Perfect Chemistry trilogy by Simone Elkeles

Book One - Perfect Chemistry

“A modern tale of star-crossed lovers, with a fresh urban twist.”

Everyone believes that everything about Brittany Ellis’ life is perfect but her. She works hard to keep up the charade because her parents have taught her that “outward appearances mean everything/” Her mother’s anxiety isn’t easily controlled and her father goes to work early and stays late so that he doesn’t have to deal. Only her best friend Sierra knows about her seriously disabled older sister Shelley. She wants everything about her first day of senior year to be perfect since she hasn’t seen her boyfriend of two years, Colin, all summer.

 
Alex Fuentes could be the first member of his family to graduate from high school if he passes his senior year at Fairfield. The eldest of three boys, his mother works at the neighborhood grocery store to support the family in the wake of their father’s death due to gang violence. Even though he is smart, for Alex, college is a dream. Caught up in the life of the Latino Blood gang, there is no way out for him and would die before he would let his brothers make the same mistake. He has a rough reputation and history defines who he is.
For both Brittany and Alex, the first day of school begins with a slight altercation in the parking lot. Brittany, driving her new car, almost hits Alex’s motorcycle when she attempted to park in the space he was already in. Brittany and Sierra literally fear for their lives trying to back out of the space. They are able to find a space on the other side of the lot and head to class. They find Alex and his gang blocking their way into the front doors. He attempts to intimidate Brittany but she stands up to his bullying and mouths off to him. Sierra asks Brittany if she has a death wish.
From opposite sides of town, Brittany and Alex would normally never cross paths. Their worlds collide during Mrs. Peterson’s sixth period senior chemistry class. A hard-nosed teacher, Mrs. Peterson assigns lab partners alphabetically. Instead of being partnered with her boyfriend Colin Adams, Brittany Ellis finds herself with Alex Fuentes. The barbs and insults start immediately. Neither is happy to learn they will have to partner on a joint project.
 
When one of Alex’s friends proposes a bet that he cannot have sex with the perfect Brittany Ellis before thanksgiving, he takes it. There isn’t a better way to get back at Brittany and Colin than taking her reputation to the toilet and being chem. Partners is the perfect place to start. For Brittany Ellis is very beautiful, very rich and very white while Alex Fuentes is the opposite; very poor, very Mexican and leads a very dark life. At Fairfield high, where you live is what matters and opposites are about to collide.
 
Forced to work as chemistry partners, it isn’t too long before Alex realizes that he underestimated Brittany and she him. Soon the heat is ratchet up between them and the sparks begin to fly. Will Brittany and Alex ever be able to break down one another’s walls or will they ultimately decide it isn’t worth the trouble?

Book Two - Rules of Attraction

“If you loved Alex Fuentes, wait until you meet his brother Carlos …”
It has been two years since the events in Perfect Chemistry. Mrs. Fuentes and her two younger sons, Carlos and Luis, have been living and eking out a living in Mexico. Carlos unfortunately has fallen victim to the local gang and Alex is bringing him back to the United States to make a fresh start. Bitter with a chip on his shoulder, Carlos thinks his older brother has left behind his Mexican heritage and is trying to live his life as a white man. Carlos believes that the gang life, not the college life is for him. Rebelling against Alex is the only way to strike back.Kiara Westford has worked with her speech therapist all summer to stop her issue with stuttering.

She is excited to start the school year but her boyfriend dumps her via a text message. Lamenting to her best friend tuck, Kiara is determined to have a great year. Remembering she needs to go to the auto body shop to pick up a radio for the vintage car she is trying to restore, she heads out to meet Alex Fuentes. One of her father’s former students, Alex has been helping her find the parts she needs. When Alex inquires if she could help show Carlos around Flatiron High, Kiara immediately offers to be his peer guide. Alex attempts to warn her about Carlos’ attitude but she quips that she loves a challenge.

