The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna (Deathless book 1)

“Sixteen-year-old Deka lives in fear and anticipation of the blood ceremony that will determine whether she will become a member of her village. Already different from everyone else because of her unnatural intuition, Deka prays for red blood so she can finally feel like she belongs.

But on the day of the ceremony, her blood runs gold, the color of impurity--and Deka knows she will face a consequence worse than death.

Then a mysterious woman comes to her with a choice: stay in the village and submit to her fate, or leave to fight for the emperor in an army of girls just like her. They are called alaki--near-immortals with rare gifts. And they are the only ones who can stop the empire's greatest threat.

Knowing the dangers that lie ahead yet yearning for acceptance, Deka decides to leave the only life she's ever known. But as she journeys to the capital to train for the biggest battle of her life, she will discover that the great walled city holds many surprises. Nothing and no one are quite what they seem to be--not even Deka herself.” - taken from Goodreads.com

I really didn't know too much about this book going in except that it has been compared to Children of Blood and Bone. What this girl power fantasy has going for it is its unique story. Deka, who bleeds gold at her purity ceremony, is immediately ostracised by her father and the entire community. Locked in a cellar, Deka is subjected to her death several times over. Deka's life is virtually Immortal. Rescued from her torture by the Lady of Equus, she and another girl, Britta, are taken to a training camp to learn how to defeat the imposing enemy.

Deka lives in a world where males dominate while females are taught to be subservient. She craves to learn more about her mother and the secrets being kept from her. Lots of secrets, intrigue, sisterhood, and a touch of romance, readers will be left in an uproar for the next segment in this trilogy. 

Book two, The Merciless Ones, is due out on April 5, 2022.

Visit Namina Forna’s website.

 

Queen of Air and Darkness by Cassandra Clare (The Dark Artifices book 3, Shadowhunter Chronicles book 12)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read Lady Midnight and Lord of Shadows, Stop! I don’t want to ruin one of my favorite series for you. It will also help if you have read the previous books in the Shadowhunters’ world to avoid spoilers. 

“What if damnation is the price of true love?

Innocent blood has been spilled on the steps of the Council Hall, the sacred stronghold of the Shadowhunters. In the wake of the tragic death of Livia Blackthorn, the Clave teeters on the brink of civil war. One fragment of the Blackthorn family flees to Los Angeles, seeking to discover the source of the blight that is destroying the race of warlocks. 

Meanwhile, Julian and Emma take desperate measures to put their forbidden love aside and undertake a perilous mission to Faerie to retrieve the Black Volume of the Dead. What they find in the Courts is a secret that may tear the Shadow World asunder and open a dark path into a future they could never have imagined. Caught in a race against time, Emma and Julian must save the world of Shadowhunters before the deadly power of the parabatai curse destroys them and everyone they love.” - taken from Goodreads.com

Book three picks up immediately following bloodbath that occurred at the end of Lord of Shadows. Without giving away too many details, Julian and Emma are in a race against time to find a way to keep them from succumbing to the parabatai curse. All of our favorite Shadowhunter and Downworlder characters make an appearance. As this portion of the Dark Artifices trilogy comes to an end, the groundwork for the Wicked Powers trilogy, centered around Ty Blackthorn and Kit Herondale is laid out. Unfortunately, it will be several years before the trilogy will be in the hands of readers. The Last Hours trilogy, beginning with Chain of Gold, is expected to be published on November 19, 2019, will allow readers to step back in time to 1903 and will tell the stories of the next generation of Shadowhunters after Will, Tessa, and Jem, and introduces readers to the Blackthorn and Carstairs families. 

Visit Cassandra Clare’s website.

Visit Shadowhunters.com

The Rose and the Dagger by Renee Ahdieh (The Wrath and the Dawn book 2)

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

“I am surrounded on all sides by a desert. A guest, in a prison of sand and sun. My family is here. And I do not know whom I can trust.”

“In a land on the brink of war, Shahrzad has been torn from the love of her husband Khalid, the Caliph of Khorasan. She once believed him a monster, but his secrets revealed a man tormented by guilt and a powerful curse—one that might keep them apart forever. Reunited with her family, who have taken refuge with enemies of Khalid, and Tariq, her childhood sweetheart, she should be happy. But Tariq now commands forces set on destroying Khalid's empire. Shahrzad is almost a prisoner caught between loyalties to people she loves. But she refuses to be a pawn and devises a plan.

While her father, Jahandar, continues to play with magical forces he doesn't yet understand, Shahrzad tries to uncover powers that may lie dormant within her. With the help of a tattered old carpet and a tempestuous but sage young man, Shahrzad will attempt to break the curse and reunite with her one true love.” - Goodreads.com

Can the city of Rey be rebuilt? Will Despina allow Jalal into her and their child’s lives? Does Tariq allow the love of his life, Shahrzad, to live her own? What kind of magic does Jahander’s book contain and what powers does he possess? Can Shazi help Khalid end the curse? Will the two be able to have their own happily ever after?

