The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes by Suzanne Collins (Hunger Games book #0)

 

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

“Ambition will fuel him.

Competition will drive him.

But power has its price.

It is the morning of the reaping that will kick off the tenth annual Hunger Games. In the Capitol, eighteen-year-old Coriolanus Snow is preparing for his one shot at glory as a mentor in the Games. The once-mighty house of Snow has fallen on hard times, its fate hanging on the slender chance that Coriolanus will be able to outcharm, outwit, and outmaneuver his fellow students to mentor the winning tribute.

The odds are against him. He's been given the humiliating assignment of mentoring the female tribute from District 12, the lowest of the low. Their fates are now completely intertwined -- every choice Coriolanus makes could lead to favor or failure, triumph or ruin. Inside the arena, it will be a fight to the death. Outside the arena, Coriolanus starts to feel for his doomed tribute... and must weigh his need to follow the rules against his desire to survive no matter what it takes.” - taken from Goodreads.

I cannot believe I waited so long to read this book. I loved seeing inside the inner workings of Coriolanus Snow and what it took to make him the ultimate villain that we loved to hate in The Hunger Games.

Visit Suzanne Collins’ website.

A Sky Beyond the Storm by Sabaa Tahir (Ember in the Ashes book 4)

 

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first three books in the quartet, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

Check out Book Series Recaps for a refresher on the first three books.

Please visit the Recaptains blog if you need a refresher on the first two books.

“Picking up just a few months after A Reaper at the Gates left off...

The long-imprisoned jinn are on the attack, wreaking bloody havoc in villages and cities alike. But for the Nightbringer, vengeance on his human foes is just the beginning.

At his side, Commandant Keris Veturia declares herself Empress, and calls for the heads of any and all who defy her rule. At the top of the list? The Blood Shrike and her remaining family.

Laia of Serra, now allied with the Blood Shrike, struggles to recover from the loss of the two people most important to her. Determined to stop the approaching apocalypse, she throws herself into the destruction of the Nightbringer. In the process, she awakens an ancient power that could lead her to victory--or to an unimaginable doom.

And deep in the Waiting Place, the Soul Catcher seeks only to forget the life--and love--he left behind. Yet doing so means ignoring the trail of murder left by the Nightbringer and his jinn. To uphold his oath and protect the human world from the supernatural, the Soul Catcher must look beyond the borders of his own land. He must take on a mission that could save--or destroy--all that he knows.” - taken from Goodreads.com

An absolutely breathtaking but heartwrenching conclusion to this incredible series that sees our trio of main characters to the end. Without giving away too many details, have of this series should be satisfied with this final book.

Visit Sabaa Tahir’s website.

A Reaper at the Gate by Sabaa Tahir (Ember Quartet book 3)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first two books in the quartet, An Ember in the Ashes and A Torch Against the Night, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

Check out Book Series Recaps for a refresher of the first two books.

Please visit the Recaptains blog if you need a refresher of the first two books.

“Beyond the Empire and within it, the threat of war looms ever larger.

The Blood Shrike, Helene Aquilla, is assailed on all sides. Emperor Marcus, haunted by his past, grows increasingly unstable, while the Commandant capitalizes on his madness to bolster her own power. As Helene searches for a way to hold back the approaching darkness, her sister's life and the lives of all those in the Empire hang in the balance.

Far to the east, Laia of Serra knows the fate of the world lies not in the machinations of the Martial court, but in stopping the Nightbringer. But while hunting for a way to bring him down, Laia faces unexpected threats from those she hoped would aid her, and is drawn into a battle she never thought she'd have to fight.

And in the land between the living and the dead, Elias Veturius has given up his freedom to serve as Soul Catcher. But in doing so, he has vowed himself to an ancient power that will stop at nothing to ensure Elias's devotion–even at the cost of his humanity.” - take from Goodreads.com 

The only good reason I can find about not reading this book sooner is that I now have seven fewer months to wait for the conclusion. WOW! To try and keep this spoiler free, I’m not going into a lot of details. Some of the events that transpire, you knew had to happen but others were complete jaw-droppers. One event, in particular, left me speechless. (Oh, how I wish I had someone to talk to about it.) The ending with its wicked plot twists to set up the final book will leave readers eager for the final book.

The final book in the quartet is expected to be published in 2020.

Visit Sabaa Tahir’s website.

Their Fractured Light by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner (Starbound book 3)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first two books in the series, These Broken Stars and  This Shattered World, Stop! I don’t want to ruin this series for you. Even though two new characters are introduced, the storyline continues from the first two books.

