Waiting on Wednesday #319 - A Reaper at the Gates & Eden Conquered

Reaper at the Gates
(Ember Quartet #3)
by Sabaa Tahir
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Publication Date: June 12th 2018
Publisher: Razorbill
ISBN: 9780448494500

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Beyond the Empire and within it, the threat of war looms ever larger.

The Blood Shrike, Helene Aquilla, is assailed on all sides. Emperor Marcus, haunted by his past, grows increasingly unstable, while the Commandant capitalizes on his madness to bolster her own power. As Helene searches for a way to hold back the approaching darkness, her sister's life and the lives of all those in the Empire hang in the balance.

Far to the east, Laia of Serra knows the fate of the world lies not in the machinations of the Martial court, but in stopping the Nightbringer. But while hunting for a way to bring him down, Laia faces unexpected threats from those she hoped would aid her, and is drawn into a battle she never thought she'd have to fight.

And in the land between the living and the dead, Elias Veturius has given up his freedom to serve as Soul Catcher. But in doing so, he has vowed himself to an ancient power that will stop at nothing to ensure Elias's devotion–even at the cost of his humanity. (Goodreads)

I am embarressingly behind on this series, but I'm really excited to get caught up on it!
I really enjoyed the first book, An Ember in the Ashes, but I will definitely

have to re-read it before continuing along with the series.
At least I can read the series back to back when this is released!!

Eden Conquered
(Dividing Eden #2)
by Joelle Charbonneau
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Publication Date: June 5th 2018
Publisher: HarperTeen
ISBN: 9780062453891

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The electrifying conclusion to the Dividing Eden series by the New York Times bestselling author of the Testing trilogy, Joelle Charbonneau..

The Trials of Virtuous Succession have ended. Prince Andreus is king—and Princess Carys is dead.

But even as he’s haunted by what he did to win the throne, Andreus discovers that his dream of ruling only brings new problems. The people love his twin even more in death than they did when she was alive. The Elders treat him as a figurehead. And worst of all, the winds of Eden are faltering.

But despite what everyone believes, Carys is alive. Exiled to the wilderness, Carys struggles to control the powers that have broken free inside her. And as she grows stronger, so does her conviction that she must return to the Palace of Winds, face her twin and root out the treachery that began long before the first Trials started.

The Kingdom of Eden is growing darker with each passing day. Brother and sister, former foes, must decide whether some betrayals cut too deep to be forgiven—and whether one will wear the crown or both will lose everything. (Goodreads)

I haven't actually started this series, but I've been meaning to for a while now.
The story sounds really interesting, and I can't wait to read these books together as well!!

Those are my WOW picks 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.**

Waiting on Wednesday #306 - A Reaper at the Gates by Sabaa Tahir and Ash Princess by Laura Sebastian

A Reaper at the Gates
(An Ember in the Ashes #3)
by Sabaa Tahir
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Publication Date: June 12th 2018
Publisher: Razorbill
ISBN: 9780448494500

Add to Goodreads

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

Beyond the Empire and within it, the threat of war looms ever larger.

The Blood Shrike, Helene Aquilla, is assailed on all sides. Emperor Marcus, haunted by his past, grows increasingly unstable, while the Commandant capitalizes on his madness to bolster her own power. As Helene searches for a way to hold back the approaching darkness, her sister’s life and the lives of all those in the Empire hang in the balance.

Far to the east, Laia of Serra knows the fate of the world lies not in the machinations of the Martial court, but in stopping the Nightbringer. But while hunting for a way to bring him down, Laia faces unexpected threats from those she hoped would aid her, and is drawn into a battle she never thought she’d have to fight.

And in the land between the living and the dead, Elias Veturius has given up his freedom to serve as Soul Catcher. But in doing so, he has vowed himself to an ancient power that will stop at nothing to ensure Elias’s devotion—even at the cost of his humanity. (Goodreads)

Admittedly, I am a little behind on this series. I read the first book and really enjoyed it, but haven't yet read the second book, even though I own it as well. I'm hoping to re-read the first book soon so that I can finally read the second book, and then read this one as well!

I also have to admit that I'm seriously bummed about the cover changes mid-series. As I mentioned, I have copies of the first two books, and they are the old covers. Bummer!

