February had some great releases, but so does March! Just take a look at these beauties hitting bookshelves soon.

My most anticipated release is Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor!

Traitor to the Throne by Alwyn Hamilton   - March 7th

Mere months ago, gunslinger Amani al'Hiza fled her dead-end hometown on the back of a mythical horse with the mysterious foreigner Jin, seeking only her own freedom. Now she's fighting to liberate the entire desert nation of Miraji from a bloodthirsty sultan who slew his own father to capture the throne.

When Amani finds herself thrust into the epicenter of the regime—the Sultan's palace—she's determined to bring the tyrant down. Desperate to uncover the Sultan's secrets by spying on his court, she tries to forget that Jin disappeared just as she was getting closest to him, and that she's a prisoner of the enemy. But the longer she remains, the more she questions whether the Sultan is really the villain she's been told he is, and who’s the real traitor to her sun-bleached, magic-filled homeland.


The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco - March 7th

The beast raged; it punctured the air with its spite. But the girl was fiercer.

Tea is different from the other witches in her family. Her gift for necromancy makes her a bone witch, who are feared and ostracized in the kingdom. For theirs is a powerful, elemental magic that can reach beyond the boundaries of the living—and of the human.

Great power comes at a price, forcing Tea to leave her homeland to train under the guidance of an older, wiser bone witch. There, Tea puts all of her energy into becoming an asha, learning to control her elemental magic and those beasts who will submit by no other force. And Tea must be strong—stronger than she even believes possible. Because war is brewing in the eight kingdoms, war that will threaten the sovereignty of her homeland…and threaten the very survival of those she loves.


The Inexplicable Logic of My Life by Benjamin Alire Sáenz - March 7th

From the multi-award-winning author of Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe comes a gorgeous new story about love, identity, and families lost and found.

Sal used to know his place with his adoptive gay father, their loving Mexican-American family, and his best friend, Samantha. But it’s senior year, and suddenly Sal is throwing punches, questioning everything, and realizing he no longer knows himself. If Sal’s not who he thought he was, who is he?



Goodbye Days by Jeff Zentner - March 7th


Can a text message destroy your life?

Carver Briggs never thought a simple text would cause a fatal crash, killing his three best friends, Mars, Eli, and Blake. Now Carver can’t stop blaming himself for the accident and even worse, there could be a criminal investigation into the deaths.

Then Blake’s grandmother asks Carver to remember her grandson with a ‘goodbye day’ together. Carver has his misgivings, but he starts to help the families of his lost friends grieve with their own memorial days, along with Eli’s bereaved girlfriend Jesmyn. But not everyone is willing to forgive. Carver’s own despair and guilt threatens to pull him under into panic and anxiety as he faces punishment for his terrible mistake. Can the goodbye days really help?


Hunted by Meagan Spooner - March 14th

Beauty knows the Beast’s forest in her bones—and in her blood. Though she grew up with the city’s highest aristocrats, far from her father’s old lodge, she knows that the forest holds secrets and that her father is the only hunter who’s ever come close to discovering them.





A Crown of Wishes by Roshani Chokshi - March 28th

Gauri, the princess of Bharata, has been taken as a prisoner of war by her kingdom’s enemies. Faced with a future of exile and scorn, Gauri has nothing left to lose. Hope unexpectedly comes in the form of Vikram, the cunning prince of a neighboring land and her sworn enemy kingdom. Unsatisfied with becoming a mere puppet king, Vikram offers Gauri a chance to win back her kingdom in exchange for her battle prowess. Together, they’ll have to set aside their differences and team up to win the Tournament of Wishes—a competition held in a mythical city where the Lord of Wealth promises a wish to the victor.





Blood Rose Rebellion by Rosalyn Eves - March 28th

The thrilling first book in a YA fantasy trilogy for fans of Red Queen. In a world where social prestige derives from a trifecta of blood, money, and magic, one girl has the ability to break the spell that holds the social order in place.






Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor - March 28th

The dream chooses the dreamer, not the other way around— and Lazlo Strange, war orphan and junior librarian, has always feared that his dream chose poorly. Since he was five years old he's been obsessed with the mythic lost city of Weep, but it would take someone bolder than he to cross half the world in search of it. Then a stunning opportunity presents itself, in the person of a hero called the Godslayer and a band of legendary warriors, and he has to seize his chance to lose his dream forever.