Carlos and Kiara are soon like oil and water. He finds that he loves to give her a hard time and soon realizes that she is up to the challenge. Things change when the police bring the drug dogs to search the high school and drugs are found in Carlos’ locker. He insists that they aren’t his but even Alex is skeptical. When the judge discovers that Carlos live with Alex in subsidized housing, they are given two choices. Carlos can be deported back to Mexico even though he is a US citizen or he can live with the Westford family. Alex is desperate to keep Carlos in the US and the Westford family all agree that Carlos can live with them.

It’s not long before Carlos finds himself not only under the spell of Kiara, but the entire Westford family as well. As he figures out who set him up with the drugs and why, Carlos realizes that he will not be able to just walk away from the gang life as he hoped. But when it comes to the middle Fuentes brother, he would willingly lay down his life for the girl and her family that he loves. Can Carlos leave the gang life behind and make a life for himself? Is Carlos a challenge that Kiara and the Westford family are willing to take on? And what happens when Carlos and Kiara realize what the rules of attraction are?

Book Three - Chain Reaction

“The youngest Fuentes brother will risk everything to protect his family.”

Luis Fuentes is known as “the good kid” I his family. The youngest of three boys, he has watched his two older brothers get into some serious gang-related trouble while in high school. Luis dreams of going to college to study aeronautics. What Luis portrays to his family on the outside is not the Luis his friends know on the inside. An adrenaline junkie, he craves the rush taking a risk gives him, whether it be snowboarding or rock climbing. After being bitten by a snake while climbing, Luis comes close to losing his life and unfortunately his family discovers his reckless side Alex admonishes him for risking his life two weeks before his wedding.

Two weeks later, the Fuentes family is gathered outside of Chicago for Alex’s big day. Luis offers to go inside to get something that Alex forgot. He stumbles upon a girl about his age (fifteen) on a cell phone in his brother’s dressing room. Looking Mexican, Luis begins speaking to her Spanish, she snaps and says that they are not in Mexico and she is an American. Luis knows that the fire in her means she has some Mexican blood in her. He tries to flirt and she shoots him down. Mrs. Fuentes comes in and demands to know who she is. Nikki Cruz, she tells them. Her father was Alex’s surgeon and they have kept in touch over the years.

Nikki, who just completed her freshman year of high school, was recently dumped by her boyfriend, Marco Delgado. Marco is going the Latino Blood gang. She is devastated since they lost their virginity to one another and now she is pregnant. Terrified and unable to tell her parents who disapproved of Marco, Luis Fuentes has her unnerved. He reminds her of Marco physically and is a bit conceited. She definitely sees a ladies’ man and knows all too well that men lie. After being forced by her parents to dance with Luis, Nikki ends up kneeing him in the groin. She is pushed by her mother to apologize but finds Luis skinny dipping with a girl. She hides his clothes as payback and leaves. Nikki gets sick at home and her parents discover she is pregnant. She has suffered an ectopic pregnancy and loses her baby.

Two Years Later

Luis and his mother leave Colorado and return to Fairfield, Ill. To be near family, they move back to their former house to find that it and the neighborhood have drastically changed. A star student and athlete at Flatiron High, it doesn’t take Luis long to fit in again with his old friends from the south side. He is at his locker with Marco on the first day when he and Nikki first spot one another. Marco tells Luis that Nikki is bad news and to stay away. She is from the north side of town and there are plenty of Latina girls in the south. By the end of the day, both are in Mrs. Peterson’s chemistry class and have detention. Luis notices that Nikki is having difficulty with her math homework and offers to be her tutor. She states that she doesn’t hang around south side boys any more.

