Waiting on Wednesday: “A Confusion of Princes” by Garth Nix

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine and showcases new releases that we can’t wait to get our claws… err, hands… on.

I really like this cover. The color scheme is so pretty 😀

Title: A Confusion of Princes (Click  to add to your Goodreads!)

Author: Garth Nix

Expected Publication Date: May 15th, 2012 (for the U.S. release, anyway).

Summary from Goodreads: You’d think being a privileged Prince in a vast intergalactic Empire would be about as good as it gets. But it isn’t as great as it sounds. For one thing, Princes are always in danger. Their greatest threat? Other Princes. Khemri discovers that the moment he is proclaimed a Prince.

He also discovers mysteries within the hidden workings of the Empire. Dispatched on a secret mission, Khemri comes across the ruins of a space battle. In the midst of it all he meets a young woman named Raine, who will challenge his view of the Empire, of Princes, and of himself.

 Why I’m Waiting: I’ve loved Nix ever since I read The Ragwitch when I was twelve. Since then, I’ve pretty much devoured everything he’s ever written (even Shade’s Children, which was a little too hard SF for me but whatever), and I can’t wait to see how he incorporates his own military past into this lovely little sci-fi.

What are you waiting on this Wednesday? Comment below and let me know/link me back to your WoW post.

Waiting on Wednesday: “Thieftaker” (Thieftaker Chronicles #1) by D.B. Jackson

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine and showcases new releases that we can’t wait to get our claws… err, hands… on. 😀

The cover's not particularly impressive, but we don't judge books by their covers, now, do we?

Title: Thieftaker (Click  to add to your Goodreads!)

Author: D.B. Jackson

Expected Publication Date: Jul 17th 3rd, 2012 (according to Jackson’s website).

Summary from Goodreads: Boston, 1767: In D.B. Jackson’s Thieftaker, revolution is brewing as the British Crown imposes increasingly onerous taxes on the colonies, and intrigue swirls around firebrands like Samuel Adams and the Sons of Liberty. But for Ethan Kaille, a thieftaker who makes his living by conjuring spells that help him solve crimes, politics is for others…until he is asked to recover a necklace worn by the murdered daughter of a prominent family.
Suddenly, he faces another conjurer of enormous power, someone unknown, who is part of a conspiracy that reaches to the highest levels of power in the turbulent colony. His adversary has already killed—and not for his own gain, but in the service of his powerful masters, people for whom others are mere pawns in a game of politics and power. Ethan is in way over his head, and he knows it. Already a man with a dark past, he can ill afford to fail, lest his livelihood be forfeit. But he can’t stop now, for his magic has marked him, so he must fight the odds, even though he seems hopelessly overmatched, his doom seeming certain at the spectral hands of one he cannot even see.

 Why I’m Waiting: Historical fantasy set in Boston? COUNT ME IN. I also like the detective element–I’m hoping to see something similar to Sherlock Holmes with a New England/magical twist.

What are you waiting on this Wednesday? Comment below and let me know/link me back to your WoW post.

 

Waiting on Wednesday: “Girl of Nightmares” by Kendare Blake (Anna #2)

 

Waiting On Wednesday is hosted by Jill over at Breaking The Spine and showcases releases we just can’t wait to get our hands on. 😀

Title: Girl of Nightmares (Click the cover to add to your Goodreads!)

Author: Kendare Blake

Expected Publication Date: Aug 7th, 2012

Summary from Goodreads: In this follow-up to Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas begins seeing Anna everywhere: sometimes when he’s asleep, and sometimes in waking nightmares. But something is very wrong. These aren’t just daydreams. Anna seems tortured, torn apart in new and ever more gruesome ways every time she appears.

Cas doesn’t know what happened to Anna when she disappeared into Hell, but he knows she doesn’t deserve whatever is happening to her now. Anna saved Cas more than once, and it’s time for him to return the favor.

 Why I’m Waiting:
I haven’t gotten my review for ADIB up yet, since my life has been crazy, but I really, really enjoyed it and book #2 looks like it’s shaping up to be just as good. The hell aspect intrigues me, and I can’t wait to find out how Cas intends to grip her tight and raise her from perdition save Anna.

What are you waiting on this Wednesday? Comment below and let me know/link me back to your WoW post.

Waiting on Wednesday: “Unspoken” (The Lynburn Legacy, #1) by Sarah Rees Brennan

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine and highlights upcoming releases that we just can’t wait to get our hands on. 😀

I have to say, I adore this cover. I love the juxtaposition of black on red, and the wonderfully Gothic font.

 Title: Unspoken (The Lynburn Legacy, #1)

  Author:Sarah Rees-Brennan

Expected Publication Date: September 11th, 2012

  Summary from Goodreads:

 Kami Glass loves someone she’s never met . . . a boy she’s talked to in her head ever since she was born. She wasn’t silent about her imaginary friend during her childhood, and is thus a bit of an outsider in her sleepy English town of Sorry-in-the-Vale. Still, Kami hasn’t suffered too much from not fitting in. She has a best friend, runs the school newspaper, and is only occasionally caught talking to herself. Her life is in order, just the way she likes it, despite the voice in her head.

