In time, the king's eyes are turned by his daughter. Realizing her father’s intentions, Princess Aurelia tries to trick him by requesting impossible gifts: dresses created by the sun, moon and stars, and a coat made of a thousand furs. But when he is successful, Aurelia sacrifices her privileged life and flees her kingdom, disguised by the cloak and a new name, Allerleirauh.

She enters the safe haven of Saarland der Licht, where the handsome and gentle Prince Klaus takes her under his care. Hoping not to be discovered by her father’s courtiers, Allerleirauh tries to remain hidden under her new identity when she finds unexpected love with Prince Klaus, even though his arranged marriage to the princess of a neighboring kingdom approaches. Risking everything, Allerleirauh must face her troubled past and her fears of the future along her journey to self-acceptance in this triumphant retelling of the classic Grimm Fairy Tale.

Excerpt:

“I won’t ever let them near you again, Aurelia. I swear it,” he promised as his grief-filled eyes met mine. “You must know I love you. It never mattered to me whether you were a princess or not. It matters not to me if you think you are soiled, because to me . . . you are more . . . You are more than what has happened to you, and you always shall be,” he said softly as his hand slid to my cheek. Carefully, his thumb wiped a tear away. “You are this wonderful, head-strong, and brave woman,” Klaus continued. “No one has any right to ever try to take such a thing away from you. It should only ever be admired and cherished.”

More tears began to spill over my cheeks as relief flooded me. Klaus would not turn me away; instead, he accepted me. I rested my forehead against his shoulder, as I felt his arms slowly wrap around me.

“Tell me what you wish for me to do, my sweet Aurelia, and I will do it.”

About Chantal:

Chantal Gadoury is a young author who is originally from the countryside of Muncy, PA. Chantal likes anything Disney, plays a mean game of Disney trivia, enjoys painting and has a interest in British History. Chantal first started writing stories at the age of seven and continues that love of writing today. As a recent college graduate from Susquehanna University, with a degree in Creative Writing, writing novels is a dream come true.

Website |  Twitter | Facebook | Intstagram | Goodreads

Giveaway Details: o:p>

(1) winner will receive A Paperback of ALLERLEIRAUH, US Only

(5) winners will receive eBooks of ALLERLEIRAUH, International.

Ends on August 22nd at Midnight EST!

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Waiting On Wednesday #122

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme created by Breaking the Spine

Berserker (Berserker, #1)
Emmy Laybourne
Young Adult Fantasy
October 10th 2017
Goodreads Link

Synopsis:

Are Hanne's powers a gift from the old Norse gods, or a curse?

Her brother Stieg swears their powers are a gift from the old gods, but Hanne Hemstad knows she is truly cursed. It's not Stieg's fault that their father is dead, their mother has left, and their brother Knut has been accused of a crime he didn't commit.

No, the fault lies with Hanne and her inability to control her murderous "gift"--she is a Berserker. When someone she loves is threatened, she flies into a killing state. The siblings must leave Norway for the American frontier or risk being brought to justice.

Aided by a young cowboy who agrees to be their guide, Hanne and her siblings use their powers to survive the perilous trail, where blizzards, wild animals, and vicious bounty hunters await.

Will they be able to reach their uncle, the one man Hanne believes may be able to teach her how to control her drive to kill? With Berserker, Emmy Laybourne, the author of Monument 14, presents her vision of an American west studded with Viking glory. 

Blog Tour & Giveaway: The Last Magician by Lisa Maxwell

Book: The Last Magician 

Author: Lisa Maxwell

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Pages: 512

Pub Date: July 18th 2017

Goodreads Link: Goodreads

Where To Buy:

Amazon

Book Depository

Barnes & Noble

Kobo

Audible

Book Description:

Stop the Magician.
Steal the book.
Save the future.

In modern day New York, magic is all but extinct. The remaining few who have an affinity for magic—the Mageus—live in the shadows, hiding who they are. Any Mageus who enters Manhattan becomes trapped by the Brink, a dark energy barrier that confines them to the island. Crossing it means losing their power—and often their lives.