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Ash Princess
(Ash Princess Trilogy #1)
by Laura Sebastian
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Publication Date: April 24th 2018
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
ISBN: 9781524767068

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Theodosia was six when her country was invaded and her mother, the Queen of Flame and Fury, was murdered before her eyes. Ten years later, Theo has learned to survive under the relentless abuse of the Kaiser and his court as the ridiculed “Ash Princess.” Pretending to be empty-headed and naive when she's not enduring brutal whippings, she pushes down all other thoughts but one: Keep the Kaiser happy and he will keep you safe.

When the Kaiser forces her to execute her last hope of rescue, Theo can't keep her feelings and memories pushed down any longer. She vows revenge, throwing herself into a plot to seduce and murder the Kaiser's warrior son with the help of a group of magically gifted and volatile rebels. But Theo doesn't expect to develop feelings for the Prinz. Or for her rebel allies to challenge her friendship with the one person who's been kind to her throughout the last hopeless decade: her heart's sister, Cress.

Cornered into impossible choices and unable to trust even those who are on her side, Theo will have to decide how far she's willing to go to save her people and how much of herself she's willing to sacrifice to become queen. (Goodreads)

Does my second pick for this week sound really awesome, or what? (Plus that book cover is pretty stunning as well!) I am super curious about this one, and I can't wait to check it out ASAP!!

Those are my picks for the week, now it's your turn!!

**"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 #242 - A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir

A Torch Against the Night
(An Ember in the Ashes #2)
by Sabaa Tahir
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Publication Date: Razorbill
Publisher: August 30th 2016
ISBN: 9781101998878


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A Torch Against the Night takes readers into the heart of the Empire as Laia and Elias fight their way north to liberate Laia’s brother from the horrors of Kauf Prison. Hunted by Empire soldiers, manipulated by the Commandant, and haunted by their pasts, Laia and Elias must outfox their enemies and confront the treacherousness of their own hearts.

In the city of Serra, Helene Aquilla finds herself bound to the will of the Empire’s twisted new leader, Marcus. When her loyalty is questioned, Helene finds herself taking on a mission to prove herself—a mission that might destroy her, instead. (Goodreads)

Can I just have this book already??
Do I really have to wait until August to read it??
Sigh. LOL!
I loved An Ember in the Ashes,
and I'm SO curious to see what's going to happen next for Laia.
Also, that cover is Gorgeous!!

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

Review: An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

An Ember in the Ashes
by Sabaa Tahir
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Publication Date: April 28th 2015
Publisher: Razorbill
Pages: 464
ISBN: 9781595148032
Genre: Young Adult | Fantasy | High Fantasy
Source: First To Read

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I WILL TELL YOU THE SAME THING I TELL EVERY SLAVE.

THE RESISTANCE HAS TRIED TO PENETRATE THIS SCHOOL COUNTLESS TIMES. I HAVE DISCOVERED IT EVERY TIME.

IF YOU ARE WORKING WITH THE RESISTANCE, IF YOU CONTACT THEM, IF YOU THINK OF CONTACTING THEM, I WILL KNOW

AND I WILL DESTROY YOU.

Laia is a slave.
Elias is a soldier.
Neither is free.

Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear.

It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do.

But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy.

There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself. (Goodreads)

As soon as I discovered An Ember in the Ashes, I knew I had to get my hands on this book. When the opportunity rose for me get an advance copy of the book, I jumped! Knowing that this could be one of the biggest books of the year, I knew I’d have to read it. And I am SO glad that I did.

The world in which Laia lived was super harsh and so very cruel. Being a slave, she was subject to so many things that would break a normal person, including being punished in the worst ways possible by her ‘owner’, who also happened to be the commandant at the military school. Elias is a soldier in the school, and life should be so much easier for him, but it’s not. He doesn’t agree with the way things are, and he wants out. And he’s determined to get out. When these two characters paths cross, they discover that they are just what each other needs to survive. Laila and Elias are such great characters. The relationship between the two is complicated, and is also mixed in with two other secondary characters in the novel. But together, they are great. There are some really great secondary characters in the novel as well. There are a few that you’re going to love, and a few that you will hate so much.

I love the world that Tahir created in this novel, although it’s not one that I would want to live in At All. But it was super creative and unique, like no other world I’ve read about before. The ending of this book left me SO excited for the next book. I absolutely can’t wait to get my hands on it, as I MUST know what is going to happen next for these characters and the story!!!

Overall; If you’re a fan of high fantasy novels, you’re definitely going to want to check this book out as soon as possible. The story and the world-building for this book is so very creative, and you can’t help but love the characters. I can’t wait for the next book in the series; I hope it is as awesome as the first!!