With an on the edge of your seat action that is both gripping and heart wrenching, fans of the first book will be richly rewarded with an ending that is infinitely better than the fantastic beginning. LOVED this book!!!!!

Visit Renee Ahdieh’s website.

Three enovellas have also been released.

The Moth and the Flame (book 0.25) is the story of the, Jalal al-Khoury, Captain of the Guard, and Despina.

The Crown and the Arrow (book 0.5) is the story of the night Khalid visits his seventy-second bride, Shahrzad al-Khayzuran, the girl who intrigues him (Free ebook) The Mirror and the Maze (book 1.5) takes place when Khalid finds the city of Rey burning and Shahrzad gone. (Free ebook)

Persuasion by Martina Boone (Heirs of Watson Island book 2)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book the series, Compulsion, Stop! I don’t want to ruin one of my favorite series for you.

Barrie has returned to Watson's Landing after spending four days in San Francisco to retrieve her Godfather's ashes. What Seven and Eight Beauford neglected to tell her while they were gone is that reporters and ghost hunters have been hanging around since the story about the boat explosion made the news. Pru and Seven decided to close up the tea room over concerns of unwanted visitors. Barrie is upset because she doesn't know how to keep Watson’s Landing safe if she doesn't know what is going on. Seven reassures her that the excitement will die down after Cassie’s hearing and Wyatt's funeral. He believes that everything can go back to normal then.

Eight and Barrie go outside to steal some time together. Eight states that he would like to be rid of his gift but Barrie has embraced hers, even though she develops migraines upon leaving Watson’s Landing. Her gift ties her to the house. Eight says that things would be simpler if she was free of her gift. Barrie just wants the reporters and ghost hunters to quit looking for the Fire Carrier. She is afraid someone else will get hurt. Eight tells her that Wyatt and Ernesto chose to be drug runners and their death is the result of their choices. Barrie is broken when she realizes that the whole time they were in California making plans for their future restaurant, Eight knew they wouldn’t come to fruition. She wishes that they had more time together before he leaves for college. Eight drops the bomb on Barrie that he turned down his baseball scholarship to USC to stay in South Carolina and be close to her. Barrie wants to know if he is staying because he wants to or because of his gift of knowing that she wants him to. They get into an argument over his change of heart over leaving the island. When the implications of what Eight is assuming over a possible future between the two of them, she gets scared. She runs off, leaving a miserable Eight behind.

Barrie’s not mad at Eight, just all of the circumstances that have come their way. Rounding the corner of the house, she realizes that the yunwi are agitated and try to get her to leave. Her gift pulls her to a green object on the ground. Barrie bends over to pick up the token and sees that there is a raven on the backside. She looks for the person who dropped it but doesn’t see anyone at first. Then a man in a dark suit with dreadlocks materializes. Barrie realizes that it is the same man she thought she saw on on the wall the day she came home.  He remarks that he wouldn’t have believed it if he hadn’t witnessed it, saying that he didn’t think the gift would still be around after all this time. Barrie wants him to leave but he tells he that she has no reason to be afraid of Obadiah. She tries to scream but finds that she cannot. Obadiah tells her that he isn’t there to hurt her and that the Beaufort boy isn’t needed. He overheard their argument earlier and is there to help. He knows Eight wants to be rid of his gift gone. Barrie finds that she can let out a muffled scream and Obadiah is gone. Eight comes running and asks what is wrong. She tries to tell him about Obadiah, but the harder she tries to recall her memories, the hazier they become. Barrie finds that she cannot remember him.

Later, Seven has a chat with Barrie. He wants her to make sure that Eight leaves Watson’s Island while he still has the chance. It is up to her to convince him that she no longer wants him. Barrie is stunned to discover that Eight doesn’t know that his gift will tie him to the island. His father refuses to tell him and won’t answer any of Barrie’s questions. Seven does tell her that a future together with Seven isn’t in the cards. Each will be tied to their respective family homes. If they live together in the future, one would always be in pain. Barrie is left with seeing Seven in a new light and wondering what the future holds.

Who is Obadiah? Can he really take away Eight’s gift? What did he mean when he realizes that Barrie still had the Watson gift of finding things? Why does Barrie have issues recalling any memories of Obadiah?  Is there buried treasure at Coleworth Place? Will Barrie be able to convince Eight to leave Watson’s Island before his gift ties him to Beaufort Hall? What isn’t Seven telling either Barrie or Eight about the family gifts? Do the ghost hunters finally leave Watson’s Island? Is there a chance that Barrie and Eight can have a future together?

Barrie’s story will conclude with Illusion due out on October 25, 2016.

Visit Martina Boone’s website.