Waiting on Wednesday: Aru Shah and the Tree of Wishes & The Empire of Dreams

Aru Shah and the Tree of Wishes
(Pandava Quartet #3)
by Roshani Chokshi
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Publication Date: April 7th 2020
Publisher: Rick Riordan Presents
ISBN: 9781368013857

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War between the devas and the demons is imminent, and the Otherworld is on high alert. When intelligence from the human world reveals that the Sleeper is holding a powerful clairvoyant and her sister captive, 14-year-old Aru and her friends launch a search-and-rescue mission. The captives, a pair of twins, turn out to be the newest Pandava sisters, though, according to a prophecy, one sister is not true.

During the celebration of Holi, the heavenly attendants stage a massage PR rebranding campaign to convince everyone that the Pandavas are to be trusted. As much as Aru relishes the attention, she fears that she is destined to bring destruction to her sisters, as the Sleeper has predicted. Aru believes that the only way to prove her reputation is to find the Kalpavriksha, the wish-granting tree that came out of the Ocean of Milk when it was churned. If she can reach it before the Sleeper, perhaps she can turn everything around with one wish.

Careful what you wish for, Aru . . . (Goodreads)

Guys... I LOVE THIS SERIES!
And I'm super excited to see what's going to happen next in this much anticipated third book!
I know it's going to be awesome.

The Empire of Dreams
by Rae Carson
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Publication Date: April 7th 2020
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
ISBN: 9780062691903

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New York Times-bestselling author Rae Carson makes a triumphant return to the world of her award-winning Girl of Fire and Thorns trilogy in this extraordinary stand-alone novel. With action, adventure, and a heroine set on destroying the patriarchal limits meant to keep her in her place, The Empire of Dreams once again proves that Rae Carson is a master of epic fantasy.

Even though Red Sparkle Stone is a foundling orphan with an odd name and a veiled past, she's about to be adopted into the royal family—by Empress Elisa herself. Sixteen-year-old Red can hardly believe her luck. Then, in a stunning political masterstroke, the empress's greatest rival blocks the adoption, and Red is left with no family and no future.

Grieving and lost, but determined to find her place, Red hatches a daring plan: she will prove herself as a recruit for the world's most elite fighting force, the legendary Royal Guard—something no woman has done before. But it's no coincidence that someone wanted her to fail as a princess, someone whose shadowy agenda puts everything she loves at risk. As danger closes in, it will be up to Red and her new friends—and maybe some new enemies—to save the empire. If they can survive recruitment year. (Goodreads)

Ah! It has been SO long since I read the Fire and Thorns series,

but I am SOOOO excited to get back to this world!
I wish I had time re-read the books before starting this one,
but I'm too impatient to wait. lol!

•     •     •

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

Waiting on Wednesday #273 - Into the Bright Unknown by Rae Carson

Into the Bright Unknown
(The Gold Seer Trilogy #3)
by Rae Carson
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Publication Date: October 10th 2017
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
ISBN: 9780062242976


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The stunning conclusion to Rae Carson’s New York Times–bestselling Gold Seer trilogy, which Publishers Weekly in a starred review called “Simply terrific.” A historical fantasy brimming with magic, romance, and adventure—perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo, Sarah Maas, and Westworld.

Leah Westfall, her fiancé Jefferson, and her friends have become rich in the California Territory, thanks to Lee’s magical ability to sense precious gold. But their fortune has made them a target, and when a dangerous billionaire sets out to destroy them, Lee and her friends decide they’ve had enough—they will fight back with all their power and talents. Lee’s magic is continuing to strengthen and grow, but someone is on to her—someone who might have a bit of magic herself. The stakes are higher than ever as Lee and her friends hatch a daring scheme that could alter the California landscape forever. With a distinctive young heroine and a unique interpretation of American history, Into the Bright Unknown strikes a rich vein of romance, magic, and adventure, bringing the Gold Seer Trilogy to its epic conclusion. Includes a map and an author’s note. (Goodreads)

AHHHHH! Is this cover GORGEOUS, or what??
This series has to be one of my most favorites, and I can't wait to read this final book.
Though, I also seriously don't want the series to end.
Sigh. I have my copy preordered already, and I can't wait to have this in my hands!!

