Jessie's End of Summer Book Haul

ARCs/Review Copies:

 Heart of Iron by Ash Poston

 Seventeen-year-old Ana is a scoundrel by nurture and an outlaw by nature. Found as a child drifting through space with a sentient android called D09, Ana was saved by a fearsome space captain and the grizzled crew she now calls family. But D09—one of the last remaining illegal Metals—has been glitching, and Ana will stop at nothing to find a way to fix him.

Ana’s desperate effort to save D09 leads her on a quest to steal the coordinates to a lost ship that could offer all the answers. But at the last moment, a spoiled Ironblood boy beats Ana to her prize. He has his own reasons for taking the coordinates, and he doesn’t care what he’ll sacrifice to keep them.

When everything goes wrong, she and the Ironblood end up as fugitives on the run. Now their entire kingdom is after them—and the coordinates—and not everyone wants them captured alive.

What they find in a lost corner of the universe will change all their lives—and unearth dangerous secrets. But when a darkness from Ana’s past returns, she must face an impossible choice: does she protect a kingdom that wants her dead or save the Metal boy she loves?

 I loved Ash Poston's debut novel - a hilarious nerdy moden reinvention of Cinderella titled Geekerella- and this blend of science fiction, space, and Anastasica could not sound more fun or original.

27 Hours by Tristina Wright 
Honor Among Thieves by Rachel Caine and Ann Aguirre  
Everless by Sara Holland (Untitled #1)  
An Alchemy of Masques and Mirrors by Curtis Craddock (The Risen Kingdoms #1)
Markswoman by Rati Mehrotra (Asiana #1) 
The Queen's Rising by Rebecca Ross (Untitled #1)

The Amber Amulet by Craig Silvey  
The Lost Season of Love and Snow by Jennifer Laam
Love, Life, and the List by Kasie West
Pashmina by Nidhi Chanani
Devils Unto Dust by Emma Berquist   
Ban This Book by Alan Gratz




Dread Nation by Justina Ireland

A story of the undead like you’ve never read before, Justina Ireland’s Dread Nation is a fresh, stunning, and powerful meditation on race in America wrapped in an alternate-history adventure where Confederate and Union soldiers rise from the dead at the end of the Civil War.

Jane McKeene was born two days before the dead began to walk the battlefields of Gettysburg and Chancellorsville—derailing the War Between the States and changing America forever. In this new nation, safety for all depends on the work of a few, and laws like the Native and Negro Reeducation Act require certain children attend combat schools to learn to put down the dead. But there are also opportunities—and Jane is studying to become an Attendant, trained in both weaponry and etiquette to protect the well-to-do. It’s a chance for a better life for Negro girls like Jane. After all, not even being the daughter of a wealthy white Southern woman could save her from society’s expectations.

But that’s not a life Jane wants. Almost finished with her education at Miss Preston’s School of Combat in Baltimore, Jane is set on returning to her Kentucky home and doesn’t pay much mind to the politics of the eastern cities, with their talk of returning America to the glory of its days before the dead rose. But when families around Baltimore County begin to go missing, Jane is caught in the middle of a conspiracy, one that finds her in a desperate fight for her life against some powerful enemies. And the restless dead, it would seem, are the least of her problems.

At once provocative, terrifying, and darkly subversive, Dread Nation is Justina Ireland’s stunning vision of an America both foreign and familiar—a country on the brink, at the explosive crossroads where race, humanity, and survival meet.

Bought:

Wonder Woman: Warbringer by Leigh Bardugo (DC Icons #1) - favorite author takes on inconic fmeale suphero. 100% here for it.
The Valiant by Lesley Livingston (The Valiant #1) - female gladiator series soon to be on TV!
The Arsonist by Stephanie Oakes - loved Oakes' debut The Sacred Lies of Minnow Bly so much I bought this on faith.
Soleri by Michael Johnston (Soleri #1) - inspired by ancient Egyptian history and King Lear. So yeah, I needed it.

An Echo of Things to Come by James Islington (Licanius #2) - this one is a risk since the first book was pretty much a fantasy starter-kit... but we shall see.
Tell the Wind and Fire by Sarah Rees Brennan - my friends show mixed reviews but it was on sale for kindle so I figured 'why not?'.
Mechanica by Betsy Cornwell (Mechanica #1) - an impulse buy entirely down to it being on sale and the cover. I am a weak person.
Rosemary and Rue by Sean McGuire (October Day #1) - I enjoy the author's other works and this series has been recc'd and talked about by Christina. I was far too curious to ignore it on sale for less than $2.

