Giveaway: Sea Spell by Jennifer Donnelly

Sea Spell

Book 4 in The Waterfire Saga

by Jennifer Donnelly

In Stores June 14th!!

Order your copy now!!
(Or check out the giveaway below and enter to WIN!!)

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

*About the Book*

At the end of Dark Tide, Book 3 in the Waterfire Saga, Astrid leaves her mermaid friends to confront her ancestor, Orfeo, the evil force behind the rise of the monster Abbadon. Orfeo possesses one of the six talismans that the merls need in order to keep the monster locked up forever. But without the ability to songcast, how will Astrid be able to defeat the most powerful mage in history? 

Meanwhile, Serafina and her Black Fins train goblin troops for battle against her uncle Vallerio’s death riders. Will Sera ever see her beloved home—and her beloved Mahdi—again, or will the Volneros take over the mer realms while Orfeo takes on the gods themselves? Nothing less than the fate of the underwater world is at stake in this breathtaking finale.


*More books in the series*

Deep Blue   |   Rogue Wave   |   Dark Tide

*About the Author*

Jennifer Donnelly is an award-winning author of both adult and young adult books, including Deep Blue, the first book in the Waterfire Saga. For adults she has written a trilogy of best-selling books that includes The Tea Rose, The Winter Rose, and The Wild Rose. Her first young adult novel, A Northern Light, received many accolades, among them the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, a Carnegie Medal in the UK, and a Michael L. Printz Honor. Her second young adult novel, Revolution, was named a Best Book of 2010 by Kirkus Reviews and School Library Journal, and the audiobook received a 2011 American Library Association Odyssey Honor. She lives in New York's Hudson Valley.
For more information, visit www.jenniferdonnelly.com.

*Excerpt*
Read the prologue of Sea Spell here.


*Official Links*
Learn more at waterfiresaga.com
Follow Disney Books on Twitter and Instagram
#WaterfireSaga


This post is brought to you in partnership with Disney-Hyperion.



*Giveaway*

One (1) winner receives:
A copy of Sea Spell and branded nail polish.

Giveaway open to US addresses only.
Prizing and samples provided by Disney Publishing.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Starflight by Melissa Landers

Starflight
(Starflight #1)
by Melissa Landers
Website | Twitter | Facebook

Publication Date: February 2nd 2016
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Pages: 320
ISBN: 9781484723241
Genre: Young Adult | Sci-Fi | Fantasy
Source: Netgalley

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Available for Purchase:
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Life in the outer realm is a lawless, dirty, hard existence, and Solara Brooks is hungry for it. Just out of the orphanage, she needs a fresh start in a place where nobody cares about the engine grease beneath her fingernails or the felony tattoos across her knuckles. She's so desperate to reach the realm that she's willing to indenture herself to Doran Spaulding, the rich and popular quarterback who made her life miserable all through high school, in exchange for passage aboard the spaceliner Zenith.

When a twist of fate lands them instead on the Banshee, a vessel of dubious repute, Doran learns he's been framed on Earth for conspiracy. As he pursues a set of mysterious coordinates rumored to hold the key to clearing his name, he and Solara must get past their enmity to work together and evade those out for their arrest. Life on the Banshee may be tumultuous, but as Solara and Doran are forced to question everything they once believed about their world—and each other—the ship becomes home, and the eccentric crew family. But what Solara and Doran discover on the mysterious Planet X has the power to not only alter their lives, but the existence of everyone in the universe... (Goodreads)

My Thoughts...
I was really looking forward to reading Starflight by Melissa Landers, as I had read Alienated a while back and really enjoyed it! Also, because I'm really into any books that have to do with science fiction and space at the moment. This book definitely did not disappoint! I really enjoyed reading it.

One thing that really made this book super special for me were the characters. I loved them all, and I loved watching the relationships grow between them as well. It wasn't just one character, it was ALL of them. Solara and Doran did not have the best beginning,  as they pretty much hated each other at first, but watching that relationship grow was really interesting. The story is told from both of their points of view, and I really just loved them both. The secondary characters in the novel are great as well. I loved all of those on the crew of the Banshee.

Both the storyline for the book and the setting were completely captivating. As I mentioned above, I'm really into science fiction books at the moment, especially those that are space related, so this book was right up my alley. The book doesn't end with a cliffhanger ending, but definitely leaves you wanting to get your hands on the next book, and I'm super curious to see what is going to happen next for these characters.

