Waiting on Wednesday #41

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've got another 4 books I'm simply DYING to get my hands on this week.  Without further preamble, let's get to them!

Asunder by Jodi Meadows (coming 2013 from Katherine Tegen Books)

DARKSOULS
Ana has always been the only one. Asunder. Apart. But after Templedark, when many residents of Heart were lost forever, some hold Ana responsible for the darksouls–and the newsouls who may be born in their place.

SHADOWS
Many are afraid of Ana’s presence, a constant reminder of unstoppable changes and the unknown. When sylph begin behaving differently toward her and people turn violent, Ana must learn to stand up not only for herself but for those who cannot stand up for themselves.

LOVE
Ana was told that nosouls can’t love. But newsouls? More than anything, she wants to live and love as an equal among the citizens of Heart, but even when Sam professes his deepest feelings, it seems impossible to overcome a lifetime of rejection.

In this second book in the Incarnate trilogy, Ana discovers the truth about reincarnation and will have to find a way to embrace love and make her young life meaningful. Once again, Jodi Meadows explores the extraordinary beauty and shadowed depths of the soul in a story equal parts epic romance and captivating fantasy.

Why I'm waiting: I loved loved LOVED Incarnate, so it goes without saying that I MUST read Asunder.  I have to know what Ana is up to next!

Fathomless by Jackson Pearce (coming September 4, 2012 from Little, Brown BFYR)

Celia Reynolds is the youngest in a set of triplets and the one with the least valuable power. Anne can see the future, and Jane can see the present, but all Celia can see is the past. And the past seems so insignificant -- until Celia meets Lo.

Lo doesn't know who she is. Or who she was. Once a human, she is now almost entirely a creature of the sea -- a nymph, an ocean girl, a mermaid -- all terms too pretty for the soulless monster she knows she's becoming. Lo clings to shreds of her former self, fighting to remember her past, even as she's tempted to embrace her dark immortality.

When a handsome boy named Jude falls off a pier and into the ocean, Celia and Lo work together to rescue him from the waves. The two form a friendship, but soon they find themselves competing for Jude's affection. Lo wants more than that, though. According to the ocean girls, there's only one way for Lo to earn back her humanity. She must persuade a mortal to love her . . . and steal his soul.

Why I'm waiting: I absolutely adore this series and have been waiting for what feels like an age to find out the title... and the description... and the cover.  Suffice it to say that I was beyond excited to finally find out all about the third book in the Fairytale Retellings series. 

Eve & Adam by Michael Grant & Katherine Applegate (coming October 2, 2012 from Feiwel & Friends)

Sixteen-year-old Evening Spiker lives an affluent life in San Francisco with her mother, EmmaRose, a successful geneticist and owner of Spiker Biotech. Sure, Evening misses her father who died mysteriously, but she’s never really questioned it. Much like how she’s never stopped to think how off it is that she’s never been sick. That is, until she’s struck by a car and is exposed to extensive injuries. Injuries that seem to be healing faster than physically possible.

While recuperating in Spiker Biotech’s lush facilities, she meets Solo Plissken, a very attractive, if off-putting boy her age who spent his life at Spiker Biotech. Like Evening, he’s never questioned anything... until now. Solo drops hints to Evening that something isn’t right, and Emma-Rose may be behind it. Evening puts this out of her mind and begins her summer internship project: To simulate the creation of the perfect boy. With the help of Solo, Evening uncovers secrets so big they could change the world completely.

Why I'm waiting: I am completely intrigued by the description for this book.  I want to find out more about what this EmmaRose has done! 

Timepiece by Myra McEntire (coming June 12, 2012 from EgmontUSA)

A threat from the past could destroy the future. And the clock is ticking...

Kaleb Ballard's relentless flirting is interrupted when Jack Landers, the man who tried to murder his father, timeslips in and attacks before disappearing just as quickly. But Kaleb has never before been able to see time travelers, unlike many of his friends associated with the mysterious Hourglass organization. Are Kaleb's powers expanding, or is something very wrong?

Then the Hourglass is issued an ultimatum. Either they find Jack and the research he's stolen on the time gene, or time will be altered with devastating results.

Now Kaleb, Emerson, Michael, and the other Hourglass recruits have no choice but to use their unusual powers to find Jack. But where do they even start? And when? And even if they succeed, it may not be enough...

The follow-up to Hourglass, Timepiece blends the paranormal, science fiction, mystery, and suspense genres into a nonstop thrill ride where every second counts.

Why I'm waiting: After hearing Myra read from Timepiece at last night's author event, I am doubly anxious to dive into Timepiece.  I have it from Netgalley, I just need to work it into my reading queue.
   

Review - Incarnate

by Jodi Meadows
publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
date of publications: January 31, 2012
format: eGalley
pages: 234
source: Netgalley
Amazon / IndieBound / B&N / The Book Depository

From Goodreads:

NEWSOUL
Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.

NOSOUL
Even Ana’s own mother thinks she’s a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she’ll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are suspicious and afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?

HEART
Sam believes Ana’s new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana’s enemies—human and creature alike—let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else’s life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?

Jodi Meadows expertly weaves soul-deep romance, fantasy, and danger into an extraordinary tale of new life.

What I Thought

Where do I begin?  From the very first page, I knew that Incarnate was going to be one of those books that completely sucks you in.  So many of the elements that make up this story are intricately woven and fascinating, often resulting in pondering and wonder.  The sense of fantasy combined with a dystopian society insured a unique reading experience that I found both mesmerizing and exciting.

The world building that Meadows accomplished is above and beyond what one usually expects.  On the one hand, there are creatures such as dragons, centaurs, and sylphs either featured or mentioned.  On the other, the society that makes up the city of Heart is so very dystopian in design that the level of interest is increased all the more.  That these two conventions exist side-by-side in this book inexplicably works.  One might be surprised by that, but it just does.  It is all pulled together by the people, who are reincarnated again and again, thus adding the edge of ancientness that really put the way of this world into perspective.

Our main character, Ana, is a tough nut to crack, in more ways than one.  She is both so starved of affection and wary of others that she is difficult to fully understand, at first.  She is a wonderfully complex character because of this that there isn't a dull moment where she is concerned.  Sam, however, makes for an excellent juxtaposition.  He is a very even-tempered character, though he does have his own ghosts in his past.  The interactions between the two is very dynamic and intense, producing many butterfly-in-the-stomach moments.  I wound up enjoying the romance aspect of this book more than most of the books I have read in recent memory.

The overall story that makes up Incarnate is simply breathtaking.  All of the different layers come together to create a fantastical, though-provoking plot centered around an even more fantastical, dangerous world.  I simply couldn't get enough of this wonderful book and am already looking forward to the rest of the series.  Incarnate has provided me with yet another new favorite that I am dying to put on my bookshelf.  Incarnate is a must-not-miss read that I can't possibly recommend enough.

Obligatory legal statement: This eGalley was provided to me free of charge by the publisher via Netgalley. No monetary compensation was received in exchange for this fair and unbiased review.