Never Thought I’d End Up Here by Ann Liang

 

“Leah Zhang has spent her whole life in LA - it's all she's ever known. But after accidentally wishing her cousin ill health and a very depressing marriage at her wedding, her parents stage an intervention. She's forgotten most of her Mandarin, has zero regard for etiquette, and can't hold a conversation with her own grandparents for longer than a minute. Their solution? Send her on an intensive two-week travel program across China's most beautiful cities. To them, it's the perfect opportunity for Leah to get back to her roots. To Leah, it's simply a much-needed escape.

But before Leah can even begin to enjoy the luxurious hotels, stunning scenery, and mouth-watering cuisine, she finds that also on the trip is her former classmate and least favorite person cynical, sarcastic Cyrus, who's somehow only gotten more annoyingly handsome since they last saw each other.

While Leah might be tempted to shove him off the peak of the Yellow Mountain when nobody's looking, she can't get rid of him just yet. After all, she might never get another chance to get revenge on the boy who ruined her life.

Yet the deeper they wander into China's provinces, the deeper Leah finds herself falling in love - with the boy she once thought she despised, the home she never thought she'd call her own, and the parts of herself she thought were already lost.” - taken from Goodreads.

When Leah flubs her congratulatory message in Chinese to her cousin on her wedding, her mother has had enough. Deeply embarrassed, her mother enrolled Leah in an immersive cultural experience in China to regain some respect from their family. Unfortunately, the one boy who is the cause of two of the most traumatic experiences in her life, is on the trip as well. She is determined to get back at Cyrus. But what happens when her heart has other plans?

Visit Ann Liang’s website.

Graceling (Graphic Novel) by Kristin Cashore, Illustrated by Gareth Hinds

 

"Katsa is a Graceling, one of the rare people born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she lived a life of privilege until the day her ability to kill a man with her bare hands revealed itself during a royal banquet. Now she acts as her uncle’s enforcer, traveling the kingdom and threatening those who dare oppose him.

 

But everything changes when she meets Po, a foreign prince Graced with combat skills who is searching for the truth about his grandfather’s disappearance. When Katsa agrees to help him, she never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace—or about a terrible secret that could destroy them all.” - taken fromGoodreads

An incredible graphic novel rendering of one of my all time favorite fantasy series. I cannot wait to see what illustrator Gareth Hinds did with the remaining books in the Graceling series.

The Bronzed Beasts by Roshani Chokshi (The Gilded Wolves book 3)

 

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first two books in the series, The Gilded Wolves and The Silvered Serpents, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“In love they breathed. In destiny they believed. In the end, will divinity be their demise?

After Séverin's seeming betrayal, the crew is fractured. Armed with only a handful of hints, Enrique, Laila, Hypnos and Zofia must find their way through the snarled, haunted waterways of Venice, Italy to locate Séverin.

Meanwhile, Séverin must balance the deranged whims of the Patriarch of the Fallen House and discover the location of a temple beneath a plague island where the Divine Lyre can be played and all that he desires will come to pass.

With only ten days until Laila expires, the crew will face plague pits and deadly masquerades, unearthly songs and the shining steps of a temple whose powers might offer divinity itself... but at a price they may not be willing to pay.” - taken from Goodreads.com

Ten days. That's all Lalia has left. The race is on to save her life. After the shocking cliffhanger of the second book, no one knows what the future holds. Without giving too much away, fans will be satisfied with how things wrap up for this rag-tag group of friends.

Visit Roshani Chokshi’s website.

All the Tides of Fate by Adalyn Grace (All the Stars and Teeth book 2)

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

“Through blood and sacrifice, Amora Montara has conquered a rebellion and taken her rightful place as queen of Visidia. Now, with the islands in turmoil and the people questioning her authority, Amora cannot allow anyone to see her weaknesses.

No one can know about the curse in her bloodline. No one can know that she’s lost her magic. No one can know the truth about the boy who holds the missing half of her soul.

To save herself and Visidia, Amora embarks on a desperate quest for a mythical artifact that could fix everything―but it comes at a terrible cost. As she tries to balance her loyalty to her people, her crew, and the desires of her heart, Amora will soon discover that the power to rule might destroy her.: - taken from Goodreads.com

I enjoyed getting back into Amora's world. With the loss of her father, she is now queen but rules with a heavy heart. Not to mention a little curse she must deal with. Our heroine tries to stay strong but Amora eventually begins to allow her crew of friends in. With a heart-wrenching ending, fans will be thrilled with the journey. Hand this duology to fans of Tricia Levenseller.

Visit Adalyn Grace’s website.

Four Days of You and Me by Miranda Kenneally

"A new swoon-worthy romance following a couple's love story on the same date over four years. 

Every May 7, the students at Coffee County High School take a class trip. And every year, Lulu’s relationship with Alex Rouvelis gets a little more complicated. Freshman year, they went from sworn enemies to more than friends after a close encounter in an escape room. It’s been hard for Lulu to quit Alex ever since.

Through breakups, make ups, and dating other people, each year’s class trip brings the pair back together and forces them to confront their undeniable connection. From the science museum to an amusement park, from New York City to London, Lulu learns one thing is for sure: love is the biggest trip of all." - taken from Goodreads.com

I have adored the author's Hundred Oaks series and was a bit nervous that this book wouldn't live up to my expectations. Boy, I'm so glad how wrong I was. Lulu and Alex's complicated love story is told over four years of high school but only on May 7th, the day of their annual field trip. Besides the present day, readers are given flashbacks to important events in their lives that occurred during the year.