Luis makes the soccer team and quickly strikes up a friendship with Derek, the boyfriend of Nikki’s best friend. Derek and Kendall are having a few problems and he thinks if Nikki had a boyfriend, things would be better. Derek says he will arrange a blind double date and Luis agrees. Soon he spots Nikki’s younger brother Ben and strikes up a conversation. Before long, Ben invites Luis back to the Cruz house to play the computer game he is creating. Nikki is upset that Ben brought Luis home and Luis attempts to smooth over the negative feelings between the two of them. Luis says they need to kiss to see if there is any chemistry between them. Nikki takes the lead and Luis knows she is messing with him. It doesn’t take long before she loses control but tries to play it off. Luis Fuentes is quickly getting under her skin and he seems to realize it.

The blind double date turns out better than Nikki would have thought possible but she won’t admit it. After soccer practice one day, Marco invites Luis to a beach party. Luis is surprised to see it is taking place at an old Latino Blood spot. Trying to get his mind off of Nikki, Luis is stunned to see Chuy Soto, the head of the Latino Bloods, has gotten out of prison. Chuy is determined that Luis will join the gang family.

Will Luis be able to resist joining up with the Latino Bloods? Can he keep his dreams of going to college alive? Will Nikki be able to put aside her distrust of boys to open up her heart to love? And will she be able to admit her feelings for Luis?

Each book in the Perfect Chemistry series focuses on each of the Fuentes Brothers and is told in alternating viewpoints between the brother and the girl he loves. In book two, Alex is a minor character and we see how his life progresses. Just like in book three, continuing details are given about both Alex and Carlos.

Visit Simone Elkeles’ website.
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Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally

“There’s no playbook for love.”“Who ever knew throwing a perfect spiral would be simple compared to dealing with guys.”

It is Jordan Woods’ senior year at Hundred Oaks High School in Franklin, Tennessee. Jordan is the captain and starting quarterback of the eight-time state champion Red Raiders’ football team. Even though the team lost the state championship game in the final seconds last year, the University of Alabama is sending a recruiter to watch every practice and game. Jordan’s mom comes to every practice and game. Jordan’s father, Tennessee Titans’ starting quarterback Donovan Woods, doesn’t. Jordan’s older brother Mike is a junior at the University of Tennessee and led his team to a Sugar Bowl win last year. Donovan Woods doesn’t come to Jordan’s games because he doesn’t want his daughter to play football.

 Jordan’s never had a boyfriend. At over six feet tall and unwilling to date a team member, she doesn’t have time for boys, especially now that she wants to be seriously considered to play Division I football. During practice, the coach asks her to run a new play. When he doesn’t talk to her through her helmet mike, she glances over to see what the problem could be. Jordan sees the principal walking towards the coach with an incredibly hot guy. For the first time in her life, Jordan’s knees turn to jelly and she finds herself being knocked to the ground during the play. Jordan, embarrassed, looks the new guy over and is instantly attracted. The principal tells the coach that Tyler Green has just moved to the area. He knows that it is late but hopes that Coach Miller can find a place on the team for him. He did lead his team to the Texas state football championship the previous year. Ty doesn’t want to give any reason about leaving Texas before finishing his senior year. He looks shy and uncomfortable when the coach finally asks him what position he plays. Quarterback as the team laughs. Coach Miller lets him know the position is already taken by an All State player but he could use a back up. He calls Jordan over to discuss running some plays with Ty when he asks her to take off her helmet so that he can see if she might have a concussion. Ty is shocked to learn that Jordan is a girl.
A few practice runs and Ty is as good as Jordan. Coach Miller allows Ty to join the team. Jordan is shocked by his lack of attitude and cockiness. She is determined to keep her heart and mind on football and a college scholarship, despite her attraction to the new guy. Will Jordan be able to find success on the gridiron or will she loose her heart over a boy?

Visit Miranda Kenneally's website.

Jessica Rules the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey (Jessica book 2)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first book in the series, Jessica’s Gide to Dating on the Dark Side, Stop! I don’t want to ruin a great series for you.