Waiting on Wednesday: Sea of Rust

In all honesty, I have already read an ARC of this book. But I loved it so much that I am hotly anticipating reading it in finished form and sharing the joy of murderous robots <3

One robot's search for meaning in a world where every human is long gone. A thrilling twist on The Martian.

A touching story of a search one robot's search for the answers in a world where every human is dead. The new novel from C. Robert Cargill echoes the worlds of Stephen King and Ray Bradbury.

It is thirty years since the humans lost their war with the artificial intelligences that were once their slaves. Not one human remains. But as the dust settled from our extinction there was no easy peace between the robots that survived. Instead, the two massively powerful artificially intelligent supercomputers that lead them to victory now vie for control of the bots that remain, assimilating them into enormous networks called One World Intelligences (OWIs), absorbing their memories and turning them into mere extensions of the whole. Now the remaining freebots wander wastelands that were once warzones, picking the carcasses of the lost for the precious dwindling supply of parts they need to survive.

Brittle started out her life playing nurse to a dying man, purchased in truth instead to look after the man's widow upon his death. But then war came and Brittle was forced to choose between the woman she swore to protect and potential oblivion at the hands of rising anti-AI sentiment. Thirty years later, the choice still haunts her. Now she spends her days in the harshest of the wastelands, known as the Sea of Rust, cannibalizing the walking dead - robots only hours away from total shutdown - looking for parts to trade for those she needs to keep going.

Publication Date: September 5 2017

Publisher: Gollancz

Pages: 416

Barnes & Noble | Amazon | Book Depository

Dreams and Shadows (Dreams and Shadows #1)

Queen of the Dark Things (Dreams and Shadows #2)

Book Haul

ARCs:

The Orphan of Florence by Jeanne Kalogridis
Beyond a Darkened Shore by Jessica Leake
A Conspiracy of Stars by Olivia A. Cole
Ice Wolves by Amie Kaufman (Elementals #1)

Bought:
Evil is a Matter of Perspective: An Anthology of Antagonists edited by Adrian Collins
Godsgrave by Jay Kristoff (Nevernight Chronicle #2)
In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan

Waiting on Wednesday: Warbringer

Bardugo has rapidly become one of my favorite authors. Her fantasy novels are among the best there are and she is inventive and creative and utterly unique. Which is why her take on Diana of Themiscyra is bound to be excellent.

The highly anticipated, entirely new coming-of-age story for the world's greatest super hero: WONDER WOMAN by the # 1 New York Times bestselling author Leigh Bardugo.

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.

Expected Publication: August 29 2017

Publisher: Penguin Books

Barnes & Noble | Amazon | Book Depository

Six of Crows (Six of Crows #1)

Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows #2)

Shadow and Bone (Grisha #1)

Siege and Storm (Grisha #2)

Ruin and Rising (Grisha #3)

What I Haven't Been Reading: New DNFs

I've had a good run lately, but there are always a few.

Luna: Wolf Moon by Ian McDonald

While I did actually finish this looong book, I have so little so say upon finishing that it doesn't even really deserve a two-minute review post of its own.

The Black Witch by Laurie Feather -- hard pass after all the details have come out and her unrepentant stance since then.

The Empire's Ghost by Isabelle Steiger -- so long, so boring, so unoriginal.

Calling My Name by Liara Tamani -- personally my issues here but I didn't like the writing or the treatment of religion.

Brooding YA Hero by Carrie Ann DiRisio -- there's a reason that this makes for a good twitter account and not a good long-exposure. It's best suited to short burst of amusement; wears thin easily and quickly.

Review: Game of Shadows by Erika Lewis

Title: Game of Shadows
Author: Erika Lewis
Genre: fantasy
Series: N/A
Pages: 400
Published: expected February 28 2017
Source: finished copy for review from publisher
Rating: 3/5

Ethan Makkai thought that seeing ghosts was the worst of his problems. Between his ethereal gift and life with a single mother hell-bent on watching his every move, he feels imprisoned. When Ethan sees a chance to escape, to leave the house by himself for the first time in his life, he seizes it, unaware that this first taste of freedom will cost him everything.

Ethan is thrown into a strange and eerie world, like nothing he's ever seen. He's assaulted by dive-bombing birds and rescued by a stranger who claims to be his bodyguard. His apartment is trashed, and his mother is kidnapped to a place Ethan never knew existed—a hidden continent called Tara.

Travelling to Tara in search of his mother, Ethan discovers that everything he knows about his life is a lie. His mother is royalty. His father is not dead. His destiny is likely to get him killed.