Esta is a talented thief, and she's been raised to steal magical artifacts from the sinister Order that created the Brink. With her innate ability to manipulate time, Esta can pilfer from the past, collecting these artifacts before the Order even realizes she’s there. And all of Esta’s training has been for one final job: traveling back to 1902 to steal an ancient book containing the secrets of the Order—and the Brink—before the Magician can destroy it and doom the Mageus to a hopeless future.

But Old New York is a dangerous world ruled by ruthless gangs and secret societies, a world where the very air crackles with magic. Nothing is as it seems, including the Magician himself. And for Esta to save her future, she may have to betray everyone in the past.

Bio:

Lisa Maxwell is the author of The Last Magician, Unhooked, Sweet Unrest, and The Gathering Deep. She grew up in Akron, Ohio, and has a PhD in English. She’s worked as a teacher, scholar, editor, writer, and bookseller (at Little Professor Book Center in Alabama). When she’s not writing books, she’s a professor at a local college. She now lives near Washington, DC, with her husband and two sons. You can follow her on Twitter @LisaMaxwellYA or learn more about her upcoming books at http://lisa-maxwell.com/

Links:

Author Website: www.lisa-maxwell.com

Book Website (with special content): www.thelastmagician.com

Twitter: @LisaMaxwellYA

Instagram: @LisaMaxwell13

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lisamaxwellauthor

~~~~~~  The Last Magician—My Writing Process ~~~~~~

     I wrote my first three books fast, in a flurry of words that took a month or so to churn out. Then I took the time to revise them for plot, character, consistency. UNHOOKED took a lot of revision, in part because I wrote the first version for NaNoWriMo and the first draft was a hot mess. Even after UNHOOKED sold, the revisions on it were intensive, mostly because I hadn’t really done a ton of world building before I wrote it. I had to go back through and make the world have a natural logic and consistency. But revising UNHOOKED taught me to write more with craft in mind, and many of the techniques I learned revising on my own and then later with my editor were techniques that I used on THE LAST MAGICIAN. I started THE LAST MAGICIAN with more brainstorming and world building than I’d ever done before. I laid out the magic system and, most importantly, laid out the details of the plot. When I pitched the book to my editor, I had a 10+ page (single-spaced) synopsis that laid out every twist and turn in the book. You would think that with all that planning, with knowing exactly what needed to happen, that THE LAST MAGICIAN would have been a joy to write. Nope. The book made me work for it, that’s for sure. I started drafting in August of 2015. By December, I had the bones of the book, but it fought me the entire way to get that first draft. I usually draft in Word. I have no idea what it is, but I can’t seem to write in anything else. It doesn’t even make logical sense, but I freeze up in Pages or Scrivener, but with Word, I can just write. I usually write in one long document and I leave it single-spaced, so I can see as many words on the screen as possible. Once I had the bulk of my draft done, and I’d therefore realized that the book was not going to be the dual POV that I’d planned, but something much bigger and more complicated, I plugged the whole thing into Scrivener. I don’t write in Scrivener, but I love using it for revision. Because it allows you to make separate folders and documents for each chapter and scene, it was really convenient to move things around, change the POV of a chapter, or just play with the larger structure until I got it right. I also use spreadsheets to edit. Once I have what I think is a good, solid draft, I print out the entire thing and then I go through the hard copy, page-by- page, making notes. As I read, I reverse-outline the whole book into a spreadsheet, so I can see where each of the scenes are, how long each chapter is, and what the plot beats are for each chapter. Forcing myself to reverse-outline the book in a spreadsheet means that I can more easily see when the story is not keeping up with the pace it needs to. I can see where chapters are dragging and where I’m missing major emotional beats in the story.

    The spreadsheet also allows me to better track the world building. I can list when a character is introduced or when a fact is revealed, and I can see if I’m using multiple scenes for the same purpose—and get rid of them. Once I have a really solid version of the book, off it goes to Beta readers and I use their feedback to make sure I’m not missing anything important. I don’t really have Critique Partners that I exchange pages or chapters with. Instead, I have a few people I really trust to read the book and give me big-picture issues. Strangely enough, my non-fiction- reading husband is always one of my first and best readers. If he can get through the book and like it, I know I’m on the right track. The rest of my writing process has a lot to do with revision. THE LAST MAGICIAN went through multiple rounds of revision with my first editor. Then he left the publisher and my new editor had some bigger issues she wanted to work on, so we went at it all over again and the book changed even more. I’d love to say that this is a magic formula for writing, but I’ve found that every book needs to be written in its own way. I wrote a lot of THE LAST MAGICIAN at home in my dark bedroom listening to Chris Cornell’s Higher Truth album. I worked from a really detailed synopsis. For the sequel, I’ve found I can only work on it outside of my house. I have a loose outline of where I think it’s going and a general idea of the end…and the rest is a mystery. But once it’s drafted, I’ll still go through the process of printing it out, slowing myself down, and analyzing it structurally. That’s not how I wrote my first book. It’s probably not how I’ll write my last book. I think, though, that the most important thing about writing and any writer’s process is to let it take the shape it needs to take, so you can balance creativity and storytelling with the craft of the novel. Thanks so much for reading! If you have any questions about craft or the writing process, I’d be

happy to answer them!

