Storm Breaker by Nisha J. Tuli (Storm Breaker book 1)

“For nineteen-year-old Poet Graves, New Manhattan has always promised safety―if she obeys. Raised within the ruling Houses and betrothed to a powerful heir, she enters Amery Academy knowing her future has already been decided.

But Amery is nothing like she imagined. Its trials are brutal, its loyalties conditional, and its rules designed to expose weakness. As Poet struggles to survive, she must hide the truth that could get her executed: the storms don’t fear her―they answer back.

When a dangerous outsider from beyond the city walls enters the academy, Poet is drawn to him despite everything she’s been taught to believe. He threatens the life she’s been promised. And choosing him could cost her not just her future, but her freedom.” - taken from Goodreads.

This book has all of the things that I am looking for in a great story and is the perfect mashup of The Hunger Games and Divergent. Poet is hiding a secret that will get her killed if it is discovered. Determined to get out from under her father’s control, she soon discovers that her choices have far reaching consequences that she never imagined. When the mysterious outsider Rook becomes the one person she thinks she can trust, turns out to be hiding secrets of his own, Poet makes the decision that she hopes will save her life. With plenty of romance, mystery, and intrigue, readers will be left waiting on the next book after a true cliffhanger ending.  Definitely one of my favorite reads so far this year!

Book two is expected to be out on Sept. 1, 2026.

Visit Nisha J. Tuli’s website.

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins (A Hunger Games novel)

 

SPOILER ALERT! This book is a prequel to The Hunger Games and is a continuation of the story.

“When you’ve been set up to lose everything you love, what is there left to fight for?

As the day dawns on the fiftieth annual Hunger Games, fear grips the districts of Panem. This year, in honor of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes.

Back in District 12, Haymitch Abernathy is trying not to think too hard about his chances. All he cares about is making it through the day and being with the girl he loves.

When Haymitch’s name is called, he can feel all his dreams break. He’s torn from his family and his love, shuttled to the Capitol with the three other District 12 tributes: a young friend who’s nearly a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most stuck-up girl in town. As the Games begin, Haymitch understands he’s been set up to fail. But there’s something in him that wants to fight . . . and have that fight reverberate far beyond the deadly arena.” - taken from Goodreads.

The story of Haymitch Abernathy and the absolute horrors he suffered during his time in the Hunger Games. Seeing life in District 12 before Katniss and Peeta were born and how events from The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes fit together was incredible. I also loved seeing some previous victors that we met in Catching Fire. It was insightful. I cannot wait to see what story Ms. Collins will tell next.

Visit Suzanne Collins’ website.

Internment by Samira Ahmed

“Rebellions are built on hope.

Set in a horrifying near-future United States, seventeen-year-old Layla Amin and her parents are forced into an internment camp for Muslim American citizens.

With the help of newly made friends also trapped within the internment camp, her boyfriend on the outside, and an unexpected alliance, Layla begins a journey to fight for freedom, leading a revolution against the camp's Director and his guards.” - taken from Goodreads.com

Not sure what to say about this book. The content is super timely and could realistically happen. The beginning had me sucked in but the middle sort of fell flat for me. I found a few things that I thought seems a little far-fetched. I did push through to finish to see how the story ended but it felt a bit rushed to me without any real closure. 

Visit Samira Ahmed’s website.

Sword and Pen by Rachel Caine (The Great Library book 5)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first four books in the Great Library series, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you. 

“With the future of the Great Library in doubt, the unforgettable characters from Ink and Bone must decide if it's worth saving in this thrilling adventure in the New York Times bestselling series.

The corrupt leadership of the Great Library has fallen. But with the Archivist plotting his return to power, and the Library under siege from outside empires and kingdoms, its future is uncertain. Jess Brightwell and his friends must come together as never before, to forge a new future for the Great Library . . . or see everything it stood for crumble.” - taken from Goodreads.com

This is the fifth and final book in The Great Library series. After the four previous books, I had become extremely invested in all of the characters. At over 12 hours in length for the audio version, I had a hard time hitting stop. Readers/listeners will be eager to see and all this story finally ends. A great masterpiece for sure.

Visit Rachel Caine’s website.

Ash and Quill by Rachel Caine (The Great Library book 3)

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

“Words can kill.

Hoarding all the knowledge of the world, the Great Library jealously guards its secrets. But now a group of rebels poses a dangerous threat to its tyranny…

Jess Brightwell and his band of exiles have fled London, only to find themselves imprisoned in Philadelphia, a city led by those who would rather burn books than submit. But Jess and his friends have a bargaining chip: the knowledge to build a machine that will break the Library’s rule.

