Poisoned Blade by Kate Elliott (Court of Fives book 2)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the series, Court of Fives, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“In this thrilling sequel to Kate Elliott's Court of Fives, a girl immersed in high-stakes competition holds the fate of a kingdom in her hands.

Now a Challenger, Jessamy is moving up the ranks of the Fives--the complex athletic contest favored by the lowliest Commoners and the loftiest Patrons alike. Pitted against far more formidable adversaries, success is Jes's only option, as her prize money is essential to keeping her hidden family alive. She leaps at the chance to tour the countryside and face more competitors, but then a fatal attack on her traveling party puts Jes at the center of the war that Lord Kalliarkos--the prince she still loves--is fighting against their country's enemies. With a sinister overlord watching her every move and Kal's life on the line, Jes must now become more than a Fives champion.... She must become a warrior.” - taken from Goodreads.com

Picking up immediately where the first book ends, Jes finds herself in a dangerous game. She must keep her family’s survival a secret from Lord Gargaron. Bettany, her twin, is still missing. Kal is devastated that he lost the Fives match to her and is now being shipped to the war front with General Esladas, Jes’ father and Kal’s new brother-in-law. He feels betrayed by her. She knew how much he needed to win. When Jes begins to realize that Lord Gargaron fixed the game to her advantage, she sees just what a dangerous road she is now on.

Can Jes survive and thrive under Lord Gargaron’s thumb? Does General Esladas and Kal come home from the war? What happens to Jes’s family? Can she continue to keep them a secret? Will Bettany be found? Will Kal and Jes be able to mend their “relationship?’

The story will continue with book three, Buried Heart out on July 25, 2017.

Visit Kate Elliott’s website.

Night Flower - prequel enovella

“A prequel to Court of Fives, the epic story of Jessamy and her struggle to do what she loves in a society suffocated by rules of class and privilege.

Kiya is a Commoner who has just arrived in the bustling city of Saryenia. Esladas is a member of the Patron ruling class and determined to prove himself in the army. His plans are disrupted by the outgoing and beautiful girl who sells him fruit in the market, though, despite the fact that neither of them speaks a word of the others language. Brief conversations and stolen moments together soon become something more, but when their divided cultures clash, Kiya and Esladas must decide if their blossoming love is worth becoming outsiders for the rest of their lives. Read the beginning of their legendary love story in this Court of Fives companion novella!” - taken from Goodreads.com

Paper and Fire by Rachel Caine (The Great Library book 2)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the series, Ink and Bone, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“In Ink and Bone, New York Times bestselling author Rachel Caine introduced a world where knowledge is power, and power corrupts absolutely. Now, she continues the story of those who dare to defy the Great Library—and rewrite history…

With an iron fist, The Great Library controls the knowledge of the world, ruthlessly stamping out all rebellion, forbidding the personal ownership of books in the name of the greater good.

Jess Brightwell has survived his introduction to the sinister, seductive world of the Library, but serving in its army is nothing like he envisioned. His life and the lives of those he cares for have been altered forever. His best friend is lost, and Morgan, the girl he loves, is locked away in the Iron Tower and doomed to a life apart.

Embarking on a mission to save one of their own, Jess and his band of allies make one wrong move and suddenly find themselves hunted by the Library’s deadly automata and forced to flee Alexandria, all the way to London.

But Jess’s home isn’t safe anymore. The Welsh army is coming, London is burning, and soon, Jess must choose between his friends, his family, or the Library willing to sacrifice anything and anyone in the search for ultimate control… “ - taken from Goodreads.com

A continuation of Jess Brightwell’s epic journey to bring down the Great Library. I don’t want to give away any spoilers, especially since several of Jess’ friends are in trouble. More twists and turns take place with a stunning conclusion that will leave readers awaiting Ash and Quill due out in 2017.

Visit Rachel Caine’s website.

The Beauty of Darkness by Mary E. Pearson (The Remnant Chronicles book 3)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first two books in the series, Kiss of Deception and The Heart of Betrayal, Stop! I don’t want to ruin one of my favorite series for you.

“Lia and Rafe have escaped Venda and the path before them is winding and dangerous - what will happen now?” - take from Goodreads.com

The stunning conclusion to the Remnant Chronicles that leave eagerly awaiting what happens to Lia, Rafe, Kaden and all of their friends. No one is safe and not all storylines necessarily have a happy ending. The is a massive tome numbering at 684 pages!

Why hasn't Lia’s wedding kavah disappeared? What secrets have her mother and Rafe kept from Lia? Who is Kaden’s father? Is the Komizar still alive? Will Venda attack? Can Lia ever return to Morrighan? Will her parents forgive her? Can she save her kingdom from the traitors within? Will Lia and Rafe fulfill their marriage contract? Can Lia live happily ever after?

Visit Mary E. Pearson’s website.

The Star Touched Queen by Roshani Chokshi (Star Touched Queen book 1)

“Fate and fortune. Power and passion. What does it take to be the queen of a kingdom when you’re only seventeen?