~~~~~ There Are Two Giveaways! ~~~~~

(Tour Wide Giveaway): One (1) winner will receive a signed copy of The Last Magician along with a swag pack and other exclusive goodies.

(Just For My Blog Giveaway): One (1) winner will receive a The Last Magician swag pack courtesy of the author 




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Waiting On Wednesday #121

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme created by Breaking the Spine

Last Star Burning (Last Star Burning, #1)
Caitlin Sangster
Young Adult Fantasy
October 10th 2017
Goodreads Link

Synopsis:

Sev is branded with the mark of a criminal—a star burned into her hand. That’s the penalty for being the daughter of the woman who betrayed their entire nation.

Now her mother’s body is displayed above Traitor’s Arch, kept in a paralyzed half sleep by the same plague that destroyed the rest of the world. And as further punishment, Sev is forced to do hard labor to prove that she’s more valuable alive than dead.

When the government blames Sev for a horrific bombing, she must escape the city or face the chopping block. Unimaginable dangers lurk outside the city walls, and Sev’s only hope of survival lies with the most unlikely person—Howl, the chairman’s son. Though he promises to lead her to safety, Howl has secrets, and Sev can’t help but wonder if he knows more about her past—and her mother’s crimes—than he lets on.

But in a hostile world, trust is a luxury. Even when Sev’s life and the lives of everyone she loves may hang in the balance.

Release Week Blitz: The Epic Crush of Genie Lo by F.C. Lee

I am so excited that THE EPIC CRUSH OF GENIE LO by F.C. Yee is available now and that I get to share the news!

If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book by Author F.C. Yee, be sure to check out all the details below.

This blitz also includes a giveaway for 5 finished copies of the book and a bookmark courtesy of Pique and Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.

About The Book:

Title: THE EPIC CRUSH OF GENIE LO

Author: F.C. Yee

Pub. Date: August 8, 2017

Publisher: Amulet Books

Pages: 336

Formats: Hardcover, eBook

Find it: Amazon, Barnes&Noble, iBooks, TBD, Goodreads

The struggle to get into a top-tier college consumes sixteen-year-old Genie Lo's every waking thought. But when her sleepy Bay Area town comes under siege from hell-spawn straight out of Chinese folklore, her priorities are suddenly and forcefully rearranged.

Her only guide to the demonic chaos breaking out around her is Quentin Sun, a beguiling, maddening new transfer student from overseas. Quentin assures Genie she is strong enough to fight these monsters, for she unknowingly harbors an inner power that can level the very gates of Heaven.

Genie will have to dig deep within herself to summon the otherworldly strength that Quentin keeps talking about. But as she does, she finds the secret of her true nature is entwined with his, in a way she could never have imagined…

Excerpt:

“GREETINGS,” HE SAID, HIS ACCENT THICK BUT HIS VOICE LOUD and clear. “I have arrived.”

Now, I’d done my best to describe this guy to the police. They pressed me hard for details, as apparently this wasn’t the first group mugging in recent weeks.

But I’d let Officers Davis and Rodriguez down. Nice eyes and a winning smile weren’t much to go by. I was too frazzled to notice anything before, which meant this was my first decent look at the boy without the influence of adrenaline.

So a couple of things.

One: He was short. Like, really short for a guy. I felt bad that my brain went there first, but he wasn’t even as tall as Mrs. Nanda.