Overall; I really love everything about Starflight. From the wonderful characters to the captivating storyline, I was absolutely hooked. I really can't wait to get my hands on the second book in the series, which is due to release early 2017!! I can't wait! Check this book out, friends, and I hope you like it!

Also, check back tomorrow for a special post from Melissa Landers herself!! You won't want to miss it!!

Review: Passenger by Alexandra Bracken

Passenger
(Passenger #1)
by Alexandra Bracken
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram

Publication Date: January 5th 2016
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Pages: 496
ISBN: 9781484715772
Genre: Young Adult | Fantasy | Time Travel
Source: Netgalley

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Available for Purchase:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

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. (Goodreads)

Passenger is the very first book I've had the pleasure of reading by Alexandra Bracken! I've had her Darkest Minds series on my to-be-read list for years, but for some insane reason, have not read them yet. After reading Passenger, I totally can't wait to! This story was super unique and it completely captivated me as I turned the pages!

The story is told from two different point of views; through Etta, whose life is changed one devastating night after she's forcibly pushed into a strange new world by a girl she doesn't know, and Nicholas, who has known about time travel almost his whole life, and wishes to have nothing more to do with it, or with the family that now controls it. These two characters made a really great team, and worked so well together, even though they each had their own secrets that they kept from each other. I was really rooting for these two throughout the whole story.

I love that as go through the pages, you can totally tell that Etta is a girl from the present, and Nicholas is a boy from the past. It was interesting seeing how they interacted with each other and reacted to each time period they jump into, as well as how they were treated during the specific time as well. With Nicholas being a dark skinned boy, and Etta being just a girl, things were definitely not always easy for the two. Nicholas was pretty awesome as a pirate too, and he was a legal one at that, and Etta proved to be a lot stronger than I first thought, and I really appreciated that.

The storyline for the book was very interesting. I've only read a handful of time travel books, and I always find them to be either very well written, or decidedly not, and this book was very well written. I loved the settings and people from each time period Etta and Nicholas jumped through. Bracken did a great job with descriptions; I could picture everything perfectly in my mind! And that ending... I'm not a huge fan of cliff-hanger endings, mostly because they leave me pining for the next book so desperately and I'm super impatient sometimes, but this ending, while a cliff-hanger, was not extremely dramatic, and I can live with that. (I'll still be impatiently waiting to get my hands on the next book though!)

Also, this book was massive, coming in at 496 pages, and I STILL managed to read the bulk of it in one day. It was very much engrossing!

Overall; I really enjoyed Passenger so much more than I expected to! I loved the characters and the storyline was unique and refreshing. I can't wait to get my hands on the second book, Wayferer, which should be released in 2017! I'm curious to see how this story is going to end. Check the book out for yourself, and I hope you love it!

Waiting on Wednesday #209 - Their Fractured Light by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

Their Fractured Light
(Starbound #3)
by Amie Kaufman • Website | Twitter | Facebook
& Meagan Spooner • Website | Twitter | Facebook

Publication Date: December 1st 2015
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
ISBN: 9781423171041



Available for Pre-Order:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

A year ago, Flynn Cormac and Jubilee Chase made the now infamous Avon Broadcast, calling on the galaxy to witness for their planet, and protect them from destruction. Some say Flynn’s a madman, others whisper about conspiracies. Nobody knows the truth. A year before that, Tarver Merendsen and Lilac LaRoux were rescued from a terrible shipwreck—now, they live a public life in front of the cameras, and a secret life away from the world’s gaze.

Now, in the center of the universe on the planet of Corinth, all four are about to collide with two new players, who will bring the fight against LaRoux Industries to a head. Gideon Marchant is an eighteen-year-old computer hacker—a whiz kid and an urban warrior. He’ll climb, abseil and worm his way past the best security measures to pull off onsite hacks that others don’t dare touch.

Sofia Quinn has a killer smile, and by the time you’re done noticing it, she’s got you offering up your wallet, your car, and anything else she desires. She holds LaRoux Industries responsible for the mysterious death of her father and is out for revenge at any cost.