Princess Antanasia Dragomir Vladescu (Jessica Packwood) is trying to adjust to her new life in Romania. Not only is she now married to Lucius, but is trying to find her rightful place as the ruler of the combined vampire clans. At the upcoming vampire congress to be held later in the summer, “the most prominent Vladescus and Dragomirs gather from all over the world” in Romania. It is a week not only of business, but parties and socializing. The first congress was held after Lucius and Antanasia’s parents agreed to their marriage pact. Now they will gather to celebrate the peace their wedding has brought but to cast a vote of confidence to elevate Lucius and Antanasia from prince and princess to king and queen.

At a meeting with the Elders, Lucius’ uncle Claudiu makes some disparaging remarks about how Antanasia was not ready to rule the vampires and he could not accept a Dragomir as his sovereign. Lucius is furious with Claudiu who leaves and everyone watching knows it is far from over. Later, Antanasia waits for Lucius in her office. She dreams of stakes and betrayal and awakes to find Lucius asleep on top of their bed, still dressed in his clothes. A guard knocks on their bedroom door to deliver the news, Claudiu has been destroyed. They arrive to find everyone standing around the body in the entryway. Discussion about what happened is going on when Antanasia’s best friend Mindy enters.

Tensions run high in the castle once again when uncle Flaviu pushes Lucius in front of the Elders about how he is going to investigate Claudiu’s death. In an attempt to diffuse the situation, Antanasia speaks up and says that all the Elders need to show their stakes. Lucius sets a time but Antanasia quickly realizes that she has made a grave mistake. Later, Lucius takes Antanasia to the castle’s stake room and shows her his stake. She immediately recognizes the stench and knows it is covered in Claudiu’s blood. Lucius tells her he has no idea how it got there and someone is setting them up to take the ultimate fall.

With Lucius imprisoned for the murder of Claudiu, will Antanasia be able to rise up and rule the vampire clans as she needs to? Can Mindy’s presence in Romania hurt or help Antanasia” who really destroyed Claudiu Vladescu and why? Can Antanasia with the help of some friends find the true murderer before it is too late?

The wedding chapters of Jessica Packwood and Lucius Vladescu can be found on Beth Fantaskey’s web site at http://www.bethfantaskey.com/wedding/wedding-chapt1.html

Visit Beth Fantaskey's website.


