Death Marked by Leah Cypress - A very quick review.

Published: March 3rd, 2015

Publisher: Greenwillow 

Pages: 400

Copy: Edelweiss

Summary: Goodreads

A young sorceress’s entire life has been shaped to destroy the empire controlling her world. But if everything she knows is a lie, will she even want to fulfill her destiny? The sequel to Death Sworn is just as full of magic and surprising revelations, and will thrill fans of Leigh Bardugo and Robin LaFevers.

At seventeen, Ileni lost her magical power and was exiled to the hidden caves of the assassins. She never thought she would survive long. But she discovered she was always meant to end up, powerless, in the caves as part of an elder sorcerer’s plan to destroy the evil Empire they'd battled so long. Except that Ileni is not an assassin, and she doesn't want to be a weapon. And, after everything, she’s not even sure she knows the truth. Now, at the very heart of the Empire—its academy for sorcerers—the truth is what she seeks. What she finds challenges every belief she holds dear—and it threatens her fledgling romance with the young master of assassins.

Leah Cypess spins an intricate and beautiful conclusion to Ileni's story. In the end, it may not be the epic decisions that bring down an empire, but the small ones that pierce the heart.

Curlypow's very quick thoughts:

One of the things I really enjoyed about Death Marked was Ileni's struggle to accept help in regaining her magic.  She knows that she shouldn't be using the stones to give her power, but the pull of the magic is so strong that it's hard to fight.  This made her seem very real and relatable.  We all know what it's like when there is something that we really enjoy, but we know is wrong, or bad, and it can be very, very hard to stay on the straight and narrow.

The story runs at a fast pace and held my interest very well.  There are several new characters entering the picture and several surprises to help the story along and all in all was well worth the read.

Friday Follow

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 –

Your house is burning down and you have time to select three books you own to take with you. What three books?

Signed copy of Mockingjay

Signed copy of City of Bones

Signed copy Fallen

I actually have copies of all of the rest of my favorites on my  phone...but the signed copies are the ones that are hardest to replace!!  Maybe I should put them in a fire-proof safe? HAHA!!

-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.

Endgame by James Frey and Nils Johnson-Shelton

Published: October 2014

Publisher: HarperTeen

Pages: 477

Copy Provided by: Library

Summary: Goodreads

Summary:

Twelve thousand years ago, they came. They descended from the sky amid smoke and fire, and created humanity and gave us rules to live by. They needed gold and they built our earliest civilizations to mine it for them. When they had what they needed, they left. But before they left, they told us someday they would come back, and when they did, a game would be played. A game that would determine our future.

This is Endgame.

For ten thousand years the lines have existed in secret. The 12 original lines of humanity. Each had to have a Player prepared at all times. They have trained generation after generation after generation. In weapons, languages, history, tactics, disguise assassination. Together the players are everything: strong, kind, ruthless, loyal, smart, stupid, ugly, lustful, mean, fickle, beautiful, calculating, lazy, exuberant, weak. They are good and evil. Like you. Like all.

This is Endgame.

When the game starts, the players will have to find three keys. The keys are somewhere on earth. The only rule of their Endgame is that there are no rules. Whoever finds the keys first wins the game. Endgame: The Calling is about the hunt for the first key. And just as it tells the story of the hunt for a hidden key, written into the book is a puzzle. It invites readers to play their own Endgame and to try to solve the puzzle. Whoever does will open a case filled with gold. Alongside the puzzle will be a revolutionary mobile game built by Google’s Niantic Labs that will allow you to play a real-world version of Endgame where you can join one of the lines and do battle with people around you.

Will exuberance beat strength? Stupidity top kindness? Laziness thwart beauty? Will the winner be good or evil? There is only one way to find out.

Play.
Survive.
Solve.
People of Earth.
Endgame has begun.