When a LaRoux Industries security breach interrupts Gideon and Sofia’s separate attempts to infiltrate their headquarters, they’re forced to work together to escape. Each of them has their own reason for wanting to take down LaRoux Industries, and neither trusts the other. But working together might be the best chance they have to expose the secrets LRI is so desperate to hide. (Goodreads)

I read, and COMPLETELY LOVED both These Broken Stars and This Shattered World.
Seriously, I devoured these books. They are amazing!
I can't wait to get back into the story and to reconnect with Flynn, Jubilee, Tarver and Lila,
AND meet the two new characters in the story, Gideon and Sofia as well!!
If this book is anything like the first two, it's going to be AWESOME!!
And I absolutely can't wait. :)
Also, the covers for these books just get more and more stunning!!

What book are you excited for this week?
Leave a link in the comments so I can check out your pick!!

Happy Reading, Bookworms!!

**"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine,
that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.**

Review: School Spirits by Rachel Hawkins

School Spirits
(School Spirits #1)
by Rachel Hawkins
Website | Twitter | Facebook

Publication Date: May 14th 2013
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Pages: 297
ISBN: 9781423148494
Genre: Young Adult | Paranormal
Source: Library

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Available for Purchase:
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Fifteen-year-old Izzy Brannick was trained to fight monsters. For centuries, her family has hunted magical creatures. But when Izzy’s older sister vanishes without a trace while on a job, Izzy's mom decides they need to take a break.

Izzy and her mom move to a new town, but they soon discover it’s not as normal as it appears. A series of hauntings has been plaguing the local high school, and Izzy is determined to prove her worth and investigate. But assuming the guise of an average teenager is easier said than done. For a tough girl who's always been on her own, it’s strange to suddenly make friends and maybe even have a crush.

Can Izzy trust her new friends to help find the secret behind the hauntings before more people get hurt?

Rachel Hawkins' delightful spin-off brings the same wit and charm as the New York Times best-selling Hex Hall series. Get ready for more magic, mystery and romance! (Goodreads)

School Spirits is a spin-off novel from Rachel Hawkins’ Hex Hall series. I adored the Hex Hall series, and I was super excited to finally start School Spirits. I’ve had the book on my to-read list for quite some time, but I never had a chance to check it out. Then I discovered that my library had the audiobook for it, and I decided to give it a listen. I enjoyed it so much!

The characters in the story are great.  Izzy is related to Sophie from the Hex Hall series, and she was such a great character. She was determined and headstrong, and also very mature for her age. It was fun seeing her first real experience at high school, after being homeschooled all her life. Seeing the world that we saw in Hex Hall through Izzy’s eyes was definitely interesting, and I enjoyed the different point of view.

The secondary characters are awesome as well. I really love Izzy’s mom, and also the new friends that she meets at her new school. They were all very interesting. But the most interesting is Torin, the warlock who was stuck in the mirror. I absolutely fascinated with Torin, and I’m dying to know more of his story!

There was not as much magic and monsters in this book as there were in the Hex Hall series, but there was enough to keep me entertained. They storyline mainly revolved around one particular witch, which was awesome, as they are some of my most favorite paranormals to read about.

Overall; I really enjoyed this spinoff novel! I am super curious to see if there’s going to be a sequel, as the end of the book was left to where there definitely could be one. I’d love to read it if there is!

Until Midnight by Melissa Landers * Free Ebook & Giveaway! *

UNTIL MIDNIGHT is here…and it’s FREE!

Happy Holidays, everyone! I’m Melissa Landers, author of the Alienated series, and I have a present for you—a brand new e-short from Disney Hyperion!

UNTIL MIDNIGHT takes place onboard an intergalactic transport, soon after ALIENATED ends and before the sequel INVADED begins. The story details Aelyx and Cara’s last day together before he returns to Earth to mend the alliance and she continues to his home planet. It’s sweet and romantic, and as a bonus, it includes a four-chapter preview of the sequel, which releases February 3^rd.

Oh, and did I mention the best part? IT’S FREE!

You can download UNTIL MIDNIGHT from the following e-tailers:

Kindle: http://amzn.to/1walSLX

Nook: http://bit.ly/1zshdpx

iBooks: http://bit.ly/1sT4CnM

Kobo: http://bit.ly/1AIb45a

Google Play: http://bit.ly/1v06kVd

*If you live outside the USA, no worries. I’ve uploaded the story to Scribd for you. (The only downside is it doesn’t include the bonus preview chapters, due to technical reasons from the publisher.) Link: http://www.scribd.com/AuthorMelissaLanders

To celebrate this new release, I’m offering TWO lucky winners an autographed swag pack complete with a personalized bookplate, mini-poster, bookmarks, and stickers—open internationally! Just fill out the rafflecopter form below.