Legend by Marie Lu

Los Angeles, California
Republic of America
In the Republic, all children take the Trials at the age of ten. The score determines your future placement. The highest scoring children receive high school and college educations with good paying jobs by the Republic. Low scoring kids are sent to work dangerous jobs. Those who fail the Trials are sent to labor camps and their families are compensated, but that is a lie. The lucky ones die before Congress has a chance to experiment on them.
Day is the most wanted criminal in the Republic, only no one knows what he physically looks like. It is known that he is young and that his fingerprints aren’t on file. He is wanted for assault, arson, theft, destruction of military property and hindering the war effort.” Day makes the Republic look bad. He failed his Trials and feels like his younger brother Eden will as well.
Despite the danger, Day and his friend Tess scavenge for item for his family and monitor their house to see if anyone is stricken with the Plague. When soldiers spend far too long inside Day’s house and then paint an unfamiliar mark on the door, Day will do anything to help Eden and his family. He pretends to be injured and goes to the hospital with the intention of stealing some Plague cure medications. Taking someone hostage in the lab, he is dishearten to discover that only Plague suppressants are available. He grabs those and makes a run for it, leaving behind a pendant his father has given him. Day leaps from a staircase window to fall a couple of stories to the outside. Slightly injured, he is confronted by a soldier, Metais Iparis, as he tries to escape into the sewers system. Before Metais can fire, Day throws his knife, hitting him in the shoulder and knocking him down.
June Iparis is the “Republic’s favorite little prodigy” and the only person to achieve a perfect score on the Trials. She is a senior at Drake, the republic’s top university and is preparing to graduate after only three years with perfect grades. June is training to be a soldier to fight against the Colonies, just like her older brother Metais. She is respected by her fellow students but has trouble fitting in. June is only fifteen years old.
Always in trouble with her superiors June is a bit of a daredevil, pushing herself for the opportunity when she will go after Day. When Metais picks her up at school from her latest suspension, he says to stay in their apartment and he will be back later, Metais needs to be at the hospital to oversee the transfer of some vials of mutant Plague samples. June is preparing to sneak out of the apartment when Thomas, an old friend and one of Metais’ subordinates arrives with the bad news. Metais has been killed. Commander Jameson meets June at the hospital. She informs June that as of this moment her training and coursework at Drake is complete. She is graduating early. They go to Metais’ body and Jameson asks June to describe and analyze the scene. June notices that a knife has been plunged into Metais’ heart and it looks like the killer escaped into the sewer. She gives June a few minutes with her brother’s body before she joins the search. From this point forward, June will be a member of Jameson’s patrol as an agent in training. Her first mission is tracking her brother’s killer, the elusive Day.
June plans a mission for just after Metais’ funeral in an attempt to flush out Day by posing as someone selling Plague medication. She knows he won’t show himself but us pleased when he communicated with her. She is able to pick up a few clues about his background. June then goes undercover as a street urchin in the Lake sector to see if she can find out any information about Day. When she stumbles upon an illegal skiz fight, June realizes the people watching may know something about Day. A fight ends and the crowd calls for the next opponent. Unfortunately a young, frightened girl is pushed forward. Knowing she will probably blow her cover, June steps up to fight instead, unknowingly saving Tess. As Day watches from the shadows, he knows June will be a tough competitor. The fight quickly turns dirty and June is stabbed in the side. She breaks her opponent’s arm to end the fight.
Hurrying to leave, June exits the arena and angers the crowd. Once outside, she dares to peek over her shoulder and sees that several men have followed her. Her injury prevents her from getting away and she is knocked to the ground, hitting her head. Dragging her back towards the fight, she hears a pop and finds herself all alone in a cloud of dust. A beautiful boy offers his hand and takes her to safety.
Weary of one another, June is grateful that the two strangers bandaged her up and allow her to spend a few days tagging along. She hopes to uncover some information about Day’s whereabouts, not realizing until she comes to care about the boy who saved her that he is day. Who murdered Metais and why when Day denies he did it? What happens when June turns Day over to the Republic? What secrets is the Republic keeping covered, especially those concerning Day? Who will June be able to trust now that her brother is dead? What choices will she willingly make that will change the course of her life?
Told in alternating chapters from both Day and June’s points of view, readers are able to keep up through the use of different type fonts. An absolutely engrossing read that will be hard to put down and leave you clamoring for book two, Prodigy on January 29, 2013.
Visit Marie Lu’s website.
Visit the Legend Series website.

The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead (Bloodlines book 2)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't read the first book in the series, Bloodlines, Stop! I don't want to ruin a great series for you. It also helps greatly if you have read all six books in the Vampire Academy series as well.

The Golden Lily picks up in the aftermath of Bloodlines. Former Strigoi Sonya Karp and Dimitri Belikov have arrived in Palm Springs to work with Adrian Ivashkov on finding out why former Strigoi Lee Donahue died while trying to revert back into s Strigoi. Alchemist Sydney Sage along with Guardian Eddie Castile is still protecting Moroi Princess Jill Dragomir from assassination so that her half sister Lissa can remain on the throne. Enrolled as students at Amberwood, Sydney finds her life and relationships with the vampires in conflict with the Alchemist beliefs.

Sydney’s friend Trey sets her up with a coworker as socially awkward as herself, she finds that they have a lot in common. After several dates and reading up on relationships, Sydney wonders why fireworks aren’t happening for her. On top of her own life, she initially resists and finally relents to have Sonya test her blood since the Strigoi found it undrinkable. Thinking about her former nemesis Keith Darnell and how his father didn’t care about his character only that he wasn’t friendly with vampires, Sydney begins to question where her loyalties lie, especially when it comes to Adrian.