Two: He was totally okay, physically. I didn’t see how anyone could be up and about after that beating, but here he was, unbruised and unblemished. I felt relieved and disturbed at the same time to see there wasn’t a scratch on him.

And his mint condition just made Point Three even more obvious.

He was . . . yeesh.

Nothing good could come of our new classmate being that handsome. It was destructive. Twisted. Weaponized. He had the cheekbones and sharp jawline of a pop star, but his thick eyebrows and wild, unkempt hair lent him an air of natural ruggedness that some pampered singer could never achieve in a million years of makeup.

“Argh, my ovaries,” Yunie mumbled. She wasn’t alone, judging by the soft intakes of breath coming from around the room.

“Arrived from where?” said Mrs. Nanda.

Quentin looked at her in amusement. “China?”

“Yes, but where in, though?” said Mrs. Nanda, trying her best to convey that she was sensitive to the regional differences. Fujianese, Taishanese, Beijingren—she’d taught them all.

He just shrugged. “The stones,” he said.

“You mean the mountains, sweetie?” said Rachel Li, batting her eyelashes at him from the front row.

“No! I don’t misspeak.”

The class giggled at his English. But none of it was incorrect, technically speaking.

“Tell us a little about yourself,” Mrs. Nanda said.

Quentin puffed out his chest. The white button-down shirt and black pants of our school’s uniform for boys made most of them look like limo drivers. But on him, the cheap stitching just made it clearer that he was extremely well-muscled underneath.

“I am the greatest of my kind,” he said. “In this world I have no equal. I am known to thousands in faraway lands, and everyone I meet can’t help but declare me king!”

There was a moment of silence and sputtering before guffaws broke out.

“Well . . . um . . . we are all high achievers here at SF Prep,” said

Mrs. Nanda as politely as she could. “I’m sure you’ll fit right in?”

Quentin surveyed the cramped beige classroom with a cool squint. To him, the other twenty-two laughing students were merely peons on whom his important message had been lost.

“Enough wasting of time,” he snapped. “I came to these petty halls only to reclaim what is mine.”

Before anyone could stop him, he hopped onto Rachel’s desk and stepped over her to the next one, like she wasn’t even there.

“Hey! Quentin!” Mrs. Nanda said, frantically waving her hands. “Get down now!”

The new student ignored her, stalking down the column of desks. Toward mine.

Everyone in his way leaned to the side to avoid getting kicked. They were all too flabbergasted to do anything but serve as his counterweights.

He stopped on my desk and crouched down, looking me in the eye. His gaze pinned me to my seat.

I couldn’t turn away. He was so close our noses were almost touching. He smelled like wine and peaches.

“You!” he said.

“What?” I squeaked.

Quentin gave me a grin that was utterly feral. He tilted his head as if to whisper, but spoke loud enough for everyone to hear.

“You belong to me”

About F.C:

F. C. Yee grew up in New Jersey and went to school in New England, but has called the San Francisco Bay Area home ever since he beat a friend at a board game and shouted “That’s how we do it in NorCal, baby!” Outside of writing, he practices capoeira, a Brazilian form of martial arts, and has a day job mostly involving spreadsheets.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram

                       

Giveaway Details:

5 winners will receive Genie Lo prize packs—complete with a finished copy of the book and a special Genie Lo horoscope (that doubles as a bookmark!), US Only.

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Waiting on Wednesday #120

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme created by Breaking the Spine

Forest of a Thousand Lanterns (Rise of the Empress, #1)
Julie C. Dao
Young Adult Fantasy
October 10th 2017
Goodreads Link

Synopsis:

An East Asian fantasy reimagining of The Evil Queen legend about one peasant girl's quest to become Empress--and the darkness she must unleash to achieve her destiny.

Eighteen-year-old Xifeng is beautiful. The stars say she is destined for greatness, that she is meant to be Empress of Feng Lu. But only if she embraces the darkness within her. Growing up as a peasant in a forgotten village on the edge of the map, Xifeng longs to fulfill the destiny promised to her by her cruel aunt, the witch Guma, who has read the cards and seen glimmers of Xifeng's majestic future. But is the price of the throne too high?

Because in order to achieve greatness, she must spurn the young man who loves her and exploit the callous magic that runs through her veins--sorcery fueled by eating the hearts of the recently killed. For the god who has sent her on this journey will not be satisfied until his power is absolute. 