I did feel like the ending was a bit rushed but it was the end of the day. I really hope the author writes an epilogue for everyone taking place on May 7th a few years in the future.

 

The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi (Gilded Wolves book 1)

“Paris, 1889: The world is on the cusp of industry and power, and the Exposition Universelle has breathed new life into the streets and dredged up ancient secrets. In this city, no one keeps tabs on secrets better than treasure-hunter and wealthy hotelier, Séverin Montagnet-Alarie. But when the all-powerful society, the Order of Babel, seeks him out for help, Séverin is offered a treasure that he never imagined: his true inheritance.

To find the ancient artifact the Order seeks, Séverin will need help from a band of experts: An engineer with a debt to pay. A historian who can't yet go home. A dancer with a sinister past. And a brother in all but blood, who might care too much.

Together, they'll have to use their wits and knowledge to hunt the artifact through the dark and glittering heart of Paris. What they find might change the world, but only if they can stay alive.” - taken from Goodreads.com

At the beginning of this book, I was heavily reminded of Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows duology and the sextuplet of main characters that everyone roots for. I kept comparing Severin to Kaz. The further you get into the story, these six characters begin to grow on you. Mythology, history, and math are woven throughout the story. Readers will soon be flipping through the pages to uncover the secrets everyone is hiding.

Needless to say, things don’t go exactly as our characters wish. WIth the ending chapters setting up the next book, readers will be ready to see where Severin and the gang go next.

Book two in the trilogy, The Silvered Serpents, is due out on February 2, 2020.

Visit Roshani Chokshi’s website.

A Sorrow Fierce and Falling by Jessica Cluess (Kingdom on Fire book 3)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first two books in the series, A Shadow Bright and Burning, and A Poison Dark and Drowning, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

“It’s time for war.

After suffering terrible losses, Henrietta and Lord Blackwood have led their warriors to Sorrow-Fell, a vast estate where only those invited by a Blackwood may enter–and the ideal place to plan a final assault against the Ancients.

It’s time for a wedding.

Henrietta nervously awaits her marriage to Blackwood, but when the ritual to become his bride reveals a dark secret, she realizes that Sorrow-Fell is not a safe haven; it’s a trap. Convincing the sorcerers of this, however, is not easy. So with Maria, the true chosen one, and Magnus, the young man who once stole her heart, at her side, Henrietta plots a dangerous journey straight into the enemy’s lair. Some will live. Some will die. All will be tested.

In this stunning conclusion to the Kingdom on Fire series, Henrietta must choose between the love from her past, the love from her present, and a love that could define her future. While battles rage, the fate of the kingdom rests on her decision: Will she fall or rise up to become the woman who saves the realm?

It’s time for Henrietta to make her stand” - taken from Goodreads.com

I almost didn’t finish reading this series but I’m glad that I changed my mind. It didn’t take me long to pick back up the storyline since the author did a great job recapping the previous books without dragging along the current plot. Several characters don’t make it to the end but they were totally necessary. The epilogue to the book was brilliantly written and provides an incredible end to Henrietta's story. 

Visit Jessica Cluess’ website.

The Red Pyramid: The Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan

Book One - The Red Pyramid

It has been six years since the death of Carter and Sadie Kane’s mother. Sadie was raised by her maternal grandparents in London while Carter has literally traveled the world will their Egyptologist father. Carter and Sadie only see each other twice a year. Raised separately with very little in common, each envies the other’s lifestyle. On Christmas Eve, their father Julius takes Carter and Sadie to the British Museum for a private visit with the promise of making things right. Julius asks his children to lock the curator in his office and not to disturb him. Carter and Sadie are horrified as they watch their father summon a mysterious man who causes the Rosetta Stone to explode and banish Julius to a golden sarcophagus that disappears into the museum floor. After a visit from what seems to be Scotland Yard, Carter and Sadie are both told they are being deported. A familiar looking man comes in and tells their grandparents he will take the children back to the United States. They do not object and Cater and Sadie learn that the man is Amos, their father’s brother. They also realize that they don’t know all there is to their family and begin to learn some shocking revelations. Soon Amos whisks them to New York where they learn that their family comes from a long line of magicians. Their father was performing a forbidden ritual in an attempt to summon Osiris, the lord of the dead. Unfortunately, his actions have released the gods of Ancient Egypt and it will be up to Carter and Sadie to rectify the situation.Why were Carter and Sadie raised separately as children? What is really in the mysterious toolbox that their father always kept close at hand? What are the circumstances surrounding their mother’s death? And can Carter and Sadie rescue their father and right his wrongs?

Book Two - The Throne of Fire

Since the events of The Red Pyramid, Carter and Sadie Kane have been gathering other young magicians at the Brooklyn mansion to train them for the upcoming battle. Apophis, the Chaos snake, is rising and the Kanes have five days to stop him. In order to do that, they must revive the sun god Ra. First the book of Ra must be located and it’s in three parts. Next, they must learn to chant the spells. Finally Ra needs to be located only no one knows where he is. Once again told in alternating viewpoints between the siblings, lots of new characters are introduced in this global adventure.



The Kane Chronicles will conclude with book 3, The Serpent's Shadow on May 1, 2012.