But all that changes when the Lynburns return.

The Lynburn family has owned the spectacular and sinister manor that overlooks Sorry-in-the-Vale for centuries. The mysterious twin sisters who abandoned their ancestral home a generation ago are back, along with their teenage sons, Jared and Ash, one of whom is eerily familiar to Kami. Kami is not one to shy away from the unknown—in fact, she’s determined to find answers for all the questions Sorry-in-the- Vale is suddenly posing. Who is responsible for the bloody deeds in the depths of the woods? What is her own mother hiding? And now that her imaginary friend has become a real boy, does she still love him? Does she hate him? Can she trust him?

Why I’m Waiting:It’s SARAH REES BRENNAN. I adore her, though I haven’t quite finished the Demon series yet (got through Lexicon and Covenant, will pick up Surrender as soon as I can). Also, it’s a Gothic romance. What’s not to love? This is on my preorder list, for sure.

What are you waiting on this Wednesday? Comment below and let me know/link me back to your WoW post. 🙂

Waiting on Wednesday: “The Unnaturalists” by Tiffany Trent

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine and highlights upcoming releases that we just can’t wait to get our hands on. 🙂

  Title: The Unnaturalists (Click this link for Amazon, the cover for Goodreads.)

  Author: Tiffany Trent

  Expected Publication Date: August 14th, 2012

  Summary from Goodreads:

Vespa Nyx wants nothing more than to spend the rest of her life cataloging Unnatural creatures in her father’s museum, but as she gets older, the requirement to become a lady and find a husband is looming large. Syrus Reed’s Tinker family has always served and revered the Unnaturals from afar, but when his family is captured to be refinery slaves, he finds that his fate may be bound up with Vespa’s—and with the Unnaturals.

As the danger grows, Vespa and Syrus find themselves in a tightening web of deception and intrigue. At stake may be the fate of New London—and the world.

  Why I’m Waiting: I have a weakness for steampunk, and this looks like it’s going to be phenomenal. I love that the MC is kind of a historical anthropologist/librarian, and that Nikola Tesla was involved in the original creation of New London.

What are you waiting on this Wednesday? Feel free to comment below/link me back to your own WoW post and let me know!

Waiting on Wednesday: “Tokyo Heist” by Diana Renn

Waiting on Wednesday is a feature showcasing books that we just can’t wait for, hosted by Jill over at Breaking The Spine.

   Title: Tokyo Heist (This link is to Amazon; the book cover link is to Goodreads :D)

    Author: Diana Renn

   Expected Publication Date: June 14th, 2012

    Summary from Goodreads:

    Sixteen-year-old Violet loves reading manga and wearing scarves made from   kimono fabric, so she’s thrilled that her father’s new painting commission means a summer trip to Japan. But what starts as an exotic vacation quickly turns into a dangerous treasure hunt.

Her father’s client, the wealthy Yamada family, is the victim of a high-profile art robbery. Someone has stolen van Gogh sketches from the Yamadas’ Seattle mansion, and is holding them hostage until the Yamadas can produce the corresponding van Gogh painting.

The problem is that nobody knows where this painting is hidden, and until they find it, all of their lives are in danger. Violet’s search for the missing van Gogh takes her from the Seattle Art Museum, to the yakuza-infested streets of Tokyo, to a secluded inn in Kyoto. As the mystery deepens, Violet’s not sure whom she can trust.

But she knows one thing: she has to find the painting and the criminals—before it’s too late.

Why I’m Waiting: I love thrillers and mysteries, and while this one looks like it has some potential to be kinda cheesy, it also looks like it has the potential to be face-meltingly awesome. I also love that it’s going to be set in both Japan and Seattle. :3 And Violet sounds like a badass heroine after my own heart.

What are you waiting on this Wednesday? Comment below or link me back to your own WoW post and let me know!

Waiting on Wednesday: “Illuminate” by Aimee Agresti

Waiting on Wednesday is an event hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine which spotlights upcoming releases that we just can’t wait for. 🙂

 Title: Illuminate

  by Aimee Agresti

  Due out March 6th, 2012

  From Goodreads:

  Haven Terra is a brainy, shy high school outcast. But everything begins to change when she turns sixteen. Along with her best friend Dante and their quiet and brilliant classmate Lance, she is awarded a prestigious internship in the big city— Chicago—and is sent to live and work at a swanky and stylish hotel under the watchful eyes of a group of gorgeous and shockingly young-looking strangers: powerful and alluring hotel owner Aurelia Brown; her second-in-command, the dashing Lucian Grove; and their stunning but aloof staff of glamazons called The Outfit.