I don't know about you, but 2017 is looking to be a pretty promising year for YA fiction, especially fantasy and sci-fi - my favs! Below are a only few of the *many* releases coming out this month, but the ones I'm most looking forward to or have heard the most about.

My most anticipated release is A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab!! Of course it won't be here until February 21st but all good things come to those who wait, right?

Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones  - February 7th

Beware the goblin men and the wares they sell.

All her life, nineteen-year-old Liesl has heard tales of the beautiful, mysterious Goblin King. He is the Lord of Mischief, the Ruler Underground, and the muse around which her music is composed. Yet, as Liesl helps shoulder the burden of running her family’s inn, her dreams of composition and childish fancies about the Goblin King must be set aside in favor of more practical concerns.


But when her sister Käthe is taken by the goblins, Liesl journeys to their realm to rescue her sister and return her to the world above. The Goblin King agrees to let Käthe go—for a price. The life of a maiden must be given to the land, in accordance with the old laws. A life for a life, he says. Without sacrifice, nothing good can grow. Without death, there can be no rebirth. In exchange for her sister’s freedom, Liesl offers her hand in marriage to the Goblin King. He accepts.

Down in the Underground, Liesl discovers that the Goblin King still inspires her—musically, physically, emotionally. Yet even as her talent blossoms, Liesl’s life is slowly fading away, the price she paid for becoming the Goblin King’s bride. As the two of them grow closer, they must learn just what it is they are each willing to sacrifice: her life, her music, or the end of the world.


Empress of a Thousand Skies by Rhoda Belleza - February 7th

Empress
Rhee, also known as Crown Princess Rhiannon Ta’an, is the sole surviving heir to a powerful dynasty. She’ll stop at nothing to avenge her family and claim her throne.

Fugitive
Aly has risen above his war refugee origins to find fame as the dashing star of a DroneVision show. But when he’s falsely accused of killing Rhee, he's forced to prove his innocence to save his reputation – and his life.

Madman
With planets on the brink of war, Rhee and Aly are thrown together to confront a ruthless evil that threatens the fate of the entire galaxy.

A saga of vengeance, warfare, and the true meaning of legacy.


Starfall by Melissa Landers - February 7th

When Princess Cassia Rose fled her home world of Eturia to escape an arranged marriage, she had no idea her sudden departure would spark a war. Now after two years hiding as a ship hand, she is finally returning to her beloved home, but not in the way she imagined. Shackled by bounty hunters, she is violently dragged back to account for her crimes. Her only solace is that the Banshee crew managed to evade capture, including Kane Arric, her best friend...with occasional benefits.

Meanwhile, Kane and the rest of the crew of the Banshee plan a desperate rescue mission. But when they arrive on Eturia, Cassia isn't exactly in need of heroics—she's claimed her birthright as Eturia's queen, but has inherited a war-torn planet simmering with rebellion. Cassia must make alliances, and Kane, the bastard son of a merchant, isn't a choice that will earn her any friends. Kane knows he will never find someone to replace Cassia—and is certain she returns his feelings—but how can he throw away his own promising future waiting on a queen?

When the outer realm is threatened by the dangerous Zhang mafia, Cassia, Kane and the rest of the Banshee crew uncover a horrifying conspiracy that endangers the entire universe. In the face of unspeakable evil, Cassia must confront her own family's complicated legacy on Eturia and decide once and for all who her real family is.



Gilded Cage by Vic James - February 14th

Not all are free. Not all are equal. Not all will be saved.

Our world belongs to the Equals — aristocrats with magical gifts — and all commoners must serve them for ten years. But behind the gates of England's grandest estate lies a power that could break the world.

A girl thirsts for love and knowledge.

Abi is a servant to England's most powerful family, but her spirit is free. So when she falls for one of the noble-born sons, Abi faces a terrible choice. Uncovering the family's secrets might win her liberty, but will her heart pay the price?

A boy dreams of revolution.

Abi's brother, Luke, is enslaved in a brutal factory town. Far from his family and cruelly oppressed, he makes friends whose ideals could cost him everything. Now Luke has discovered there may be a power even greater than magic: revolution.