Review:

Endgame felt slightly controversial to me.  It brings up an indirect comparison to the beginnings of human existence and I felt like it touched a bit upon religion as well.  The premise of Endgame was interesting...with the lineage of the winner surviving and the rest of the world perishing. But, what is the purpose of creating all of the lines if only to have one survive? And what if someone has genes from several lines? Do they have a better chance of surviving?

Overall, I enjoyed this book. I found it hard at first to remember everyone's names.  They weren't common but as the story unfolded and their personalities began to form, it was easier to distinguish the good from the bad and see who the real strategists were.  It was interesting to see how the authors paired players up and how these players seemed to have skills that complemented each other.  It took away from the brutality of the game.  And showed that they weren't just players, but they were also human.

(Personally, I was rooting for Chiyoko, the Japanese mute.  I have heard that movie rights have been issued for this trilogy.  If it happens, I am picturing Devon Aoki to play this character.)

There is the aspect of an actual game woven throughout the story which I think HarperTeen took a gamble on.  By the number of views from the linked YouTube pages, I would have expected this spin to be more popular and it leads me to wonder if this could be a publicity nightmare.  We shall see if it gains momentum with Book #2 and 3.

I will probably end up purchasing the book because I want to try out the links and why not participate in winning $500,000 in gold? Who couldn't use a little spending cash to say, buy a HOUSE, a vehicle and have some money leftover for a trip to Europe?  Book #2 ups the ante to 1 million and Book #3 will push the prize value up to 1.5 million.  Who couldn't use 1.5 million dollars???

Book #2 is coming out October 6th. I may not be standing in line to purchase it when Chapters opens but perhaps a pre-order may be happening.
 

James Frey has his own controversy with a Million Little Pieces and a certainly lady by the name of Oprah Winfrey but he has done quite well with the YA market with - I Am Number Four.  I wonder if his next series will have anything to do with aliens as well?  Something to think about....

 

Shadow Study by Maria V. Snyder

Published: February 24th, 2015

Publisher: Mira

Pages: 384

Copy: Edelweiss

Summary: Goodreads

New York Times bestselling author Maria V. Snyder wowed readers with Poison Study, the unforgettable story of poison taster Yelena. Now she's back with a new tale of intrigue.

Once, only her own life hung in the balance.

Oddly enough, when Yelena was a poison taster, her life was simpler. But she'd survived to become a vital part of the balance of power between rival countries Ixia and Sitia. Now she uses her magic to keep the peace in both lands and protect her relationship with Valek.

Suddenly, though, they are beset on all sides by those vying for power through politics and intrigue. Valek's job - and his life - are in danger. As Yelena tries to uncover the scope of these plots, she faces a new challenge: her magic is blocked. She must keep that a secret - or her enemies will discover just how vulnerable she really is - while searching for who or what is responsible for neutralizing her powers.

Yes, the days of tasting poisons were much simpler. And certainly not as dangerous,

"Doing full justice to the plot of this original and entertaining epic fantasy is impossible. Suffice it to say that the action is nonstop. The many characters leap to life, particularly Yelena, whose first-person narrative is riveting."

Curlypow's thoughts:

If you enjoy your fantasy with a solid hit of believable romance, you can't go much wrong reading Maria V Snyder.  Shadow Study is the latest in her series of trilogies set in the world of Ixia and its surrounds. 'Shadow' is the 4th book in the Study series ('Poison Stud'y; 'Magic Study' and 'Fire Study') but the first in the new 'Soulfinder' trilogy.

Ms Snyder has developed a very believable world  that she has reiterated in various forms in each of her trilogies, and it just keeps becoming more complex and involved.  The more you read, the easier it is to develop a mental map of where you are within the world and how the politics affect its people.

Yelena and Valek are not the traditional romantic pair, but it is impossible not to take them completely to heart and to become invested in their lives.  They are very definitely a couple, but they are not in each others pockets at all.  Both are very independent and yet willing to admit that they need to be in each others lives.  Although predominantly written in alternating Yelena and Valek pov's, for a little bit of a change there are the occasional chapters from Janco's pov, which helps shake things up a bit - Janco is almost comic relief and you can't help but enjoy the banter between him and Ari.

