Stacking the Shelves

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

Summary (by Goodreads)

Vika Andreyeva can summon the snow and turn ash into gold. Nikolai Karimov can see through walls and conjure bridges out of thin air. They are enchanters—the only two in Russia—and with the Ottoman Empire and the Kazakhs threatening, the tsar needs a powerful enchanter by his side.

And so he initiates the Crown’s Game, an ancient duel of magical skill—the greatest test an enchanter will ever know. The victor becomes the Imperial Enchanter and the tsar’s most respected adviser. The defeated is sentenced to death.

Raised on tiny Ovchinin Island her whole life, Vika is eager for the chance to show off her talent in the grand capital of Saint Petersburg. But can she kill another enchanter—even when his magic calls to her like nothing else ever has?

For Nikolai, an orphan, the Crown’s Game is the chance of a lifetime. But his deadly opponent is a force to be reckoned with—beautiful, whip-smart, imaginative—and he can’t stop thinking about her.

And when Pasha, Nikolai’s best friend and heir to the throne, also starts to fall for the mysterious enchantress, Nikolai must defeat the girl they both love…or be killed himself.

As long-buried secrets emerge, threatening the future of the empire, it becomes dangerously clear—the Crown’s Game is not one to lose. 

I know, I know...this book isn't exactly NEW but it is new to me. I have been on the hold list for AGES just to get it. Why didn't I buy it, you ask? Because I my stack of TBR titles is so freaking long!!  :)  Ahhh....first world problems....

I like the sound of The Crown's Game. I haven't read any reviews. I have just seen the star ratings and they seem to be pretty high.  I like that it is set in Russia and of course I seem to be on a roll with epic tales involving kingdoms and champions and wars of some sort.  Go figure.  I'm waiting for Game of Thrones to begin again.  :)

- Christinabean

The Kiss of Deception by Mary E Pearson

Published: July 2014

Publisher: Henry & Holt

Pages: 484

Copy Provided by: Library

Summary: Goodreads

Summary:

A princess must find her place in a reborn world.

She flees on her wedding day.

She steals ancient documents from the Chancellor's secret collection.

She is pursued by bounty hunters sent by her own father.

She is Princess Lia, seventeen, First Daughter of the House of Morrighan.

The Kingdom of Morrighan is steeped in tradition and the stories of a bygone world, but some traditions Lia can't abide. Like having to marry someone she's never met to secure a political alliance.

Fed up and ready for a new life, Lia flees to a distant village on the morning of her wedding. She settles in among the common folk, intrigued when two mysterious and handsome strangers arrive—and unaware that one is the jilted prince and the other an assassin sent to kill her. Deceptions swirl and Lia finds herself on the brink of unlocking perilous secrets—secrets that may unravel her world—even as she feels herself falling in love.

Review:

This title has been on my TBR list for a long time. I finally got around to reading it because I kept seeing Book #3 was coming out and figured it was about time I gave it a shot.  Wow! Was I ever glad that I did!  The story begins right off the bat with Lia getting ready for her wedding day.  Although she is apprehensive and suspects that her husband to be is rather old and dowdy.  All she knows is that he is the prince of a country with which Morrighan needs stronger ties. Her marriage is an alliance and she is just a political pawn in her father's regime.  She has no say in the matter and is incredibly unhappy about it.   So the morning of her wedding, she flees with her servant. 

I loved this character when I first started reading as she wanted to be recognized for herself. Not as a representative of her country. However, she is also quite headstrong and speaks out before thinking and is rash.  She reminds me a bit of Arya from Game of Thrones but more attractive and mature.  Her and her maid find a town to begin a new life in and they work in a bar. She learns to work hard and seems to enjoy the anonymity and develops a strong work ethic as well as close ties to the other women working at the establishment. 

However, the two men who she comes to know (during their long stay at the inn) have come seeking her out. One is the assassin sent to kill her and the other is the prince meant to wed her.  They both seem to be falling for Lia though.  

**spoiler alert!!**

I have to admit, I got them mixed up. There was so much flip flopping between characters that originally I thought that Kaden was the prince and Rafe was the assassin. So of course I was totally against her falling for Rafe for the first 1/2 of the book...jeesh!!  I need to stop reading quickly and let the words sink in!!

**end of spoiler **

The author does a great job of building up Lia's character and then tearing her back down again. I recently read another series that did a great job of this as well, the Arcana Chronicles by Kelsey Cole.  I love it when authors do this because you see a character start to earn their place in the world. You see their trials and tribulations and the things that really shape who they are.  Their adventures shape and challenge their inner depths of character, drawing on strengths they may have never had before given different circumstances.

Anywho, if you have not yet given this title a shot, I highly recommend it. Sure, Lia can get a little tedious at times but she grew up sheltered in a castle so she has a lot to learn and see. Besides, who wouldn't like the attention of two handsome young men??

BTW, The last chapter of the book was  AWESOME!!  So awesome in fact that I re-read it after I had finished the book...

- Christinabean

Waiting on Wednesday - The Midnight Star by Marie Lu

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)

The thrilling finale to the New York Times bestselling Young Elites series from “hit factory” Marie Lu.

There was once a time when darkness shrouded the world, and the darkness had a queen.

Adelina Amouteru is done suffering. She’s turned her back on those who have betrayed her and achieved the ultimate revenge: victory. Her reign as the White Wolf has been a triumphant one, but with each conquest her cruelty only grows. The darkness within her has begun to spiral out of control, threatening to destroy all that she’s achieved.

Adelina’s forced to revisit old wounds when a new danger appears, putting not only Adelina at risk, but every Elite and the very world they live in. In order to save herself and preserve her empire, Adelina and her Roses must join the Daggers on a perilous quest—though this uneasy alliance may prove to be the real danger.

I have been waiting for this book to come out ever since I read the first one - The Young Elites.  It has been a long time since I have seen someone good, turn bad. Yet, I did find myself cheering for Adelina throughout the last book - USE THE FORCE ADELINA!!  I already have this title on pre-order...sad but true...

- 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

Summary (by Goodreads)

Gemma has been in and out of hospitals since she was born. 'A sickly child', her lonely life to date has revolved around her home, school and one best friend, Alice. But when she discovers her father's connection to the top secret Haven research facility, currently hitting the headlines and under siege by religious fanatics, Gemma decides to leave the sanctuary she's always known to find the institute and determine what is going on there and why her father's name seems inextricably linked to it.

Amidst the frenzy outside the institute's walls, Lyra - or number 24 as she is known as at Haven - and a fellow experimental subject known only as 72, manage to escape. Encountering a world they never knew existed outside the walls of their secluded upbringing , they meet Gemma and, as they try to understand Haven's purpose together, they uncover some earth-shattering secrets that will change the lives of both girls forever... 

Auuuuughhhh!!! There are so many great reads this month! I am excited about Replica not necessarily because of the title but because of the AUTHOR. Lauren Oliver's book - Before I Fall was one of the first YA titles that ever made me cry. I loved it so much that I wrote to her to tell her and SHE WROTE BACK!! That was before she got all famous and started touring though.  She was super down to earth and I love how much success she has had ever since.  I didn't get into the Delirium series but it is still on my list of TBR. Maybe I could get slightly caught up if I didn't have to work...or sleep...or eat (oh wait. I can eat while reading, right?)

- Christinabean