And an aristocrat will remake the world with his dark gifts.

He is a shadow in the glittering world of the Equals, with mysterious powers no one else understands. But will he liberate—or destroy?


The Valiant by Lesley Livingston - February 14th

The youngest daughter of a proud Celtic king, Fallon has always lived in the shadow of her older sister Sorcha's legendary reputation as a warrior. But when Fallon was a young child, the armies of Julius Caesar invaded the island of Britain and her beloved older sister was killed in battle.

On the eve of her seventeenth birthday, Fallon is excited to follow in her sister's footsteps and earn her rightful place in her father's royal war band. But she never gets the chance. Instead, Fallon is captured by a band of ruthless brigands who sell her to an exclusive training school for female gladiators—and its most influential patron is none other than Julius Caesar himself. In a cruel twist of fate, Fallon's worst enemy, the man who destroyed her family, might be her only hope of survival.

Now, Fallon must overcome vicious rivalries, chilling threats and the dangerous attention of Caesar himself to survive the deadly fights that take place both in and out of the arena—and claim her place in history among the Valiant.



We Are Okay by Nina LaCour - February 14th

"You go through life thinking there’s so much you need. . . . Until you leave with only your phone, your wallet, and a picture of your mother."

Marin hasn’t spoken to anyone from her old life since the day she left everything behind. No one knows the truth about those final weeks. Not even her best friend Mabel. But even thousands of miles away from the California coast, at college in New York, Marin still feels the pull of the life and tragedy she’s tried to outrun. Now, months later, alone in an emptied dorm for winter break, Marin waits. Mabel is coming to visit and Marin will be forced to face everything that’s been left unsaid and finally confront the loneliness that has made a home in her heart.



A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab - February 21st

The battle between four magical Londons comes to a head in this stunning finale to the New York Times bestselling Shades of Magic trilogy by rising star V. E. Schwab.

London's fall and kingdoms rise while darkness sweeps the Maresh Empire—and the fraught balance of magic blossoms into dangerous territory while heroes and foes struggle alike. The direct sequel to
A Gathering of Shadows, and the final book in the Shades of Magic epic fantasy series, A Conjuring of Light sees Schwab reach a thrilling culmination concerning the fate of beloved protagonists—and old enemies.

Never judge a book by its cover...

Due to her involvement in an unfortunate set of mishaps between the dragons and the Fae, Librarian spy Irene is stuck on probation, doing what should be simple fetch-and-retrieve projects for the mysterious Library. But trouble has a tendency of finding both Irene and her apprentice, Kai—a dragon prince—and, before they know it, they are entangled in more danger than they can handle…

Irene’s longtime nemesis, Alberich, has once again been making waves across multiple worlds, and, this time, his goals are much larger than obtaining a single book or wreaking vengeance upon a single Librarian. He aims to destroy the entire Library—and make sure Irene goes down with it.

With so much at stake, Irene will need every tool at her disposal to stay alive. But even as she draws her allies close around her, the greatest danger might be lurking from somewhere close—someone she never expected to betray her...

The thrilling conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Tearling trilogy.

In less than a year, Kelsea Glynn has transformed from a gawky teenager into a powerful monarch. As she has come into her own as the Queen of the Tearling, the headstrong, visionary leader has also transformed her realm. In her quest to end corruption and restore justice, she has made many enemies—including the evil Red Queen, her fiercest rival, who has set her armies against the Tear. 

To protect her people from a devastating invasion, Kelsea did the unthinkable—she gave herself and her magical sapphires to her enemy—and named the Mace, the trusted head of her personal guards, Regent in her place. But the Mace will not rest until he and his men rescue their sovereign, imprisoned in Mortmesne. 

Now, as the suspenseful endgame begins, the fate of Queen Kelsea—and the Tearling itself—will finally be revealed.


The Fate of the Tearling was my most anticipated read of 2016 – I’ve had it pre-ordered since July – and was sitting on pins and needles until it arrived at my doorstep. I had been dying to know the fate of Queen Kelsea after The Invasion of the Tearling, not to mention the Guard, and everyone else!