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

My Thoughts: Like a River Glorious by Rae Carson

Like a River Glorious
(The Gold Seer Trilogy #2)
by Rae Carson
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Publication Date: September 27th 2016
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Pages: 416
ISBN: 9780062242945
Genre: Young Adult | Fantasy | Historical Fiction
Source: Edelweiss / Own

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After a harrowing journey across the country, Leah Westfall and her friends have finally arrived in California and are ready to make their fortunes in the Gold Rush. Lee has a special advantage over the other new arrivals in California—she has the ability to sense gold, a secret known only by her handsome best friend Jefferson and her murdering uncle Hiram.

Lee and her friends have the chance to be the most prosperous settlers in California, but Hiram hasn’t given up trying to control Lee and her power. Sabotage and kidnapping are the least of what he’ll do to make sure Lee is his own. His mine is the deepest and darkest in the territory, and there Lee learns the full extent of her magical gift, the worst of her uncle, and the true strength of her friendships. To save everyone, she vows to destroy her uncle and the empire he is building—even at the cost of her own freedom.

The second epic historical fantasy in the Gold Seer trilogy by Rae Carson, the acclaimed author of The Girl of Fire and Thorns. (Goodreads)

My Thoughts...
Like a River Glorious is definitely one of my most anticipated reads of 2016. I read Walk on Earth a Stranger last year, and really, really enjoyed the unique and captivating story, and I was dying to know what was going to happen next for Leah and her crew. This sequel was great, and I'm thrilled to add it to my collection!

Leah has been a character that I have loved since I first met her in Walk on Earth a Stranger. She's such a strong, well written young lady, and I swear her character just grows more and more as the story goes along. And not just as a person, but with her ability as well, which is just amazing. She's definitely a fave character of mine, as are SO many of the secondary characters in the story. There are a LOT of them, and I really love them all!

Even though this book is 400+ pages, I devoured it in just a few hours time. It seriously felt like I was flying through the pages, and I just couldn't get enough of it. Unfortunately I do not have any other books in my collection that are set in the same time period as this book, or have the same setting. That needs to be fixed, because both are completely fascinating, and leave me wanting more. Although, as with a lot of our history, there were some things in the story that made me sad, and ANGRY. The sexism towards women made me rage, but it was the treatment of Chinese immigrants and Native American's that was completely horrific and heartbreaking. I cannot imagine living during this time period. At all. And not only because of this treatment, which is bad enough, I'm just not sure I could survive the hardships that these people faced. I'm glad there are people willing to tell us the story, so that we will know, and never forget.

Overall; Like a River Glorious is a wonderful sequel to Walk on Earth a Stranger! I'm not even more excited to get my hands on the third book, which is going to release in 2017! THAT is a book that I will be preordering as soon as possible. If you've not yet read this series, and are curious about the Gold Rush time period, you should definitely check out The Gold Seer Trilogy!!

Waiting on Wednesday 236 - Like a River Glorious by Rae Carson

Like a River Glorious
(The Gold Seer Trilogy #2)
by Rae Carson
Website | Twitter | Facebook

Publication Date: September 27th 2016
Publisher: Greenwillow
ISBN: 9780062242945


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

After a harrowing journey across the country, Leah Westfall and her friends have finally arrived in California and are ready to make their fortunes in the Gold Rush. Lee has a special advantage over the other new arrivals in California—she has the ability to sense gold, a secret known only by her handsome best friend Jefferson and her murdering uncle Hiram.