Please visit the Recaptains blog in you need a refresher on the first book in the series.

Please visit the Recaptains blog in you need a refresher on the second book in the series.

“A year ago Flynn Cormac and Jubilee Chase made the now-infamous Avon Broadcast, calling on the galaxy to witness LaRoux Industries’ corruption. A year before that, Tarver Merendsen and Lilac LaRoux where the only survivors of the Icarus shipwreck, forced to live a double life after their rescue.  

Now, at the center of the galaxy on Corinth, all four are about to collide with two new players in the fight against LRI.” - front flap.

Roderick LaRoux is doing damage control in an attempt to make the galaxy forget the accusations directed at him in the Avon broadcast. As part of his outreach program, he has opened his holosuite, which takes up an entire floor, to the public for a minimal fee. It is a place that provides a fun, safe setting for people and their children to have fun. It is here that Corinth Against Tyranny plans to hold its latest protest.

Seventeen-year-old Sophia Quinn has spent the past year trying to get close to Roderick LaRoux. While waiting, Sophia catches a boy not much older than herself, staring at her. He has a lapscreen plugged into a data port. What throws her for a loop is the fact that he was wearing a LaRoux Industries shirt. Sophia tries to calm her nerves and the deflect any superstition by flirting with him. Her ploy works; he winks and grins. The boy pushes a button on his lapscreen and a holographic bird sweeps across and then freezes mid air. Suddenly, the entire holosuite vanishes and everyone finds themselves in a stark, white room. Sofia sees that people are looking around confused and realizes that it wasn't planned by the protesters. Before she can make her escape, something catches her eye. Sofia sees the boy remove a chip from the lapscreen and place it in his pocket. He gets up and eases into the security camera’s blind spot. He takes off his LaRoux Industries shirt and turns it inside out to reveal a shirt that matches the current fashion trend. He instantly blends into the crowd and she realizes that he is not with the protesters.

A voice comes over the loudspeakers alerting the crowd that a security breach has been detected. Security officers are covering all of the exits and the crowd is asked to cooperate. Sophia knows that her concealed genetag will not pass inspection and that she will be seen as a border planet insurgent and the cover she has worked so hard for will be blown. She looks for another escape route and a possible diversion. She sees the boy and decides that his fake uniform will keep the attention away from her. Sofia whispers to the guard that the boy over there needs help. Before she can slip out of the door, the guard wants her to show him and signals for more help. Stuck, she does the only thing she can. He is her fiance and stress makes his condition worse. The guard comments that the two of them were just fine a moment ago. They can wait. She pleads some and they want to call for a medtech, but she is still unable to escape. Suddenly, the boy drops to the ground and begins convulsing. The guards panic and order her to do something. Now, Sofia begins to panic when it seems that his condition worsens. Just then, the strange ring that the projectors had concealed comes to life as it begins to light up. Everyone in the room becomes entranced by it, including the guards. The boy puts his hand on her own, gets her attention and asks her when the wedding will be. Sofia helps him up. She realizes that they both want the same thing, to make their escape. Before they can leave, a man drops to the floor with his eyes glazed over. Sofia is taken back to the night on the military base in Avon where her father strapped on a bomb. Everyone in the holosuite has that same dead look in their eyes.

Gideon Marchant knows that he should stay out of trouble but the girl with dimples is too hard to resist. He also  isn't buying her story about the reason she was at the holosuite. Gideon is disappointed that he is leaving LaRoux Industries without any new information on Commander Antie Towers. While Gideon works on a distraction, he asks Sofia for her name. Alexis, she answers and he replies with his but she calls him out on using a newscaster’s name. He asks her if they are going to split up once his distraction starts and she initially says yes. But she does have an access card for the fire stairs. The alarm sounds and she tells him that he is an idiot. They need to leave through the stairwell. Gideon tells her that everyone will be heading away from the fire, allowing them clear access.

As the two are heading for the stairwell, a loud scream can be heard over the shrieking alarms from the hollow sweet. The screen is stopped by the one of a laser weapon. Then look at one another. Gideon thinks he knows what was happening in that room but one look at dimples and he says that her mask has slipped. She knows what is coming and they head on down the hall. After 15 minutes of walking, they stop at an exit sign guarded but what looks like a guy new to the  job. Sophia quickly swipes hair dye to streak her hair and tells him to wait. Gideon knows that he is seeing a real professional at work. He turns his shirt back out to show the LRI logo. Hysterical, she finally gets the guard to run down the hall looking for a man who pulled a gun on her. Gideon joins her and they enter the emergency stairwell.

