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: The Space Between

by Brenna Yovanoff
publisher: Razorbill
date of publication: November 15, 2011
format: hardcover
pages: 363
source: purchased
Amazon / Goodreads / B&N

From Goodreads:

Everything is made of steel, even the flowers. How can you love anything in a place like this?

Daphne is the half-demon, half-fallen angel daughter of Lucifer and Lilith. Life for her is an endless expanse of time, until her brother Obie is kidnapped - and Daphne realizes she may be partially responsible. Determined to find him, Daphne travels from her home in Pandemonium to the vast streets of Earth, where everything is colder and more terrifying. With the help of the human boy she believes was the last person to see her brother alive, Daphne glimpses into his dreams, discovering clues to Obie's whereabouts. As she delves deeper into her demonic powers, she must navigate the jealousies and alliances of the violent archangels who stand in her way. But she also discovers, unexpectedly, what it means to love and be human in a world where human is the hardest thing to be.

This second novel by rising star Brenna Yovanoff is a story of identity, discovery, and a troubled love between two people struggling to find their place both in our world and theirs.

What I Thought 

I had very high expectations for The Space Between, as I had loved The Replacement so very much.  Brenna Yovanoff's writing is so fully of grit, yet has a flawless quality that makes my English major heart go pitter-pat.  The description promised an intriguing tale full of eeriness, sadness, and beauty.  While the book did deliver on several of those aspects, there was a little something missing for me that I had counted upon finding within.  While the plot was everything I hoped it would be, other areas failed to capture my full attention.

First and foremost, the plot was amazing.  The whole idea of a story surrounding the daughter of Lucifer and Lilith who has grown up lonely in a steel-forged world is intriguing and unique.  The background information and politics that lay the groundwork for the events that take place are truly mind-boggling and so amazingly detailed that I found myself very impressed by the groundwork that has been laid to support every other aspect of the book.  How the demons do things in this book was much more surprising than I would have originally thought.  There were some truly horrific things in Pandemonium.  However, there was an added element of business included that took me completely by surprise.  It all came together to provide me with a unique reading experience, as well as a new take on things that maintain the horror while offering something fresh.

The characters, while very compelling by the time the main action commenced, were difficult for me to connect with, at first.  Daphne was somewhat flat (though this is somewhat explained by the nature of the world she lives in) and Truman, in all of his dysfunction, almost completely lost me.  I felt for him, but I found it difficult to keep up with his thoughts, at times.  However, once he began to clear up and started working with Daphne to find Obie, I grew to respect him much more.  He is a boy who has had a difficult time and lacks a certain something that will carry him through.  Seeing him begin to come to a realization and begin to fight was beautiful, and I loved how he developed as a character, in the end.

The setting is what I had the most difficulty with.  I am not sure exactly why it is so, but I found myself having a hard time picturing everything clearly.  The most clear setting was Pandemonium, but when it came to the descriptions on earth, I became a bit lost.  In a way, it speaks to the nature of both Daphne, who has existed for her entire life in Pandemonium, and Truman, a boy cut off from his surroundings and reality.  For me, however, I didn't feel as much of an impact and wasn't left with many impressions of the backgrounds outside of Pandemonium.
If you are looking for a new take on demons in a book, you should definitely give The Space Between a try.  Although it didn't ring all of my bells, it still proved to be a pretty good read.  I don't regret having read it and am already eager to see what else Brenna Yovanoff will write in the future.  The writing is truly lovely, so if you appreciate good prose, you will definitely want to check this one out!