Deception by C J Redwine

 

Published: August 2013

Publisher: Balzer & Bray

Pages: 480

Copy: Library

Summary: Goodreads

Baalboden has been ravaged. The brutal Commander's whereabouts are unknown. And Rachel, grief stricken over her father's death, needs Logan more than ever. With their ragged group of survivors struggling to forge a future, it's up to Logan to become the leader they need—with Rachel by his side. Under constant threat from rival Carrington's army, who is after the device that controls the Cursed One, the group decides to abandon the ruins of their home and take their chances in the Wasteland.



But soon their problems intensify tenfold: someone—possibly inside their ranks—is sabotaging the survivors, picking them off one by one. The chaos and uncertainty of each day puts unbearable strain on Rachel and Logan, and it isn't long before they feel their love splintering. Even worse, as it becomes clear that the Commander will stop at nothing to destroy them, the band of survivors begins to question whether the price of freedom may be too great—and whether, hunted by their enemies and the murderous traitor in their midst, they can make it out of the Wasteland alive.

In this daring sequel to Defiance, with the world they once loved forever destroyed, Rachel and Logan must decide between a life on the run and standing their ground to fight.

There are some series that we read without rushing into them, This Defiance series by C J Redwine is one of those for me.  I thoroughly enjoyed Defiance, but was in no hurry to read this sequel.  When I eventually picked it up a few weeks ago, I couldn't for the life of me work out why it had taken me so long to pick it up - it was just so good.

The story continues almost immediately after the end of the first book, about 2 weeks later.  The characters are still reeling from what has happened and are struggling with what to do next.  When they are forced to flee, we follow the characters through continued growth and boundless determination.  Rachel is such a broken character - so strong outwardly, yet inside she is just falling to pieces.  She experiences tragedy after tragedy and each one makes it harder for her to cope.  I had tears in my eyes on more than one occasion.

Logan, who is only 19, is in charge and is determined to get his people to safety.  I just love the 'tech' aspect of things that are so definitely his forte.  We find out that many years previously, miners tunnelled into something/somewhere and unleashed subterranean 'dragons' which destroyed everything.  At this point in the story, only one 'dragon' is left and the 'tech' that Logan is trying so desperately to protect is what can control it.

The deception from the title was absolutely brilliant.  In hindsight, I should have picked up on the several clues, but I missed them all, so I was pretty much taken completely by surprise.  I don't think there is anything about this series so far that I dislike and I'm really looking forward to reading the next book 'Deliverance' which comes out around August 26th.  I don't think I'll be waiting so long to read it.  In the mean time we can look forward to a short novella (96 pages) called Outcast, that is due out in July.  Just a little something to whet the appetite. It's about Quinn, one of the more mysterious and enigmatic characters, and also one of my personal favourites.

Deception is a tense and suspenseful journey with a host of captivating characters. There is a slight fantasy feel to this basically dystopian series that I will be recommending with delight.  If you haven't tried it yet, you have time to read Defiance and Deception before August.

The Body in the Woods by April Henry

Published: Henry Holt

Publisher: June 2014

Pages: 272

Copy Provided by: NetGalley

Summary: by Goodreads

Summary:
In this new series told from multiple perspectives, teen members of a search and rescue team discover a dead body in the woods.

Alexis, Nick, and Ruby have very different backgrounds: Alexis has spent her life covering for her mom’s mental illness, Nick’s bravado hides his fear of not being good enough, and Ruby just wants to pursue her eccentric interests in a world that doesn’t understand her. When the three teens join Portland County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue, they are teamed up to search for a autistic man lost in the woods. What they find instead is a dead body. In a friendship that will be forged in danger, fear, and courage, the three team up to find the girl’s killer—before he can strike one of their own.

This first book in April Henry’s Point Last Seen YA mystery series is full of riveting suspense, putting readers in the middle of harrowing rescues and crime scene investigations.


Review:

I was expecting to love this mystery because it seemed to run a similar vein as The Body Finder (without the intuitive aspect).  However to be honest, I felt that it ran a little flat.  A Body in the Woods centers around Alexis, Nick and Ruby, all outsiders in their own way who are brought together by volunteering for SAR (Search and Rescue).  While searching for someone lost in the woods, the group stumbles upon a body.  Their shared experience leads them to create a loose Scooby Doo group and they try to solve a murder mystery on their own.

What I liked about this book was the diversity in the characters. They all seemed to come from different backgrounds and had a plethora of family issues.  Ruby started to get on my nerves a little bit because I found her a tad too pushy.  The plot was a teeny bit predictable but not a bad start to a mystery series.  I would recommend this one to a pre-teen to teen range.  Hoping that the series begins to get a little trickier in terms of plot.  I haven't read April Henry's other books but I would definitely venture into this author's other titles.  :)

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine,  that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating or books that are in our TBR pile.  This week’s “can’t-wait-to-read” selection is

Summary (by Goodreads)

From the remarkable imagination of acclaimed artist Jim Di Bartolo and the exquisite pen of bestselling author Kiersten White comes a spellbinding story of love, mystery, and dark conspiracy, told in an alternating narrative of words and pictures. 