Their time is running out. To survive, they’ll have to choose to live or die as one, to take the fight to their enemies—and to save the very soul of the Great Library…” - taken from Goodreads.com

The stakes are even higher for Jess Brightwell and his friends as they attempt to bring down the Archivist and restore honor to the Great Library of Alexandria. Starting with the cliffhanger ending from Paper and Fire,  Jess and his friends find themselves as prisoners. Fans of the series find out with another cliffhanger ending, Ms. Caine is expanding what was once a trilogy into a five book series.

Book four is expected to be published in 2018.

Visit Rachel Caine’s website.

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.

Ink and Bone by Rachel Caine (The Great Library book 1)

In an exhilarating new series, New York Times bestselling author Rachel Caine rewrites history, creating a dangerous world where the Great Library of Alexandria has survived the test of time.…

Ruthless and supremely powerful, the Great Library is now a presence in every major city, governing the flow of knowledge to the masses. Alchemy allows the Library to deliver the content of the greatest works of history instantly—but the personal ownership of books is expressly forbidden.

Jess Brightwell believes in the value of the Library, but the majority of his knowledge comes from illegal books obtained by his family, who are involved in the thriving black market. Jess has been sent to be his family’s spy, but his loyalties are tested in the final months of his training to enter the Library’s service.

When he inadvertently commits heresy by creating a device that could change the world, Jess discovers that those who control the Great Library believe that knowledge is more valuable than any human life—and soon both heretics and books will burn.… - Goodreads.com

Book two, Paper and Fire, will be out July 5, 2016.

Visit Rachel Caine's website.

Four: a Divergent Collection by Veronica Roth

One choice will free him."

Two years before Beatrice Prior made her choice, the sixteen-year-old son of Abnegation's faction leader did the same. Tobias's transfer to Dauntless is a chance to begin again. Here, he will not be called the name his parents gave him. Here, he will not let fear turn him into a cowering child.

Newly christened "Four," he discovers during initiation that he will succeed in Dauntless. Initiation is only the beginning, though; Four must claim his place in the Dauntless hierarchy. His decisions will affect future initiates as well as uncover secrets that could threaten his own future—and the future of the entire faction system.

In "The Transfer," readers witness Tobias's aptitude test, Choosing Day, and the moment he is given the infamous nickname "Four."

"The Initiate" provides readers with a glimpse into Tobias's Dauntless initiation experience, including an epic game of late-night Dare; his first tattoo; the beginning of his passion for training new initiates; and his nascent understanding of the danger of being Divergent.

In "The Son," Tobias struggles to find a place in the hierarchy of the Dauntless. He also begins to suspect that a foul plan may be brewing within the Dauntless leadership and discovers a truth about his past that could greatly affect his future.

"The Traitor" takes place two years after "The Son" and runs parallel with the early events in Divergent. In this robust story, readers follow Tobias as he uncovers the details of an Erudite plan that could threaten the faction system, and makes plans of his own to keep Abnegation safe. At the same time, Tobias is getting to know a new transfer initiate: Tris Prior.

Taken from Barnes & Noble.

Into the Still Blue by Veronica Rosi (Under the Never Sky book 3)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't read the first two books in the trilogy, Under the Never Sky and Through the Ever Night, Stop! I don't want to ruin one of my favorite series for you.

"The world needs them. They need each other."

Into the Still Blue begins immediately following the events in Brooke, an enovella. Aria has awoken to find that her arm is still there but she has suffered nerve damage from the gunshot she received in Reverie. Molly is catching her up on the events that have transpired while she was unconscious. (These took place in Brooke) Aria wants to see Perry immediately but Molly lets her know that he is outside. No one is allowed out of the cave right now because it isn't safe from the Aether storms. As Blood Lord of the Tides, Perry gets to break his own rules. Molly and Roar, who’s a little gruff toward Aria, take her to the portion of the cave where they are housing the forty two Dwellers she brought back from Reverie. They are sick like she had been when first leaving to pod and Perry ordered the thirty vaccinations on board the ship to be evenly divided. Looking for some of her friends, the first face she sees is Soren.

Perry and Gren are outside waiting to see who their visitors are and hoping its Roar and Twig along with a rescued Cinder. When the horses arrived, Roar lets Perry know that Sable and Hess have Cinder, who they believe is the key to the Still Blue. He wants to know what they are going to do about it. Tensions are high between Perry and Roar. The last time the two saw one another, Roar was with Aria and he jumped to the wrong conclusion. Perry also received word that his sister Liv was dead. Both are devastated by her loss. In the war room, the tension is thick between Perry and Roar. With Hess and Sable working together, they now have the three pieces needed to get to the Still Blue; the coordinates, the ships and Cinder, who is their way through the Aether barrier. With the Aether beginning to change color from blue to red, it may be only a matter of days before they are trapped in the cave for possibly years. Roar, Perry and Soren must learn to trust and work with one another in order to solve their problems and Aria is the common thread needed to hold the three together.