When Clarence Donahue’s seemingly crazy talk about vampire hunters turns out to be true, Sydney finds that one of her vampire friends is in mortal danger. Can the vampire hunters be stopped before someone dies? Will Sonya and Dimitri be able to solve the Strigoi puzzle? What happens when Adrian meets with his father? And when feelings are realized and revealed, will Sydney be able to act on them?

The last chapter of The Golden Lily will leave you clamoring for The Indigo Spell due on Feb. 12, 2013.

Visit Richelle Mead’s website.

Timepiece by Myra McEntire (Hourglass book 2)

"A threat from the past could destroy the future."

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't read Hourglass, Stop! I don't want to ruin one of my favorite series for you.

Kaleb Ballard’s parents were time travelers, just like his friends Emerson Cole and Michael Weaver. Kaleb’s ability is empathy, to sense emotions of his close friends and those he touches. Now Kaleb and Emerson’s lives have been changed forever by his father’s former partner, Jack Landers. Jack manipulated time to bring Emerson to Ivy Springs, Tennessee after the accident that caused the death of her parents. He also killed Kaleb’s father and stole enough memories from his mother to land her into a coma. Now Jack is on the loose and time travel seems to be in flux.

Only those with the time travel gene were able to see rips; people “stuck in time superimposed on the present”’ but now Kaleb is seeing them as well. On the night that Emerson’s brother hosts a masquerade party at his restaurant, Kaleb sees rips everywhere. When Jack appears with a gun, Kaleb seeks revenge for those he loves and cares about. Jack tells Kaleb that “killing him would be the worst mistake of his life.” The gun fires which breaks a mirror and Jack disappears. Kaleb then notices a man entering the restaurant through a veil. He says his name is Poe and he is there to deliver a message to the Hourglass. Their actions in going back in time to first save Liam Ballard and then Michael have disrupted the time travel continuum. He grabs Emerson, pulls her into the veil with him and threatens to slit her throat. Poe further states that Emerson’s ignorance of the law is no excuse for her saving Michael without suffering the consequences. He slits her throat and tells Kaleb to find Jack Landers in order to have any hope of repairing the damage. If the Hourglass is successful, they can choose which timeline they wish to follow. If Jack isn’t located, time will be rewound and a timeline will be chosen for them. There is a possibility that the timeline could be repaired with no consequences to Liam, Michael or Emerson’s lives. The Hourglass has until midnight on October 31 to find Jack Landers. Poe pushes Emerson out of the veil to Kaleb and she is unharmed.

What has happened to the time travel continuum? Who is Poe working for and what do they want Jack Landers for? Can Jack be found in time? Why would Kaleb killing Jack be a mistake? Will Kaleb’s mother wake up from her coma? Can Kaleb repair his relationships with his father and Michael? And what timeline will the Hourglass choose to follow if they are successful?

The story of the Hourglass will conclude with Infinityglass in 2013.

Once again I feel in love with Myra McEntire’s story. A bit skeptical at first changing POV, I loved Kaleb through all of his faults and becoming is own man. Cannot wait to see where the final book goes!


Visit Myra McEntire's website.
Visit Murphy's Law Coffee, a fan site for the Hourglass series.

Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore (Graceling Realm book 3)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't read either Graceling or Fire, Stop! You will be lost reading Bitterblue.

"How can she find her place as a true queen when her kingdom is only just waking up from the thirty-five-year spell of a madman?"

Bitterblue has ruled as Queen of Monsea for the past nine years. Her country is trying to wake up from the thirty-five-year nightmare that was her father’s rule. Leck’s Grace allowed everyone to believe the lies he told and endure his cruelty. Initially helped by her uncle, King Ror of Lienid, she still heavily relies on the advisors of her father. Now eighteen, Bitterblue is indecisive and struggles to rule a kingdom she truly knows very little about. Her advisors are pressuring her to marry one of the unwed princes of the Seven Kingdoms; possibly one of her cousins Prince Skye or Prince Po of Lienid. Bitterblue refuses to discuss the matter.