Cora and Minnie are sisters living in a small, stifling town where strange and mysterious things occur. Their mother runs the local boarding house. Their father is gone. The woman up the hill may or may not be a witch. 

Thomas and Charles are brothers who’ve been exiled to the boarding house so Thomas can tame his ways and Charles can fight an illness that is killing him with increasing speed. Their family history is one of sorrow and guilt. They think they can escape from it . . . but they can’t.

I am a big fan of Kiersten White and love to see her taking on different avenues of the YA genre.  I put this one on my TBR list just because of my love for her writing style and her ability to stretch the imagination.  

-Christinabean

Stacking the Shelves

Stacking the Shelves allows us to share the books we have added to our collections - physical, virtual, borrowed, bought or received. 

This week I received - 

Summary (by Goodreads)

Untold dangers await telepathic twins in this sequel to the futuristic, romantic thriller called classic sci-fi, space-travel adventure at its best. After Elissa and Lin exposed the government's secret experiments inLinked, which Booklistcalled a roller-coaster ride into space that just about everyone should enjoy, their home planet Sekoia is thrown into chaos. Determined to do their part to help the planet they've hurt, they return to Sekoia only to discover that things are far worse that they imagined. Resources are suddenly scarce, people are scared, and there's a rising current of anger against the Spares. When Lissa and Lin find themselves among another group of Spares and twins, they feel like they've found their kindred spirits at last. But a threat none of them could have expected is lying in wait for Sekoia's Spares.

Looking forward to diving into book #2 of the Linked series.  I have book #1 also from the publisher (thank you Simon and Schuster Canada) and I was waiting for a couple of them to read back to back!

Follow Friday

Friday Follow is a blog hop that was started by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.  Each week a different question is posted by our hosts and we will answer!  This is a great opportunity for bloggers to network and interact. 

This week’s question –

Have you ever convinced someone to read a book, a series, or a whole genre? What book(s) and who was it? Did they like it?

Yes! I loved telling people about YA series to try out. I often recommend the Mortal Instruments Series but my nephew was interested in a new series and I recommended the Young James Bond series by Charlie Higson.  He liked it so much that my sister had to buy the next 3 books because he was reading them too quickly!  I also recommended The Body Finder series by Kimberly Derting to a girlfriend's daughter.  She was young with a high level of reading.  She finished the series in a week!

- Christinabean

Welcome to the Paperback Princesses! Make yourself at home, take a look around our blog and let us know what you think in the comments section. We would love to hear what you have to say about our posts. We often try to comment on your comments as well so feel free to start a conversation! Since there are two of us running the show, we always have a variety of titles and event postings. Be sure to check out our own personal meme page. Check out Fantastic Fairytales, Let's Hear it for the Boys, In Case you Missed it and a few others. We try to not only focus on new YA books but also great titles from the past.

Waiting on Wednesday - City of Heavenly Fire by Cassandra Clare

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine,  that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating or books that are in our TBR pile.  This week’s “can’t-wait-to-read” selection is

Summary (by Goodreads)

ΕRCHOMAI, SEBASTIAN HAD SAID. 

I am coming.

Darkness returns to the Shadowhunter world. As their society falls apart around them, Clary, Jace, Simon and their friends must band together to fight the greatest evil the Nephilim have ever faced: Clary’s own brother. Nothing in the world can defeat him — must they journey to another world to find the chance? Lives will be lost, love sacrificed, and the whole world changed in the sixth and last installment of the Mortal Instruments series!

It really should be no surprise that I would promote this book...I am a huge Mortal Instruments fan and even have a Mortal Instruments inspired tattoo on my back!  This is such an incredible series and I am sad to see it come to an end because...what the heck am I going to obsess over now?  I'm open to any and all suggestions....  :)

- Christinabean

p.s.

Yes, it is pre-ordered and I even have it being shipped to the nearest Chapters location where I work and I have scheduled my entire lunch hour to starting the book...although admittedly I had considered taking the day off to read it....

p.p.s.

I am also in the midst of re-reading books 2 thru 5 however, it is hard to read quickly when constantly interrupted by a 5 year old...

Stacking the Shelves

Stacking the Shelves allows us to share the books we have added to our collections - physical, virtual, borrowed, bought or received. 

This week I received - 

I know this is an older title but book #3 just came out recently and it looks so good!  I wanted to see what the rest of the series was like!  Any feedback from our followers on this series?

- Christinabean

Shout Out to Indies - Madness of the Turtle by Simon Wisher AND School of Deaths by Christopher Mannino

 

 

We here at The Paperback Princesses often receive emails from Indie authors requesting reviews and are blessed with free book copies. Often we are unable to get to so many titles before our mass market published books take over our TBR shelves. That doesn't mean there aren't plenty of great reads though! We want to give back to those Indie authors and are declaring EVERY SECOND SUNDAY our SHOUT OUT TO INDIES MEME. For those of fellow bloggers, please feel free to add our meme to your regular schedule. We only ask that you quote and link back to us as a courtesy. For all of you Indie authors, we invite you to contact us at the contact link to your top left. We will select 1 - 3 titles (each time we post) that sound interesting. Lastly, for you readers, this is a bit of a test so please do comment and let us know what you think. We will also be offering up giveaway copies whenever we can! So without further ado, here are this week's pick

 

 

 

Published: March 2013

Summary
Sixteen-year old Rico dreams of another life, one where losing an ear in a fight isn’t funny
and where love doesn’t have to be paid for. Instead, he follows a gang of brutal and
uneducated jungle bandits who are fleeing the Guatemalan army and heading to join the
revolution in Cuba, unaware the fighting ended ten years earlier.