Just before they can reach the ground level, three security guards come through the door. Gideon steps out of their hiding spot and hopes that his uniform will help them out. Alexis stays behind him and offers up that they are maintenance and doing a manual check of some of the alarms. The guards go back down the stairs. Just when they think that they are in the clear, the guards order them to stop. Sophia opens the door and drags Gideon with her. As they are closing the door, he hears the sound of a laser gun before feeling a sharp pain in his arm.

Sofia knows that they need to make a quick getaway. She waits for a taxi with a younger man driving so that she can work for a free fare. Finding her mark, she isn't happy that Gideon isn't playing along. The cabbie drives them to the rich part of the city. Sofia sees her plan disintegrating when the cabbie wants her to wait while her “brother” goes to get their aunt’s money. Sophia realizes that time is of the essence when she sees the severity of Gideon’s wound. Going for the maximum shock value, she kisses her “brother” and unlock the doors while the cabbie watches. The two are able to make their escape and head to her apartment.

Gideon knows that Alexis's name isn't Kristina either when the doorman calls her that. He is shocked when they arrive at the penthouse apartment. She goes to gather a first aid kit and he jokingly asks if she is really Lilac LaRoux. He knows she isn't by the locks of her hair and the fact that she knows how to treat his wound. After she is done, she tells Gideon he can either stay or leave but she is going to wash the dye out of her hair. He know that the two of them have to talk about what just happened. They are going to be hunted down for what they know. Gideon admits that he has told her his real name. Alexis is really her middle name but that is all she will tell him. The two finally talk about the lighted ring in the room and how the people reacted to it. He is desperate to find Towers. Alexis says that she has seen people act that way before, like husks, but she won't tell him where.  Knowing all the he has learned since Lilac asked him for security assistance, he deduces that she is from Avon. He doesn't tell her the entire truth about the ring but thinks that the two of them should work together since they are both after info on LRI.  She refuses and Gideon says that he is in her debt and will leave her a way to contact him. He secretly hopes that she will want to work together in the future. Gideon asks her if she has ever heard of the Knave of Hearts. Sofia goes still. She asked if he works for him and why he's looking into LRI. Sofia also asks Gideon not to mention her name to the Knave. He realizes that she is terrified of his online persona. Instead, he sets her up with a private email link that will only come to him. As he is leaving, Sofia asks Gideon if she can trust him. He grins and says, “Take a bullet for you twice, if I have to.”

Will Sofia contact Gideon for help? How does he uncover her true identity? What exactly is he doing for Lilac LaRoux? How will Sofia text when she discovers who the Knave of Hearts is? How deep does Roderick LaRoux deceptions go? What does the ring do that Sofia saw Avon and Corinth? Will either of their covers be blown? Can Lilac and Tarver bring down her father and LRI? What have Flynn and Lee been up to? How do the three couples from the Starbound trilogy finally come together?

Fans of the Starbound trilogy will be eager to see how the story ends.

Visit Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner’s website.

The Immortal Heights by Sherry Thomas (The Elemental trilogy book 3)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first two books in the series, The Burning Sky and The Perilous Sea, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the series for you.

Please visit the Recaptains blog if you need a refresher on the first book in the series.
Check out Epic Reads if you need a recap of the series.

Only six months have passed since Prince Titus VII, Master of the Domain, and Iolanthe Seabourne, aka Archer Fairfax, a great elemental mage of her time, met when she summoned her first lightning bolt. The Bane, head of Atlantis, the mightiest empire in the mage world, is hunting Iolanthe in order to sacrifice her to “prolong his life and maintain his choke hold on power.” Picking up immediately where The Perilous Sea ended, Atlantis has Titus and Iolanthe trapped underneath a bell jar dome where she is unable to access her control over lightning. They came to three days earlier in the middle of the Sahara Desert, only knowing that they must not be captured by Atlantis. Now, they are in the fight for their very lives.

Since he has deployed the war phoenix, Titus now has seven days to report his location to Alectus, his regent. Alectus is also a puppet of Atlantis. If Titus doesn’t make himself known, then the regent assumes the crown. All Alectus would have to do is hand over the reins of government to Atlantis. It would take Titus many lives and years to reclaim the crown. Three days have already but Titus also has a seventy-two hour grace period. In total, the trio has a seven day window to succeed in killing the Bane. Titus and Iolanthe know that if they go to Atlantis, the prophecy states that Titus will die. When the Bane issues an ultimatum for Iolanthe’s surrender or the destruction of Titus’ people, Titus’ hand is forced to finally make the decisions he dreaded facing.