Maya is cursed. With a horoscope that promises a marriage of death and destruction, she has earned only the scorn and fear of her father’s kingdom. Content to follow more scholarly pursuits, her whole world is torn apart when her father, the Raja, arranges a wedding of political convenience to quell outside rebellions. Soon Maya becomes the queen of Akaran and wife of Amar. Neither roles are what she expected: As Akaran’s queen, she finds her voice and power. As Amar’s wife, she finds something else entirely: Compassion. Protection. Desire…

But Akaran has its own secrets—thousands of locked doors, gardens of glass, and a tree that bears memories instead of fruit. Soon, Maya suspects her life is in danger. Yet who, besides her husband, can she trust? With the fate of the human and Otherworldly realms hanging in the balance, Maya must unravel an ancient mystery that spans reincarnated lives to save those she loves the most…including herself.” - taken from Goodreads.com

Princess Mayavati of Bharata was born under a cursed horoscope. Death is attached to it and no one wants to be around her. She is blamed for death around the palace, including her mother’s. With Bharata on the verge of war, her father, the Raja, has the idea to hold a  . He plans to invite the rulers of the  kingdoms to come and Maya will choose her husband. It is a trick to lure the enemy to the Raja. She is disappointed because, with her horrid horoscope, she hoped to be left alone to do as she pleased. Now she will be married off. At the  , Maya’s father tells her that the only way his plan will work is if she kills herself with the poison he gives her. She is crushed by his request but knows that it will probably be for the best. After the introductions, Maya goes to contemplate her decision. Just as she is about the drink her father’s poison, the bottle is knocked from her lips. A young man stands in front of her and says that he is the Raja of Akaran. He keeps the top half of his face covered. Maya has never heard of the kingdom. He points outside that the visiting dignitaries have laid their own plans for an invasion. Having nothing left in Bharata, Maya throws her lei over Amar’s head. This signifies that the two of them are married and leave. She soon begins to suspect that she doesn’t really know what she has gotten herself into.

This book is elegantly written, pulling from Indian mythology and folklore. Readers will be left scrambling to find out what happens to Maya when she begins to unravel what she believes to be the truth.

The story continues with book two, A Crown of Wishes in 2017.

Visit Roshani Chokshi’s website.

Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

"The greatest risk is not taking one."

“My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla.

But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He’s tall, lean and wearing all black—black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly.

Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster.” - taken from Goodreads.com

Madeline Whittier is allergic to the world. She was diagnosed with Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID) or “bubble baby disease.” She is confined to her house with only her mother, a doctor, and a nurse, Carla, who is there during the day. At eighteen, Madeline does all of her school course work online. Her father and brother were killed in a car accident when Maddy was an infant. Maddy seems content with her life until a new family moves in next door.

Oliver Bright dresses all in black and stares back at Maddy through her window. The two begin email conversations after Olly writes his address on his bedroom window. Emails soon turn into IM chats. Against her better judgement, Carla allows Olly into the house after being decontaminated. The pull the two of them felt through the window and the computer explodes when they meet face to face. Before too long, Maddy’s mother feels neglected. When the Bright family’s latest argument spills out onto their front yard, Maddy rushes out of her house without any thought to help Oliver, who is being hit by his abusive father. After realizing what she did and returning to her house, Maddy realizes that the life she is living really isn’t living. Soon, she will risk it all to be with Olly.

I thought I knew how this book would end but boy was I thrown for a loop. I wish I had read this when it was first published and cannot wait to read Ms. Yoon’s next book, The Sun Is Also a Star out on Nov. 1, 2016.

Visit Nicola Yoon’s website.

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

“A beautiful and distinguished family.

A private island.

A brilliant, damaged girl; a passionate, political boy.

A group of four friends—the Liars—whose friendship turns destructive.

A revolution. An accident. A secret.

Lies upon lies.

True love.

The truth.” - taken from Goodreads.com

Cadence Sinclair Eastman is the oldest Sinclair grandchild and she has grown up in a life of extreme privilege. The Sinclair family spends every summer in a cluster of houses on the private island that the family owns. Here, Cadence spends time with her cousins Johnny and Mirren as well as a close friend, Gat. The four of them make up the Liars. During the Liars' fifteen summer on the island, Cadence wakes up from an accident that leaves her with amnesia and crippling migraines. Throughout the book, Cadence returns to Beechwood Island during their seventeenth summer to finally attempt to put back the missing pieces of her life with the help of the Liars. Without giving too much away, readers will be blown away by how the story ends.

Visit E. Lockhart’s website.

Zac and Mia by A.J. Betts

"When I was little I believed in Jesus and Santa, spontaneous combustion, and the Loch Ness monster. Now I believe in science, statistics, and antibiotics."

“So says seventeen-year-old Zac Meier during a long, grueling leukemia treatment in Perth, Australia. A loud blast of Lady Gaga alerts him to the presence of Mia, the angry, not-at-all-stoic cancer patient in the room next door. Once released, the two near-strangers can’t forget each other, even as they desperately try to resume normal lives. The story of their mysterious connection drives this unflinchingly tough, tender novel told in two voices.” - taken from Goodreads.com

Yes, this book is a lot like The Fault In Our Stars where two kids are battling cancer. Where this book stands out is how Zac and Mia form an unlikely friendship due to their diagnoses and meeting in the cancer ward. Just a little romance but the depths of their friendship to keep one another from breaking is where this story shines..

Visit A.J. Bett's website.