When Rico’s father, the gang leader, is wounded in a gun battle they take shelter on a farm
and witness television for the first time. His father falls in love with a beautiful soap actress
and, believing he has been resurrected in order to save her, resolves to track down and kill
the soap’s evil Senor Gonzales.

Yet as they seek the actress, robbing and killing with seeming impunity, the love of a boy
for his father is slowly reduced by the growing recognition of his dangerous ignorance and
crazed rationalisation. Eventually, Rico has to decide if he’s prepared to cross the most
frightening man in the world in order save the actress.

We asked Simon why he writes for a YA audience:

Why YA?

Originally, the story wasn’t conceived as a YA novel. It came from an abandoned adult
thriller when, looking to see what could be rescued, I decided the only interesting thing was
the relationship between the minor characters of Rico and his father. With a seventeen-
year-old narrator and its coming-of-age themes (reconciling what he is learning afresh with
what he had long believed, and deciding what kind of man he intends to be) I felt the story
might resonate with a younger audience.

Rico’s world is a harsh and brutal place and its portrayal means that some of the story
content may be considered strong, especially for a YA audience, and some may think it
unsuitable.

However, although it does contain violence, swearing and non-explicit sex, there is no
frontier-glory attached to their behaviour. Instead it betrays all of the ignorance, misogyny
and desolation of such lives, and feedback suggests that sixteen is an appropriate age for
the story.

When I consider the wilful one-eyed ignorance of the bandits, I have in mind a group of
under-educated vigilantes a few years ago who had protested against a local man because
they had confused paediatrician for paedophile. So the bandits also became the easily
confused and those who are too lazy to consider anything other than a black or white
solution for those problems that are only ever grey.

Rico though is plainly different and, of all my characters, he’s my favourite. I love his honour
and bravery in accepting the truth, and then his clear-sighted willingness to act against that
which is wrong, never mind the cost too himself.

You can find out more about Simon and his book here:

http://www.srwilsher.com

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00C1C2O8Q

http://littleebookreviews.com/2014/01/16/ebook-review-madness-of-the-turtle-by-s-r-wilsher

Our second pick for this week is:

Can a timid girl find bravery as the first female Death?  

Thirteen-year-old Suzie Sarnio always believed the Grim Reaper was a fairy tale image of a skeleton with a scythe. Now, forced to enter the College of Deaths, she finds herself training to bring souls from the Living World to the Hereafter. The task is demanding enough, but as the only female in the all-male College, she quickly becomes a target. Attacked by both classmates and strangers, Suzie is alone in a world where even her teachers want her to fail.

Caught in the middle of a plot to overthrow the World of Deaths, Suzie must uncover the reason she’s been brought there: the first female Death in a million years.   

We asked Christopher why he writes for a YA audience and this is what he told us:

I spend every day hoping to inspire young people.  My daily job is as a high school theatre teacher.  I teach 200 students during the day, working with them on ways to build creativity, confidence, teamwork, and artistry.  When I was a young person myself, I found inspiration in theatre and in books.  Now, as an adult, I dedicate my life to bringing those two passions to life in future generations.

For my first novels, it was only natural to target my books towards a YA audience.  I work with teens during the school year, and teach middle school theatre during the summers.  In the future, I plan to expand my books towards other markets, but for now, my focus remains rooted in my desire to bring imaginations to life.  American school systems are making reading for pleasure less and less desirable, by implementing programs such as Common Core (a nationwide program focused on analytical reading in a way that makes reading more comprehensive but less enjoyable).  In such an environment, where the number of teens reading for pleasure decreases every year, it is more important than ever to inspire imaginations and creativity with new and exciting stories.

 

Find out more about Christopher and his book here:

http://www.christophermannino.com/

https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore/index.php/museitup/fantasy/school-of-deaths-detail

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21798470-school-of-deaths

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/school-of-deaths-christopher-mannino/1119059176?ean=2940045799010&itm=1&usri=2940045799010

Video "teaser"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXSSZN6L128

Same Book, Second Look - Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Published: June 2012

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.

Pages: 358

Copy Provided by: Library

Summary: by Goodreads

Summary:

The Shadow Fold, a swathe of impenetrable darkness, crawling with monsters that feast on human flesh, is slowly destroying the once-great nation of Ravka.

Alina, a pale, lonely orphan, discovers a unique power that thrusts her into the lavish world of the kingdom’s magical elite—the Grisha. Could she be the key to unravelling the dark fabric of the Shadow Fold and setting Ravka free?

The Darkling, a creature of seductive charm and terrifying power, leader of the Grisha. If Alina is to fulfill her destiny, she must discover how to unlock her gift and face up to her dangerous attraction to him.