Best of luck, and happy reading!

BIO: Melissa Landers writes romantic science fiction for teens and the young at heart. To learn more, or just to say hello, visit her at www.melissa-landers.com

 

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Review: This Shattered World by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

This Shattered World
(Starbound #2)
by Amie Kaufman    (Website | Twitter | Facebook)
& Meagan Spooner  (Website | Twitter | Facebook)

Publication Date: December 23rd 2014
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Pages: 390
ISBN: 9781423171034
Genre: Young Adult | Sci-Fi
Source: Netgalley

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Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

The second installment in the epic Starbound trilogy introduces a new pair of star-crossed lovers on two sides of a bloody war.

Jubilee Chase and Flynn Cormac should never have met.

Lee is captain of the forces sent to Avon to crush the terraformed planet's rebellious colonists, but she has her own reasons for hating the insurgents.

Rebellion is in Flynn's blood. Terraforming corporations make their fortune by recruiting colonists to make the inhospitable planets livable, with the promise of a better life for their children. But they never fulfilled their promise on Avon, and decades later, Flynn is leading the rebellion.

Desperate for any advantage in a bloody and unrelentingly war, Flynn does the only thing that makes sense when he and Lee cross paths: he returns to base with her as prisoner. But as his fellow rebels prepare to execute this tough-talking girl with nerves of steel, Flynn makes another choice that will change him forever. He and Lee escape the rebel base together, caught between two sides of a senseless war. (Goodreads)

I was super excited to read This Shattered World, especially after having read and loved These Broken Stars last year. I couldn’t wait to see what adventure Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner were going to take us on next, and now having read the book, I definitely was not disappointed.

Our two main characters in the story are Jubilee Chase and Flynn Cormac, two people that never should have met, as one is a military captain and the other is a Rebellion leader. They have nothing in common, except both living on the terraformed planet, Avon. But once their paths cross, their futures are changed forever.

Jubilee and Flynn were both really great characters, and each for different and similar reasons.  Both were strong and determined and held fast to their beliefs, even when they worried if they were doing the right thing or not. And when they worked together, they make a really great team. One thing that I really loved about the romance between the two was that while it was super intense at times, there was no insta-love between the two. Most of the time the characters were super unsure of each other, but given the situation that they were forced into, a strong bond was formed between the two that wasn’t built on lust, but on learning  to trust. It was a refreshing change to those books where the characters instantly fall in love.

The world-building for the book was really creative, and still really different than that in the previous book. I can’t imagine even living on this planet where this story takes place, and not just because of the almost uninhabitable environment of the planet, but the constant worry about the Fury taking over someone and making them go completely insane. Also there is the storyline for the book, while different, still managed to flow alongside the storyline in the previous book. We even get to see some characters from the previous book, which I absolutely loved that they were included in the novel.

Overall; If you loved These Broken Stars, you’re definitely going to enjoy This Shattered World. This was a really great sequel, and I can’t wait to get my hands on the third book in this Starbound series once it is released. If you haven’t yet checked out this series, I highly recommend that you do so!

Waiting on Wednesday #176 - Emeralds & Ashes by Leila Rasheed

Emeralds & Ashes
(At Somerton #3)
by Leila Rasheed
Website | Twitter

Publication Date: January 6th 2015 (ebook)
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
ASIN: B00PV45EWO



Available for Pre-Order:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

In the third and final book in our romantic historical YA series, heroes emerge and tragedies unfold as the servant and gentry at Somerton Court face World War I.

The murmurs of war have turned into a bloody conflict that will touch the lives of every member of the Somerton household.

Despite the pleas of his family, Lord Averley steps forward as soon as the call is made for men to fight the Western front. Mere weeks later, the news arrives: Lord Averley has been killed in the Battle of Marne. Without an obvious heir, Somerton falls into chaos. Half of the staff has already left for the war or industrial work.

Sebastian Templeton can no longer show his face in public. Ever since the publication of a now infamous photo of him and his former valet embracing, an unspeakable word has followed Sebastian everywhere--a word with the power to destroy a man's reputation forever. Knowing charges and a trial will soon follow, Sebastian does the only thing he can think of to escape: he volunteers for a war he feels is senseless and despicable, leaving beyind the boy he loves, but knows can never have.