In her private quarters, Bitterblue strikes up a conversation with Fox, a castle servant with the Grace of fearlessness. She asks Fox how she is about to enter the castle at all hours and learns of the protocol her own housekeeper has established. An idea formulates in Bitterblue’s mind to don a disguise and sneak out of the castle. Her aim is to discover what lies beyond the palace walls that she is missing.

 Bitterblue begins sneaking out undetected at night and soon discovers a story room under one of the city’s bridges. There she hears a story about her father’s reign and cruelty that she knows all too well. She inadvertently draws the attention of a young man that she realizes looks Lienid but isn’t when she steals some coins to pay for her drink from a drunken man at the bar. He watches her and Bitterblue realizes that his violet eyes are two different shades and wonders what his Grace could be. She notices that he steals from a man’s coat pocket, collects his friend and leaves.


 Bitterblue continues her nightly adventures and soon becomes addicted to hearing the stories. She also sees the Graceling thief and his friend everywhere she goes. They eventually strike up a conversation. Saf, the Graceling thief, claims he only steals what has previously been stolen. He is Monsean but was raised on a Lienid ship by sailors. Saf came to spend time with his sister and met Teddy, who gave him a job in his print shop. Bitterblue keeps her true identity a secret but reveals that she works in the Palace as a baker and they accept her story.
 
An attack breaks out in a story room one night and Saf instinctively steps in front of Bitterblue to protect her. She notices Teddy looking ill and Saf tells her to offer him her shoulder because he is drunk. When they get outside, Bitterblue discovers Teddy has a knife in his stomach. Saf sends her to retrieve the one healer he trusts and bring him back to Teddy’s shop. She runs and soon realizes the gravity of the situation. Bitterblue finds herself going back to the palace to retrieve her own Graced healer, Madlen. Madlen goes with Bitterblue to treat Teddy and promises to keep her identity a secret. After a long night, Teddy is stable but not out of the woods yet. Saf is extremely grateful, yet wonders how a palace baker could bring the Queen’s own Graced healer to help Teddy and accomplish what no other healer could. He offers to walk her back to the palace so that the Queen won’t be without her morning bread.
 
Upon sneaking back into her bedroom, Bitterblue is startled to discover Po waiting for her. He tells her that the Council has overthrown the King of Nander and they are concerned that she may be having challengers to her sovereignty or unexplained attacks. She wonders about the attack on Teddy and Po questions what she was doing with the Graceling outside the castle in the wee hours of the morning. She skirts around the question and Po lets her know that he will not rat her out today but doesn’t promise to keep her secret. Later Bitterblue and her chief advisor meet with Lord Danzhol who objects to his town being chartered and wishes to marry her. When Danzhol realizes he will not be getting his way, he knocks her advisor unconscious and attempts to kidnap her. After a struggle, Bitterblue stabs Danzhol and breaks down as Po and her guard comes to her aid.

 Soon Bitterblue finds herself in the middle of several difficult situations, struggling to do what she believes is right. She agrees to house the Council’s campaign against Estill in Monsea, even though the ramifications for her people could be deadly. None of her advisors are willing to discuss Leck or his atrocities. They attempt to push Bitterblue forward and refuse to let her correct the damage to Monsea by Leck. Bitterblue is confused as she finds her feelings for Saf changing, even though he doesn’t know her true identity.


 "But if Leck is dead, why isn’t it over?” Will Bitterblue be able to set Leck’s wrongs right? How is Leck still controlling the people of Monsea eight years after his death? What are her advisors not telling her and why? What happens when Saf and Teddy discover Bitterblue’s true identity? Why is Po struggling with the secret of his Grace? Can Bitterblue become the Queen she desires to be?

Fans of Graceling and Fire get to revisit some of their favorite characters and will be left waiting for further adventures in the Graceling Realm.


Visit the Graceling Realm webite.