But what of Mal, Alina’s childhood best friend? As Alina contemplates her dazzling new future, why can’t she ever quite forget him?

Glorious. Epic. Irresistible. Romance.

Review:
A couple years ago I tried reading this book and I just wasn't in the right frame of mind.  Seeing that Book #3 was coming out this summer, I thought I would give it another chance.  SO GLAD I DID!! This is like no other story that I've read.  It takes place in an area that is comparable to Russia or Eastern Europe.  It is the story of a young girl who comes into her own when (quite by chance), she discovers she is one of a kind with magical powers.  She can control light.

Alina is the main character and seems to feeble and weak at the beginning.  As she begins to understand her gift, she gains strength and a better awareness.  Mal, her childhood friend and first love has always had the attention of others.  He is handsome and witty and everyone seems to love him, including Alina.  Unfortunately, once Alina's gift is discovered, she is whisked away to the capital and absorbed by the Grisha, magic yielders.  Seduced by the Darkling, the most powerful of them all, she struggles to come to grips with the part she plays in changing the world.  Who should she believe?  The Darkling is older and so charismatic.  He understands her and the power she can harness.  When Mal seems to have forgotten her, has she found her rightful place beside someone who truly understands her powers?  Is this where she belongs?

Shadow and Bone was such a fascinating story full of mystery and intrigue with monsters and romance and longing and an urgency to fit in.  The characters were rich and deep and I just wanted to get to know them better and better.  I became so absorbed by the story that after I finished, I went out and bought book #2!  If you haven't read Shadow and Bone, I would highly recommend you hop to it!

You can read our original Shadow and Bone review here.

Follow Friday

Friday Follow is a blog hop that was started by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.  Each week a different question is posted by our hosts and we will answer!  This is a great opportunity for bloggers to network and interact. 

This week’s question –

Have you met a favorite author and have a picture? Share.

Unfortunately, during one of my favorite author signings I took horrible pictures.  Cassandra Clare and Holly Black came for a visit during the fall of 2010 in Toronto.  Curlypow and I attended the signing (which was insane by the way).  Even though we could barely see the authors and had to weave our way through the stacks at Chapters, it was SO worth the trip!  You can read all about this particular signing here.  Currently Curlypow and I live at opposite sides of the country.  She gets tons of authors out east but we only get a few in the west.  I find that I don't attend as many signings nowadays..it's not the same without my book groupie.  :)
- Christinabean

Welcome to the Paperback Princesses! Make yourself at home, take a look around our blog and let us know what you think in the comments section. We would love to hear what you have to say about our posts. We often try to comment on your comments as well so feel free to start a conversation! Since there are two of us running the show, we always have a variety of titles and event postings. Be sure to check out our own personal meme page. Check out Fantastic Fairytales, Let's Hear it for the Boys, In Case you Missed it and a few others. We try to not only focus on new YA books but also great titles from the past.

Ruins by Dan Wells

Published: March 11th, 2014

Publisher: Balzer and Bray

Pages: 451

Copy: Library

Summary: Goodreads

Kira, Samm, and Marcus fight to prevent a final war between Partials and humans in the gripping final installment in the Partials Sequence, a series that combines the thrilling action of The Hunger Games with the provocative themes of Blade Runner and The Stand.

There is no avoiding it—the war to decide the fate of both humans and Partials is at hand. Both sides hold in their possession a weapon that could destroy the other, and Kira Walker has precious little time to prevent that from happening. She has one chance to save both species and the world with them, but it will only come at great personal cost

I have really enjoyed this complex and exciting trilogy.  There is always the chance that the story will lose its momentum and become bogged down.  I'm very happy to inform you that this was definitely not the case with "Ruins"

Wandering the wastelands with Kira and Samm had my heart pounding - there is an incident with acid rain that really had me shivering and looking for an umbrella -and the tension rarely let up. Although we are following several different sets of characters in different situations, I found it easy to keep them separate, and to keep the various situations straight in my mind.  Over the course of the three books the character progression is wonderful and there are surprises for everyone. Just when I would think that I had something sorted out in my mind there would be another surprise for the characters and me. Not all the surprises are bad ones, but some of them are real doosies!

I love the apocalyptic stories where the reasons for the apocalypse become clearer and clearer the more you read. In this instance the event was not even that long ago, but for plague babies, the technology that the older characters are missing means nothing to them.  Gene manipulation is something that we are already dealing with in our daily lives, and this scenario will have you seriously rethinking your  policy towards it.  How much is enough?  How much is too much?  How far should we go to correct what has happened?  I think you'll find the answers here.  Personally I found it creepily scary, especially when characters start trying to justify their actions.

Dan Wells has written a taut and suspenseful trilogy with believable characters, roller coaster action and a first rate story that had me wanting more.  If you haven't connected with this one yet, why not?

Let's Hear it for the Boys - Scan by Sara Fine and Walter Jury

Published: May 1st, 2014

Publisher: Putnam Children's

Pages: 336

Copy: Publisher through Edelweiss

Summary: Goodreads

Tate and his father don’t exactly get along. As Tate sees it, his father has unreasonably high expectations for Tate to be the best—at everything. Tate finally learns what he’s being prepared for when he steals one of his dad’s odd tech inventions and mercenaries ambush the school, killing his father in the process and sending Tate on the run from aliens who look just like humans.

