Renegades by Marissa Meyer (Renegades book 1)

“Secret Identities. Extraordinary Powers. She wants vengeance. He wants justice.

The Renegades are a syndicate of prodigies — humans with extraordinary abilities — who emerged from the ruins of a crumbled society and established peace and order where chaos reigned. As champions of justice, they remain a symbol of hope and courage to everyone... except the villains they once overthrew.

Nova has a reason to hate the Renegades, and she is on a mission for vengeance. As she gets closer to her target, she meets Adrian, a Renegade boy who believes in justice — and in Nova. But Nova's allegiance is to a villain who has the power to end them both.” - taken from Goodreads.com

I have been holding off reading this book since it first came out. With the second book out, I decided to go ahead and give the audio version a listen and I'm glad I finally did. I will say that the story starts out extremely slow. With this being the first book in a new series, the world building and background stories of the two main characters takes several chapters to flesh out.

Nova Artino is an Anarchist, the bad guys, and the niece of Ace Anarchy, who was killed by Captain Chromium, the head of the Renegades, the good guys. Ace was the last remaining member of her family. Her parents and sister were killed by a rival villain gang as she hid hoping that the Renegades would come to save her. They didn't, but Uncle Alec/Ace did and took her in. Nova, aka Nightmare, became the youngest member of the Anarchists.

When Nova’s assassination attempt on Captain Chromium fails, nightmare becomes wanted by the Renegades. Nova's Anarchist family believes the best way to exact Revenge would be for Nova to compete in the Renegades trials as a renegade, Nova could glean inside information on how to bring them down. What she doesn't count on is finding new friends.

The most important thing Nova and readers will discover is what does it really mean to be a hero or a villain. As it turns out, there really isn't a clear-cut answer. And that last sentence is a game changer!

Book two, Archenemies, is now out.

Visit Marissa Meyer’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

An Assassin's Guide to Love and Treason by Virginia Boecker

“When Lady Katherine's father is killed for being an illegally practicing Catholic, she discovers treason wasn't the only secret he's been hiding: he was also involved in a murder plot against the reigning Queen Elizabeth I. With nothing left to lose, Katherine disguises herself as a boy and travels to London to fulfill her father's mission, and to take it one step further--kill the queen herself.

Katherine's opportunity comes in the form of William Shakespeare's newest play, which is to be performed in front of Her Majesty. But what she doesn't know is that the play is not just a play--it's a plot to root out insurrectionists and destroy the rebellion once and for all.

The mastermind behind this ruse is Toby Ellis, a young spy for the queen with secrets of his own. When Toby and Katherine are cast opposite each other as the play's leads, they find themselves inexplicably drawn to one another. But the closer they grow, the more precarious their positions become. And soon they learn that star-crossed love, mistaken identity, and betrayal are far more dangerous off the stage than on.” - taken from Goodreads.com

I really enjoyed this historical twist involving a murder plot centered around William Shakespeare's play, Twelfth Night. Our assassin, Katherine Arundell/Kit Alban, watched her father killed by the local sheriff during a raid on their house for being practicing Catholics during Elizabeth I’s reign. Protestantism was the official religion of England at the time. Escaping, she travels to London to meet up with one of her father's friends. Disguising herself as a boy, Kit becomes involved in an assassination plot for the queen to take place during a private showing of Twelfth Night.

Her plans become a bit derailed when she meets her co-star. Without going into too many details, this book was a great read. I loved the ending of the story. 

Visit Virginia Boecker’s website.

Defy the Worlds by Claudia Gray (Constellations book 2)

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

“An outcast from her home -- Shunned after a trip through the galaxy with Abel, the most advanced cybernetic man ever created, Noemi Vidal dreams of traveling through the stars one more time. And when a deadly plague arrives on Genesis, Noemi gets her chance. As the only soldier to have ever left the planet, it will be up to her to save its people...if only she wasn't flying straight into a trap.

A fugitive from his fate -- On the run to avoid his depraved creator's clutches, Abel believes he's said good-bye to Noemi for the last time. After all, the entire universe stands between them...or so he thinks. When word reaches him of Noemi's capture by the very person he's trying to escape, Abel knows he must go to her, no matter the cost.

But capturing Noemi was only part of Burton Mansfield's master plan. In a race against time, Abel and Noemi will come together once more to discover a secret that could save the known worlds, or destroy them all.” - taken from Goodreads.com

Having separated from each other for what they thought was the last time, Noemi Vidal soon finds herself in a trap to lure Abel back to Earth. When the secrets of Burton Mansfield and Earth are exposed, it is up to Noemi and Abel to escape his clutches and stop the attack on Genesis. Unfortunately, this book ends in a serious cliffhanger that will leave fans eager for the final book in the trilogy.