'Shadow Study' uses a lot of flashbacks to introduce the reader to Valek's past and is very skilfully done.  The narrative never feels interrupted by these interludes and for fan's of Snyder's work, it just helps to cement Valek's place in our hearts.  There is lots of action as usual and this time around, a wonderful, if rather surprising, ending.  Fans will be champing at the bit for the next in the trilogy - 'Night Study', followed by 'Dawn Study'.  If you haven't read anything by Snyder before, I guarantee that you will be looking for her previous works to devour in the meantime. This is a world that is just waiting to be discovered - I'd love to be able to go back and read them again for the first time.

The original Study books have been issued with both YA and adult covers but the story is great whichever you happen to prefer.

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 got: 

Summary (by Goodreads)

The poverty stricken Reds are commoners, living under the rule of the Silvers, elite warriors with god-like powers.

To Mare Barrow, a 17-year-old Red girl from The Stilts, it looks like nothing will ever change.

Mare finds herself working in the Silver Palace, at the centre of
those she hates the most. She quickly discovers that, despite her red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy Silver control.

But power is a dangerous game. And in this world divided by blood, who will win? 

With so many books to read, it is hard to choose which title to read next but Red Queen caught my eye when I started to get bombed with tweets about the book....curiosity makes me read.  Look for my review shortly!

- Christinabean

Shout Out to Indies - Some Fine Day by Kat Ross plus Giveaway

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. 

Synopsis: A generation ago, continent-sized storms called hypercanes caused the Earth to flood. The survivors were forced to retreat deep underground and build a new society.

This is the story that sixteen-year-old Jansin Nordqvist has heard all of her life. Jansin grew up in a civilization far below the Earth’s surface. She’s spent the last eight years in military  intelligence training. So when her parents surprise her with a coveted yet treacherous trip above ground, she’s prepared for anything. She’s especially thrilled to feel the fresh air, see the sun, and view the wide-open skies and the ocean for herself.

But when raiders attack Jansin’s camp and take her prisoner, she is forced to question everything she’s been taught. What do her captors want? How will she get back underground? And if she ever does, will she want to stay after learning the truth?

Some Fine Day is available for purchase on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. You can find more reader reviews on Goodreads.

You can check out the trailer here.

We asked Kat why she likes to write YA:

I like to write YA because I like writing characters whose minds are relatively open, whose opinions of the world haven't yet fossilized, who can grow and change and question things. There's something so intense about the relationships we form as teenagers and the experiences we go through…kids are just revolutionary in a lot of ways.

Plus there's a big part of me that just never went along with the whole "being a grown-up" thing. I mostly write in first person and that voice comes very easily (:

Some Fine Day launch giveaway!

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Grand Prize: Kindle Paperwhite with custom cover, preloaded with Some Fine Day

Second Prize (2): Signed copy of Some Fine Day

Third Prize (2): CD audiobook of Some Fine Day

This contest runs from February 7 to March 7.

About the author:

Kat Ross was born and raised in New York City and worked several jobs before turning to journalism and 

creative writing. An avid traveler and adventurer, she now lives with her family—along with a beagle, a 

ginger cat, and six fish—far enough outside the city that skunks and deer wander through her backyard. 

You can find Kat on Twitter and her website.

The Immortal who Loved Me by Lindsay Sands

Published: February 24th, 2015

Publisher: Avon

Pages: 384

Ecopy: Edelweiss

Summary: Goodreads

A few hours ago, Sherry Carne would have sworn that vampires didn’t exist. That’s before rogue immortals rampage through her store, leaving bloody chaos (literally) in their wake. The kicker comes when Sherry learns that one of the vamps on the bad guys’ trail may be her life mate. Her head says it’s impossible. The rest of her takes one look at Basileios Argeneau and has much more interesting ideas.

