Waiting on Wednesday #43

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event from Jill at Breaking the Spine. To participate, simply share that book(s) you are eagerly awaiting the release of and report back to Breaking the Spine with the link to your post. Clicking the link above will take you straight to her post and widget.

I skipped last week, so it's been 3 weeks since I last did a WoW post.  I wasn't quite sure which picks to go with, but I think I've got 3 great ones today.

Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes
(coming December 11, 2012 from Razorbill)

In a land where magic has been forgotten but peace has reigned for centuries, a deadly unrest is simmering. Three kingdoms grapple for power—brutally transforming their subjects’ lives in the process. Amidst betrayals, bargains, and battles, four young people find their fates forever intertwined:

Cleo: A princess raised in luxury must embark on a rough and treacherous journey into enemy territory in search of a magic long thought extinct.

Jonas: Enraged at injustice, a rebel lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country impoverished—and finds himself the leader of a people’s revolution centuries in the making.

Lucia: A girl adopted at birth into a royal family discovers the truth about her past—and the supernatural legacy she is destined to wield.

Magnus: Bred for aggression and trained to conquer, a firstborn son begins to realize that the heart can be more lethal than the sword...

The only outcome that’s certain is that kingdoms will fall. Who will emerge triumphant when all they know has collapsed?

Why I'm Waiting: I adore fantasy and this one sounds absolutely stunning.  I'm very curious about how p.o.v. will be handled and what style narration will be used.

Dark Star by Bethany Frenette

(coming October 23, 2012 from Hyperion)

Audrey Whitticomb has nothing to fear. Her mother is the superhero Morning Star, the most deadly crime-fighter in the Twin Cities, so it’s hard for Audrey not to feel safe. That is, until she’s lured into the sweet night air by something human and not human—something with talons and teeth, and a wide, scarlet smile.

Now Audrey knows the truth: her mom doesn’t fight crime at night. She fights Harrowers—livid, merciless beings who were trapped Beneath eons ago. Yet some have managed to escape. And they want Audrey dead, just because of who she is: one of the Kin.

To survive, Audrey will need to sharpen the powers she has always had. When she gets close to someone, dark corners of the person’s memories become her own, and she sometimes even glimpses the future. If Audrey could only get close to Patrick Tigue, a powerful Harrower masquerading as human, she could use her Knowing to discover the Harrowers’ next move. But Leon, her mother’s bossy, infuriatingly attractive sidekick, has other ideas. Lately, he won’t let Audrey out of his sight.

When an unthinkable betrayal puts Minneapolis in terrible danger, Audrey discovers a wild, untamed power within herself. It may be the key to saving her herself, her family, and her city. Or it may be the force that destroys everything—and everyone—she loves.

Why I'm Waiting: I love the idea of a story about monster-fighters masquerading as super heroes.  I'm dying to get my hands on this one just so I can see what's what. 

The Brides of Rollrock Island by Margo Lanagan

(coming September 11, 2012 from Random House)

On remote Rollrock Island, men go to sea to make their livings—and to catch their wives.

The witch Misskaella knows the way of drawing a girl from the heart of a seal, of luring the beauty out of the beast. And for a price a man may buy himself a lovely sea-wife. He may have and hold and keep her. And he will tell himself that he is her master. But from his first look into those wide, questioning, liquid eyes, he will be just as transformed as she. He will be equally ensnared. And the witch will have her true payment.

Margo Lanagan weaves an extraordinary tale of desire, despair, and transformation. With devastatingly beautiful prose, she reveals characters capable of unspeakable cruelty, but also unspoken love.

Why I'm Waiting: I love love LOVE stories about selkies.  The premise for this particular book sounds utterly fantastic.  I can't wait to read it!

Review - Spell Bound

by Rachel Hawkins
publisher: Disney Hyperion
date of publication: March 13, 2012
format: hardcover
pages: 327
source: purchased
Amazon / IndieBound / B&N / The Book Depository

From Goodreads:

Hailed as “impossible to put down,” the Hex Hall series has both critics and teens cheering. With a winning combination of romance, action, magic and humor, this third volume will leave readers enchanted.

Just as Sophie Mercer has come to accept her extraordinary magical powers as a demon, the Prodigium Council strips them away. Now Sophie is defenseless, alone, and at the mercy of her sworn enemies—the Brannicks, a family of warrior women who hunt down the Prodigium. Or at least that’s what Sophie thinks, until she makes a surprising discovery. The Brannicks know an epic war is coming, and they believe Sophie is the only one powerful enough to stop the world from ending. But without her magic, Sophie isn’t as confident.

Sophie’s bound for one hell of a ride—can she get her powers back before it’s too late?

What I Thought

Can you believe it?  The infamous cliff hanger at the end of Demonglass finally has a continuation!  It has been a long, long wait, but answers are to be had at long last.  This is one of those books that had me feverishly shuffling my review pile just so I could at long last see what the heck happened to Sophie.  Let me tell you: it was very much worth the wait.  Sophie is back with in all her snarkastic glory (hey, it's a word; just watch Gilmore Girls!) and has some huge surprises in store.

I'm so glad to say that Sophie hasn't lost her touch.  I spent just as much time giggling through her exchanges with Archer as I did getting very, very nervous about how she was going to get herself out of her situation.  As it turns out, there is still so much to learn about Sophie, so much so, in fact, that there were several moments during which I was completely blind-sided.  How such a familiar character can still contain that many huge surprises, I'll never know.  As for new additions to the cast of characters, I just have to say it: The Brannicks left me feeling awed.  They are quite the family: red-headed warrior women?  Heck, yeah!  They are the very definition of formidable and I absolutely loved the contribution their addition made to the story.

Spell Bound takes the action from the second half of Demonglass and kicks it into overdrive.  The book pretty much hits the ground running and it seems that there is always something major going on.  There is little time to settle in before the bomb shells start dropping and things start happening.  It is everything I hoped it would be and provided hours of riveting entertainment that didn't quit until the very last page.  Everything from the realization of the villains' master plan to the tragedy that strikes, Spell Bound will leave you seriously considering taking up nail-biting. 

Since I suspect giving away anything major will cause those who haven't had the chance to read it yet to chase me through the street with torches and pitchforks, all I have left to say is that Spell Bound was truly worth the wait.  Rachel Hawkins put some incredible spins on various situations that will definitely leave you reeling.  I know this review gushes more than usual, but it's hard not to get swept up in the humor and light-hearted side of it all.  I absolutely loved it and encourage you to pick it up ASAP!