I was excited yet reluctant to start the beginning of the end of this journey. As the final installment, I knew my time with Kelsea and the Tearling was coming to an end and I wanted to savor it, but I also needed to know how it ended. Fate is written from several different points of view, which I thought blended nicely. Each gave a different perspective of the kingdom, Kelsea, and Johansen’s world, as well as a nice mix of past and present – one of the main concepts of these books that I’ve loved. These books are fantasy and sci-fi, in a cross between the medieval and modern.

There is magic, intense battles, drama, mystery and so much more. While there is some romance, it’s not the main point or focus of the story. It’s secondary, possibly even tertiary to everything else; so refreshing!  Kelsea fiercely loves her country and wants nothing more than to set right the wrongs and evils that are eating away it. She is rational (most of the time), educated, well read, and resilient. Some of the things I love most about this series is it’s gritty, it’s dark, and it’s not afraid to show the ugly side of religion and humanity, but it also has hope. That is the underlying theme - even though things have gotten so turned upside down and seem so far gone, there is still hope of making it right if only Kelsea can find the way.

I was not disappointed but I wasn’t 100% fully captivated as I had been with the previous books, and you know what? I’m okay with that. The ending is not what I expected, but it was perfect in its way. Johansen did an amazing job wrapping up an incredible series. I know some readers will be disappointed and find it a bit lackluster, but it was good. It left me with a sense of completeness. I’m sad that it's over but I'm happy with the ending.

Librarian-spy Irene is working undercover in an alternative London when her assistant Kai goes missing. She discovers he's been kidnapped by the fae faction and the repercussions could be fatal. Not just for Kai, but for whole worlds.

Kai's dragon heritage means he has powerful allies, but also powerful enemies in the form of the fae. With this act of aggression, the fae are determined to trigger a war between their people - and the forces of order and chaos themselves.

Irene's mission to save Kai and avert Armageddon will take her to a dark, alternate Venice where it's always Carnival. Here Irene will be forced to blackmail, fast talk, and fight. Or face death.


The Masked City is book two in Genevieve Cogman’s The Invisible Library series (you can read my review of book one here). It was once again full of action, danger, suspense, magic, fae, dragons, werewolves, and chaos. Also, multidimensional travel!

Right off the bat we’re thrown into action with the kidnapping of Irene’s assistant Kai, and there’s barely a dull moment after. We see the return of characters from The Invisible Library, such as the Sherlockian Detective Vale and the overbearing fae, Lord Silver, and we’re introduced to many new characters, from Kai’s family, to those who’ve orchestrated Kai’s kidnapping, and more.

Irene is a bad-ass who risks everything to save Kai and, at the same time, try to prevent a war that could destroy worlds. She ventures into unknown worlds with nothing but her brilliant mind, a tentative and reluctant allegiance to help free Kai, and the Language. Once again, her beloved Library leaves her to fend for herself and take the weight of this task on her own shoulders, and she does a magnificent job. I love Irene. She knows she’s not super human, she knows her limits, and still manages to keep pushing on and fighting to get the job done. I liked getting to know Vale more and I hope to see his and Irene’s relationship (working or more) develop more in the next book.

If you’re a fan of world building, Cogman is a great author choice for you. She describes her alternate Venice in beautiful detail, along with the rest of the alternate worlds. I could picture myself sitting at the opera or wearing a Carnival mask on a gondola ride. I don’t want to give anything away, so I’ll stop there, but I recommend you read it and find out for yourself!


Cogman delves deep into this world and knows every inch of her universe. I got lost a few times trying to keep up, and I’ll admit I have a few questions as to how the rules of chaos and order work, and how the Library manages to keep things in order, but in the end it didn’t matter. The story was engrossing, fast paced, and so, so smart. Cogman is brilliant. The only reason I didn’t give this a 5-star review is because the ending didn’t feel like an ending! It seemed like there should have been at least another chapter or two. I couldn’t believe that was the end. It felt unfinished. There is a third installment coming this December, The Burning Page, and that’s most likely why but I felt robbed! How could you do that to me Genevieve?!

The Masked City is available in the US on September 6, 2016

*I received this book from the author in exchange for an honest review




Sixteen-year-old Marci Guerrero is one of the best teen hackers in Seattle. However, she’d give up all her talents to know she isn’t crazy.