Whatever Basil expected in a life mate, funny, outspoken Sherry isn’t it. But mind-blowing chemistry and instinct don’t lie. They tell him something else, too—that Sherry’s connection to the immortal world goes deeper than she knows. And that she’s in the kind of danger only Basil can save her from—if she’ll just trust him, now and forever . . .

Curlypow's thoughts:

I have been reading the Argeneau series by Lynsay Sands since almost the first book came out and for the most part,  it has continued to be lots of fun.  The vampires are all of course really handsome and they are all looking for their life mates - 'cos these guys aren't vamps in the regular sense.  Nope, they are really Atlanteans who have been hiding in plain sight for thousands of years.

Unfortunately, I'm beginning to feel that these books are just becoming more of the same.  After 21 books there don't seem to be many surprises left.  Sherry, to my mind was too accepting of the circumstances she found herself in, and Basil, after millennia on his own,  is completely bowled over by a peppy 20 something.

If you enjoy some vampire fun, I'm sure you'll enjoy this one, but for me it certainly didn't stand out from the crowd.

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 –

Do you like fantasy or realistic books? via The Realm of Books

umm...fantasy, duhhh....I read to GET AWAY from real life...

OK. Sometimes I will read some contemp stuff just to get a grip and stop looking at people and classifying them into supernatural categories...I'm guessing Curlypow is going to feel the same way.  What? You don't do that? ("She's a bit of a siren.  He's definitely a post-apocalyptic zombie")

 

- 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.

Silver Shadows by Richelle Mead

Publisher: Razorbill

Published: July 2014

Pages: 416

Copy Provided by: Bought

Summary: Goodreads

Summary:

Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets—and human lives.

In The Fiery Heart, Sydney risked everything to follow her gut, walking a dangerous line to keep her feelings hidden from the Alchemists.

Now in the aftermath of an event that ripped their world apart, Sydney and Adrian struggle to pick up the pieces and find their way back to each other. But first, they have to survive.

For Sydney, trapped and surrounded by adversaries, life becomes a daily struggle to hold on to her identity and the memories of those she loves. Meanwhile, Adrian clings to hope in the face of those who tell him Sydney is a lost cause, but the battle proves daunting as old demons and new temptations begin to seize hold of him. . . .

Their worst fears now a chilling reality, Sydney and Adrian face their darkest hour in this heart-pounding fifth installment in the New York Times bestselling Bloodlines series, where all bets are off.

Review:

I love this series. I don't love it AS MUCH as Vampire Academy but I still love it.  I can't believe we are down to the wire and there is only one more book left.  WHY????

So I will try not to spoil anything for those of you who have not read the first books.  This is by far the craziest one and you will not be able to anticipate what will happen.  Sydney is stuck in a re-education facility and Adrien is trying to bail her out.  The alchemists are smart though and they have little tricks to break down the human spirit in order to re-mold you back into a "model" citizen.  Sydney however has something to live for and although she is physically pushed to her limit, she keeps her head and is able to survive and work her way back to reality.

Book #5 will show you just how far Syadrian is willing to go for love.  How there is a much greater diversity between human and Moroi opposed to Moroi and Dhamphir.  It will have you reading chapter 19 and saying WHHHHHAAAAATTTT?????

Seriously, you will do that. I had to stop and re-read the chapter.

Have I got you intrigued?  Maybe even just a little? 

Now go read it.  And comment on my post....

I loved it. And now it is fresh in my memory to pick up and read The Ruby Circle...which is on my nightstand now.  :)

Thank you Richelle Mead, for keeping my reading list full....darn you Razorbill...for making the series only 6 books long....



Waiting on Wednesday - Unleashed by Sophie Jordan

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)

 

Unleashed, the romantic, high-stakes sequel to New York Times bestselling author Sophie Jordan's Uninvited, is perfect for fans of James Patterson's Confessions of a Murder Suspect.