What's your Waiting on Wednesday pick for this week? Are you excited for this release as well?

My Most Anticipated August 2017 Releases!

Shimmer & Burn

Mary Taranta

Young Adult Fantasy

August 8th 2017

Goodreads Link

Synopsis:

To save her sister’s life, Faris must smuggle magic into a plague-ridden neighboring kingdom in this exciting and dangerous start to a brand-new fantasy duology.

Faris grew up fighting to survive in the slums of Brindaigel while caring for her sister, Cadence. But when Cadence is caught trying to flee the kingdom and is sold into slavery, Faris reluctantly agrees to a lucrative scheme to buy her back, inadvertently binding herself to the power-hungry Princess Bryn, who wants to steal her father’s throne.

Now Faris must smuggle stolen magic into neighboring Avinea to incite its prince to alliance—magic that addicts in the war-torn country can sense in her blood and can steal with a touch. She and Bryn turn to a handsome traveling magician, North, who offers protection from Avinea’s many dangers, but he cannot save Faris from Bryn’s cruelty as she leverages Cadence’s freedom to force Faris to do anything—or kill anyone—she asks. Yet Faris is as fierce as Bryn, and even as she finds herself falling for North, she develops schemes of her own.

With the fate of kingdoms at stake, Faris, Bryn, and North maneuver through a dangerous game of magical and political machinations, where lives can be destroyed—or saved—with only a touch.

Reunited (Reawakened, #3)

Colleen Houck

Young Adult Fantasy

August 8th 2017

Goodreads Link

Crystal Blade (Burning Glass, #2) 

Kathryn Purdie

Young Adult Fantasy

August 15th 2017

Goodreads Link

The Broken World (The Marked Girl, #2)

Lindsey Klingele

Young Adult Fantasy

August 29th 2017

Goodreads Link

 Wonder Woman: Warbringer (DC Icons, #1)

Leigh Bardugo

Young Adult Retelling

August 29th 2017

Goodreads Link

Synopsis:

She will become one of the world’s greatest heroes: WONDER WOMAN. But first she is Diana, Princess of the Amazons. And her fight is just beginning. . . .

Diana longs to prove herself to her legendary warrior sisters. But when the opportunity finally comes, she throws away her chance at glory and breaks Amazon law—risking exile—to save a mere mortal. Even worse, Alia Keralis is no ordinary girl and with this single brave act, Diana may have doomed the world.

Alia just wanted to escape her overprotective brother with a semester at sea. She doesn’t know she is being hunted. When a bomb detonates aboard her ship, Alia is rescued by a mysterious girl of extraordinary strength and forced to confront a horrible truth: Alia is a Warbringer—a direct descendant of the infamous Helen of Troy, fated to bring about an age of bloodshed and misery.

Together, Diana and Alia will face an army of enemies—mortal and divine—determined to either destroy or possess the Warbringer. If they have any hope of saving both their worlds, they will have to stand side by side against the tide of war.

Mask of Shadows (Untitled, #1)

Linsey Miller

Young Adult Fantasy

August 29th 2017

Goodreads Link

Synopsis:

“I love every aspect of this amazing book—a gender fluid hero, a deadly contest, and vicious courtly intrigue. Get! Read! Now!” —Tamora Pierce, #1 New York Times bestselling author

I Needed to Win.
They Needed to Die.

Sallot Leon is a thief, and a good one at that. But gender fluid Sal wants nothing more than to escape the drudgery of life as a highway robber and get closer to the upper-class—and the nobles who destroyed their home.

When Sal steals a flyer for an audition to become a member of The Left Hand—the Queen’s personal assassins, named after the rings she wears—Sal jumps at the chance to infiltrate the court and get revenge.

But the audition is a fight to the death filled with clever circus acrobats, lethal apothecaries, and vicious ex-soldiers. A childhood as a common criminal hardly prepared Sal for the trials. And as Sal succeeds in the competition, and wins the heart of Elise, an intriguing scribe at court, they start to dream of a new life and a different future, but one that Sal can have only if they survive.

Thirteen Rising (Zodiac, #4) 

Romina Russell

Young Adult Science Fiction

Goodreads Link