All Tate knows--like how to make weapons out of oranges and lighter fluid--may not be enough to save him as he’s plunged into a secret inter-species conflict that’s been going on for centuries. Aided only by his girlfriend and his estranged mother, with powerful enemies closing in on all sides, Tate races to puzzle out the secret behind his father’s invention and why so many are willing to kill for it. A riveting, fast-paced adventure, Scan is a clever alien thriller with muscle and heart.


Tate is a slightly futuristic McGyver-like character* who has been taught by his father to think on his feet and be the best at everything.  Of course, he has no idea why his father has been so hard on him all his life, so when he does what most teens do at some point, and 'borrows' something of his Dad's to show off at school one day and it all hits the fan, he is left confused, angry and on the run.  Enter his mother!  She suddenly turns up out of the blue and 'explains' what was going on and we discover that there has been an alien invasion that only a select few know about, his father being one of them. 

The twist here is that most of these aliens don't even know they are aliens - huh! That was one of the factors that puzzled me a little.  If the aliens don't know what they are, and are so like humans that no-one can tell the difference unless they use equipment that only Tate's father has, just exactly what is all the fuss about?   There was a lot of action - things blowing up and hiding in unusual and dangerous places - and Tate was definitely a very resourceful young man, however,  I do feel that I must point out at this time that he seriously fell short in one area - he could only speak eleven (yes that is correct, only 11) languages!

OK enough sarcasm. As you can see, this book had me not quite suspending disbelief in a few areas, but overall  the story was fun, with shades of 'I am number four' and 'The Host' peeking through every now and then. I can definitely see myself recommending this one to the boys at work, but I'm pretty certain that I will not be following the series to its conclusion myself.

* I am of course assuming here that you all know who McGyver is!  If you don't - have fun finding out.

Stacking the Shelves

Stacking the Shelves allows us to share the books we have added to our collections - physical, virtual, borrowed, bought or received. 

This week I received - 

I was surfing on NetGalley last month and saw this one.  After reading a few reviews, I decided to dive in and try it out.  Look for a review shortly!

- Christinabean

Happy Mothers Day!

 Christinabean and I are both Mom's and we're celebrating.  If you have one, are going to be one, or are one, celebrate with us and them.  Happy Mother's Day!

The Worlds We Make by Megan Crewe

 

Published: February 11th, 2014

Publisher: Hyperion

Pages: 288

Copy: Library

Summary: Goodreads

 

 

The virus has taken away Kaelyn’s friends, her family, her home.

And now a deadly enemy threatens to take the one hope she has left: THE CURE.

When Kaelyn and her friends reached Toronto with a vaccine for the virus that has ravaged the population, they thought their journey was over. But now they're being tracked by the Wardens, a band of survivors as lethal as the virus who are intent on stealing the vaccine no matter what the cost.

Forced onto the road again, Kaelyn and her companions discover the Centers for Disease Control in Atlanta is their best hope for finding scientists who can reproduce the vaccine. But with the virus already spreading among them, the Wardens hot on their trail, and hundreds of miles to cross, Kaelyn finds herself compromising her morals to keep her group alive. Her conscience seems a small price to pay if protects them and their precious cargo. Unless even that is not enough...

In the final installment in Megan Crewe’s captivating the Fallen World trilogy, Kaelyn is on the run from her biggest adversaries yet. While she continues to face horrific loss, her resolve is still strong. But to survive this shattered world, will she have to sacrifice all that's left of the girl she was?

 

 



I have taken a very harrowing journey with Kaelyn, Leo, Justin and Anika.  They've been chased constantly, shot at and escaped by the skin of their teeth, time after time.  They deserve kudos for never giving up in their resolve to get to Atlanta.  Throughout the story we are given numerous examples of people doing whatever they have to to survive, even if it's not always what they think of as right.  I particularly loved how they would make the best of things - like using a farm tractor and trailer for transportation when they couldn't find any more cars - brilliant.

Ms Crewe has developed her characters continually over each of the three books and they constantly surprised and delighted me.  Occasionally they would do things that irritated me, but I could always see the rationale behind their actions.  Anika 's growth in particular was interesting to observe. She was such a conflicted soul, always looking out for herself, but in the end she tried so hard to be there for others.

As the final book in the trilogy, the pacing was not exactly break-neck, but there was a level of tension that never really decreased.  When they all arrive in Atlanta, Kae is faced with a situation that would frustrate and confuse just about anyone.  I loved the solution that she eventually came up with, even if I did think it was a little idealistic.  Through all the negativity there was a thread of hope that Kae never gave up on.

All in all I thoroughly enjoyed 'The Worlds we Make' and I thought it rounded out the trilogy very nicely.  Not too violent, but over all very realistic.  I'm going to enjoy recommending this one.

Follow Friday

Friday Follow is a blog hop that was started by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.  Each week a different question is posted by our hosts and we will answer!  This is a great opportunity for bloggers to network and interact. 