Davy has spent the last few months trying to come to terms with the fact that she tested positive for the kill gene HTS (also known as Homicidal Tendency Syndrome). She swore she would not let it change her, and that her DNA did not define her . . . but then she killed a man.

Now on the run, Davy must decide whether she'll be ruled by the kill gene or if she'll follow her heart and fight for her right to live free. But with her own potential for violence lying right beneath the surface, Davy doesn't even know if she can trust herself.



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 got: 

 

Summary (by Goodreads)

This exciting new series from NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author Ally Carter focuses on Grace, who can best be described as a daredevil, an Army brat, and a rebel. She is also the only granddaughter of perhaps the most powerful ambassador in the world, and Grace has spent every summer of her childhood running across the roofs of Embassy Row.

Now, at age sixteen, she's come back to stay--in order to solve the mystery of her mother's death. In the process, she uncovers an international conspiracy of unsettling proportions, and must choose her friends and watch her foes carefully if she and the world are to be saved.    



Its been a long time since I last read an Ally Carter title but I do enjoy her sense of adventure, mystery and intrigue!  Looking forward to this one.  It has a different premise and hopefully puts a different twist on YA trilogies.

 

- Christinabean

 



Shout Out to Indies - Dealing with Devils by Pembroke Sinclair

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.

Dating a demon has its advantages, like helping deliver souls to Hell.  Wait...what?

Katie’s world has been turned upside down.  She's fallen for Josh—despite the fact that he’s a demon from Hell.  Wes is finally out of her system and her life.  Convinced she can change Josh, she sets out to make him a better person, only to find out things aren’t as simple as she’d originally thought.  For one thing, Josh has Katie help him deliver souls to Hell, and she kind of likes it.  And to top it off, other more powerful demons are battling for her soul, and revelations from the past could change the course of her life forever.

We asked Pembroke why she likes to write for a YA audience:

Writing young adult is different than writing adult because your characters get to be naïve.  They haven’t had as much experience with life, so they don’t necessarily have all the skills needed to deal with it, and they’re allowed to make bad decisions.  It’s these bad decisions that make the story.                               

Young adults are often considered an in-between group because they aren’t children but they aren’t yet adults, so they are given freedom to explore and figure out who they are as people.  And this is why I like to write in this genre.  I like to have characters that make mistakes and maybe act outside of expected norms—because they can. 

 

Author Bio:

Pembroke Sinclair is a literary jack of all trades, playing her hand at multiple genres. She has written an eclectic mix of fiction ranging from horror to sci-fi and even some westerns. Born in Rock Springs, 

Wyoming--the home of 56 nationalities--it is no wonder Pembroke ended up so creatively diverse. Her fascination with the notions of good and evil, demons and angels, and how the lines blur have inspired her writing. Pembroke lives in Laramie, Wyoming, with her husband, two spirited boys, a black lab named Ryder, and a rescue kitty named Alia, who happens to be the sweetest, most adorable kitty in the world! She cannot say no to dessert, orange soda, or cinnamon. She loves rats and tatts and rock and roll and wants to be an alien queen when she grows up. 

You can learn more about Pembroke Sinclair by visiting her at http://pembrokesinclair.blogspot.com/

Social Media Links:

https://www.facebook.com/jessicarobinsonauthor

https://twitter.com/PembrokeSinclai

https://plus.google.com/+PembrokeSinclair/posts

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3522214.Pembroke_Sinclair

Find the Book:

Goodreads: 

Amazon:  

Barnes & Noble:  

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 –

Do you use the # FF on twitter on Fridays? If you do, are you afraid you’ll forget someone and they’ll be sad?

I haven't used #FF for a long time.  But thank you for reminding me!  Perhaps today would be a great day to revisit this feature!

- 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.

The Great Zoo of China by Matthew Reilly - A really quick review

Published: January 27th

Publisher: Gallery Books

Pages: 515

Copy: Netgalley

Summary: Goodreads

They have found a species of animal no one believed even existed. It will amaze the world.