Can Cinder be rescued? Is he the key into getting into the Still Blue? Will Perry and Roar be able to repair their friendship? What happens when the Tides go to Sable and Hess' encampment to get what they need? Will Perry and Aria be able to find peace and lead what is left of the Tides' and Reverie into the Still Blue?

Visit Veronica Rossi’s website.

Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi (Never Sky book 2)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't read the first  book in the series, Under the Never Sky, Stop! I don't want to ruin one of my favorite series for you.

“When the aether strikes, no one is safe. The world is in chaos, who do you trust?”

It’s been five months since Aria learned of her mother’s death while working at Bliss. Five months have passed since she last laid eyes on Perry. Her time was spent with Roar recovering at Marron’s; he with a leg wound and her with a deep wound to her heart and soul. Now Aria finds herself being blackmailed by Counsel Hess to find the rumored Still Blue. He is holding Perry’s nephew Talon hostage. Heading north in her search, Aria stops by the Tides’ compound to reunite with Perry first.

Perry is now the Blood Lord of the Tides after killing his cruel older brother Vale over selling his son Talon to the Dwellers. Seen by some in his tribe as rash and inexperienced, Perry’s hold as Blood Lord is tenuous at best. When Roar returns and lets him know that Aria is on her way, Perry and his guard go to meet her. Deciding to keep their relationship a secret from the tribe, Aria finds her presence is unwelcome and few trust what they perceive to be a Dweller mole. Perry’s leadership is questioned when he takes up for Aria.

When a trader/gossip monger visits the Tides compound the night of Aria’s Marking ceremony, all hell breaks loose and secrets are inadvertently spilled. Word comes that Sable may have found Liv and taken her back to the Horns compound. Roar and Perry are furious and Roar is ready to go get her right then. Perry’s sense makes him realize that something is wrong with Aria. She is in pain and sick. Discovering that the ink is poisoned with hemlock, Perry scopes her up and rushes her to a healer. Heartsick, he doesn’t leave her side the entire night. Perry wakes up and he senses that Aria will recover. Going out to meet with his personal guard, tempers soon flare when one of them realize that Perry is rendered to Aria. Then a commotion breaks out in the compound that draws Perry's attention away from his guard. Having banished Aria’s prisoner the night before, about a quarter of the tribe’s members decide to leave over their dissatisfaction with Perry’s leadership and his relationship with an outsider. While dealing with the turmoil outside, Aria and Roar slip away unnoticed to head for Sable and the Horns, leaving Perry behind.

What happens when Perry discovers that Aria and Roar have left him behind? Will he be able to retain his role as Blood Lord of the Tides? Does the Still Blue exist? What will Aria and Roar find when they arrive at the Horns’ compound? Will Liv be there? Can Aria and Perry find their way back to each other?

Liv and Roar - book 0.5

For Vale, the situation has gotten desperate. As Blood Lord of the Tides, the aether storms have damaged much of their farmland and he has negotiated a deal with Sable, the northern Blood Lord of the Horns. His sister Liv is to marry Sable in exchange for a dowry of food for the year for the Tides. Liv and Perry are both angry at the eldest brother’s decision but their friend Roar is absolutely devastated. A transient until he and his grandmother settles with the Tides, Roar has always considered Perry and Liv his family. But over the years the feelings between Roar and Liv have grown and the news is heartbreaking. Seeing no other way out, this is the story of their journey to Sable and the outcome those readers of Under the Never Sky already know.

Visit Veronica Rossi's website.

Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan

“What if you were bound for a new world, about to pledge your life to someone you’d been promised to since birth and one unexpected violent attack made survival – not love – the issue?”

When the human race made survival on earth nearly impossible, two spaceships, launched one year apart, are headed towards New Earth to repopulate. The residents of the New Horizon were mostly Christian while the Empyrean housed the heathen population. Forty-three years into the mission, the New Horizon struggles with infertility and no children have been born since leaving Earth. Its sister ship solved the fertility issue and has an entire generation in training to take over. But when one ship’s crew is determined to populate New Earth with their beliefs, lives become endangered.