Lee and her friends have the chance to be the most prosperous settlers in California, but Hiram hasn’t given up trying to control Lee and her power. Sabotage and kidnapping are the least of what he’ll do to make sure Lee is his own. His mine is the deepest and darkest in the territory, and there Lee learns the full extent of her magical gift, the worst of her uncle, and the true strength of her friendships. To save everyone, she vows to destroy her uncle and the empire he is building—even at the cost of her own freedom.

The second epic historical fantasy in the Gold Seer trilogy by Rae Carson, the acclaimed author of The Girl of Fire and Thorns. (Goodreads)

 Ommmmmmmmmmmmmg, is this the most awesome cover, or what?
I absolutely loved Walk on Earth a Stranger,
and I'm dying to know what's going to happen next for Leah and friends.
I can't wait to get back to this story!!

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

Review: Walk On Earth A Stranger by Rae Carson

Walk on Earth a Stranger
(The Gold Seer Trilogy #1)
by Rae Carson
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Publication Date: September 22nd 2015
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Pages: 432
ISBN: 9780062242914
Genre: Young Adult | Historical | Fantasy
Source: Edelweiss

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Lee Westfall has a secret. She can sense the presence of gold in the world around her. Veins deep beneath the earth, pebbles in the river, nuggets dug up from the forest floor. The buzz of gold means warmth and life and home—until everything is ripped away by a man who wants to control her. Left with nothing, Lee disguises herself as a boy and takes to the trail across the country. Gold was discovered in California, and where else could such a magical girl find herself, find safety?

Walk on Earth a Stranger, the first book in this new trilogy, introduces—as only Rae Carson can—a strong heroine, a perilous road, a fantastical twist, and a slow-burning romance. Includes a map and author’s note on historical research. (Goodreads)

To be honest, Walk on Earth a Stranger was not at all what I expected. I went into the book expecting a story about a girl who had the ability to find gold, and proceeded to do so. That's totally not the story I got with this book at all. This is a story about a girl who loses everything she has, who ventures across the country with a talent for finding gold, and a hope for a new life.

Lee (Leah) Westfall was an amazing character; she is one of those characters who is an amazingly strong heroine who  proves time and time again that she is completely able to take care of herself, which she's totally not supposed to do since it's 1849 and she's a young lady. I love this about her so much. When everything was falling apart around her, when she could have given up and given in, she didn't. She hung in and did exactly what she had to do to survive, and I appreciate that about her so very much. I think she's definitely earned a spot on my Most Loved Heroine list!

Not only was Lee a wonderfully written character, there are SO many secondary characters throughout the story that you will fall in love with. Some you won't exactly like at first, but by the end of the story, you will love them. I'm not going to name any names, because I want you to figure it out for yourself, but you seriously can't help but love them all! Well, there are a few that you're going to really dislike, but you'll know them when you meet them as well.

I can really tell that Carson did her homework while writing this novel. She included SO many details throughout the story, all of which I could visualize perfectly as happening during the time period. The journey from Georgia to California, which now would only take days to complete, took months and months back then, only being able to go 5-15 miles a day, and then dealing with the treacherous terrain and unpredictable weather, illnesses, and food and supply shortages. I can't even begin to imagine taking this journey, but I enjoyed 'riding along' with Lee as she went on hers. The storyline for the book captivating and completely unique, I loved it, and I can't wait to get my hands on the rest of the books in the series. I really wish there were more books written in this time period as well.

I was more than a little thrilled when the city that I live in appeared in the story. It's really so hard to imagine the city as it was back then, especially when so few people lived in the area. I  really just can't imagine, especially considering all the growth and overpopulation that we have now. I would have loved to have seen the city back then, as I imagine it was a beautiful sight.

Overall; I really, really enjoyed Walk on Earth A Stranger. I can't wait for my finished copy to arrive, and for the next two books in the series to be released! I would love to know what is going to happen next for Lee and her crew. Check this book out, I know you'll enjoy it!

Happy Reading!