The story will conclude with Defy the Fates out on April 2, 2019.

Visit Claudia Gray’s website.

Hero at the Fall by Alwyn Hamilton (Rebel of the Sands book 3)

SPOILER ALERT! If you haven’t read the first two books in the series, Rebel of the Sands and Traitor to the Throne, Stop! I don’t want to ruin the story for you.

Check out Book Series Recaps for a refresher on the first two books in the series.

Check out Recaptains for a refresher on the first two books in the series.

“When gunslinging Amani Al'Hiza escaped her dead-end town, she never imagined she'd join a revolution, let alone lead one. But after the bloodthirsty Sultan of Miraji imprisoned the Rebel Prince Ahmed in the mythical city of Eremot, she doesn't have a choice. Armed with only her revolver, her wits, and her untameable Demdji powers, Amani must rally her skeleton crew of rebels for a rescue mission through the unforgiving desert to a place that, according to maps, doesn't exist. As she watches those she loves most lay their lives on the line against ghouls and enemy soldiers, Amani questions whether she can be the leader they need or if she is leading them all to their deaths.” - taken from Goodreads.com

Even though it has been 18 months since I've read the second book, it didn't take me long to fall back into Amani’s story. A list of characters and where they currently are at the beginning of the book helped me get back into the action. Lots of action, soul-searching, and the death of several characters will leave readers turning the pages to see if Amani and company succeed in their attempt to overthrow the Sulton. Ms. Hamilton provides a beautiful and satisfying if not a tear-jerking conclusion to her fans. 

Visit Alwyn Hamilton’s website.

Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J. Maas (Throne of Glass book 7)

SPOILER ALERT! This is the FINAL book in the series. Stop if you don’t want to ruin my favorite book series for you.

Please visit the Recaptains blog if you need a refresher on the series.

Check out Book Series Recaps for a refresher on the series.

“Throne of Glass series draws to an epic, unforgettable conclusion. Aelin Galathynius’s journey from slave to king’s assassin to the queen of a once-great kingdom reaches its heart-rending finale as war erupts across her world. . .

Aelin has risked everything to save her people―but at a tremendous cost. Locked within an iron coffin by the Queen of the Fae, Aelin must draw upon her fiery will as she endures months of torture. Aware that yielding to Maeve will doom those she loves keeps her from breaking, though her resolve begins to unravel with each passing day…

With Aelin captured, Aedion and Lysandra remain the last line of defense to protect Terrasen from utter destruction. Yet they soon realize that the many allies they’ve gathered to battle Erawan’s hordes might not be enough to save them. Scattered across the continent and racing against time, Chaol, Manon, and Dorian are forced to forge their own paths to meet their fates. Hanging in the balance is any hope of salvation―and a better world.

And across the sea, his companions unwavering beside him, Rowan hunts to find his captured wife and queen―before she is lost to him forever.

As the threads of fate weave together, at last, all must fight, if they are to have a chance at a future. Some bonds will grow even deeper, while others will be severed forever in the explosive final chapter of the Throne of Glass series.” - taken from Goodreads.com

An amazing ending to my absolute favorite series. I discovered Throne of Glass as an arc about a month before it was published in the summer of 2012. I immediately fell in love with Celaena Sardothien and could not get her out of my mind. Luckily Ms. Maas was also beginning to end individually publish Celaena’s backstory that's found in The Assassin's Blade and I devoured each novella as it was published. For me, Kingdom of Ash was absolute perfection in how a series should end. At just under a thousand pages, I read the last 500 and under 24 hours. I was unable to put the book down. Sadly I'm going to miss Aelin and her friends. I still consider this to be my absolute favorite book series of all time. 

Visit Sarah J. Maas’ website.

Smoke and Iron by Rachel Caine (The Great Library book 4)

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

“To save the Great Library, the unforgettable characters from Ink and Bone, Paper and Fire, and Ash and Quill put themselves in danger in the next thrilling adventure in the New York Times bestselling series.

The opening moves of a deadly game have begun. Jess Brightwell has put himself in direct peril, with only his wits and skill to aid him in a game of cat and mouse with the Archivist Magister of the Great Library. With the world catching fire, and words printed on paper the spark that lights rebellion, it falls to smugglers, thieves, and scholars to save a library thousands of years in the making...if they can stay alive long enough to outwit their enemies.” - taken from Goodreads.com

Finally, all of our beloved characters begin to converge on Alexandria to take down the Archivist and restore the Great Library to its former mission. Told from several points of view, readers will be both captivated and heartbroken by where the storyline goes.

The Great Library will conclude with book five, Sword and Pen, on July 9, 2019.

Visit Rachel Caine’s website.