Meanwhile, after a whirlwind romance with the Duke of Huntly, Rose Averley finds herself trapped in Egypt when war breaks out during their honeymoon. Alexander vows to return Rose to home and safety, but with no end in sight, Rose knows she cannot sit idle as those around her suffer.

In the final installment of the At Somerton series, the war to end all wars will take an unbearable toll on the household and leave each member forever changed. (Goodreads)

If you've not yet read the At Somerton series, I highly recommend that you do so!
I love these books, especially because they remind me so much of Downton Abbey.
I absolutely love this time period, and they story and characters are OH SO GOOD!
I can't wait to finally read this third book in the series.
Hurry January!!

(I haven't been able to find any information for the hardback release of this book,  so I'm going by the ebook release date.)

**"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine,
that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.**

Rogue Wave Prize Pack Giveaway!!

ROGUE WAVE

Book 2 in The Waterfire Saga

by Jennifer Donnelly

In stores January 6th!!

Pre-Order your copy today!

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-A-Million | Indiebound | Indigo

About Rogue Wave:

In this exciting sequel to DEEP BLUE, the mermaids are on an exceedingly important and dangerous quest. Their journey is testing their skills and their friendships, forcing them to grow and take on new challenges, and will alter their lives forever.

Serafina, Neela, Ling, Ava, Becca, and Astrid, six mermaids from realms scattered throughout the seas and freshwaters, were summoned by the leader of the river witches to learn an incredible truth: the mermaids are direct descendants of the Six Who Ruled–powerful mages who once governed the lost empire of Atlantis. The ancient evil that destroyed Atlantis is stirring again, and only the mermaids can defeat it. To do so, they need to find magical talismans that belonged to the Six.

Serafina believes her talisman was buried with an old shipwreck. While researching its location, she is almost discovered by a death rider patrol led by someone familiar. . . . The pain of seeing him turned traitor is devastating.

Neela travels to Matali to warn her parents of the grave threat facing their world.  But they find her story outlandish; a sign that she needs to be confined to her chamber for rest and recovery. She escapes and travels to Kandina, where her talisman is in the possession of fearsome razormouth dragons.

As they hunt for their talismans, both Serafina and Neela find reserves of courage and cunning they didn't know they possessed. They face down danger and death, only to endure a game-changing betrayal, as shocking as a rogue wave.

About Deep Blue:

Deep in the ocean, in a world not so different from our own, live the merpeople. Their communities are spread throughout the oceans, seas, and freshwaters all over the globe.

When Serafina, a mermaid of the Mediterranean Sea, awakens on the morning of her betrothal, her biggest worry should be winning the love of handsome Prince Mahdi. And yet Sera finds herself haunted by strange dreams that foretell the return of an ancient evil. Her dark premonitions are confirmed when an assassin’s arrow poisons Sera's mother. Now, Serafina must embark on a quest to find the assassin’s master and prevent a war between the Mer nations.

Led only by her shadowy dreams, Sera searches for five other mermaid heroines who are scattered across the six seas. Together, they will form an unbreakable bond of sisterhood and uncover a conspiracy that threatens their world’s very existence.

Jennifer Donnelly is an award-winning author of both adult and young adult books, including Deep Blue, the first book in the Waterfire Saga. For adults she has written a trilogy of best-selling books that includes The Tea Rose, The Winter Rose, and The Wild Rose. Her first young adult novel, A Northern Light, received many accolades, among them the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, a Carnegie Medal in the UK, and a Michael L. Printz Honor. Her second young adult novel, Revolution, was named a Best Book of 2010 by Kirkus Reviews and School Library Journal, and the audiobook received a 2011 American Library Association Odyssey Honor. She lives in New York's Hudson Valley.

Visit the Official Website for The Waterfire Saga

Visit the author online at www.jenniferdonnelly.com 

Catch up on DEEP BLUE and prepare for your holiday parties with the Principessa colors!

Winner receives:

·         a copy of Deep Blue

·         custom Deep Blue and Rogue Wave nail polishes

Prizing & samples courtesy of Disney-Hyperion

Giveaway open to US addresses only

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Review: Stitching Snow by R.C. Lewis

Stitching Snow
by R. C. Lewis
Website | Twitter | Facebook

Publication Date: October 14th 2014
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Pages: 336
ISBN: 9781423185079
Genre: Young Adult | Retelling | Sci-Fi
Source: Netgalley

Add to Goodreads

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Princess Snow is missing.