Now the Chinese are ready to unveil their astonishing discovery within the greatest zoo ever constructed.
A small group of VIPs and journalists has been brought to the zoo deep within China to see its fabulous creatures for the first time.
Among them is Dr. Cassandra Jane ‘CJ’ Cameron, a writer for National Geographic and an expert on reptiles.
The visitors are assured by their Chinese hosts that they will be struck with wonder at these beasts, that they are perfectly safe, and that nothing can go wrong.

Of course it can’t…

GET READY FOR ACTION ON A GIGANTIC SCALE.

My thoughts:

The Great Zoo of China is a fast-paced, roller-coaster ride of a thriller.  The action starts only a few pages in and continues at breakneck speed until the book is over.  Unfortunately, it does so at the cost of character development.  The characters are just that - characters.   There is no chance to get to know them, or to get to like them even.  There are some tongue-in cheek references to Jurassic Park, which are definitely merited and the book is fun, but there is very little depth to it.  So, if your up for action, with little substance I highly recommend this one.  If you prefer some depth, give this one a miss.

Curlypow

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 got: 

EEEEEKKKKK!!!  The Ruby Circle is the last book in the Bloodlines series, a spin-off of  Vampire Academy (A series on my top 10 list).  We finally see where Syadrian end up.  Do they stay together?  What happens to their relationship after the MASSIVE bombshell from Book #5???  If you have time on your hands or are looking for some AMAZING reading material for the summer of 2015, I suggest you start by reading the entire series of Vampire Academy followed by Bloodlines. Oh, and skip the movie...while it was very entertaining, it did not capture the complexity of the the storyline and the characters involved.

- Christinabean

Shout Out to Indies - Seabound by Jordan Rivet

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. 

SEABOUND by Jordan Rivet

When an apocalyptic catastrophe decimates the land, a lucky few escape to sea. 1,003 survivors make their home on a souped-up cruise ship called the Catalina. After sixteen years, the strain begins to show in a floating world of distrust and shifting allegiances. 

Esther is a young mechanic who wants to prove herself, and she’s willing to take risks in the name of progress. But when the fresh water tanks explode, endangering the lives of everyone aboard the Catalina – it’s all Esther’s fault. With only a little water left, the crew of the Catalina must use its last fuel to sail for help. They head to an unknown seabound metropolis called the Galaxy Flotilla. The inhabitants of the Galaxy are keen to parade their lives of luxury, but what do the saviors really want in return for their warm welcome? And what is really going on below decks? 

When disaster strikes again, Esther must fight to save the lives of her friends aboard the Catalina before it’s too late. 
Find out how far Esther is willing to go to save her home in Seabound, the fast-paced first novel of the Seabound Chronicles. Available as a paperback and e-book from the following retailers: 

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Apple

We asked Jordan why she likes to write YA/crossover novels:

On why I write crossover novels:

I write fiction for adults who love YA. There are so many terrific YA books with immersive world-building and riveting characters. They are fast-paced, heartfelt, and unpretentious. Adults (myself included) read YA just as much as teenagers do because we want to get completely lost in a fictional world. I wanted to write something for these readers, but I also wanted to explore the possibilities for a slightly older character in a YA-like dystopian setting.

The main character of Seabound, a ship's mechanic named Esther, is 22 years old. She has more responsibility on the ship than she would as a teenager and her skills are more advanced. However, she is still trying to prove herself and figure out her place in the world. YA fiction is often about coming of age, and Esther strives to do that in the midst of extraordinary (and often life-threatening) circumstances. I hope her story will resonate with YA readers of any age. 

Jordan Rivet is an American author of post-apocalyptic fiction. She lives in Hong Kong.

Website: JordanRivet.com

Twitter: @Jordan_Rivet

Goodreads

Booktrack (two sample chapters with a movie-style soundtrack)

Good news - I have just heard that Seabound is on sale for 99c THIS weekend (Feb 7th & 8th)