This week’s question –

What living author or authors would you like to have dinner with? (Try to think beyond JK Rowling)

Hmm...this is a toughie.  I think I would want to have dinner with a group of living authors.  It would be interesting to speak with George R.R. Martin about his Game of Thrones series..although I would be afraid of messing up the names of his characters.  Another author I would like to have dinner with would be Kimberly Derting.  From the interaction I have had with her, she seems to be very friendly and down to earth.  I have enjoyed all of her series and appreciate that her novels carry well without the use of excessive slang, sex or swearing.  

However, if I were to sit at a table of authors for dinner, I think I would like to have dinner with are Cassandra Clare and Holly Black.  Mortal Instruments is my favorite series and when I saw these two at a Chapters signing years ago, you can tell they are great friends with fantastic ideas.  Maybe invite Sarah Rees Brennan, Maureen Johnson and Kiersten White as well.  What an interesting night that would be!

- Christinabean

Welcome to the Paperback Princesses! Make yourself at home, take a look around our blog and let us know what you think in the comments section. We would love to hear what you have to say about our posts. We often try to comment on your comments as well so feel free to start a conversation! Since there are two of us running the show, we always have a variety of titles and event postings. Be sure to check out our own personal meme page. Check out Fantastic Fairytales, Let's Hear it for the Boys, In Case you Missed it and a few others. We try to not only focus on new YA books but also great titles from the past.

Double Take - The Ring and the Crown by Melissa de la Cruz

Published: April 2014

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Pages: 384

Copy Provided by: NetGalley

Summary: by Goodreads

Summary:
Princess Marie-Victoria, heir to the Lily Throne, and Aelwyn Myrddn, bastard daughter of the Mage of England, grew up together. But who will rule, and who will serve? 

Quiet and gentle, Marie has never lived up to the ambitions of her mother, Queen Eleanor the Second, Supreme Ruler of the Franco-British Empire. With the help of her Head Merlin, Emrys, Eleanor has maintained her stranglehold on the world's only source of magic. She rules the most powerful empire the world has ever seen. 

But even with the aid of Emrys' magic, Eleanor's extended lifespan is nearing its end. The princess must marry and produce an heir or the Empire will be vulnerable to its greatest enemy, Prussia. The two kingdoms must unite to end the war, and the only solution is a match between Marie and Prince Leopold VII, heir to the Prussian throne. But Marie has always loved Gill, her childhood friend and soldier of the Queen's Guard. 

Together, Marie and Aelwyn, a powerful magician in her own right, come up with a plan. Aelwyn will take on Marie's face, allowing the princess to escape with Gill and live the quiet life she's always wanted. And Aelwyn will get what she's always dreamed of--the chance to rule. But the court intrigue and hunger for power in Lenoran England run deeper than anyone could imagine. In the end, there is only rule that matters in Eleanor's court: trust no one.

Review:
The Ring and the Crown sounded so interesting when I first read the summary on NetGalley.  I was hooked on Frozen (#1 of Heart of Dread series) just a few months ago so I thought I'd give this one a read.  If you like fantasy and the idea of Merlin the Magician, you may enjoy this one as it is based loosely on his character. Yep, I'm a huge Merlin fan too, but without giving away too much of a spoiler, Merlin is very much of a side character in this book.

Merlin's real name is Emry's and he had a daughter, Aelwyn who would grow up to be friends with Marie, a future queen.  After being separated for years, the two friends come back together at the castle as Marie is paired with a Prussian prince and prepped for marriage. (Nice bit of alliteration there Christinabean!)  A prince she does not love.  Although he is handsome and brave and desired by the majority of the female population, she just isn't interested.

Aelwyn, taking after her father, yields and controls magic.  Marie seeks her friend's help to escape from a marriage of convenience to pursue her own dreams with the man she desperately wants to be with.  But there are other things happening in the castle which seem to take priority over everyone's happiness.

I loved the story and the characters.  We did not hear much about Emry's, which I was hoping for but I did feel that each and every character had a very distinct voice. You're right C.  With such a huge cast of main characters - Marie, Aelwyn, Isabelle, Ronan, Leo and Wolf - it was nice that each one was very easily identifiable and each was integral to the story if not always in equal ways. I did wonder just exactly why Ronan and Isabelle were included, but as the story progresses you really see why they are part of the whole.

I found myself getting wrapped up in the story.  It was hard to put down. I'm with you there C.  I powered through this one. I had a brief spell at the beginning where I wondered about finishing it, but then I got hooked and didn't stop until the end.  I think I finished it in less than 24 hours.

**Spoiler**
Something that bothered me - Marie giving up her responsibilities in the castle to leave and let her friend take the fall if anything happened.  To ask her friend to live her entire life as a lie is a pretty big thing to ask of someone.

I just enjoyed it...Marie's sense of duty was a little disheartening but it sounds like she's led a pretty unchallenging life, dictated to her and she has a sense of weakness due to her health.  Took a few turns that I wasn't expecting and a big surprise at the end.  That big surprise at the end really changed my feelings about some of the characters, but to say more would be a huge spoiler, sorry.  On hindsight I feel as if I should have known, didn't you?  The hints were there, I just didn't pick up on them at all.  I'm with you all the way though, the book was just very enjoyable, and had the added bonus for me of being a stand-alone.  Not enough of those out there these days.  I do feel like I should have figured it out but I think I was just enjoying the flow of the story for this one.  To be honest, I'm not sure if it is going to remain a stand-alone...although I would certainly like to see more stand-alone novels.