Her home planet is filled with violence and corruption at the hands of King Matthias and his wife as they attempt to punish her captors. The king will stop at nothing to get his beloved daughter back-but that's assuming she wants to return at all.

Essie has grown used to being cold. Temperatures on the planet Thanda are always sub-zero, and she fills her days with coding and repairs for the seven loyal drones that run the local mines.

When a mysterious young man named Dane crash-lands near her home, Essie agrees to help the pilot repair his ship. But soon she realizes that Dane's arrival was far from accidental, and she's pulled into the heart of a war she's risked everything to avoid.

In her enthralling debut, R.C. Lewis weaves the tale of a princess on the run from painful secrets . . . and a poisonous queen. With the galaxy's future-and her own-in jeopardy, Essie must choose who to trust in a fiery fight for survival. (Goodreads)

I was really looking forward to reading Stitching Snow as I’ve really enjoyed most of the fairy-tale retellings that I’ve read lately, and I couldn’t wait to see how this story went. The book definitely did not disappoint!

Essie, also known as Princess Snow, is the missing daughter of King Matthias, who will stop at nothing to get Essie back. But that’s proving to be a bit impossible because she’s well hidden on the freezing planet Thanda, where she spends her days coding and repairing drones that work in the local mines, making life a whole lot easier, and safer, for the miners on the planet. But all that changes when newcomer Dane crash-lands near her home, and changes her world completely.

Essie was a really interesting character. I was definitely able to relate to her being a bit of a loner, for the most part. She was also super smart when it came to coding and building her drones and working on computers. I love the work that she did on the drones, and these drones in particular were really awesome as well. She was a very strong-willed, determined and very stubborn, which made me like her a whole lot.

Dane was a really interesting character as well. I appreciated his determination to keep Essie safe, despite the fact that he felt he had to kidnap her to get what he wanted out of her in the beginning. (I know, I know… without this happening, it would have impacted the story differently, but still.) I also appreciated that their relationship wasn’t insta-love in any way. The relationship had a very rocky start and grew over time, but in the end was really cute.

The storyline for the book was very interesting and kept me intrigued as I turned the pages. I enjoyed that while this was a retelling of Snow White, it also had a sci-fi theme to it. It definitely kept me turning the pages.

Overall, I found Stitching Snow to be an enjoyable read. I’m really looking forward to reading more by this author in the future!

Waiting On Wednesday #147 - This Shattered World by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner

This Shattered World
(Starbound #2)
by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner
Website | Twitter  *  Website | Twitter

Publication Date: December 23rd 2014
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
ISBN: 9781423171034



Available for Pre-Order: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

The second installment in our epic Starbound trilogy introduces a new pair of star-crossed lovers on two sides of a bloody war.

Jubilee Chase and Flynn Cormac should never have met.

Lee is captain of the forces sent to Avon to crush the terraformed planet's rebellious colonists, but she has her own reasons for hating the insurgents.

Rebellion is in Flynn's blood. Terraforming corporations make their fortune by recruiting colonists to make the inhospitable planets livable, with the promise of a better life for their children. But they never fulfilled their promise on Avon, and decades later, Flynn is leading the rebellion.

Desperate for any advantage in a bloody and unrelentingly war, Flynn does the only thing that makes sense when he and Lee cross paths: he returns to base with her as prisoner. But as his fellow rebels prepare to execute this tough-talking girl with nerves of steel, Flynn makes another choice that will change him forever. He and Lee escape the rebel base together, caught between two sides of a senseless war.

The stunning second novel in the Starbound trilogy is an unforgettable story of love and forgiveness in a world torn apart by war. (Goodreads)

First off -- If you haven't read These Broken Stars,
I definitely recommend that you do so.
As soon as possible.
Seriously, the book was fantastic.

I'm ECSTATIC to see the cover for This Shattered World!!
The synopsis for the book sounds amazing.
I can't wait to get back into this world.
HURRY DECEMBER!!

What are you WAITING for this week??

**"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine,
that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.**

Review: Deep Blue by Jennifer Donnelly

Deep Blue
(Waterfire Saga #1)
by Jennifer Donnelly
Website | Twitter | Facebook

Publication Date: 9781423133162
Publisher: Disney Press
Pages: 320
ISBN: 9781423133162
Genre: Young Adult | Mermaids
Source: Arc from Publisher

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The first in a series of four epic tales set in the depths of the ocean, where six mermaids seek to protect and save their hidden world.