Can the Bane be killed before Titus must make his appearance known? Does the crown pass to the regent? Will Titus survive the trip to Atlantis, despite his mother’s vision? How accurate are Princess Ariadne’s visions? Who turns out to be The One from the prophecy? What part will Kashkari play in the mission? Can his visions be trusted or are they open to interpretation like he believes? Is the Bane successful in his attempt to complete the sacrifice? How will the story of Titus and Iolanthe end? What truths will they discover about their lives?

Visit Sherry Thomas’ website.

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Oct. 11th, 1943-A British spy plane crashes in Nazi-occupied France. Its pilot and passenger are best friends. One of the girls has a chance at survival. The other has lost the game before it's barely begun.

When "Verity" is arrested by the Gestapo, she's sure she doesn't stand a chance. As a secret agent captured in enemy territory, she's living a spy's worst nightmare. Her Nazi interrogators give her a simple choice: reveal her mission or face a grisly execution.

As she intricately weaves her confession, Verity uncovers her past, how she became friends with the pilot Maddie, and why she left Maddie in the wrecked fuselage of their plane. On each new scrap of paper, Verity battles for her life, confronting her views on courage, failure and her desperate hope to make it home. But will trading her secrets be enough to save her from the enemy? - Taken from Goodreads.com

This Shattered World by Amie Kaufman & Meagan Spooner (Starbound book 2)

SPOILER ALERT! This Shattered World is a companion novel to the first book in the series, These Broken Stars. Readers of the first book will see references to Lilac and Tarver but this book can be enjoyed without having read the first book but when they are finished with this book, they will want to go back and read the first one.

Even the new recruits to Avon know that Captain Jubilee Chase, aka Stone-faced Chase by her platoon and don't call her Jubilee, isn't at Molly Malone's for the guys. At eighteen, Lee has taken herself off of the market. But while sitting at the bar one day, she sees an incredibly handsome yet oddly familiar guy staring at her in the mirror behind the bar, just like she has been checking him out. He comes over to sit next to her and the two begin flirting. Her suspicions about whether or not he is a new recruit are proven when while flirting with him he calls her Jubilee. He tries to buy her drink and leave because he knows that she is suspicious. She stops him and continues to flirt while attempting to figure out who he is. He slips up when he refers to her as Captain Chase and Lee drops all pretense. With her hand still on his arm, she is tells him that they are going to HQ and chat. Suddenly, he has a gun digging into her ribs and she notices his tattoo peeking out of his jacket sleeve that detonates him as a local. He tells her that all he wanted to do was buy her drink and leave. Lee notices her platoon but they make an effort not to look at their commander, thinking she has finally picked up a guy. He tells her to leave her gun behind. No one in the bar will look at them. As they walk out the door, her platoon begins to make catcalls. Knowing that she is being carried off by a rebel, her troops will wish in the morning that they had stopped by the laps she will make them run. Once in the alley, Lee realizes that as a military officer captured by a rebel, she won't see tomorrow. Using the plastic sword from her drink that she swiped when she left her gun behind, Lee jabs it into the rebel's thigh and breaks it off.

Flynn is in pain and momentarily loses his grip on the captain. A gunshot rings out in the scuffle between the two and Flynn realizes it came from his gun. Jubilee is down in the mud and as he reaches for her, she knocks him off balance. They grapple for the weapon but he eventually recovers. It seems as if the captain's wound was just a graze. He walks her to the fence where he entered the base from the swamp. Flynn needed information about the secret facility he stumbled on just a few hours earlier. The new recruits didn't have that kind of security clearance, but "Avon's most notorious soldier" would. As "Fianna's biggest pacifist", he is determined to know what the plans are for it. Reaching his flat bottomed boat in the swamp, Flynn renders her unconscious by using the toxic gas fumes his people are forced to use. She looks at him furiously before blacking out. Flynn knows his desperate move has cost him. His people would welcome her head on a platter but if the captain realizes who Flynn's sister is, he won't be safe anywhere. Either way, someone will probably end up dead so Flynn must act fast.