Christinabean and Curlypow

Waiting on Wednesday - The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine,  that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating or books that are in our TBR pile.  This week’s “can’t-wait-to-read” selection is

Summary (by Goodreads)

Everyone has a lot to say about Alice Franklin, and it’s stopped mattering whether it’s true. The rumors started at a party when Alice supposedly had sex with two guys in one night. When school starts everyone almost forgets about Alice until one of those guys, super-popular Brandon, dies in a car wreck that was allegedly all Alice’s fault. Now the only friend she has is a boy who may be the only other person who knows the truth, but is too afraid to admit it. Told from the perspectives of popular girl Elaine, football star Josh, former outcast Kelsie, and shy genius Kurt, we see how everyone has a motive to bring – and keep – Alice down.

I'm going to take a stab in the dark and guess that this one would make a good ISU read.  I haven't read it yet but it seems to be along the lines of a Jennifer Brown title or even Gayle Foreman and I'd like to see where it leads.  The Truth About Alice comes out in June.
- Christinabean

In Case You Missed It - Dangerous Dream: A Beautiful Creatures story by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Published: December 2013

Pages: 46

Copy: Netgalley

Summary: Goodreads

Catch up with Ethan, Lena, and Link as they finally graduate from high school and get ready to leave the small Southern town of Gatlin. But when Dark Caster Ridley makes an appearance, the sometime bad girl can't resist picking a fight with her sometime boyfriend, Link. Angry and rebellious as ever, Ridley ends up alone in New York City and becomes entangled in the dangerous underground Caster club scene, where the stakes are high and losers pay the ultimate price.

Where's a Linkubus when you need him?

Christinabean and I are huge fans of the Beautiful Creatures series and are both waiting with bated breath for the new installment  'Dangerous Creatures' which is due out May 20th (OMG I cant wait, Squeeeee). 

Two of my favourite characters in the series are Link and Ridley. They are really the odd ones out in a sense.  They are geeks and wannabe's and should never, ever be together, but for some reason their attraction makes sense.  They are either going to have this epic love affair, or something bad is going to happen and Dangerous Dream sets up the story.  Right now , I'm thinking something bad, really bad, is going to happen, but I hope I'm wrong.  I'd really like to root for the epic love affair, but this story just reminds us how self-centred Ridley really is.

If you get the chance, read this little ebook.  It'll take you about 10 mins or there-abouts - ok, maybe half an hour - but it will certainly get you ready to enter into this fabulous world again.  I can't wait!

Stacking the Shelves

Stacking the Shelves allows us to share the books we have added to our collections - physical, virtual, borrowed, bought or received. 

This week Curlypow received - 

 

Published: May 14th, 2014

Received from: Harper Teen

 

 

What if there was an app that told you what song to listen to, what coffee to order, who to date, even what to do with your life—an app that could ensure your complete and utter happiness? What if you never had to fail or make a wrong choice?

What if you never had to fall?

Fast-forward to a time when Apple and Google have been replaced by Gnosis, a monolith corporation that has developed the most life-changing technology to ever hit the market: Lux, an app that flawlessly optimizes decision making for the best personal results. Just like everyone else, sixteen-year-old Rory Vaughn knows the key to a happy, healthy life is following what Lux recommends. When she’s accepted to the elite boarding school Theden Academy, her future happiness seems all the more assured. But once on campus, something feels wrong beneath the polished surface of her prestigious dream school. Then she meets North, a handsome townie who doesn’t use Lux, and begins to fall for him and his outsider way of life. Soon, Rory is going against Lux’s recommendations, listening instead to the inner voice that everyone has been taught to ignore — a choice that leads her to uncover a truth neither she nor the world ever saw coming.

I just got this one in the mail on Friday.  I haven't heard anything about it yet, have you?  Hopefully I'll get a chance to read it when I'm in England on vacation.

Shout Out to Indies - Titan Magic by Jodi Lamm AND Accused by Yazmin Shiraz

 

 We here at The Paperback Princesses often receive emails from Indie authors requesting reviews and are blessed with free book copies. Often we are unable to get to so many titles before our mass market published books take over our TBR shelves. That doesn't mean there aren't plenty of great reads though! We want to give back to those Indie authors and are declaring EVERY SECOND SUNDAY our SHOUT OUT TO INDIES MEME. For those of fellow bloggers, please feel free to add our meme to your regular schedule. We only ask that you quote and link back to us as a courtesy. For all of you Indie authors, we invite you to contact us at the contact link to your top left. We will select 1 - 3 titles (each time we post) that sound interesting. Lastly, for you readers, this is a bit of a test so please do comment and let us know what you think. We will also be offering up giveaway copies whenever we can! So without further ado, here are this week's pick:

 

 

TITAN MAGIC's Webpage with Sample and Buy Links: 

 

 

 

 

TITAN MAGIC blurb: Mute, heartless, and tormented by auditory hallucinations, Madeleine Lavoie never questions why her family has hidden her from the world. But the night her brother casts her out, she learns the mysterious voice she thought existed only in her mind is no delusion, and no matter how hard she tries, she can never disobey it. Now Madeleine must find her own voice in a cacophony of powerful tyrants, monsters, and gods. If she fails, she will forfeit her life and the lives of everyone who loves her. But if she succeeds, she may finally gain the ability to love someone in return. 

http://jodilamm.com/titan-magic/TITAN MAGIC's Goodreads Page: 

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12771883-titan-magic

 

 

xTITAN MAGIC: BODY AND SOUL Synopsis: “Don’t fool yourself. Fool everyone else, but never fool yourself.”