Confronted by a vicious sorcerer determined to destroy the Makkai family, Ethan must garner strength from his gift and embrace his destiny if he’s going to save his mother and all the people of Tara, including the beautiful girl he’s fallen for.

Erika Lewi's debut novel is a fun young adult ride. Though occasionally uneven in execution, Game of Shadows more than makes for a good read with its ambition and solid storytelling. There's a lot going on from the first page; it's full of monsters and ghosts, family secrets and assassinations, hidden continents and ancient kingdoms. First in series, this is an inventive blend of a several genres (portal fantasy/supernatural) in one novel, and contains worldbuilding and magic systems that are definitely unique, though both based on/inspired by Celtic mythology. Action-packed and high adventure, even the book's missteps are forgivable considered the sheer amount of entertainment offered by Ethan's storyline.

While some of the plot twists in Game of Shadows left me with questions occasionally -- how did Ethan never notice Bartlett before that day if he's been there the whole time? etc -- Lewis writes creatively and uses her Celtic influences cleverly. Her plotting is mostly sound though not free of the ccasional clarity issue, and the pacing can be uneven. There are a few genre tropes to be found in its pages and Game of Shadows is not always able to avoid the pitfalls of predictability (Christian's role, especially, is no suprise). The largest strength of the story lies with the hidden world of Tara itself. Given the large amounts of info and detail, there is no surprise that every part of it, from Landover to Kilkerry feels solidly built. Lewis's characters are also interesting, but they aren't as well-developed as the other aspects of the novel. In particular, the main character of Ethan sometimes makes dumb decisions for plot reasons, and can also read as older or younger than his given age most of the time. 

The ending of Game of Shadows manages to be intriguing and satisfying, while still obviously geared toward creating the plot of a sequel to come. The events of the book were prologue to a larger struggle with Ethan's various enemies, sure to be explored further with this new threat looming. This first novel was very much Ethan's story as a young hero; his introduction to Tara is only the launchpoint of further complications and growth. Though his chief antagonist lacks the menace really needed to feel like a threat, the author has a lot of potential to explore in the world and customs of Tara and its diverse, magical countries.

Two Minute Review: The Violinist of Venice by Alyssa Palombo

Title: The Violinist of Venice
Author: Alyssa Palombo
Genre: historical fiction
Series: N/A
Pages: 448
Published: December 15 2015
Source: purchased
Rating: 4/5

A sweeping historical novel of composer and priest Antonio Vivaldi, a secret wealthy mistress, and their passion for music and each other

Like most 18th century Venetians, Adriana d'Amato adores music-except her strict merchant father has forbidden her to cultivate her gift for the violin. But she refuses to let that stop her from living her dreams and begins sneaking out of her family's palazzo under the cover of night to take violin lessons from virtuoso violinist and composer Antonio Vivaldi. However, what begins as secret lessons swiftly evolves into a passionate, consuming love affair.

Adriana's father is intent on seeing her married to a wealthy, prominent member of Venice's patrician class-and a handsome, charming suitor, whom she knows she could love, only complicates matters-but Vivaldi is a priest, making their relationship forbidden in the eyes of the Church and of society. They both know their affair will end upon Adriana's marriage, but she cannot anticipate the events that will force Vivaldi to choose between her and his music. The repercussions of his choice-and of Adriana's own choices-will haunt both of their lives in ways they never imagined.

Spanning more than 30 years of Adriana's life, Alyssa Palombo's The Violinist of Venice is a story of passion, music, ambition, and finding the strength to both fall in love and to carry on when it ends.

Evocative, atmospheric and engaging, The Violinist of Venice is an excellent 18th century historical fiction set in one of the world's most unique cities. With a dramatic story that encompasses the brilliance of Vivaldi, violins, an omnipresent Baroque atmosphere, and ill-fated romance, Alyssa Palombo's debut novel is one to relish for fans of the genre. The pacing can stagnate at times but the picturesque locale and the author's talent for description make the story of Adriana d'Amato one to remember.

Music and independence are two of the biggest themes of the The Violinist of Venice and for the life of its main character. Adriana has little personal choice in anything that happens before and after marriage; her impulsive affair with Antonio Vivaldi is her one small moment of rebellion, of personal choice for herself. It combines two of the things forbidden her that she most wants: love and music. Though scandalous, though against expectation, Adriana's decision makes sense for her life and the person she is. Though the book covers much more than the romance between the priest (yeeep) and Adriana - it spans thirty years of her life - the relationship between the two of them impacts all others in her life.

 Highly recommended -- [if only so that someone else can understand the romance of Vivaldi anonymously serenading Adri when they knew their love was doomed].