When she wakes up, Flynn asks Jubliee about the base. She really knows nothing about it and thinks he is making it up. He is just looking for a way to end the war. But first, Flynn wants to know why Terra Dynamics would build the facility. He is hoping to find some answers as to why Avon is generations behind on it's terraforming schedule. He doesn't expect a hired gun like Jubilee to care. Biting down her anger, Jubilee asks why he thinks that, what could be gained from not making a profit on Avon. Now it’s citizens have no rights and aren't recognized by the Galactic Council. She thinks his reasoning is off but why is no one truly investing, he counters. Jubilee doesn't answer but does considers his reasoning.

After paddling through the swamp, Flynn arrives at a large island. Getting out, the two begin walking along the shore. It's not long before he stops, confused and a little annoyed. He swears that this is the spot where he saw the building but nothing is there. Jubilee begins to feel fuzzy and wonders why she is still affected by the fumes. She sees a green light and stumbles. Flynn doesn't see it. Suddenly the fog clears and an entire building surrounded by a fence briefly flashes into existence. She sees a man with a mask on looking her way. She drops to her hands and knees coughing and in pain. She looks and the building is gone but something sharp is digging into her palm. Flynn turns around and thinks she is faking. Shaking her shoulder, he has the gun drawn. Jubilee puts the object she found in her boot and Flynn goes to get her some water. She begins screaming that he has drugged her. Flynn shakes her by the shoulders and she realizes that he has dropped the gun. She goes for it and he wants to know why she can't let it rest. Flynn places the gun in his pants. Jubilee reaches for him as the blackness threatens to overtake her. The last thing she remembers is being carried by Flynn.

What is going on with the terraforming on Avon? Why has the building disappeared and what is its purpose? How will Flynn keep Jubilee safe from his people? What did his sister do that worries Flynn when it comes to Jubilee? Will the two work together or against each other? Initially attracted to each, what happens when the two finally act on it?

Book three will be published in 2015.

Visit Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner’s website.

Rise by Anna Carey (Eve book 3)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first two books in the Eve trilogy, Stop! I don’t want to ruin a fantastic story for you.

“How far will you go when you have nothing left to lose?”

Two and a half months have passed since that fateful night when Eve and Caleb were discovered by the New America forces. Caleb was shot and taken prisoner while Eve was returned to her father, The King. He later informed Eve that Caleb dies in custody. Reginald, Head of the Press and leader of the rebel forces encouraged her to go through with her wedding to Charles, Head of Development. That way she can continue to be close to the King and carry out the rebellion’s assassination plans. In a loveless marriage, Charles keeps up the pretense to protect Eve, who he really loves.

With the rebellion growing, the King has the girl schools relocated to the old hospital in the city. Hoping to find her old friends Pip, Ruby and Arden, she and Charles go to look for them. Locating her former school, she finds that her friends escaped several weeks earlier. She wonders why her father has kept this news from her. Reginald comes the next morning to finalize Eve’s assassination plans for her father. Feeling a bit queasy over her role in the plot, Eve becomes physically ill and passes out. Her father is worried about the reemergence of the plague but the doctor assures them it’s not. Eve is pregnant. The King is overjoyed and insists that he accompany Eve right then to tell Charles at the construction site.

Knowing that the gig is up (Caleb not Charles is the father), Eve is filled with dread. To her surprise, Charles goes along and plays to role of ecstatic father. Later she asks why he didn’t rat her out, Charles lets her know that he still has hope that something more will develop between them. Feeling guilty, Eve begins to wonder if she can leave Charles behind to die.

After putting the assassination plot into motion, Eve begins to feel at fault about hurting her father. Clara confronts her and tells Eve she is her only true friend and has always kept Eve’s secrets. Eve begins to feel guilty about leaving Clara behind as well. She must find Reginald to ensure the safety of Charles and Clara after she departs. The rebel siege happens earlier than expected and is quickly squashed when the outlying colonies don’t join the rebellion. Eve hastily makes plans to leave. Gathering the necessary items for her escape, Eve is caught before she can leave. Taken to her father, she sees that Reginald has been detained as well. The King questions which one of them was poisoning him but he believes it to be Eve. Trapped, the two attempt to escape. Reginald is shot. He dies in the elevator with Eve. She makes it to the streets but Clara is determined to leave the city with her.

In what way was the rebellion thawed? How will Eve escape the City of Sand? What happens to Charles and Clara? Can Eve reunite with the rebellion? Is the King of New America overthrown? Will Eve be able to locate her friends? And what happens to the rest of her life?

Visit Anna Carey’s website.