Deep in the ocean, in a world not so different from our own, live the merpeople. Their communities are spread throughout the oceans, seas, and freshwaters all over the globe.

When Serafina, a mermaid of the Mediterranean Sea, awakens on the morning of her betrothal, her biggest worry should be winning the love of handsome Prince Mahdi. And yet Sera finds herself haunted by strange dreams that foretell the return of an ancient evil. Her dark premonitions are confirmed when an assassin's arrow poisons Sera's mother. Now, Serafina must embark on a quest to find the assassin's master and prevent a war between the Mer nations. Led only by her shadowy dreams, Sera searches for five other mermaid heroines who are scattered across the six seas. Together, they will form an unbreakable bond of sisterhood and uncover a conspiracy that threatens their world's very existence. (Goodreads)

I was super excited to start Jennifer Donnelly’s Deep Blue, as I have heard great things about the author, but have never had a chance to read any of her books before. After receiving a copy of Deep Blue in the mail, I was super curious to try the book out. Here are my thoughts on this book.

The story is about a young mermaid named Serafina, whose life changes in an instant on the day of her betrothal. On the run, with her city now in ruins, Sera and her best friend Neela must try their best to escape the evil that threatens them, and find a way to save the sea from the one who wants to destroy everything.

The story is told from our two main characters points of view.  Serafina and Neela were both interesting characters, and each in their own particular way. They had a really great friendship, and both were determined to keep each other safe from the people that wanted to harm them. They both had qualities that helped them out when they really needed them. I really liked not only their determination, but their friendship as well. The story mainly revolves around friendship between the two girls, so there’s not really much romance in the book, just a bit at the beginning.

The world building for the book was quite fascinating, as Donnelly literally built this world from the ground up. It has its own language and objects, character names, etc. The story could get a bit confusing at times because there are SO many words that we don’t know, that belong specifically to this world Donnelly created, that I have to stop and try to remember what the word meant. It got a little better the more that I read, but it definitely slowed my reading processing in the first part of the book. There was quite a bit of action in the book, mainly the girls running from the bad guys. Every time I turned the page it seemed like they were fixing to get caught.  That definitely kept me turning the pages.

Overall; I thought this book was a really interesting read. I’ve not read too many mermaid books, so it’s kind of hard for me to compare them. I definitely think younger girls will enjoy reading this book.

Giveaway: Deep Blue by Jennifer Donnelly

Deep Blue
(Waterfire Saga #1)
by Jennifer Donnelly

In Stores May 6th, 2014

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About the Book:

The first in a series of epic tales set in the depths of the ocean, where six mermaids seek to protect and save their hidden world.

Deep in the ocean, in a world not so different from our own, live the merpeople. Their communities are spread throughout the oceans, seas, and freshwaters all over the globe.

When Serafina, a mermaid of the Mediterranean Sea, awakens on the morning of her betrothal, her biggest worry should be winning the love of handsome Prince Mahdi. And yet Sera finds herself haunted by strange dreams that foretell the return of an ancient evil. Her dark premonitions are confirmed when an assassin’s arrow poisons Sera's mother.

Now, Serafina must embark on a quest to find the assassin’s master and prevent a war between the Mer nations. Led only by her shadowy dreams, Sera searches for five other mermaid heroines who are scattered across the six seas. Together, they will form an unbreakable bond of sisterhood and uncover a conspiracy that threatens their world’s very existence.

About the Author:

Jennifer Donnelly is an award-winning author of both adult and young adult books, including Deep Blue, the first book in the Waterfire Saga. For adults she has written a trilogy of best-selling books that includes The Tea Rose, The Winter Rose, and The Wild Rose. Her first young adult novel, A Northern Light, received many accolades, among them the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, a Carnegie Medal in the UK, and a Michael L. Printz Honor. Her second young adult novel, Revolution, was named a Best Book of 2010 by Kirkus Reviews and School Library Journal, and the audiobook received a 2011 American Library Association Odyssey Honor. She lives in New York’s Hudson Valley.

Giveaway Details:

“Pretty Principessa” Prize Pack

Two (2) winners each receive:
Custom Deep Blue nail polish set and copy of the book

Prizing & samples  courtesy of Disney Publishing
Giveaway open to US addresses only

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