When a young golem called Kaspar befriends a beautiful baker and her daughter, he wishes, for the first time in his life, to be more than just a counterfeit, wooden child. But such a simple wish comes at a high price, and Kaspar won’t be the only one to pay. With the few who can stop him distracted by their own dreams, Kaspar is free to set in motion a naive and gruesome plan. He hasn’t gone entirely unnoticed, though. He’s a powerful weapon left alone and ungoverned, and he’s already caught the eye of someone with an even more costly wish.

Sample: http://jodilamm.com/titan-magic-body-and-soul/ 

We asked Jodi why she chooses to write for a YA audience:

I wrote a YA novel somewhat accidentally. My intention was merely to write a fairy-tale-inspired fantasy, and I began with a scene involving a runaway woman who was enslaved by a talking stag. I tend to start with a concept, fill in the blanks, and then tweak it later. So, after composing the scene that would become my lost-in-the-woods, fairy-tale start, I examined Maddy's (though she didn't have a name at that stage) origins more carefully. Running from an unwanted marriage seemed a little over-done to me, but I did want her to have run from family because I liked the contrast of traveling from the familiar to the extraordinary. Wicked mothers are fairy-tale standard, but I wanted to write a kindhearted mother for Maddy. I decided it would have to be a wicked sibling that drove her away, and the story just took off from there.

At this point, I realized my main character had become a teenager. It turned out I was writing a YA book, and that made me supremely happy. I had recently discovered that YA books were crazy-fun to read, that the quality of YA fiction was often comparable to older-adult books (Coined! OA fiction!), yet they were perfectly paced for my snow-pea sized attention span. Since I started the TITAN MAGIC series, I've written two more YA books (one is published, while the other is aging in a fine oak barrel), and I've loved every jot of it.

 

I'm hearing really good things about this series and I'm looking forward to reading it.  Thanks for joining us Jodi.

 

 Our second choice for this week is:

 

 

Published: January 2014

An easier and more peaceful life seemed to be destined for Ahmed and
Tashera when they left Washington, DC and entered Georgia Atlantic
University. But when Ahmed is accused of a crime that he didn't commit
and begins to be tried in the media, his popularity plummets, his
self-esteem suffers, and his dreams of playing college basketball
disappear.

Meanwhile, there is a serial rapist on campus who has been attacking
freshman girls at record numbers and forcing them to keep silent. As
Tashera learns about the girls, she begins to close in on the rapist.
But is the attacker too crafty to be caught? Will the state prosecutor
ignore key evidence to instead focus on the fame that comes with
convicting a high profile basketball star?

Tashera is beyond stressed as she divides her time between trying to
find enough evidence to clear Ahmed while at the same time stopping the
rapist who roams the campus of Georgia Atlantic. Ahmed and Tashera's
journey into a new life away from home is more challenging than they
ever thought that it would be.

We asked Yasmin why she writes for a YA audience and this is what she had to say:

 

I write for a young adult audience for three reasons.

 

1) When I was a teen, I wrote in journals. I kept a daily record of my experiences. When I became an adult and owned a magazine, I traveled to college campuses and talked to young adults about entrepreneurship, life, and the entertainment business. At my speaking engagements, many students would walk up to me afterwards and ask questions about life. Several of their questions mirrored situations that I endured as a teen. My connection with college students gave me the go ahead to write books that shared my personal experiences from that period in my life.

 

2) I was often reading adult novels as a teen because the market for young adult novels did not exist--or so the book publishers said. So, when I sit down and write a young adult novel, I'm looking to write a book that I believe a young adult would really want to read. My first YA novel, Retaliation deals with a teen girl who gets jumped. My second YA novel, Accused deals with a teen girl who falls victim to the teen date rape drug. Both books deal with current teen issues.

 

3) When my first YA non-fiction book, The Blueprint for My Girls, was published I began to conduct several girls empowerment workshops. In those workshops, girls would ask me for more books--fiction books. It was as if they wanted my "fictional" accounts in a book since they had read a version of my non-fiction diaries via The Blueprint for My Girls. Their interest in more books from me motivated me to write Retaliation and Accused.   

 

I love getting emails from readers.  I can be reached at yshiraz@yasminshiraz.net or on twitter @yasminshiraz. My website is: www.yasminshiraz.net  Join me on Facebook, click here.

**My latest book, Accused, explores sexual assault and being falsely accused. It's the sequel to Retaliation.
Read more about it here.

**My latest webseries, Sources, is part of a DC Dept of Mental Health teen suicide prevention initiative.
Watch an episode here.