Marci feels possessed by what she perceives as shadowy spectres that take control of her body and make her do crazy things. While spying on the clandestine group known as IgNiTe, she’s confronted by the leader, James McCray. His presence stirs the spectres inside her brain into a maddening frenzy. Her symptoms and ability to control them don’t go unnoticed by James, who soon recruits her and shows her the awful truth.

Half of the world’s population is infected by sentient parasites. They bind themselves to the human brain and replace the pathways for all thoughts and actions. The creatures then morph their hosts into grotesque monsters with extraordinary strengths. Winged, clawed, fanged half-humans become living nightmares. Now Marci wishes she was crazy, because the truth is worse.

She’s infected.


The premise behind Ignite the Shadows is very creepy. I mean, a parasitic race of sentient beings (Eklyptors) that managed to systematically work its way into controlling half the human population, without the rest of us knowing? Anyone could be one and you’d never know. Scary, right? Marci has always known there was something different about her. She’s been battling the shadows in her mind since she was 5 years old, never knowing what they were or if she’d finally succumb to them. When she meets James and the group Ignite the shadows, they finally *shed light* on what’s been plaguing her, and the world, and their fight to bring the Eklyptors down.

I’m a fan of sci-fi/fantasy and the whole concept of Eklyptors really intrigued me. They creeped me out, but intrigued me all the same. Seymour has quite a way of writing scenes that can make my skin crawl! The story is fast paced and full of action, as well as normal teenage life for Marci, well as normal as you can get for a hacker genius whose father is dead, mother is mentally checked out, and twin brother was kidnapped 30 seconds after birth.

I thought the novel was very good but I did have some problems with story. For one, there were several plot lines started and minimally explored. For example, the story line with Marci’s twin brother was really intriguing to me and seemed like it should have played a much bigger part in the book, but only had a minimal part in the story. I have a feeling we’ll see a lot more of him in book two, but I feel as a reader we could have benefitted from more of him in this one as well.

Marci was a strong character and I liked that she wasn’t just ready to take whatever crap this group, or anyone for that matter, was feeding her. She knew they weren’t giving her all the information (which, why weren’t they giving her all the information?), and she was going to protect herself. Of the several side characters, I liked James the most. While I don’t understand why he hid so much from Marci when he wanted, and needed her help, he seems like a good guy that wants to right by the world. I think we’ll find out more about him and why in book two also.


Overall, I give Ignite the Shadows 3.5 out of 5 stars. It’s a great starting point for a series and has excellent potential to grow!

I have a few books/series I'd like to re-read this year. I'm not usually big on re-reads, there are a few exceptions, my beloved Harry Potter series of course and I've read through The Hunger games a couple of times, but usually once I read a book, I either go through my usual book hangover or move on to the next one right away. There's so many new and shiny books I want to get through it's hard to set time aside to read someone I already know.

Since I've upped my reading game the last few years, I've come across so many great series that I've fallen in love with, I have a few that I'm determined to find the time and read again.

The Queen of the Tearling

Since The Fate of the Tearling is releasing in November (omg I'm dying over here waiting for this one and did you see the cover reveal yesterday?!) I really, really want to read these two again. I immediately loved Kelsea and couldn't get enough of her world, and while I'm sad her story is coming to an end, I would give my first born to get a copy of Fate early (just don't tell my husband).


Daughter of Smoke and Bone

I originally listened to the audiobooks of this series and the narrator was awesome, not to mention the story was fantastic. I received the box set for Christmas and I'm itching to read through Karou and Akiva's story again and again. Those two, I constantly find myself thinking about them and their story; it just stuck with me. It was so heartbreaking. Not to mention Laini Taylor's world building was off the charts.


Red Rising

Red Rising and Golden Son is another series I initially listened to via audiobook and recently picked up my physical copies to add to my collection. They're gritty and raw and just so bloodydamn good! Pierce Brown sure knew what he was doing with these and if you're into sci-fi, lore, dystopian fiction, this series is definitely for you. Morning Star, the third installment, just released last month and I'm only just starting it, but I know I'm going to want to reread the whole series by the end of the year.

How about you? Do you re-read books? Or are you a once and done person? Do you try or plan to read a book again and it never happens?