As Haven begins falling for Lucian, she discovers that these beautiful people are not quite what they seem. With the help of a mysterious book, she uncovers a network of secret passageways from the hotel’s jazz-age past that leads her to the heart of the evil agenda of Aurelia and company: they’re in the business of buying souls. Will they succeed in wooing Haven to join them in their recruitment efforts, or will she be able to thwart this devilish set’s plans to take the souls of her classmates on prom night at the hotel?

Thoughts and Impressions: I, for one, am always keen on the shy-girl-finds-her-voice plot for obvious reasons. I also like improbably beautiful and luxurious settings with a lot of darkness running under the surface. Also, frankly, the cover on this is so lovely, I would probably buy it just to stroke the book jacket and stare. Overall, this looks like it’s going to be a solid offering for YA in March– I probably won’t preorder it, but I will definitely see if I can pick it up at my local bookstore.

Waiting on Wednesday: “Katana” by Cole Gibsen

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine and showcases upcoming releases that we just can’t wait to get our hands on.

And this week’s book is…..

Katana by Cole Gibsen

Publication Date: March 8th, 2012

From Amazon:

Kill Bill meets Buffy in this supernatural samurai tale
Rileigh Martin would love to believe that adrenaline gave her the uncanny courage and strength to fend off three muggers. But it doesn’t explain her dreams of fifteenth century Japan, the incredible fighting skills she suddenly possesses, or the strange voice giving her battle tips and danger warnings. While worrying that she’s going crazy (always a reputation ruiner), Rileigh gets a visit from Kim, a handsome martial arts instructor, who tells Rileigh she’s harboring the spirit of a five-hundred-year-old samurai warrior.
Relentlessly attacked by ninjas, Rileigh has no choice but to master the katana–a deadly Japanese sword that’s also the key to her past. As the spirit grows stronger and her feelings for Kim intensify, Rileigh is torn between continuing as the girl she’s always been and embracing the warrior inside her.

This is one of a few debuts that I am awaiting rather eagerly.  I just can’t resist a book with a girl and swords on the cover. Also, there are ninjas! And samurai! Plus two spirits in one body and hot martial arts instructors! Yeah, I’m going to have to preorder this one.

What are YOU waiting on this Wednesday? Drop me a line in the comments or link back to your own WoW post and let me know!

Waiting on Wednesday: “For Darkness Shows The Stars” by Diana Peterfreund

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we as readers are excited about.

    For Darkness Shows The Stars

    by Diana Peterfreund

Release Date: June 12th, 2012

From Goodreads:

Generations ago, a genetic experiment gone wrong—the Reduction—decimated humanity, giving rise to a Luddite nobility who outlawed most technology.

Eighteen-year-old Luddite Elliot North has always known her place in this caste system. Four years ago Elliot refused to run away with her childhood sweetheart, the servant Kai, choosing duty to her family’s estate over love. But now the world has changed: a new class of Post-Reductionists is jumpstarting the wheel of progress and threatening Luddite control; Elliot’s estate is floundering; and she’s forced to rent land to the mysterious Cloud Fleet, a group of shipbuilders that includes renowned explorer Captain Malakai Wentforth—an almost unrecognizable Kai. And while Elliott wonders if this could be their second chance, Kai seems determined to show Elliot exactly what she gave up when she abandoned him.

But Elliot soon discovers her childhood friend carries a secret—-one that could change the society in which they live…or bring it to its knees.

As soon as I saw that this was inspired by Jane Austen’s Persuasion, I knew I was going to have to read it. Aside from that, I am intrigued by the tech-less sci-fi world and the lovely cover.

ETA: There’s a contest going on for an ARC here at The Secret Adventures of Writergirl! Check it out!

What book are YOU waiting on this week? Feel free to drop me a line in the comments or link me back to your own WoW post!

Waiting On Wednesday: TEAM HUMAN by Sarah Rees Brennan and Justine Larbalestier

 

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking The Spine that showcases books that we are eagerly awaiting.

Team Human by Sarah Rees Brennan and Justine Larbalestier

Publication Date: July 3rd, 2012

When a vampire shows up at Mel’s high school, it’s up to Mel to keep her best friend from falling in love with him. Add a mysterious disappearance, a cranky vampire cop, a number of unlikely romantic entanglements, and the occasional zombie, and soon Mel is hip-deep in an adventure that is equal parts hilarious and poignant.

I’m pretty sure y’all know that I am… well, not the biggest Twilight fan. In fact, I kind of hate it. The writing is sub-par. Bella is about as interesting as a piece of cardboard. There’s some truly creepy and disturbing messages about sexuality threaded throughout the series– and this is coming from someone who used to read SLASH FICTION on the internet, guys. That can get pretty squicky, but still not as squicky as Jacob imprinting on Bella’s kid.

Anyway, I am not a Twilight fan.  And when I saw that Sarah Rees Brennan was going to be co-writing a Twilight/vampire fiction spoof with Justine Larbalestier, I was freaking ecstatic. The title makes me snicker, the cover is just perfect, and the tagline? AWESOME~!

What are you waiting on this Wednesday? Let me know in the comments or link back to your WoW post!