The residents of the Empyrean are initially excited when they spot the New Horizon through their windows. When questions to Captain Jones about the other ship’s unexpected arrival go unanswered, the ship’s mood quickly turns to fear. Sixteen-year-old Kieran Alden is the Captain’s favorite. He was the first child born aboard the Empyrean. His parents are concerned with the New Horizon’s sudden appearance but Kieran has other things more pressing on his mind. He has met Waverly Marshall in the ship’s orchard. Fifteen-year-old Waverly is the ship’s oldest female and Kieran’s girlfriend. A relationship between the two of them was expected by most everyone aboard the ship even though Kieran’s family is one of the few Christians on board. When Kieran proposes, Waverly is taken aback. She feels that she is too young to make a commitment and become a mother even though having children is essential to their mission. Kieran would do anything Waverly asked him to. But Waverly also holds a soft spot in her heart for the sullen and unpopular Seth Ardvale.

Panic ensues when some of the crew from the New Horizon forcibly enters the Empyrean. Some of the Empyrean adults are immediately killed and Waverly gathers all of the children in the auditorium. The invaders make their way to the children and separate the girls from the boys. The New Horizon members leave the boys behind and take the girls to a shuttle. Another skirmish breaks out when the remaining adults try and stop the shuttle from leaving. Waverly watches in horror as the crew of the New Horizon continues to shoot but one man offers her a choice; come aboard the shuttle or the shooting will continue and takes aim at Kieran. As she backs aboard the shuttle, Seth begs her not to and she makes eye contact. Kieran notices and both boys are devastated.

Why has the New Horizon attacked the Empyrean if their missions are the same? What has happened to the missing parents? Why were only the girls taken and for what purpose? And what happens when the Empyrean’s engines have a nuclear meltdown?

Join the adventure as the boys are separated from the girls and survival not love becomes the issue. Broken into parts, the reader is left hanging as to what happens to one group while the other group begins their story. Readers will be left hanging at the end eagerly awaiting book two in the series.

Visit Amy Kathleen Ryan's website.

Prized by Caragh O'Brien (Birthmarked book 2)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read Birthmarked, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

A couple of weeks have passed since the climatic ending of Birthmarked. Gaia Stone and her newborn sister, Maya, are traveling to the dead forest in search her grandmother, Dani Orien. With both of her parents dead, her brother missing and Gaia herself a wanted girl. She flees the Enclave and Leon in hopes of securing her freedom. But when the formula for Maya runs out and it looks like she won’t live, Gaia is found by a man and he takes the two by horseback to his village. At Sylum, Gaia meets the Matrarc. A wet nurse is found for Maya and the Matrarc informs Gaia that her grandmother has been dead for ten years and she is her replacement. Maya will remain in the village if she lives but Gaia has a choice to make. Visitors can only remain in the village for two days before becoming tied to it. If anyone tries to leave after that time, they become sick and die.

Gaia learns that Sylum is ruled by the women. Their population is steadily dwindling since only one in ten babies born is female. Since she knowingly risked her sister’s life, Gaia is imprisoned. During the night, she thinks she hears Maya crying. Breaking the window slats keeping her prisoner in the lodge, Gaia walks around the village searching for her sister; she soon realizes that the cries are that of a woman in labor. She goes in the cabin and meets Dinah and Josephine. Gaia helps Josephine deliver her daughter and Dinah gives her the scoop on village life. Both Dinah and Josephine are outcasts or libbies since they refuse to marry and have the requisite ten children to repopulate the village. They tell Gaia as a woman and a midwife, she could become influential figure in the village if she chose to stay.

Gaia discovers the window has been fixed and she has no choice but to go to the neighboring lodge for assistance. Norris lets her in and tells Gaia that the Matrarc is waiting for her. He gives her a tea tray and tells her where to go. The Matrarc has Gaia sit down and asks where she has been. She is pleased to learn that Gaia is a midwife and that it changes things. The Matrarc asks to feel/study her face since she is blind. Gaia is uncomfortable due to her scar but eventually relents. The Matrarc can tell she is full of loss not only for her parents but a boyfriend she left behind. In the end, she offers Gaia a deal, stay and be the village midwife and go to school. She can see her sister on occasion but she will have a mother who can care for her. Or she still has time to leave Sylum behind. She lets Gaia know that there are a few rules to life in the village. Men cannot touch women and women speak first. Gaia is surprised but the Matrarc explains with such a disparity between the number of men and women, a woman can be free to choose who she wishes to marry. Finally she lets Gaia know that “any tender touch, any kiss, is strictly illegal until you choose the man you want to marry.”

Will Gaia decide to stay in Sylum? What happens when she butts heads with the Matrarc over personal choice? Why is the male to female ratio in the village so disproportional? And when Leon comes looking for Gaia, what does the Matrarc do?

Join Gaia on her journey of self discovery. Her story will be concluded in Promised due out in 2012.

Visit Caragh O’Brien’s website.